Meng Qiucan had returned home from the city.
She and Meng Qiushi were dragon-phoenix twins, and from childhood the two had always been closest to each other.
Back when she was young, Meng Qiucan had been quite beautiful and eventually married a city man. Her husband, Liu Hong, worked as a chef at a state-owned restaurant. They had a daughter and a son: their eldest daughter Liu Sisi was seven years old, while their younger son Liu Wenyan was five.
“Dad, Mom, I’m back.”
Meng Qiucan casually tossed the pastries she had bought onto the table in the main hall and greeted them perfunctorily.
Originally, Meng Dazhuang and Wang Cuilian had never valued Meng Qiucan much. Only after she married into the city did their attitude change.
Wang Cuilian hurriedly locked the pastries away in a cabinet before coming back out, her gaze falling onto the bulging bundle hanging from Meng Qiucan’s arm.
“What’s in there?”
Turning her body slightly so Wang Cuilian couldn’t see her expression, Meng Qiucan rolled her eyes so hard they nearly flipped skyward and answered in a muffled voice, “Nothing much. Just a few little clothes I made for Meng Qiushi’s two babies.”
Wang Cuilian frowned. “Why didn’t you buy anything for Xiao Rou’s daughter? As their aunt, you’re being way too biased.”
“Pah!”
Anger flared in Meng Qiucan’s eyes.
That bitch Chen Rou had loved stealing things from her since childhood. The worst part was that Wang Cuilian had always sided with Chen Rou unconditionally.
She hated these irresponsible parents standing before her.
If not for avoiding another argument with Wang Cuilian, she wouldn’t even have bothered bringing pastries.
Back then, Zhao Ming had clearly fallen for her first. Chen Rou had inserted herself between them and stolen him away. When Meng Qiucan heard that Zhao Ming had died in an accident and Chen Rou had become a widow, she had only felt delighted—she practically wanted to set off firecrackers in celebration.
“Chen Rou and her child have nothing to do with me. Even if I threw my things into the river at the village entrance, I still wouldn’t give Chen Rou a single thing.”
These past few years, Meng Qiucan had lived well. She had become plump and radiant, towering in presence over the thin, shriveled Wang Cuilian.
Wang Cuilian glared furiously at her daughter and raised a hand to slap her, only for a broad palm to stop her arm midair.
Liu Hong had come over as well.
Tall and powerfully built, he stood two whole heads taller than Wang Cuilian. Standing before her, he looked like a solid wall.
Wang Cuilian immediately withdrew her hand and looked at Meng Qiucan resentfully.
“Qiucan, Chen Rou is my adopted daughter. She grew up alongside you siblings. She’s your sister too.”
Meng Qiucan curled her lips mockingly and raised her voice.
“Sister? Pah! That bitch Chen Rou stole things from me ever since we were kids, and you always protected her.
“She stole Zhao Ming away from me back then, yet you still sided with her. Good thing karma exists. Seeing her end up like this now makes me feel absolutely wonderful!”
After saying that, she grabbed Liu Hong’s hand and headed toward the third branch’s room.
“If it weren’t for seeing my newborn nephew and niece, I wouldn’t even bother coming here!”
Meng Qiucan wasn’t close to either her eldest or second brother. The eldest was too calculating, while the second was too dull and wooden.
The only one she was truly close to was her twin brother, Meng Qiushi.
When she was little, she once got lost in the mountains.
The rest of the Meng family had remained indifferent. To them, the life of a little girl wasn’t worth much anyway—if she disappeared, it would even save the family food.
Just when despair began filling her heart, Meng Qiushi found her before nightfall. The twins held hands and found shelter in a cave, huddling together until morning before stumbling their way back home.
And what had Wang Cuilian and Meng Dazhuang been doing?
Meng Dazhuang had acted blind, deaf, and mute, while Wang Cuilian had been busy taking care of the feverish Chen Rou.
From childhood to adulthood, whenever Meng Qiushi found something good to eat, he always shared it with her.
They were the closest siblings imaginable.
The moment they reached the third branch’s doorway, the cold expression on Meng Qiucan’s face instantly transformed into a radiant smile.
Leaning lazily against the doorframe, Meng Qiushi had watched the entire scene of Meng Qiucan arguing with Wang Cuilian. A faint smile hung on his lips as he glanced sideways at Wang Cuilian trembling with rage in the courtyard before pulling Meng Qiucan inside.
“My good little sister, your brother missed you to death.”
As he casually locked the door behind them, Meng Qiushi slung an arm over her shoulder and lowered his voice.
“So, what good stuff did you bring for your nephew and niece?”
Faced with his completely shameless and straightforward words, Meng Qiucan not only didn’t get angry—she burst into laughter.
She and her brother had always helped each other out and never bothered keeping score.
Meng Qiucan opened the bulging bundle.
“Inside are the little clothes I made for the babies.”
Xu Chunhua let out an impressed “Wow!” and repeatedly examined the tiny clothes.
“Little sister, you’re amazing. These clothes look even prettier than the ones sold outside.”
Meng Qiucan flipped open one of the little outfits and took out two tiny gold bracelets hidden inside.
For the beloved children of her dearest brother, she had truly spent generously.
Holding the bracelets, she turned her gaze toward the bed and smiled, dimples appearing on her cheeks.
“Let me see my precious nephew and niece.”
She first picked up Meng Yu, who was wrapped in a pink swaddling blanket.
As the younger twin herself, Meng Qiucan had never been favored by anyone in the family except her little brother.
Although she knew her brother and sister-in-law didn’t value boys over girls, she still couldn’t help wanting to dote a little more on Meng Yu.
“Look at our Little Fishy. She’s so beautiful.”
Meng Qiucan gently poked Meng Yu’s nose with her finger.
Meng Yu cooperatively revealed a pure and innocent smile.
Next, Meng Qiucan stroked Meng Che’s little face.
“Even though Little Che is the younger brother, he’s still a little man. In the future, you must protect your big sister properly.”
“Auntie, we’ll protect little sister and little brother!”
Meng Wei patted his chest proudly.
Meng Qing nodded eagerly as well. “Mm-hmm!”
Meng Qiucan laughed warmly. “Xiao Wei and Xiao Qing are so wonderful!”
Later, Liu Hong rode away on his bicycle with Meng Qiucan sitting behind him.
Inside the room, Meng Wei and Meng Qing’s cheeks bulged full.
When Liu Hong had arrived earlier, he had secretly hidden a pound of malt candy in his pocket. The two boys had been overjoyed, clinging tightly to Liu Hong’s legs while repeatedly declaring how much they liked their uncle-in-law.
Meanwhile, Wang Cuilian stood trembling in the courtyard for a long while, clearly angered to the extreme.
“That unfilial daughter!”
After cursing inwardly, Wang Cuilian took a deep breath and headed toward Chen Rou’s room.
The moment she entered, she saw Chen Rou sitting on the bed holding Meng Zhu while silently crying.
Upon seeing Wang Cuilian, Chen Rou quickly wiped away her tears and forced out a smile despite struggling to control her emotions.
“Mom, why did you come in?”
Heart aching for her, Wang Cuilian walked to the bedside and gently stroked Chen Rou’s fair, delicate cheek with her rough hand.
“You heard all the nonsense that dead girl said just now, didn’t you?”
Chen Rou nodded lightly and looked up at Wang Cuilian.
“Mom, I’m fine. Sister Qiucan just has a straightforward personality. Don’t argue with her.”
Seeing how understanding Chen Rou was made Wang Cuilian’s heart ache even more.
“Xiao Rou, why are you always so considerate…”
Chen Rou lowered her head, darkness flashing through her eyes.
That bitch Meng Qiucan had opposed her ever since childhood.
At that moment, Meng Zhu suddenly burst into loud crying, her tiny face turning bright red.
Chen Rou hurriedly tried to soothe her in a panic. It was only her third day as a mother, and she still couldn’t handle her child’s sudden crying fits.
Wang Cuilian took Meng Zhu into her arms and gently rocked her.
Almost instantly, Meng Zhu stopped crying.
Chen Rou smiled softly. “Mom, Zhuzhu likes you so much. She stops crying the moment you hold her. I’m almost jealous.”
Wang Cuilian’s gaze softened.
“When I look at Zhuzhu, I think of you when you were little. When you first came to this family, you only clung to me. Wherever I went, you followed behind like a little tail.”
“Mom…”
Chen Rou shyly covered her face.
The scene between the loving mother and filial daughter looked exceptionally warm.
Ironically, Wang Cuilian had never once treated her own biological children this way.
“Xiao Rou… do you plan on remarrying?” Wang Cuilian asked carefully.
“Mom, I don’t plan on marrying again. I want to stay here with you for the rest of my life.”
Chen Rou leaned dependently into Wang Cuilian’s arms.
“Good, good! Stay with Mom forever.”
Wang Cuilian beamed with joy.
Chen Rou was no longer young. She was widowed and had a daughter to support. Her vicious former mother-in-law in the city had deliberately spread rumors that Chen Rou had a hard fate that brought misfortune to relatives, all to justify driving her out of the house.
What city man would dare marry her now?