“By the way, my girl, you said your name is Nuobao, right?” Feng Shi, having reclaimed her daughter, wore a doting expression once more.
“From now on, you’ll be Jiang Nuobao, living here with your mother and your brothers and sisters-in-law, alright?”
Little Nuobao was startled by her brothers’ enthusiasm and quickly clung to Feng Shi’s shoulder.
“Mm-hmm, I’ll be Jiang Nuobao from now on… I’ll listen to Mama!” She obediently responded word by word, trying her best to make her babyish lisp sound clearer.
Jiang Fenghu and the others felt their hearts melt, unable to resist the urge to snatch their little sister from Feng Shi’s arms again.
Feng Shi wasn’t about to let her sons succeed this time. She gave each of them a light kick with her foot and, smiling, carried her daughter into the house.
“You rascals, I don’t trust you with her. No holding her for you—I don’t want my precious girl getting dropped.”
“Alright, everyone, come inside. Nuobao must be hungry. Let’s get her something to eat first.”
These words were like a battle cry. Upon hearing them, Jiang Fenghu and the others couldn’t bear the thought of their little sister going hungry.
They all dashed toward the grain jar, scrambling to cook the last half-handful of millet left in the house for their sister.
Once inside, Feng Shi had just laid out the thickest bedding in the house when the second son’s wife, Li Qiqiao, approached eagerly.
Back in her maiden home, she had once had a little sister, but unfortunately, her stepmother later sold the child for money to buy clothes—a heartache that had lingered with her ever since.
Now, looking at the adorable Little Nuobao on the kang, Li Qiqiao felt a surge of warmth. She loosened her collar, gathered the child in her arms, and prepared to breastfeed her.
“Mmm…”
Little Nuobao only felt something “pressed” against her face.
Before she could react, a sweet taste filled her mouth.
Just then, Li Qiqiao pleaded, “Mother, this child looks frail. How can she recover just by eating rice porridge? Besides, we don’t have much rice left. Since I still have some milk, why not let me feed her more often?”
Feng Shi glanced at her little grandson, who was quietly gnawing on his foot at the edge of the kang, and nodded without hesitation.
“Alright. After all, it’s been half a year since you gave birth to Chun Ge’er, and he’s not so little anymore. From now on, he can have more rice paste and vegetables. Save whatever milk you have left for Nuobao.”
Little Chun Ge’er turned his head in confusion, understanding nothing, and continued diligently chewing on his foot…
Little Nuobao glanced guiltily at Chun Ge’er.
This little baby seemed even younger than her.
Was this really okay…
Soon, under the expectant gazes of Feng Shi and Li Qiqiao, Little Nuobao found it hard to refuse their kindness. She could only open her mouth with a soft smacking sound and start feeding earnestly.
Gulp, gulp… So tasty!
While the whole family doted on the newly acquired little girl, only Sun Chunxue didn’t join in the excitement. She pursed her lips unhappily and went to serve her husband, the eldest son, his meal.
“We’re already poor enough, and now we’re bringing home another child. Probably only our family in the village would do something so foolish. The elder and second branches of the family will surely laugh at us again.”
Sun Chunxue tugged at her faded, washed-out clothes and muttered further.
“That second son’s wife is such a show-off, always trying to please Mother in every way. She won’t even feed her own son but feeds someone else’s child instead. Besides, that girl looks over a year old already. How can she still have the nerve to drink milk?”
Jiang Fengnian immediately frowned and scolded in a low voice, “Who’s ‘someone else’s child’? From today on, Nuobao is our own little sister. Don’t you dare talk nonsense!”
If it hadn’t been for Little Nuobao’s warning earlier, he and his mother would have been crushed by the boulder at the crossroads.
So Little Nuobao was his real sister!
Anyone who dared say otherwise would have to answer to him!
Sun Chunxue watched as her usually good-tempered husband actually lost his temper, her mouth hanging open in surprise. In the end, she had no choice but to fall silent, stomping out angrily to gather firewood.
Little Nuobao wasn’t a child who ate and drank without restraint.
After suckling for a short while and settling her stomach a bit, she felt too embarrassed to continue.
Little Nuobao struggled to turn her face away, about to spit out the "food source."
But Li Qiqiao could tell she wasn’t full and insisted on pressing her little head down to keep feeding.
It wasn’t until Little Nuobao’s mouth was wet all over, so full she felt like vomiting milk, that Li Qiqiao finally set down the dampened clothes, satisfied, and poked her chubby little cheek.
"You didn’t drink that much, did you? Are you feeling sorry for your second sister-in-law and holding back? Such a thoughtful child, come here and let your second sister-in-law give you a kiss." Li Qiqiao affectionately planted a smacking kiss.
"Burp!"
After getting her face covered in slobbery kisses, Little Nuobao clutched her round, full belly and struggled to lie back down on the bedding.
She stuck out her pale pink little tongue and licked the milk stains clean from the corners of her mouth.
Second sister-in-law really has a vivid imagination… But this time, she really was full—so full it was uncomfortable.
Back at the Shen residence, with meals being irregular and often skipped, Little Nuobao’s appetite had always been smaller than other children her age.
Now, with the rare chance to eat clean, nutritious food, it was only natural she’d feel full more easily.
Feng Shi saw her daughter’s face flushed red from being so full and felt a bit annoyed at her daughter-in-law for not knowing when to stop feeding. She was just about to pat her daughter’s back to help with digestion when suddenly, several loud bangs came from outside the door!
"Third son’s wife, you heartless wretch! You went and sold the grain behind our backs! Now that Dashan’s gone, do you think you don’t have to answer to me anymore?"
Hearing this, Feng Shi’s face immediately darkened.
Jiang Fengnian and the others also tensed up as if facing a great enemy.
"Mother, it’s bad! Grandma and the first and second branches are here to settle scores with us!" Sun Chunxue, who had been at the doorway, dashed into the room to deliver the urgent news.
The Jiang family had three branches in this generation.
They had split the household long ago, while Jiang Dashan was still alive.
Old Lady Jiang had always favored the first and second branches. When dividing the family assets, she only allowed the third branch to take some pots, pans, and tattered bedding, refusing to give them any other property. Just like that, she drove Feng Shi and Jiang Dashan out of the house.
But that wasn’t enough. The old woman constantly ordered Jiang Dashan around, making him work for the first and second branches.
Whether it was hoeing fields, watering crops, or cutting grass, he did it all. Exhausted from doing the work of three households alone, Jiang Dashan eventually stumbled and fell off a cliff one day, leaving this world for good.
Now, seeing that the grain grown by the third branch was of good quality and could fetch a high price, Old Lady Jiang had ordered Feng Shi to mix the poor-quality grain from the first and second branches into their own bags and sell it all together in the city.
Feng Shi absolutely refused to be taken advantage of like that. During the day, she secretly sold only their own grain, already expecting this scene to unfold at night.
"Old Fourth, Old Fifth, you two stay on the kang and watch over your little sister. Don’t let that old shrew scare her." Feng Shi said coldly with a stern face.
Jiang Fengjing and Jiang Fengmiao immediately climbed onto the kang, shielding their little sister closely.
As soon as Feng Shi stepped out of the room, she saw Old Lady Jiang being supported by the first and second branches, limping and trying to charge into the yard.
"Sister-in-law, Mother has been calling you for so long! Are your ears stuffed with donkey hair? You didn’t even answer, and Mother’s voice is almost hoarse from shouting!" Jiang Dahai from the first branch stormed in, his face flushed with anger, ready to start cursing.
Feng Shi took the opportunity to also pick at her ear, not holding back in the slightest: "Eldest Brother, what are you talking about? Late at night, all I heard was a hoarse, grating voice wailing outside. I thought it was the village idiot crying over her dead lover again. How was I to know it was actually Mother who had come?"
"Third Brother's wife… cough cough!" Old Lady Jiang's face fell, and she coughed twice in anger.
Zhao Shi from the eldest branch, unable to concern herself with anything else at the moment, stepped forward anxiously: "Sister-in-law, tell us quickly, have you sold all your grain? Didn't we agree that the grain merchants are driving prices down hard this year, and we need to be united when selling? If the three families are going to sell, we have to sell together!"
Feng Shi shot a sidelong glance at the couple from the eldest branch; she had long had enough of them over the years.
She simply crossed her arms and laid her cards on the table.
"Eldest Sister-in-law, let's not dress an old sow in a bellyband—layer upon layer of pretense. When have your two families ever been united with our third branch? Isn't it just that you've taken a fancy to our good grain now and want to sell at a high price along with us? But if our grain gets mixed with yours, who's going to compensate us for the loss? Don't spend all day thinking about scheming and treating people like fools!"
Zhao Shi, clumsy with words, was left speechless, her face alternating between red and white.
Seeing that Feng Shi showed no respect for the eldest branch, Jiang Dahe from the second branch gave Old Lady Jiang a sly push.
"Mother, hurry up and bring up the house matter!"
Old Lady Jiang staggered and lunged in front of Feng Shi.
Her muddy yellow eyes widened: "Well, well, Third Brother's wife, now that you're a mother-in-law yourself, you don't put me in your eyes anymore. Don't forget, the house your family lives in now was built with my money, and the deed is also in Dahai's name. If you dare defy your mother-in-law, don't even think about living in this house anymore!"
Feng Shi's face instantly turned ashen.
How dare they bring up the deed?
When the family was divided back then, both old houses of the Jiang Family were given to the eldest and second branches, leaving the third branch with nowhere to live.
It was only later, for some unknown reason, that Old Lady Jiang seemed to have a sudden pang of conscience. She actually provided silver for materials and had the eldest and second branches help build a small, simple house for the third branch.
It was also because of this house that Jiang Dashan endured endless drudgery without complaint, always feeling that since his mother still cared for him, he must fulfill his filial duty.
Remembering this, Feng Shi felt a surge of anger in her heart. Her dark eyes flashed as she said: "Mother, don't push people too far. Over the years, our Dashan has done more than enough work for you all. He's long since paid back the cost of this house!"
Seeing that Feng Shi refused to back down, Old Lady Jiang thumped her cane on the ground and spat a thick, yellow glob of phlegm.
"Pah! Paid back my foot! A son owes his mother from the moment he's born. No matter how much work he does for his mother, it's only right and proper! You wretched widow, with no man to keep you in check, your bones grow more worthless by the day. It seems I need to teach you a lesson."
"Eldest, Second, smash this house for her! Unless Feng Shi strips off her top and kneels at the village entrance to apologize to me, they are absolutely not allowed to live in this house anymore!"
As soon as these words were spoken, Jiang Dahai and Jiang Dahe, like two mad dogs, grabbed shovels and pickaxes from the yard and charged toward the house, ready to smash it.
Jiang Fengnian and Jiang Fenghu were frantic, their eyes bloodshot as they desperately blocked the doorway.
"Don't you dare insult our mother! No one is allowed to!"
"If you dare cause trouble, I'll fight you to the death!"
Hearing her eldest and second brothers' nearly hoarse shouts outside, Little Nuobao inside the house grew worried.
She was anxiously nibbling on her little hands when she suddenly looked up and caught sight of two shadowy, fog-like figures hanging upside down from the roof beam.
Little Nuobao widened her round, bright eyes.
Were those… two misfortune spirits?!