That evening, when the Lin family father and son returned from working in the fields, they caught the rich aroma of meat the moment they stepped into the courtyard. The two exchanged a glance, their eyes immediately lighting up.
“What smells so good tonight?”
The Lin family was well known throughout Dahe Village for their good looks. Lin Changsheng‘s sweat-soaked hair hung over his forehead, and his sun-bronzed skin glowed with healthy vitality. When he smiled, he had an especially handsome charm.
Carrying little Lin Xiaohu out of the house, Liu Xia greeted them.
“You’re back. Go wash your hands—we’re eating.”
“I went to see Xiaoyun today, remember? She bought us meat buns and braised pork from the state-owned restaurant!”
Hearing that, Lin Qingsong didn’t ask about the food first.
Instead, he hurriedly asked, “How’s my girl’s head? Has the injury healed? Those people from the Lu family didn’t bully her again, did they?”
Beside him, Lin Changsheng also fixed his eyes on his mother’s face, waiting for the answer.
“I checked. She’s completely fine.”
“There wasn’t anything serious.”
“That daughter of yours has become quite capable. She joined forces with the Lu family’s eldest daughter-in-law and forced Zhao Jinlan to split the family. She’s living quite comfortably now.”
The family chatted and laughed in the courtyard. Lin Qingsong burst into hearty laughter, repeatedly praising his daughter for doing the right thing.
Satisfied that nothing had happened to his sister, Lin Changsheng headed into the kitchen to carry out the food.
The moment he stepped inside, two guilty-looking faces greeted him.
One dark.
One fair.
Both grinning sheepishly.
Lin Changsheng: “…”
A terrible feeling washed over him.
He strode over and lifted the pot lid.
The sweat on his face hadn’t even dried before his expression darkened.
Who could explain why two of the buns each had four bites taken out of them?
Each bun had been bitten in four evenly spaced places, like someone had carefully nibbled off its four corners.
The once-round buns now looked like giant plus signs, and their juices had leaked into a small bowl beneath them.
His angry gaze swept toward the two culprits.
Those tiny bite marks were obviously his daughter’s.
The little glutton hadn’t even wiped the grease from around her mouth.
As for this ridiculous scheme…
It had to be his wife’s idea.
Outside, after finishing the story about Xiaoyun, Liu Xia suddenly slapped her forehead.
“Oh no! I forgot to call Xuanxuan over for dinner!”
Lin Qingsong frowned instinctively before nodding.
“You’re right. We should.”
“Mom, don’t bother.”
Lin Changsheng emerged from the kitchen with a dark expression, stopping his mother just before she reached the gate.
Behind him stood his wife and daughter, both looking guilty.
Liu Xia assumed her daughter-in-law had said something again. Putting on a stern face, she launched into her usual speech.
“How many times have I told you? Xuanxuan lost her mother at birth. Your second uncle remarried a strong-willed woman, and in that household—”
“I’ve heard this speech for years. I’m sick of it.”
Behind Lin Changsheng, Niu Chunhua muttered under her breath.
Hearing her whispering, he deliberately turned around and glared at her.
She’d done something wrong and still didn’t know how to repent!
Seeing her handsome husband looking back at her, Niu Chunhua immediately broke into a wide grin.
See? He isn’t really mad at me.
Hehe.
Fortunately, Liu Xia didn’t get the chance to lecture everyone until her throat went dry.
Her son simply placed the food in front of her.
The courtyard instantly fell silent.
“…W-Who did this?”
Liu Xia stared with wide eyes.
Now only three untouched buns remained.
There wasn’t even enough for their own family anymore.
How could she possibly invite Xuanxuan over?
Was she supposed to serve the girl leftovers?
Hearing her grandmother’s shout, little Lin Ya quickly wiggled behind her father’s back.
After all…
Her mother had told her to.
“Liu Chunhua!”
Liu Xia immediately figured it out.
“So it’s you!”
“You’ve never liked Xuanxuan, and now you won’t even leave her a single bun!”
“Why are you so intolerant of her?”
Niu Chunhua quietly edged a little farther away.
She truly couldn’t understand it.
It was one thing for her mother-in-law to dote on her own daughter, Lin Xiaoyun.
But why was she equally obsessed with Lin Xuanxuan, who wasn’t even her own child?
What spell had Lin Xuanxuan cast over this family?
Why did her father-in-law, mother-in-law, and even her husband all protect that girl?
She had only been married into the family for two years.
The selfish little sister-in-law who never lifted a finger had finally married out and become someone else’s problem.
Then along came an even more troublesome cousin.
Standing there with a sour face, Niu Chunhua kicked at a pebble with her cloth shoe, lowering her head and silently waiting for her mother-in-law to finish scolding her.
“From now on, you treat Xuanxuan exactly like your own younger sister. Do you understand?”
Niu Chunhua lowered her head and counted ants crawling across the ground.
“…”
Silence.
After talking herself hoarse, Liu Xia looked up and realized her daughter-in-law clearly hadn’t listened to a single word.
Pointing angrily at her, she snapped,
“Niu Chunhua! Since your daughter ruined two buns, you don’t get to eat any meat buns or braised pork tonight!”
No meat?
Niu Chunhua immediately looked up to argue.
Before she could speak, however, a tall figure stepped in front of her, shielding her from the attack.
The anger instantly disappeared from her eyes.
Instead, they curved into sparkling crescents as she stared at the broad back protecting her.
Lin Changsheng stood between his wife and his mother.
The redness from working under the sun had faded from his handsome face. Though tanned from farm work, he was still fairer than most villagers. Tall and powerfully built from years of labor, he gave off an overwhelming sense of security.
“Mom, it’s really not a big deal.”
“Xuanxuan got lucky a few days ago. She isn’t going to miss one bun.”
“My wife’s busy from morning till night taking care of this household and raising two children.”
“What’s wrong with letting her eat a little meat?”
Liu Xia: “…”
After being contradicted by her own son, she pursed her lips, sat back down, and fell silent.
Besides, there was no point inviting Xuanxuan anymore.
She’d only wanted to scare her bold daughter-in-law for making decisions on her own.
Lin Qingsong shot his son an angry glare.
“You’ve gotten pretty bold. Is that any way to speak to your mother?”
“…I was wrong.”
Lin Changsheng immediately admitted his mistake, rubbing his nose.
As he sat down, he discreetly tugged his wife down beside him.
Knowing when to stop, Niu Chunhua quickly picked up one of the untouched buns and placed it into her mother-in-law’s bowl.
“Mom, please eat.”
“I promise I won’t do it again.”
“Hmph.”
Liu Xia accepted the bun, letting the matter drop.
Lin Qingsong also picked up a bun. After glancing at his granddaughter happily chewing on braised pork, he cleared his throat.
“You two can eat the buns your daughter already bit into.”
Lin Changsheng: “…”
Could he honestly tell everyone…
…that this had been his wife’s plan from the very beginning?
Niu Chunhua couldn’t have been happier.
She quickly placed one untouched bun and one partially eaten bun into Lin Changsheng’s bowl, while taking the other bitten one for herself.
Hmph.
My man works harder than anyone.
Of course he should eat more.
As long as the food stayed within their little family of three, it didn’t matter who ate a little more or a little less.
The important thing was that none of it ended up benefiting outsiders.
Just as she was secretly congratulating herself, the bun in her hand suddenly disappeared.
Startled, she turned toward the culprit.
Without a word, Lin Changsheng placed the family’s only remaining untouched bun into her hand.
Then he transferred both of the buns their daughter had bitten into his own bowl.
Taking a bite, he noticed his wife still staring at him.
A faint blush crept across his handsome face.
He shot her a sideways glance.
“What are you looking at?”
“Eat.”
Niu Chunhua looked down at the perfectly round bun in her hands.
Then she looked over at the stern-faced but obviously embarrassed man beside her.
She pressed her lips together, desperately trying not to laugh.
The smile in her eyes refused to stay hidden.
She looked positively delighted.
Hehe.