Chen Lishu glanced at the two of them, said nothing, and went directly to the west room. The younger ones had already fallen asleep.
"Liyuan, Eldest Sister is back."
Chen Liyuan, drowsy, seemed to hear Chen Lishu's voice. After a while, she opened her eyes and found the room lit. She forced herself to sit up. Upon seeing that it was indeed Chen Lishu who had returned, she couldn't hold back anymore and threw herself into her arms, sobbing uncontrollably.
"Eldest Sister...呜呜..."
Chen Lishu patted her back. "Alright, Eldest Sister is back. No one can do anything to you."
Chen Lifei, Chen Lijuan, and the other younger ones were woken by the crying. Seeing Chen Lishu back and Chen Liyuan crying in her arms, they all rushed over to join in.
Wu Chunmei watched the children cry and also sat by the side, wiping away tears. Chen Mantun looked at the family situation, a lump of cotton seemingly stuck in his heart, and let out several loud sighs.
Chen Liyuan cried for a while, finally venting all the pent-up emotions. Her crying gradually subsided.
"Alright, it's all over," Chen Lishu said softly, patting her slender back. "Don't joke with your life again. Are you hungry? Shall I get you something to eat?"
Chen Liyuan looked up, her voice choked with worry, "Eldest Sister, Dad and Mom have already agreed to the marriage. Now they want to go back on their word, and Widow Liu's family comes to make a fuss every day. If this can't be resolved, will I really have to marry Liu Dabao?"
These past few days, it wasn't just hunger she felt, but also intense fear. If she really had to marry someone like Liu Dabao, she'd rather die.
Hearing her words, Chen Lishu's already solemn expression instantly turned frosty. She said coldly, "With Eldest Sister here, if you don't want to marry, no one can force you. If they dare to come and cause trouble, I'll make them regret it."
Chen Liyuan finally felt a sense of ease upon hearing this.
"Lishu, you haven't eaten either, have you? Earlier, I was afraid Liyuan would be hungry, so I kept the dinner warm. I'll go get it for you," Chen Mantun said. Seeing Chen Liyuan's emotions finally stabilize, he got up without waiting for Chen Lishu to speak and went to the kitchen to get the food.
The food was brought out quickly. With such troublesome matters in the family, Wu Chunmei had no appetite to cook. Dinner consisted only of corn flatbread and pickled mustard stems.
Having been hungry for days and suddenly relieved of her worries, Chen Liyuan was not picky. She took half a piece of flatbread and began to eat ravenously.
"Eldest Sister, I'm hungry too," Chen Lijuan said. Seeing her second sister eating so well, she quietly swallowed and looked longingly at Chen Lishu.
"Eldest Sister, I'm a little hungry too," Chen Liru added softly.
Chen Lifei and Chen Liwan were a bit older and had better self-control, but they hadn't spoken up.
"It's not good for you to eat too much before sleeping. Everyone gets a little. Eat quickly and go to bed," Chen Lishu said with a smile. She picked up a piece of flatbread and broke off a small piece for each of them.
Chen Liyuan had been hungry for days. Fearing that fluctuating between hunger and fullness would be bad for her health, Chen Lishu only let her eat a small piece of corn flatbread and drink some water before telling her to lie down and rest.
"Mom and Dad, you go back to your room too. I'll sleep with my sisters tonight," Chen Lishu said expressionlessly after taking the plates and bowls to the kitchen and returning.
This was the first sentence she had spoken to Chen Mantun and his wife since entering the room. They exchanged a look and repeatedly nodded. "Okay, okay. Well, your mother and I won't disturb your rest."
After Chen Mantun finished speaking, he and Wu Chunmei left the room.
"Husband, I think Lishu is angry with us, isn't she?" Wu Chunmei's voice became choked again. "But aren't we doing this for the good of the family? I don't have a son, so taking in a son-in-law means that when the younger ones get married, they'll have a family to rely on. Besides, wasn't it Lishu who suggested taking in a son-in-law in the first place?"
"Lishu is sensible; she'll definitely understand our difficulties," Chen Mantun said, sighing again.
"Eldest Sister, I really don't have to marry Liu Dabao?" Chen Liyuan snuggled tightly against Chen Lishu, finding comfort in the faint fragrance emanating from her.
Ever since she was little, the person she admired most was Chen Lishu. The fact that the family could live well was also thanks to Chen Lishu's hard work. She wanted to be as capable as her, so she would rather die than submit to this marriage.
"Don't worry, with Eldest Sister here, you definitely won't marry scum like Liu Dabao," Chen Lishu said, turning sideways and patting her quilt to comfort her.
"Mmm," Chen Liyuan nodded in the darkness. She had been anxious about this matter for days. Now that she was finally relaxed, she fell asleep shortly after.
Listening to the even breaths beside her, Chen Lishu gently pulled the quilt to cover her better, turned over, and closed her eyes.
The next day, Wu Chunmei and her husband got up early. Besides the rice porridge, they specifically made spring pancakes and stir-fried bean sprouts with chives. After everything was prepared, Wu Chunmei went to the west room to call them.
"Mom, what delicious food did you make? I dreamt we were eating meat just now," Chen Lijuan said, putting on her clothes and sniffing the air intently.
"Mom made rolled pancakes and two-grain porridge," Wu Chunmei said, glancing at Chen Lishu and Chen Liyuan. Seeing their indifferent reactions, her expression dimmed slightly.
Soon, the sisters were dressed and their quilts folded. After washing up, the family had just sat down at the table to eat when Widow Liu's curses suddenly erupted from the courtyard. "Chen Mantun, you couple, don't be fucking turtles hiding your heads. Get out here quickly! I'm telling you, if you don't resolve the issue with the child, I'll come to your house to make a scene every day!"
Chen Mantun sighed helplessly and got up. "You guys eat. I'll go out and take a look."
"Dad, let me go," Chen Lishu stopped him, stood up, and grabbed the stool she was sitting on. With a cold expression, she walked straight towards the door.
"Husband, hurry and follow her. Don't let Lishu act recklessly. If she really injures someone, the trouble will be immense," Wu Chunmei said, frightened by her demeanor, and quickly called Chen Mantun.
Chen Mantun had never seen Chen Lishu so angry before. He was startled and quickly followed her out.
"Auntie, our second child and his wife haven't said they *won't* agree to this marriage. We all live in the same village. If they go back on their word, let alone you, I certainly won't let them off," Zhang Chunhua said, glancing at the onlookers. She stepped forward and "kindly" advised, "I'm telling you, if it weren't for the fact that the couple are usually honest people, would I be willing to let my good son marry into your family? How much effort did it take for me to convince our Dabao to agree to this marriage? And this couple, they're good, they change their minds the moment they sit down, I..."
Before Widow Liu could finish speaking, a dark object suddenly flew towards her. Startled, she screamed "Mom!" and dodged to the side, covering her head.
Zhang Chunhua reacted slower. By the time she tried to dodge, it was too late. The leg of the stool grazed her nose, creating a gust of wind, and then it landed heavily on the ground with a "bang," kicking up a cloud of dust.
Zhang Chunhua stared blankly at the stool, which was less than a finger's length from her feet. Her knees trembled.