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Several children were very fond of Yan Zhouwan and Shen Muqing, and they often sent rare gifts to them, thoroughly bribing the kids.
As a result, they frequently asked when they would be able to see the two of them.
"Yes, you'll be able to see them soon," Xia Muxin said with a smile, affectionately ruffling the second child's hair.
After giving the children their baths, Xia Muxin began preparing lunch. Nowadays, aside from the children, she was the most free at home.
Except for Summer Old Man, who perhaps due to his age, had seen a decline in his health. Now he even had his meals brought to his room and was particularly sensitive to the cold. His winter clothes were made from the best and warmest fabric that Xia Muxin could find.
The family was quite worried; after this winter, he would turn sixty-five. Xia Muxin had already discussed with the family about throwing him a grand birthday celebration. They feared that if they missed this opportunity, there might not be another chance.
Shen Muhan said he was worn down by life. It was likely due to his age; the Wu Family had been harsh back then. He had secretly saved a few coins from his meager meals to give to her father and had never allowed himself to indulge in food or clothing. While he managed to endure in his youth, it was becoming increasingly difficult...
Thinking of this made Xia Muxin feel quite sorry for him. Her father had no idea how many times he had secretly cried. Therefore, after her children learned to walk, she took it upon herself to handle the family's meals.
Her brother's two children were particularly understanding and clever; during these times, she would have Xue Er take care of them.
Now there were fewer people eating at home. The sister-in-law had gone to town, and both her aunt and uncle were also away today. Her aunt was over five months pregnant but still helped out here. Today was a joyous occasion at a distant relative's house, so both of them had gone there.
This person is truly strange. When Second Uncle Erdan had nothing, he had no relatives. But ever since he built a house and married, distant relatives have been coming out of the woodwork to claim kinship. Both he and his wife are honest and straightforward, so they eventually had to maintain these connections.
Xia Muxin is also clever. After recognizing these relatives, the couple found themselves in constant trouble, with visitors coming every day. They not only wanted food and drink but also took up their time, leaving the couple feeling overwhelmed. To solve this, Xia Muxin sent Er Dan to work in town, and her aunt accompanied him. They both left early and returned late, causing those relatives to be turned away several times. Eventually, they stopped coming.
However, when it came to celebrating joyous occasions, those relatives were quick to show up. With her aunt pregnant, Xia Muxin wanted them to share the news, but no one came by—not even a single egg was sent. Only the family that went to celebrate a wedding brought gifts that were beneficial for the pregnant woman.
After that, the couple ignored all the other troublesome relatives. This led to some harsh words from a few aunts and uncles, but Er Dan retaliated with sharp remarks that left them speechless, and they left in disgrace.
It wasn't that they were stingy or cared about the small gifts; it was just unnecessary to maintain ties with relatives who only showed up when things were going well for them.
Moreover, the relative they visited today ran a small business in town and had never treated Er Dan well. The change in attitude was largely due to the Xia family's influence. When the gifts arrived at their doorstep, Er Dan felt conflicted but ultimately decided to go after discussing it with his family. It was also a way to return the favor for the gifts they had received previously.
Living such a monotonous life every day made Xia Muxin feel bored. Spending too much time with children made her feel increasingly childish herself. Fortunately, her excellent cooking skills had not diminished; thus, their family spent most of their time eating and sleeping in peace.
The children had their own little table, and Xia Muxin put a lot of thought into their meals.
Although the children's tempers were peculiar, they were not picky eaters.
Aunt Xia took care of washing their bowls, and after each meal, Xia Muxin would wash their faces and hands. Summer Forest had been helping at home due to Summer Old Man's health issues and would serve food while eating together with him—truly a devoted son.
Not long after lunch had passed, Er Dan and his wife returned home immediately to prepare food for Aunt Jihua. Xia Muxin had just finished taking care of the children's personal hygiene.
Seeing that her aunt and uncle looked unwell, she leaned closer to her aunt and asked, "Aunt, what happened to Uncle?"
They had just gone out for a drink, and now everyone seemed downcast. Her aunt's eyes were red, as if she had been crying.
After marrying Er Dan, the couple had always been sweet together, much to the envy of others. Now that they had children, their family was even happier.
"Cousin Uncle said that Er Dan has been betrothed to his youngest daughter since childhood. He also mentioned that they plan to finalize the arrangement next month. Er Dan couldn't take it and ended up arguing with them. In the end, they even presented evidence, threatening to take the matter to Yamen if it didn't go through. We left without even eating!"
Xia Jihua knew that Xia Muxin was the most capable and intelligent in the family, so she sniffled and spoke up.
Xia Muxin snorted a few times. The Cousin Uncle Xia Jihua referred to was the one they had gone to celebrate a wedding with today. She wondered why her aunt's family came over with so many things when her aunt was pregnant. Initially, she thought the main issue was with the Xia Family, but it turned out to be this.
It seemed they had heard about Er Dan building a house and marrying into the Xia Family, so they came over to verify the truth. Once confirmed, they likely thought of ways to win favor, even going so far as to use their own daughter as bait.
People like that truly left her speechless.
"Aunt, don't worry too much. Even if this goes to Yamen, nothing will happen to you, and they won't gain anything from it either."
Hearing Xia Muxin say this, Xia Jihua stopped crying but looked at her niece in confusion.
Xia Muxin smiled lightly, giving her a calming look before asking,
"Did Er Dan's family come to visit during the time when his parents were ill or even passed away?"
Xia Jihua shook her head.
"Did your uncle ever come to borrow money from them or plead with them?"
Xia Jihua nodded. Otherwise, Er Dan wouldn't be so angry today. Not only had he asked for help, but he had also been ruthlessly chased away by them. Moreover, he hadn't mentioned such matters at that time; even his parents hadn't brought it up before they passed. But today, there was black and white evidence, and they had even pressed their fingerprints on it.
"Even if they present all the evidence now, no one can verify it. Who can prove that those fingerprints were made by your uncle's parents? Besides, did your uncle ever have such a token of affection? If it's just one-sided, it would be useless even if it reached the county office. Furthermore, they stood by and did nothing when he was in trouble; now your uncle can openly break off the engagement in the name of their ingratitude. Besides, he is already married!"
With that said, everything was under Xia Muxin's control. It was clear that Cousin Uncle understood Er Dan's temperament, which is why he chose this path.
At that moment, Er Dan came out with a steaming bowl of noodles topped with two poached eggs and some slices of meat. Seeing Xia Jihua with her hands clasped together, looking apologetic as she lowered her head, he silently placed the noodles in front of her and turned back to the kitchen.
When he emerged again, he carried another bowl of noodles, but his had nothing in it.
Xia Muxin felt a bit disheartened; her family had plenty of meat and eggs, so there was no need for him to save on her account. Noticing her aunt still lost in thought, she couldn't help but say,
"Auntie, have you decided to eat vegetarian? There are so many eggs and meat in the kitchen. You care for your daughter-in-law but forget to take care of yourself!"
Her words carried a deeper meaning; her aunt was clearly sulking. After all, pregnant women could be quite unpredictable. Even if she usually had a good temper, things changed during pregnancy. Xia Muxin didn't believe for a second that her aunt wouldn't feel sorry for her uncle at this moment.
Er Dan had already picked up his bowl of noodles and was about to eat when Xia Muxin's words startled him, causing him to tremble slightly. He looked at her with a mix of confusion and helplessness.
Xia Muxin winked at him, and seeing her aunt pick up her chopsticks, she gently lifted Little Bun, who had fallen asleep in her arms, and stood up to leave.
"I'm full... You and the child should eat more!"
At that moment, Xia Jihua placed a fried egg from her bowl onto Er Dan's plate and continued to add slices of meat. Er Dan quickly intercepted her chopsticks, grasping her hand tightly as he said with concern, "You can't eat that much!"
Since their marriage, they had never quarreled. Although Er Dan wasn't good with sweet talk, his feelings were evident in his actions. He genuinely cared for his wife. It pained him deeply to see her distressed today; it felt worse than being cut by a knife.
He feared nothing but the thought of Xia Jihua being wronged.
"You can't eat that much!"
Xia Jihua softened considerably. Deep down, she was terrified; after all, her first marriage had been far from perfect—she had suffered greatly. Now that she finally had her own happiness, she wanted to cherish it. They would soon have a child, and having experienced the cruelty of a stepmother herself, she could not bear the thought of her child enduring similar suffering.
Moreover, she wanted to be selfish—to monopolize Er Dan's affection and receive his undivided love. But the daughter of Cousin Uncle was younger and not unattractive, which made her anxious.
"Don't worry. Even if it goes to Yamen, I only have one wife—it's you, Xia Jihua!"
- End of Chapter -
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