Old Mrs. Song is reborn; get out of here, you scumbag husband and illegitimate child!

Song Xianglan went to the shop only to find it empty.

Lin Fang wasn't in the shop all afternoon.

She was holding Wu Baojun's seven-year-old daughter, Wu Xiaocui, and standing in front of the children's clothing counter in the department store.

Wu Xiaocui pointed at the pink princess dress with lace trim, looking at Lin Fang with longing eyes, her little hands tugging at the hem of Lin Fang's dress and swaying back and forth.

"Aunt Lin, this dress is so pretty! I wanted it as a birthday present, but Grandma said she didn't have the money, and Dad wasn't home. Sigh... it seems like Dad won't buy it for me even when he comes back."

Lin Fang looked at the price tag on the dress: nine yuan and eighty cents.

She herself couldn't bear to wear such expensive summer clothes.

Looking into the child's tearful eyes, Lin Fang's heart softened completely.

"I'll buy it for you."

"Will there be pink sandals?" Wu Xiaocui's eyes sparkled as she smiled and looked up at her.

Lin Fang took out her wallet and gestured to the sales clerk: "Give me this dress, and also a pair of those pink plastic sandals over there, the ones with the sequined bows."

The sales clerk didn't even look up. "Sandals, three yuan and eighty cents."

"Wrap it up for me."

Wu Xiaocui immediately stopped crying and started laughing, hugging her new clothes and shoes, and burying her head in Lin Fang's arms.

"Aunt Lin, you're so kind. Even kinder than my grandma."

Lin Fang stroked the child's head.

The grievances I felt because of Aunt Xiao Cui's troubles instantly dissipated.

"Xiao Cui, why did you bring your aunt to my shop last time?" Lin Fang squatted down and helped the child put on her new sandals.

Wu Xiaocui flinched, and tears welled up in her eyes again.

He opened his mouth, choked with sobs:

"Aunt Lin, if I don't take her with me, she won't let me go to my grandma's house, and she even said she'd hit me. It hurts a lot when my aunt hits me, I'm so scared."

Lin Fang paused in her movements.

It felt like a needle pricked my heart.

She was a child without a mother, and could only endure being manipulated by others.

She thought of her two children.

I don't hate them as much anymore.

We have already delivered clothes, shoes, socks, and food to Gengjiazhuang several times.

"Don't be afraid, Aunt Lin will protect you from now on." Lin Fang put the old shoes into a bag. "Have you told your dad about this?"

Wu Xiaocui shook her head vigorously, like a rattle drum.

"I can't say. I haven't seen Dad smile in a long time. He only smiles when he's with you. I don't want to make him sad."

This child is so sensible it breaks your heart.

Lin Fang, holding Wu Xiaocui's hand, who had changed into a new outfit, went to the food counter and weighed out two pounds of steamed egg cake and a bag of fruit candy.

Then they headed towards the Wu family's house.

When we arrived at the Wu family's door, we happened to see the elderly couple picking vegetables in their yard.

Two elderly women were sitting inside; they were Old Wu's older sisters.

I'm visiting my parents' home today.

Lin Fang entered the door carrying large and small bags.

Wu's mother threw down the vegetable leaves in her hand, clutched her lower back, and began to groan:

"Xiaofang's here? Oh, my old back! It's been so painful these past few days, with all this rain and humidity, I can't even stand up straight."

"People get old and useless."

Lin Fang quickly put the things down and helped Wu's mother up.

"Auntie, if your back hurts, don't do any work. Come inside and rest."

Wu's mother sat down in the chair, her brows furrowed into a deep frown.

"I was planning to have Baojun and his sister come home to cook today since we have guests over. But you know how busy Baojun's workplace is, he's always running around like crazy."

Baojing, that brat, said again that her mother-in-law hurt her back while working and can't come back. This whole family is waiting to be fed, and my back is..."

As she spoke, Wu's mother glanced at Lin Fang out of the corner of her eye.

Lin Fang understood the implication perfectly, rolled up her sleeves, and headed towards the kitchen.

"Auntie, you keep the aunties company while I cook."

The pained expression on Wu's mother's face instantly disappeared, and smile lines appeared at the corners of her eyes.

"Oh, Xiaofang, I'm so sorry. If Baojun knew you came to my house to do chores, he'd definitely get angry with me."

"Auntie, I'm going to do the work myself without telling Baojun." Lin Fang smiled and turned to go into the kitchen.

The kitchen was cold, with neither pots nor stoves.

There were only some snow peas in the kitchen, a small piece of lean meat about the size of a palm, without a single bit of fat, and four or five eggs.

Is this how you entertain guests?

Lin Fang sighed, took out fifteen yuan from her pocket, and called out to Wu Baomei, who was eating melon seeds in the yard.

"Bao Mei, go to that braised food shop at the alley entrance and cut half a salted duck, buy a fish, weigh out a pound of shrimp, and see if they have any chicken left. If they do, buy one to make soup."

Wu Baomei spat out the sunflower seed shells, jogged over, and took the money.

His eyes gleamed as he stared at the large ten-yuan note: "Sister Xiaofang, could I use the rest of the money as a running fee? I'm saving up to buy some hair accessories; my mom is incredibly stingy. She's only ever been good to you."

Lin Fang smiled.

Every time Wu Baomei saw her, she would call her "sister" this and "sister" that, and she had a very sweet tongue.

"The rest is your errand fee."

"Sister Xiaofang is beautiful inside and out." Wu Baomei hugged Lin Fang tightly and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "You are truly the best sister in the world. I can't wait for you to marry into our family so we can go shopping together."

Wu Baomei took the money.

They ran off like the wind.

Lin Fang smiled and wiped her cheeks before washing her hands and preparing the soup.

This task took more than an hour.

The kitchen was steaming hot.

The fragrance wafted through the window to the neighbor's house.

The boiled shrimp were bright red and sweet, the chicken soup with five-finger peach was fragrant, the snow peas were stir-fried with pork, the green peppers were stir-fried with eggs, and there was also pomfret boiled in soy sauce and a large plate of salted duck.

I also stir-fried two other vegetables.

This feast is even more lavish than the Wu family's New Year celebrations.

Lin Fang brought the last dish of stir-fried lettuce to the table, her forehead covered in sweat.

The Wu family was already sitting around the table.

They were holding the chopsticks in their hands.

The two aunts of the Wu family kept praising the daughter-in-law that Wu's father had chosen as a virtuous woman. They also said that their own daughters-in-law were not as good as her, and that each of their daughters-in-law was more scheming than the last.

Looking at the table full of delicious dishes, Wu's mother beamed with joy.

He held Lin Fang's hand tightly. "Xiao Fang, you've made us proud today."

"Baojun's auntie likes you very much. Everyone says our Wu family's ancestral graves must have been blessed to find such a wonderful wife as you. You're beautiful and capable; you'd be hard-pressed to find someone like you even with a lantern."

The two aunts next to her echoed her sentiments.

"Yes, Baojun is a capable young man who can earn money. He became the head of the security department at a young age. You'll be able to enjoy a life of luxury after you marry into the family."

"Your mother-in-law likes you so much."

Wu's mother slumped onto the stool, showing no intention of getting up to get a bowl and chopsticks to serve Lin Fang rice.

Instead, he asked:

"Xiaofang, it's almost lunchtime, why don't you stay and eat with us?"

Lin Fang looked at the table full of people; there were no empty seats left.

She was also thinking about the business in the shop.

"No, Auntie, the shop is busy tonight and needs someone to help." Lin Fang wiped the water from her hands. "I'll head back now."

"Oh dear, I'm so sorry," Wu's mother said politely, but her body remained perfectly still. "Making money is the priority, so I won't keep you any longer. From now on, we're family, and we'll have plenty of time to eat together."

Lin Fang originally wanted to ask about the trouble caused by Wu Baojun's former sister-in-law.

The words were on the tip of his tongue, but he swallowed them back.

On such a wonderful day, let's not upset such a kind old person.

"Auntie, please take care of your back and don't overwork yourself."

Lin Fang gave a brief instruction, then turned and left.

Wait for her to leave.

The laughter and chatter inside grew louder.

Wu's mother picked up her chopsticks, placed a large duck leg in her grandson's bowl.

His expression changed instantly: "Lin Fang is good at making money, but she's a petty country bumpkin who doesn't know how to handle things."

Old Wu was holding a wine glass.

He smacked his lips as he looked at the dishes on the table.

"Why didn't you think to buy me a bottle of good wine? This salted duck goes bad with loose white wine."

"Dad, you should be content," Wu Baomei said, her mouth full of shrimp, her words muffled. "Next time I'll remind my sister-in-law to buy you Moutai. She's got money anyway."

"She's not even married yet, don't call her sister-in-law or older sister." Old Wu glared at his daughter. "But second marriages are indeed better than first marriages, people with money are also hardworking."

"As long as the woman enters the family and gives birth to a son, your second brother's branch of the family will have an heir."

"I like Sister Lin Fang as my second sister-in-law."

Wu Baomei spat out the shrimp shell, "This is much better than the previous one. The previous one wouldn't even buy me a pair of socks. Sister Lin Fang is generous; my dowry is secured now."

Wu Xiaocui lowered her head and ate a duck.

He didn't dare to say a word.

"Alright, eat your food." Wu's mother tapped Wu Baomei's chopsticks. "Don't say things like that in front of her in the future."

"Get them inside first. Once they're in, they're family, and the money is our money."

……

When Lin Fang returned to the shop, it was during the busiest time of the day.

The store was packed with people.

"Boss lady, another bowl of salty rice."

"I'd like a bowl of pork offal soup, with lots of coriander."

Wearing an apron and carrying a bowl, Song Xianglan moved between the tables and chairs with her feet barely touching the ground.

The ugly woman was left in the kitchen to chop meat until her wrists ached.

When Lin Fang entered the room and saw this scene, her heart skipped a beat, and she quickly put down her bag to help.

"One bowl of oyster rice, please. One bowl of fist-sized fish ball soup, and one more fist-sized fish ball."

Song Xianglan was so busy that she barely had time to breathe. When she saw Lin Fang return, she glared at her angrily.

Lin Fang was startled, looking at Song Xianglan's face, which was as black as the bottom of a pot.

Na Na opened her mouth:

"Aunt Song, I..."

"We'll talk about it later." Song Xianglan went to serve the guests oyster rice.

Lin Fang quickly got to work.

They were busy until after 6 p.m. before the shop finally had few customers left.

Song Xianglan called Lin Fang aside and asked her where she had gone that afternoon.

Lin Fang stammered, unsure of how to speak.

Song Xianglan said coldly, "Think carefully before you answer. Unless you can keep lying to me, you'd better tell the truth."

Lin Fang naturally wouldn't dare to lie.

He recounted how Wu Xiaocui had come to find him and how he had gone to the Wu family.

Song Xianglan looked at Liu Chounu and said, "You good girl who can't stand hardship, you neglect your family's profitable business and run off to be someone else's free nanny. You work and don't even get a meal before being kicked out."

"Being sold out and still laughing at the money being counted by the seller."

After saying that, he looked at Lin Fang and asked:

"Is she your own daughter or your own mother? You have to pay out of your own pocket and still feed and care for the whole family."

Do you feel like you have too much money to burn, or do you think the Geng family bloodsuckers haven't had enough and are looking for another family to leech off?

Lin Fang turned pale and stood there.

Song Xianglan turned around and muttered a curse:

"Isn't making money better than chasing men? If you don't fix this brain, you'll be eaten alive by that family sooner or later. I think you should stop looking for men and go do volunteer work at a temple instead; that would be much better."