Lin Shirou had never known that farmwork could be this exhausting. She had thought she could handle it, but this was far more tiring than pulling all-nighters to draw design blueprints!
Still, after taking a quick sip of water, she went right back to the fields to work. Nothing could defeat Lin Shirou—farmwork or no farmwork, she refused to fall short of anyone else. More importantly, she couldn’t let Lu Tian go without dinner.
The original owner had never been enthusiastic about labor, and as a result, Lu Tian had frequently gone hungry in her wake. While the mother could sneak into the kitchen at night to grab a bite for herself, little Lu Tian could only fall asleep with an empty stomach. Lin Shirou wasn’t afraid of much, but her absolute worst nightmare was being hungry.
Liu Chunli had been waiting to laugh at Lin Shirou’s expense, expecting someone like her to quit after a few minutes. To her surprise, after watching for a long time, not only did Lin Shirou refuse to take a break, but she was working with complete dedication. Her hoeing was surprisingly competent and full of vigor, causing Liu Chunli to purse her lips and swallow her sarcastic remarks.
Sitting in the shade, Xu Xiaoying found the scene quite surreal. She had assumed Lin Shirou was merely putting on a show, but the woman was actually putting in a genuine, strenuous effort. Even Xu Guihua and Zhang Ximei were completely speechless, staring in absolute shock.
“Mama!” Lu Tian called out, hugging a bamboo tube filled to the brim with water. She was worried her mother would get thirsty while working, so she had brought a full supply. Besides, her mother had been so different from usual today, and she wanted to butter her up so she wouldn’t change back.
The container was a long bamboo cylinder with a wooden stopper to prevent leaks, and when full, it was quite heavy. The four-year-old hugged it tightly as she made her arduous way across the fields, her little face flushed bright red under the blazing sun.
“Mama, have some water!” The tiny figure finally reached the edge of the field, her eyes shining with deep affection and admiration.
Zhang Ximei strode forward quickly. “Wretched brat! Were you slacking off again? Why aren’t you out digging for earthworms with Big Da and the others?!”
She reached out to grab Lu Tian’s ear, while Xu Guihua stood by with a gloating expression, thinking that this good-for-nothing brat was as good at slacking off as her mother. “Mom! You really need to discipline this money-wasting parasite—all she knows how to do is shirk work!”
Unable to take any more, Lin Shirou rushed forward and shoved Zhang Ximei’s outstretched hand away. “She’s only four years old, what do you expect her to do?”
Zhang Ximei’s eyes widened in disbelief. “Did you take the wrong medicine today?” Not only was her second daughter-in-law working like a machine, but now she was actually standing up for this good-for-nothing debt collector of a child? She was just a useless extra mouth—what was wrong with a little beating and scolding?
Xu Guihua found it equally bizarre. In the past, whenever Zhang Ximei beat or cursed at Lu Tian, Lin Shirou had never once intervened; sometimes, she was even harsher than Zhang Ximei. Why on earth was she suddenly protecting the girl today?
Startled by her grandmother’s roar, Lu Tian shrank back in fright. She looked toward Lin Shirou, suddenly remembering the instructions she had been given to stay indoors. She had only thought about bringing water to her mother and had completely forgotten the warning. Oh no, Mama is definitely going to be furious!
Tears immediately welled up in Lu Tian’s eyes, rolling down her cheeks in large droplets. “Waaah… Mama, I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have disobeyed, waaah…”
“Sweetie, what’s wrong? Why are you crying?” A gentle, motherly voice rang out, radiating warmth and compassion.
It was Xu Xiaoying. Wearing an expression of profound tenderness, she stepped up to Lu Tian, pulled the little girl into her arms, and softly wiped away her tears.
Seeing who it was, Lu Tian relaxed slightly. “Auntie Xiaoying.”
Xu Xiaoying patted her back gently before looking up at Zhang Ximei. “Auntie, she’s still just a little girl who doesn’t know any better. Please don’t hold it against her.” Then, turning her gaze to Lin Shirou, she added, “Educated Youth Lin, let me apologize on behalf of the child. Please don’t be angry.”
Her posture made her look less like a bystander and more like Lu Tian’s actual birth mother, sheltering the child like a mother hen guarding her chick.
Cowering behind Xu Xiaoying, Lu Tian didn’t dare look at her grandmother’s angry face or her mother’s disappointed expression, terrified of what she might see.
Lin Shirou glanced at Xu Xiaoying. To be fair, the female protagonist in the novel genuinely treated Lu Tian well and always stepped in to shield her whenever she took a beating. Because extreme son preference ran deep in the village, beating and cursing at a girl was considered completely normal, and no one else ever lifted a finger to protect Lu Tian. That was why the child was so fond of the heroine.
Even so, what gave Xu Xiaoying the right to apologize for her? She was Lu Tian’s real mother, thank you very much!
“Comrade Xu is mistaken. My sweetie is actually very sensible—she even knew to bring her mother water!” Lin Shirou smiled warmly, gesturing to Lu Tian. “Come here, darling. Mama really is thirsty and wants a drink.”
Lu Tian’s eyes lit up. She scampered over with the bamboo tube, and after taking a sip, Lin Shirou scooped her up and planted a big kiss on her cheek. “Water brought by my baby is the sweetest kind!”
Blushing, Lu Tian shyly touched her face, a wave of fluttering joy washing over her heart.
Xu Xiaoying’s expression stiffened. She looked at Lin Shirou suspiciously, wondering why this woman had suddenly done a complete 180.
Though Zhang Ximei still wanted to curse further, the farmwork was still unfinished. She spat on the ground and turned back to resume digging.
With a dark expression, Xu Xiaoying watched the two heads huddled together in whispered conversation, a knot of frustration tightening in her chest. “Educated Youth Lin, you need to get back to work, or I won’t be able to log your points properly.”
Giving Xu Xiaoying a sidelong glance, Lin Shirou wiped the sweat from Lu Tian’s face. “Play right here for a bit, darling. When Mama finishes working, I’ll take you home.”
With that, Lin Shirou picked up her hoe and went back to it. Looking as though she didn’t recognize the woman standing before her, Xu Xiaoying reluctantly recorded eight full work points in the ledger.
Seeing the number eight written down, Lin Shirou let out a sigh of relief. She had told herself she, Lin Shirou, would never fall behind anyone else in anything she did!
The villagers queuing up to return their tools were dumbfounded. What on earth had gotten into Lin Shirou? She had actually earned eight points today! Normally, she would slack off at every opportunity and considered four points a good day’s work.
Seeing the figure in the ledger, Xu Guihua snapped her mouth shut, abruptly swallowing the complaints she had been preparing to make.
Crouching beneath the eaves outside to wait for her mother to finish returning the tools, Lu Tian felt her heart swell with excitement and joy. Her mother really had changed! She had kissed her twice today, gently wiped away her sweat, praised her, and called her “darling.” She felt happier than she had ever been—so happy her eyes burned with warm tears.
“Lu Tian! What are you doing here?”
A boy suddenly bolted out of nowhere and shoved Lu Tian hard, sending the little girl tumbling straight to the ground. Her forehead grazed a sharp pebble, opening up a small cut.
Tears brimmed in Lu Tian’s eyes, but she didn’t dare cry out loud. Crying too loudly would only bring a scold from her grandmother or her mother. Her mother had only just turned into a good person, and she didn’t want to make her angry or have her change back to the way she used to be.
Just then, Lin Shirou stepped outside and witnessed the entire scene.
Her gaze locked onto the troublemaker: Xu Guihua’s six-year-old son, Lu Dongdong, a solidly built boy currently wearing a malicious grin.
Then, Lin Shirou turned her eyes to Xu Guihua, who stood nearby with a gloating smirk, staring right back without a hint of fear. Her expression was filled with disdain and triumph. Did Lin Shirou really think she would dare do anything to her son just because he shoved a worthless girl?
A beating was a beating—and her son was the eldest branch’s precious grandson, after all!