Jing Mother looked at the nervous Chuxia and a smile appeared in her eyes.

 

Even though she was seeing Chuxia for the first time today, she really liked him. He was handsome and of good stature, and the most important thing was that he was steady and reliable. His bright and clear eyes showed that he was intelligent and perceptive.

 

“Chuxia, you go play with them while your father and I are busy here.” Jing Mother spoke to ease the situation. It was awkward to keep the child trapped here.

 

“Then you go watch over the younger brothers, Chuxia.” Lin Mother said with a suppressed laugh. He didn’t expect his usually calm second son to be so nervous in front of the mother of his crush.

 

Chuxia obediently went out, and as soon as he stepped out, he heaved a sigh of relief. When he looked up, he saw Jing Yi standing at the entrance of the main hall, looking at him eagerly.

 

What a coincidence, Jing Yi was also planning to go out for a stroll.

 

When the two of them walked into the courtyard, they could hear the lively and noisy voices of Xiao Shan and Xiao An playing outside. Jing Yi softly said to Chuxia, “Chuxia, I was just about to go out and make sure they don’t go too wild. Want to come along?”

 

Chuxia hesitated. Although Dayuan Dynasty didn’t have strict gender rules, it still wouldn’t be appropriate for a young boy to be seen together with an unmarried man.

 

Seeing his expression, Jing Yi added, “And I’ll need your help to look after Xiao Shu. He’s still young and doesn’t understand his own strength. I’m afraid he might get hurt while playing with the other boys.”

 

Upon hearing that there was a younger brother, Chuxia agreed and walked with Jing Yi.

 

Outside, it was lively and noisy. The children didn’t know what they were playing, and Xiao Shan and Xiao An were running around with a few blades of grass, shouting and running.

 

Xiao Shu chased after them from behind, his little face covered in dirt, not knowing where he got it from. He kept shouting, “Second Brother, wait for me, it’s my turn.” The remaining Xiao Jiang stood at the door, also holding a few blades of grass, looking at the three running around with a complicated expression.

 

“Haha! This is really something. Xiao Shan and Xiao An, brothers finally recognize each other.”

 

Jing Yi laughed uncontrollably at the lively scene in front of him. He had thought that Xiao Shan and Xiao An would get along well, and it turned out to be true.

 

Chuxia smiled and said, “Xiao Jiang is calm and prefers quiet. He usually doesn’t like to play with Xiao Shan. But now Xiao Shan is happy.”

 

Dongshan, with his sharp eyes, immediately noticed the two brothers at the entrance and, while playing, couldn’t help but ask, “Second Brother, Second Brother! Can we go to the creek?”

 

He then turned around and happily bragged to Xiao An, “There are so many little snails in the creek at my house, and they’re really fat now.”

 

“Can we go? Big Brother,” Xiao An, who was tricked, quickly asked his own big brother.

 

“Not now, it’s almost time for lunch. After we eat, if we have time, we can take Xiao An and Xiao Shu to the creek.”

 

After Chuxia finished speaking, he looked at Xiao Shu’s dirty face and called him over, bending down and whispering softly, “Xiao Shu, lets wipe your face inside. You’ll become a little kitty.”

 

Xiao Shu spent most of his time in the village playing with his second brother or being taken care of by the energetic Jing Mother. Suddenly being treated so gently and tenderly by a handsome older brother, his little face blushed, and he softly said, “Okay~”

 

Then he obediently let himself be led inside to wipe his face.

 

Little did they know, their older brother, who saw the gentle side of Chuxia, was almost mesmerized. At that moment, he felt genuine jealousy towards his seven-year-old younger brother.

 

In the kitchen, lunch was almost ready, and Lin Mother was stir-frying the final dish.

 

As the two of them were chatting happily, Jing Mother saw the pleasant atmosphere and hinted, “Yuanyuan ge, you’ve done a great job teaching these children. They’re polite and well-behaved. Especially Chuxia, I can see that he’s a good match, handsome and reliable.”

 

Upon hearing this, Lin Mother responded with a “Hmm,” focusing on putting the stir-fried dish on a plate. After confirming that nothing was left behind, he teasingly replied to Jing Mother, “Oh? I quite like Xiao Yi as well. He’s intelligent and capable.”

 

Jing Mother, upon hearing this, immediately took her elder brother’s arm with excitement. Since there was no one else around, she didn’t mind being more obvious. She was happy at the thought of becoming relatives with the Lin family.

 

“Don’t praise him too much. He’s not that great. But he is indeed well-behaved and considerate.” If he married someone, he would definitely treat his wife well. Jing Mother also reminisced about the past, saying, “In the past, when his health was poor, both his father and I worried a lot. But since he recovered, he has become more mature in his actions. Despite being only sixteen, he’s already half the pillar of our family. Sometimes even his father listens to him.”

 

“A young man’s sense of responsibility and dedication is more important than just ability. Xiao Yi is really good.”

 

Lin Mother nodded as she listened. Every time she went to the pier market, she could see Jing Yi bustling around, taking care of everything and willingly doing the heavy tasks. He also had good manners in dealing with people. He truly was an outstanding young man.

 

“Ah, this brat really knows how to make people angry. I don’t like pine trees at all. Who would have thought!” Jing Mother seemed to be complaining, but she had already given a significant hint to Lin Mother.

 

“You, huh!” Mother Lin laughed and playfully poked her with her finger. There was no need for further explanation.

 

With lunch prepared, everyone worked together to set the table and get bowls and chopsticks. It didn’t take long before they officially started the meal.

 

The eldest daughter of the Lin family mentioned that she wasn’t feeling well and didn’t join them for the meal. Lin Mother didn’t insist and prepared a separate portion for her.

 

In the main hall, the five members of the Lin family and the five members of the Jing family enjoyed the lively atmosphere while eating and drinking.

 

In the countryside, every household only had one table, but both Lin Father and Jing Father loved their wives, so they didn’t pay much attention to such things and sat together at one table.

 

Lin Mother had prepared a variety of dishes today. Since Lin Father was an excellent hunter, the family never lacked meat, and the table was filled with the fragrance of various dishes.

 

In the center was a large plate of braised wild chicken with taro. It was Lin Mother’s specialty dish, with tender chicken and soft taro blending together, enveloped in a thick and aromatic sauce.

 

Next to the chicken was a plate of braised pork belly, fatty but not greasy, melting in the mouth, with a balanced salty and savory taste. The preserved mustard greens absorbed the flavor of the meat, while the meat brought out the fragrance of the greens.

 

Beside the pork belly was a pot of stewed old duck with dried bamboo shoots, seasoned with some white radish for freshness. The meat was thick and flavorful, rich in fat, and the soup was clear and delicious.

 

Finally, there were three vegetarian dishes: stir-fried cabbage with vinegar, braised eggplant, and stir-fried baby bok choy, along with a side dish of pickled vegetables made by Lin Mother himself, which was also very delicious.

 

Although there weren’t many dishes, each serving was generous, and everyone enjoyed the meal together. Jing Father and Lin Father also drank to their heart’s content. Today, for a rare occasion, there was no wife to stop them.

 

After the meal, Lin Mother stopped Jing Mother from washing the dishes and placed them in the kitchen to soak. He invited everyone to sit in the main hall, have tea, chat, and also sent the younger ones out to play.

 

“Yuanyuan ge, I have a request for you. If you don’t mind Xiao Yi from our family, I’ll go home and find a matchmaker to propose a marriage.” Jing Mother eagerly sought an answer from Lin Mother. “Xiao Xia is such a good child, we should settle things quickly. Otherwise, Xiao Yi will have no place to cry.”

 

“Hahaha, that sounds reasonable.” Jing Father joined in the joking.

 

“Don’t tease Xiao Yi anymore. How old are you all?” Lin Father said with a smile. “Alright then, let’s make the engagement official, and when they turn eighteen, they can get married. What do you think?” His voice softened noticeably in the last sentence, as if he was asking his own spouse.

 

Upon seeing this, Jing Mother expressed her envy and pinched Jing Father next to her.

 

Jing Father rubbed his arm, confused.

 

Lin Mother certainly agreed, but there was something else he needed to discuss, and he was worried about how to bring it up.

 

Jing Mother was impatient by nature, but she still had some perceptiveness. Seeing the distressed expression on her elder brother’s face, she immediately asked with concern, “Yuanyuan ge, is there something else you’re worried about?”

 

“Don’t worry, it’s not about Xiao Yi and Xiao Xia. It’s something else in our family. I thought it would be better to clarify it with you first,” Lin Mother reassured Jing Mother, asking her not to worry.

 

“It’s like this, our eldest daughter, Ying’er, got married to the Zhu family in Dongkuan Village…”

 

Lin Qiuying, the eldest daughter of the Lin family, had always been gentle and avoided confrontations.

 

She was beautiful and charming, although not as lively as her younger brother Chuxia, but she was considered one of the most graceful girls in the village. Moreover, the Lin family was well-off, so they received numerous marriage proposals.

 

This was the first marriage in the family, and both Lin Father and Lin Mother didn’t have much experience, so they attached great importance to their child’s wishes.

 

The eldest daughter eventually chose the Zhu family in Dongkuan Village. They owned a lot of land and were considered a wealthy family in the village. It was said that they even had someone in the family who had received an education.

 

The groom’s name was Zhu Qun, and he had a decent appearance, although he was somewhat weak. The main reason was that they had only met a couple of times, and Lin Qiuying felt that he spoke politely and knew how to respect others.

 

At the time, Lin Father and Lin Mother had privately discussed that this young man seemed physically and characteristically weak, not assertive. However, since their daughter liked him, they didn’t interfere. They thought that even if the son-in-law had a weak character, at least their daughter wouldn’t be mistreated.

 

Who would have known that sometimes having a weak character also meant being a mama’s boy.

 

When Qiu’er turned eighteen and a half, she married the eldest son of the Zhu family. The marriage seemed promising.

 

In the first few months after the marriage, everything seemed peaceful. The Zhu family’s grandmother was strict, and the mother-in-law was overbearing, but Lin Qiuying thought that being a daughter-in-law was naturally different from being a girl at home, and she just had to endure.

 

However, after a while, the mother-in-law brought her niece, Honghua, to their house, saying she had come to help with household chores.

 

But this niece-to-be didn’t work diligently and was constantly clinging to her married cousin. She would constantly give gifts and make advances shamelessly, lacking any sense of shame. She also instigated conflicts between Lin Qiuying and her husband, causing several unpleasant incidents.

 

This disgusted Lin Qiuying, and she discussed the matter with Zhu Qun several times. Each time, he sincerely apologized, promising to maintain a distance, and his attitude was very good. However, there were no practical actions, and Lin Qiuying had no other solution.

 

She even thought about asking her mother-in-law to send Honghua back. As soon as she brought it up, the mother-in-law shouted and accused her of being unfilial, saying that she couldn’t tolerate her maternal family and almost resorted to violence.

 

Zhu Qun didn’t dare and didn’t know how to confront his mother. He kept trying to mediate, asking Lin Qiuying not to provoke his mother and be more tolerant. Eventually, it was the consideration for Lin Qiuying’s maternal family that prevented the mother-in-law from actually resorting to violence.

 

In this way, despite their aversion to each other, Zhu Qun and Honghua didn’t have any substantial relationship. They awkwardly continued their married life. In order to avoid worrying their families, Lin Qiuying didn’t mention these disgusting incidents to the Lin family.