When Su Nanyue returned home, Wang Xiu Lan and Jiang Jing Zhou were not there. Da Bao and Xiao Bao were preparing a meal.
Xiao Bao was tending the fire while Da Bao stood on a small wooden stool. The three-year-old child was painfully thin, dressed in ill-fitting clothes covered with patches. Weighing barely more than a few pounds, he stirred porridge in the pot with a large spoon.
Witnessing this scene, Su Nanyue felt an inexplicable tightness in her chest. She stepped forward, lifted Da Bao from the stool, and took the spoon from his hand. Feeling the child struggle violently in her arms, she bent down to set him on the ground before releasing her hold.
Seeing Da Bao’s wary expression, she pulled Xiao Bao over from the fireside and gazed tenderly at both children. “I’m sorry,” she whispered softly.
After her apology, Da Bao immediately pulled Xiao Bao two steps backward, increasing the distance between them. “What are you trying to do now?” he demanded, his eyes filled with suspicion. He didn’t believe a word she said—not a single syllable.
Su Nanyue sighed inwardly. What kind of karma had the original host created? She had blamed all her misfortunes on these two children, even going so far as to contemplate selling them in her madness. She thought everything would improve without the children around. To this, Su Nanyue could only offer two words: How stupid!
Kneeling before the children, she spoke quietly, “I know you resent me for wanting to sell you, but I had no other choice.” Lowering her gaze, she forced tears to well up in her eyes, effortlessly shifting the blame onto Wang Xiu Lan and her husband. “Your grandparents threatened to abandon you in the mountains. I thought if I sold you, at least you’d survive.”
“You’re the children I risked my life to bring into this world. Only when I reached absolute desperation would I consider such a thing.” Her performance grew more emotional as she portrayed herself as a helpless mother who deeply cared for them.
Xiao Bao had completely bought her story, his eyes glistening with tears. Though Da Bao remained skeptical, his wariness had noticeably diminished. “How do I know you’re not lying to us?” he challenged.
Seizing the softening in his attitude, she quickly responded, “I swear—if I ever intended to sell you, may I drown the next time I leave this house.” She felt no fear about the oath coming true, since it was the original host who wanted to sell them, not her.
“After nearly drowning this time, I’ve realized there’s no place for us in this family. The more we try to please them, the more they take advantage.” Her voice carried genuine emotion as she continued, “These past days lying in bed, I kept thinking maybe I should just die. But I couldn’t bear to leave you behind.”
Despite his maturity, Da Bao was still only a three-year-old child. How could he not yearn for maternal love? Hadn’t he been the one feeding her porridge when she lay unconscious in bed? His eyes reddened as he stared stubbornly at Su Nanyue.
Seeing him like this, Su Nanyue’s heart softened. She reached out and drew him into her embrace. Inhaling her clean, fresh scent, Da Bao could no longer hold back, bursting into loud sobs. Hearing his brother cry, Xiao Bao began weeping too.
The three held each other close, with Su Nanyue gently patting their backs. These two little ones had endured far too much suffering in their young lives.
After waiting for them to cry until they were nearly done, she finally raised her hand and gently wiped the tears from their faces.
She washed the two little ones’ faces and changed their clothes.
She then explained to them their grandparents’ attitude toward them, sticking strictly to the facts without exaggeration—everything she said had truly happened to the original owner.
Once she had sufficiently prepared the two children, she brought up her plan to take them to find Jiang Yan.
Thanks to the earlier groundwork, the two little ones didn’t reject her suggestion. Da Bao even proactively helped her pack their belongings.
Although the three of them had lived here for several years, they didn’t have much. A small bundle was all it took to pack everything.
She slung the bundle over her shoulder, boiled all six eggs in the house, and gave two to each of the children to fill their stomachs.
Then, she packed the last few cornbread buns left at home.
She had Xiao Bao keep watch at the front gate, instructing him to alert her if Wang Xiu Lan and Jiang Jianguo returned.
Meanwhile, she took the kitchen knife and gave Da Bao some instructions.
She was leaving, but before she did, she intended to give this family a grand farewell gift.
After about ten minutes, Xiao Bao came running toward her.
Lowering his voice, his eyes sparkling, he said, “Mom, they’re back.”
Su Nanyue gave him a thumbs-up. “Well done. Everyone to your positions, prepare for battle.”
The two little ones immediately took her hands, one on each side, and the three of them walked out together.
Just as they reached the middle of the yard, they saw Jiang Jianguo and Wang Xiu Lan entering through the front gate.
Wang Xiu Lan was holding Jiang Jing Zhou in her arms.
When Wang Xiu Lan saw the bundle on Su Nanyue, her face instantly changed.
Forgetting the pain on her face entirely, she angrily demanded, “Where do you think you’re going?”
Earlier in the fields, she had told Jiang Jianguo about Su Nanyue’s madness—how she had threatened people with a knife, extorted 500 yuan and some coupons from her, and forced her to sign a confession.
Jiang Jianguo was also furious upon hearing this. Both agreed that Su Nanyue must return the money and that the confession had to be destroyed.
But they never expected to return home and find Su Nanyue preparing to leave with the two little bastards.
Su Nanyue pulled out the kitchen knife from behind her and pointed it at Wang Xiu Lan.
“Of course, I’m leaving this place. Did you expect me to stay and let you kill me again?”
Wang Xiu Lan shrank back, frightened by her half-smiling, half-mocking gaze, momentarily reminded of the decapitated chicken.
Instinctively, she clutched Jiang Jing Zhou tighter and hid behind Jiang Jianguo.
Jiang Jianguo scowled, his face stern. “What nonsense are you spouting? Who’s trying to kill you?”
Su Nanyue didn’t hold back.
“I almost forgot about you. You look all righteous and proper, but you’re just trash who’s been fooling around with your daughter-in-law’s mother.”
When she read this part in the book, she was just as shocked.
One could say people in the past were simple, but when it came to playing around, they really knew how to have fun.
Jiang Jianguo hadn’t expected her to know about this, and a flicker of panic crossed his eyes.
Su Nanyue turned to Wang Xiu Lan.
“You’re such a fool, treating Su Wan Ning like your own daughter, unaware that your man has the hots for her mother. They’ve been carrying on right under your nose.”
Tsk-tsking, she continued, “Who knows, they might have been at it for ages. Marrying Su Wan Ning off to Jiang Che was probably just to make their affair more convenient.”