After the family split up, my stepmother and scumbag father begged me to come home.

The moonlight illuminated the country lanes, making them appear white. After finishing their meal and chatting for a while, the two got up and went home.

Lin Qianqian walked ahead, her pace neither fast nor slow.

Lin Yulong followed behind, stepping on his sister's shadow, stepping one step at a time, as if he could hide himself in that thin shadow.

"Sister, aren't we going up the mountain tomorrow?" he asked.

"The cassava at home needs to be dealt with. It's hot, and it won't keep well." Lin Qianqian's voice was very soft, as if she was afraid of disturbing the insects in the grass on both sides of the road. "Also, I'm afraid someone will be watching us from the Lin family's side tomorrow. We might as well deal with the cassava while we have these few days."

Lin Yulong wrinkled his nose: "You mean Grandma is still watching us? Didn't the village chief chase them away today?"

Lin Qianqian didn't turn around. The corner of her mouth twitched slightly, not quite a smile, but more like a chilling understanding that was out of place for her age.

Do you think they'll let this go?

Lin Yulong thought for a moment and then shook his head.

His grandmother was notoriously greedy.

All the family's money went to support my uncle's education, but when my mother was sick, they couldn't bear to spend a single penny to see a doctor.

My mother wasn't seriously ill at first; it was only because her illness dragged on that it became severe, leaving her and her siblings behind.

His aunt was even worse. Once, she snatched the candy his mother had bought for him—which his mother had saved up for a long time to buy secretly—and that wasn't all. She also instigated his grandmother to beat his mother and him together, saying that his mother had stolen money.

Father pretended not to see, while Mother hid in the room and cried.

As for his aunt, like mother, like daughter, she's just like his grandmother. She loves to take advantage of others and has a sharp tongue. His mother has suffered a lot from them over the years.

As he thought about it, he suddenly missed his mother.

Lin Yulong's eyes reddened, and tears welled up in his eyes, but ultimately did not fall.

Fortunately, the night was so dark that it swallowed everything, and no one noticed what was churning in the heart of this nine-year-old child.

Lin Qianqian took a few steps, but when she realized there was no movement behind her for a long time, she turned around and found that the child had fallen far behind.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"It's nothing, sister, I just got some in my eyes." Lin Yulong rubbed his eyes hard, forcibly suppressing the soreness, and then jogged to catch up.

After running a few steps, he became uneasy again and asked in a low voice, "Sister, what if Grandma and the others come looking for trouble again?"

Lin Qianqian didn't stop walking, her voice wasn't loud, but it was very steady: "When soldiers come, we'll block them; when water comes, we'll dam it."

Lin Yulong was stunned for a moment, then blinked: "What? Sister, how come you speak so eloquently, just like that old scholar in the village?"

Lin Qianqian couldn't help but chuckle. The two of them, one after the other, pushed open the courtyard gate and entered the house.

In the east wing of the Lin family home, Ding Yuxiang, thinking about what Widow Wang had said, nudged Lin Guozhu beside her.

"Do you think those two siblings really did dig up something good?"

Lin Guozhu said, "Just the two of them?" and turned over to continue sleeping.

That old hag didn't even call me when she went; she just took her eldest daughter-in-law with her.

However, these idiots not only failed to get anything, but also got injured.

But she deserved it; it was their fault for not taking her along.

Hearing the snoring coming from next to her, Ding Yuxiang rolled her eyes at him and turned over.

She's useless. She thought marrying him would give her a good life, but it's completely pointless.

It seems I still have to rely on myself; that lazy bum in the village keeps provoking me.