Siheyuan: Hang Jia Dongxu, smash Banggeng to death!

Outside.

After waiting for a while and seeing no response, Yi Zhonghai's gentle mask finally cracked open.

He lowered his voice, almost gritting his teeth: "You little beast, you've really given yourself too much credit."

The footsteps faded into the distance, carrying with them anger.

Lin Tian overheard Yi Zhonghai muttering as he walked by, "Without medicine to treat your injuries, let's see how you die..."

The noise outside the door completely subsided.

The courtyard house was enveloped in the stillness of the night, with only the occasional chirping of insects and the faint sound of snoring coming from afar.

Lin Tian gently pulled away Tangtang's hand that was covering her mouth: "Tangtang, don't be afraid, your brother is here."

Tangtang nestled into her brother's arms, sobbing softly, "Brother... Tangtang is scared..."

"Don't be afraid, with your brother here, no one can bully Tangtang."

Lin Tian hugged his younger sister and noticed that she was extremely thin, and her bones were hard to the touch.

He gently patted his sister's back, coaxing her to sleep, "Good girl, Tangtang, go to sleep. Tomorrow, your brother will find you something delicious to eat."

Tangtang nodded vigorously, her little hands gripping her brother's clothes tightly: "Tangtang, be good...Tangtang, go to sleep..."

Moonlight streamed through the tattered paper window, shining on Tangtang's little hands.

Lin Tian suddenly noticed several obvious bruises on Tangtang's wrists and the backs of her hands.

His heart skipped a beat, but he spoke very softly: "Tangtang, what happened to your hand?"

Tangtang flinched and hid her little hands behind her back: "Tangtang...Tangtang fell down by herself..."

She didn't want her husband to worry.

"Really?"

Lin Tian gently took his sister's small hand and looked at her carefully by the moonlight.

Those bruises, a mix of blue and purple, were clearly fingerprints—marks left by an adult's fingers pinching hard.

Memories flooded back. Before the original owner died, Tangtang cried out, "Grandma Jia pinched me!" and "Grandma Jia won't give me food!"

Lin Tian's eyes were as cold as ice in the darkness.

He hugged his sister tightly and whispered in her ear, "Don't be afraid, Tangtang. If anyone dares to hit you again, your brother will avenge you."

Tangtang looked at her brother with a blank expression, nodded as if she understood, and then gradually closed her eyes.

Lin Tian used the spiritual spring water to wipe away her bruises.

After his younger sister fell asleep, Lin Tian couldn't sleep.

Starting tonight, no one will be able to sleep.

The ghostly figure slowly rose from the shadows, walked to the door, and peered out through the crack.

The courtyard was deserted, and the moonlight, like water, spilled onto the bluestone slabs.

The lights in each room went out one after another, except for the dim yellow light still shining in the Jia family's house in the middle courtyard.

Lin Tian's ghostly figure seemed to blend into the shadows in the darkness, and walked straight through the door.

Inside the Jia family's house,

The flame of the kerosene lamp flickered, casting several shadowy figures.

Madam Jia sat cross-legged on the kang (a heated brick bed), her triangular eyes glaring at her son Jia Dongxu and daughter-in-law Qin Huairu, her voice shrill and urgent:

"Dongxu, Qin Huairu, listen to your mother. We'll move to the Lin family's house in the backyard first thing tomorrow morning. We need to take one of the better rooms."

Otherwise, if Yan Laoxi and Fatty Liu get there first, we'll only be able to pick up the leftovers.

Jia Dongxu was sitting on a stool, picking his teeth with a toothpick. Hearing this, he frowned and said, "Mom, Uncle said there's no rush."

"Lin Tian is still here, and you're moving out now? That's incredibly disrespectful."

"fart!"

Jia Zhangshi slapped the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), "What do you know? Wait until that little beast dies before moving? By then, the good rooms will have already been snatched up by that cunning Yan Laoxi. Do you think he's as stupid as you?"

Qin Huairu was squatting on the ground pouring water for her mother-in-law to wash her feet when she heard this. She looked up and said softly:

"Mom, what Uncle said makes sense. Lin Tiangang has just 'come back to life.' If we occupy his house now, it won't sound good if word gets out."

Besides, if I offend this old man, what will happen in the future...?

"Who does Yi Zhonghai think he is?"

Jia Zhangshi interrupted her daughter-in-law, raising her voice, "So what if he offended me? He wants my son to support him in his old age. How could he possibly turn his back on his mother?"

Believe it or not, I'll make sure Dongxu doesn't take care of him in his old age.

Jia Dongxu quickly put down the toothpick: "Mom! Keep your voice down! How can you say such things?"

"Why can't I say it?"

Jia Zhangshi glared with her triangular eyes, "Yi Zhonghai has no children, won't he rely on you for his old age? Does he dare to offend us?"

That's an investment! Do you understand?

Qin Huairu brought the foot-washing water to her mother-in-law's feet, tested the water temperature, and said softly, "Mom, the water is ready, please wash your feet."

Jia Zhangshi put her feet into the basin and sighed comfortably, but she didn't stop talking: "Qin Huairu, you're such a coward."

"Who does Yi Zhonghai think he is? He's just a childless man who won't even have anyone to break a pot for when he dies. Are we afraid of him?"

As she spoke, she kicked the water with her foot: "It's too hot! Add some cold water!"

Qin Huairu silently got up and went to fetch cold water.

Jia Dongxu looked at his mother, then at his wife, and sighed: "Mom, you're doing alright. If it weren't for your master's help..."

In this year of famine, our whole family will starve to death. Don't keep saying such hurtful things.

Madam Jia rolled her triangular eyes: "Alright, alright, Mom knows. Qin Huairu, isn't the water ready yet? Stop dawdling."

"Mom's here."

Qin Huairu brought over half a ladle of cold water and carefully poured it into the foot bath.

Only then was Madam Jia satisfied. While rubbing her feet, she continued, "But Dongxu, it's not that I necessarily want to go against Yi Zhonghai."

But we must take this matter of housing seriously.

"Of the three rooms in the Lin family's house, the left one faces the sun and is warm in winter, while the right one in the courtyard is shady and can freeze you to death in winter."

She lowered her voice, as if she were talking about a secret: "I've inquired. Old Yan is interested in the leftmost room, while Fatty Liu wants the middle one."

We have to get there before them and claim the leftmost room; that's the Lin family's best room.

Jia Dongxu hesitated, "But Master said..."

"Yi Zhonghai said, Yi Zhonghai said, you only know how to listen to your master!"

Madam Jia was exasperated. "Is he your father or am I your mother? Would your mother ever harm you?"

Listen to Mom, we'll move in first thing tomorrow morning. We'll put our things in first thing, just to reserve the spot. After all, we signed a contract in black and white.

Qin Huairu squatted down to rub her mother-in-law's feet. Upon hearing this, she whispered, "Mom, this will really offend Uncle."

The old man is highly respected in the courtyard, and he's also a level eight fitter at the factory, so we…”

"Who does Yi Zhonghai think he is!"

Jia Zhangshi kicked the water hard, splashing Qin Huairu all over. "Qin Huairu, are you having an affair with Yi Zhonghai? Why are you always siding with him?"

Qin Huairu's face turned pale instantly: "Mom! How could you say that?"

You old hag, you're having an affair with Yi Zhonghai.

Jia Dongxu also stood up: "Mom! What nonsense are you talking about?"

Seeing that her son was truly angry, Madam Jia pursed her lips and said, "Alright, alright, I was just using an analogy. Qin Huairu, don't take it to heart."

Despite saying that, her gaze towards Qin Huairu held even more dissatisfaction.

Qin Huairu lowered her head and silently wiped her mother-in-law's feet, her hands trembling slightly.

After wiping her feet, she took the foot-washing water outside to pour it out. She stood outside the door for a while before calming herself down and going back inside.

Inside the house, Jia Zhangshi had already lain down and said to Jia Dongxu, "Dongxu, wash your feet too, go to bed early, you have to go to work tomorrow."

Jia Dongxu responded and said to Qin Huairu, "Huairu, fetch some water."

"Why."

Qin Huairu went to fetch water again.

While Jia Dongxu was washing his feet, Jia Zhangshi instructed from the kang (heated brick bed): "Qin Huairu, Banggeng and Xiaodang, wash your feet too."

Banggeng got covered in mud today, and Xiaodang, that little brat, needs to wash too, otherwise she'll smell awful.

"Okay, Mom."

Qin Huairu spun around like a top.

She first washed the feet and face of four-year-old Banggeng, but Banggeng was restless and kicked around in the water, splashing her all over.

She then washed her two-year-old son, Xiaodang, who was sleepy and crying incessantly, so she had to soothe him while washing him.

After taking care of the two children, she was so exhausted that she could barely straighten her back.

As Jia Zhangshi lay on the kang (a heated brick bed), watching her daughter-in-law's busy figure, she clicked her tongue in satisfaction: "That's more like it. A daughter-in-law should be diligent and take care of her mother-in-law, husband, and children."

Qin Huairu didn't say anything, silently tidying up the foot basin and towel.

Jia Dongxu had already lain down, but seeing his wife still busy, he said, "Huai Ru, you should go to sleep early too."

"Okay, you guys go to sleep first, I'll pack my things."

Once everyone in the Jia family had fallen asleep and were snoring evenly, Qin Huairu was finally able to sit down and catch her breath.

She sat on a small stool, staring blankly at the flickering flame of the oil lamp.

When will I be able to be waited on like my mother-in-law?

When will I be able to be in charge of my own life and not have to be at the mercy of others?

If my mother-in-law dies...

The moment the thought crossed her mind, she shuddered and quickly shook her head, as if trying to shake off this "rebellious" idea.

Qin Huairu got up, blew out the oil lamp, and lay down at the end of the kang (a heated brick bed) in the dark.

That was the narrowest and hardest spot, but as the daughter-in-law, she had no choice but to sleep there.

in the dark.

Qin Huairu opened her eyes, listening to her husband's snoring, her mother-in-law's teeth grinding, and her child's babbling in his sleep, and tears streamed down her face silently.

Soon, soon.

I'm moving there tomorrow, and then I'll have my own big bed.