Chapter 19

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Xu Fengqiao subconsciously wanted to refuse, but Xiaoqiu ran away quickly.

She knew that this was filial piety on his part. After hesitating for a long while, she finally ate it with tears in her eyes.

Today’s dinner was very sumptuous. Xu Fengqiao made a wild vegetable fritter for everyone and filled a bowl of porridge for each of them.

“Everyone has to eat everything in their bowls. There’s no room for leftovers.”

Su Ling carefully raised her head. Just as she was about to tear off some of her pancake and give it to Third Brother, she was frightened by Xu Fengqiao’s gaze.

“Girl, eat obediently. Your third brother has his own food!”

Seeing this, Xiaodong quickly said, “Yes, yes. Sister, eat it yourself. You don’t have to give it to me. I have enough.”

Helpless, Su Ling could only put away her thoughts and eat obediently.

At the dining table, Xu Fengqiao spoke.

“Girl, you’re all grown up now. We’re all going to be very busy for a while. You have to be good at home and not run around. Do you understand?”

Su Ling was puzzled. “What about Third Brother?”

Xu Fengqiao glanced at her youngest son and saw that his head was almost buried in the bowl.

“Your third brother isn’t young anymore. From today onwards, he’ll work in the fields with us. Stay at home obediently. If you’re bored, you can go next door to play with Zhao Yan. But there’s one thing. You’re not allowed to run around. You can’t go missing, understand?”

Su Ling nodded obediently. She was already looking forward to running around the back of the mountain with Zhao Yan.

Xu Fengqiao’s heart softened when she saw how obedient she was.

“When we’re done with the work in the field, we’ll build two more huts and give Girl a separate room, okay?”

Su Ling was puzzled. “Why do you need to build two more huts?”

Xu Fengqiao explained patiently, “Because you’re growing up and you’re a girl. She can’t stay with her brothers forever. Her brothers will get a wife and have children in the future.”

“What is getting a wife?”

“To find a sister-in-law for Girl.”

Su Ling raised her head as if she was thinking seriously.

“With sisters-in-law, will brothers still like me?”

As soon as she said this, Xiaoqiu instantly put down his bowl and chopsticks.

“Of course we will. Sister will always be our favorite.”

Xiaochun and Xiaodong chimed in, “That’s right, that’s right. We’ll always dote on you and treat you well.”

The girl was relieved and finally agreed to Xu Fengqiao’s suggestion.

“Mother, Girl agrees. When my brothers marry sisters-in-law in the future, I will also treat them well.”

Xu Fengqiao rubbed her head, her eyes filled with love.

“Girl is so obedient.”

After that day, everyone in the Su family left early and returned late. Su Ling was bored alone and often went to look for Zhao Yan.

Zhao Yan had many books, and he could write.

Su Ling was very studious and always pestered him to teach her.

Unable to convince her, Zhao Yan slowly began to teach her how to read and write.

Soon she learned a lot of numbers and a lot of writing.

She had just started writing, and her words were all crooked and out of proportion. However, she was very excited about it. No matter what she wrote, she would show it to her parents at night.

Just like that, Su Changsheng and Xu Fengqiao completely changed their views on the youth next door. They often invited him to their house for dinner.

The two families slowly became familiar with each other, making Auntie Wu suspicious of them.

She had known from the beginning that the two newcomers in the village were not simple. From the way they spoke, they did not look like they came from ordinary farmers’ houses.

Even though that woman was dressed in rough clothes like them, her words and actions could not deceive anyone.

Auntie Wu tried to curry favor with them, but they were only polite to her and completely unmoved.

She could not help but feel a little unhappy that she could not gain anything.