Although she knew the female lead cared for the children, what was with this bossy tone?
Abusing the children was all the original owner’s doing, having nothing to do with Lin Zhi.
Sure, she had to take responsibility for the mess left behind, but that didn’t mean she had to meekly listen to anyone’s lectures.
The original owner couldn’t stand being lectured, and having been under her boss’s thumb for so many years, Lin Zhi certainly couldn’t either.
Mimicking the original owner’s sharp-tongued style, Lin Zhi crossed her arms, lifted her chin, and sneered: “Mind your own business! What’s that got to do with how I take care of my kids?”
“You have three sons of your own to worry about. How do you still have time to meddle in my family?”
“Hey, what kind of attitude is that? Xiuxiu’s only trying to help…”
The woman on the other side hadn’t even finished speaking when Lin Zhi’s sharp glare made her stop.
Scanning the group, Lin Zhi realized she didn’t recognize any of them.
The original owner had made a scene in the residential compound but hadn’t met anyone properly; in the end, the only person she had actually known was Wen Xiuxiu.
The original owner was good at offending people. Lin Zhi wasn’t exactly weak herself—back in her previous life, she had learned to keep colleagues sweet just to earn a few trivial favors.
But now, she had no vested interest with these people. Why bother maintaining good relations? She chose to just “let things slide.” If people could get along, fine; if not, forget it.
As for whether offending others would bring trouble to He Ting—Lin Zhi thought, the original owner could be so disruptive and he was fine. She, being lazy and only speaking the truth when necessary, would be even safer.
“None of your business!”
“Hey! How can you not see right from wrong? Times aren’t like a few years ago when we had nothing to eat or wear. Your kids are raised well enough, yet you won’t let anyone comment?”
“So what if I won’t let you comment? If you don’t like it, take them home and raise them yourself. If you can’t, then keep your mouth shut.”
In those days, food was scarce. Every household’s monthly grain rations weren’t enough for their own family. Giving a meal or two was fine, but taking children home to raise them? Impossible.
It wasn’t that she didn’t want to—it was simply unaffordable!
Seeing Lin Zhi’s stubborn temperament—like a dead pig unafraid of boiling water—Tao Yumin dared not speak further, fearing she might actually take the children home.
Lin Zhi surveyed the room, noting everyone’s strange expressions, then continued, “Same goes for you all. If you have the ability, take them home. If not, shut up.”
“I cannot stand being lectured. The moment someone starts, I get agitated. If I get agitated, I might drag a stool to your door and scold you for half a day.”
In reality, she wanted to say she could hang herself by the neck in front of their house, but the children were present, and she didn’t want to scare them.
Seeing that no one dared to speak, Lin Zhi lifted her head even higher.
This life—no work, free to insult people at will—felt incredibly satisfying.
She had the original owner to thank. If it weren’t for the original owner’s malicious and overbearing nature, leaving her with a terrible reputation in the residential compound, Lin Zhi wouldn’t be able to insult people freely now.
Though she might have been a bit rude to well-meaning advisors, it was still polite compared to the original owner. If the original owner were here, everyone present would have been scolded.
“Time to eat.”
With the meal still uneaten, Lin Zhi had no patience for them. She called the twins back: “Stay away from the adults’ crowd from now on. They speak harshly, and hearing it too much is unhealthy.”
Tao Yumin: ?? Couldn’t you just wait until you were farther away?
“Hey! She abuses the children and she’s in the right?”
After being shut down by Lin Zhi, Tao Yumin finally spoke once Lin Zhi was out of earshot. “This wife of Captain He is outrageous. Who tries to shove children into someone else’s home to raise?”
If it weren’t for her husband’s instructions, she would have gone straight to report to the political officer.
Watching the mother and her twins leave, Liu Yuxiang finally exhaled.
“Though Captain He’s wife is still a bit rough, at least she’s willing to care for the children now. She made them new clothes and even bought candy.”
If she could take care of the children, He Ting could focus on training and missions without worry. The men at home would have less to fret about.
Tao Yumin thought of the Big White Rabbit candies the twins had just eaten and pouted. “Now that Captain He isn’t home, she’ll only keep this up for a couple of days at most.”
Big White Rabbit candies were expensive. The children hadn’t even had a proper meal, yet they were given candy. Once the money ran out, they would go hungry again.
Glancing at Wen Xiuxiu nearby, Tao Yumin patted her hand. “If I were to say, the most competent mother in the residential compound is still you, Xiuxiu.”
“Although the three children aren’t biological, they’re still young. If you put in a little extra effort now, and maybe have a child with Captain Lin in a couple of years, life will be much easier.”
She didn’t notice Wen Xiuxiu’s expression stiffen briefly and continued speaking. If Liu Yuxiang hadn’t tugged her sleeve, she would have kept going.
Realizing her mistake, Tao Yumin smiled apologetically at Wen Xiuxiu. “My mouth has no filter, Xiuxiu, please don’t mind.”
“Still, I wasn’t wrong. You really are a better stepmother than Lin Zhi’s predecessor.”
The three children were plump, dressed in spotless clothes without patches. They even had a daily cup of malted milk.
All the men in the household were captains, with the same monthly pay.
Their own children were just one more than the other family’s, yet their household lived in such scarcity.
Wen Xiuxiu smiled. “Sister-in-law, the kids will be back soon. I’ll go cook now, and we can chat another day.”
Hearing this, Tao Yumin had to go cook too. She nodded and ran home.
Her four children were like starving ghosts—if the meal wasn’t ready on time, they’d tear the house apart.
With the adults dispersed, only a group of five- to six-year-old children remained, biting their fingers and staring eagerly in Lin Zhi’s departing direction.
After feeding the twins, Lin Zhi planned to give them a bath, but first, she decided to cut their hair.
The twins’ hair was messy. It was unclear if they had cut it themselves; the lengths were uneven, as if chewed by a dog.
Their nails needed trimming too. Lin Zhi had wanted to cut them yesterday but hadn’t had time.
The twins were obedient. Apart from He Ze occasionally questioning her intentions, He Run followed her commands without hesitation.
Lin Zhi wasn’t skilled at cutting hair, but it didn’t need to be perfect—just decent enough.
As the scissors snipped above their heads, little He Ze kept shrinking his neck, fearing Lin Zhi might lose her mind and cut off more than just his hair.
After lifting him up a few times, Lin Zhi grew annoyed. She gave him a small smack on the head, and he immediately froze in place.