Fourth Aunt fell silent. They all knew what had happened last time, and Yang Jiabo really hadn’t done anything wrong. In fact, he had even gathered a lot of medicinal herbs. Seeing that Fourth Aunt wasn’t taking her side, Zhou Lingling started sobbing again.
"What’s wrong with sister Lingling?" The chubby little girl had a slow reaction time.
"Nothing, go play with your sister Lingling," Fourth Aunt pushed her daughter forward. She glanced at Zhou Lingling, who was still crying, and then at Yang Jiabo, who was playing with the dog. In the end, she decided to ask Yang Jiabo. "Why are only the two of you here?"
"Mom and Aunt went out to buy groceries. They left us to watch the house."
"I see," Fourth Aunt nodded. "Jiajia, are you feeling better?"
"Not yet."
"Then take care of yourself," Fourth Aunt advised.
"I know, I brought my own bowl and chopsticks. Just don’t touch my stuff," Yang Jiabo knew what she was worried about, and he wasn’t upset. Every parent doted on their own child.
The chubby little girl was indeed simple-minded. Even though Zhou Lingling ignored her, she kept smiling and circling around her. When Zhou Lingling finally cried herself out, the two of them started playing together. By the time Li Guizhen returned, Zhou Lingling immediately ran up to her, crying and complaining. "Auntie, Jiajia bullied me. He called me an ugly monster."
"Jiajia, you’re asking for trouble again. You’ve only just started recovering, and you’re already causing trouble," Li Guizhen shouted at Yang Jiabo.
"I didn’t do anything. She’s just a tattletale," Yang Jiabo played innocent.
"That’s not true! He called me ugly!"
Just as Li Guizhen was about to lose her temper, eldest aunt stopped her. "Enough, enough. Kids fight all the time. Don’t make a big deal out of it. You and Fourth Sister go wash the vegetables."
Although eldest aunt had a quick temper and couldn’t help scolding people when she got angry, she cared deeply for everyone in the family. She truly lived up to the saying, "The eldest sister is like a mother," so her words carried weight. In his past life, Yang Jiabo had received a lot of care from her and had always been grateful.
Yang Jiabo and Zhou Lingling’s conflict was left to resolve their conflict themselves. Zhou Lingling felt aggrieved and unwilling to accept it, but since her uncle was not around, no one supported her. As more relatives arrived, the adults busied themselves with making dumplings, while the children ran around the house, chattering and playing.
Eldest aunt’s house was located in an old alley in the city center, a two-story building by the roadside. The first floor had a kitchen, living room, and a bedroom, while the second floor had two rooms, one inside the other. The space wasn’t large, and with so many people crammed in, it felt very crowded.
In the morning, everyone ate mian er duo, and in the afternoon, two people stayed behind to continue making dumplings while the others went to play cards. The popular games at the time were Shengji and Sandai Liang. As for Shuangkou, that wouldn’t become popular until a few years later.
[面耳朵 (miàn ěr duo): a type of noodle dish, often shaped like small ears or shells]
[升级 (shēng jí): A popular Chinese card game, also known as "Climb" or "Climbing." The goal is to play cards in a specific order to "level up" and win]
[三代两 (sān dài liǎng): Another traditional Chinese card game. The name roughly translates to "three generations, two pairs." It involves forming specific combinations of cards to win, and it’s known for its complexity and social nature]
[双扣 (shuāng kòu): A fast-paced and competitive Chinese card game, also known as "Double Knockout". It’s played with two decks of cards and involves teamwork and strategy]
At first, Yang Jiabo was bored and spent his time playing with Heidou. But then he got mischievous and suddenly became very busy. He teased the chubby little girl, tripped up Zhou Lingling, and taught his cousins some new games. Before he knew it, the day was over. The handmade dumplings were delicious, but Yang Jiabo had bad luck, while others got meat fillings, he had to eat vegetarian ones.
After returning home, Yang Jiabo quietly went to find Yang Qing and gave him all the White Rabbit candies his eldest aunt had given him. Since Huang Xiufen left, the little boy had been listless. His hard days were just beginning, and Yang Jiabo felt sympathy for him.
Receiving the candies, Yang Qing gave a sweet smile. "Thank you, brother."
"Good boy. From now on, big brother will take care of you. If anything happens, tell me secretly," Yang Jiabo reached out and patted the little boy’s head. The kid’s life was bitter first and sweet later, while Yang Jiabo’s was the opposite. It was hard to say whose life was better or worse.
Life went on as usual. Li Guizhen continued to make a fuss. As long as Grandma and Grandpa Yang supported Yang Jianguo, there would be no peace at home. The Yang grandparents were getting old and needed care themselves. How many more years could they support Yang Jianguo? And how would their other children feel about this?
Li Guizhen’s constant complaints drew all the resentment onto herself, hiding the conflicts between the Yang siblings. Yang Jiabo couldn’t help but admire Li Guizhen for her ability to consistently attract blame. It was a talent in its own right.
Yang Jiabo stayed home to recover from his illness. Even if the house was turned upside down, he treated it as a show. Having lived through it once before, he knew it was an inevitable process. The only one suffering was his dad, caught in the middle and torn between both sides.
Yang Jiabo had little respect for his second uncle. A grown man, still relying on his parents and older brother to support him, and even let them raise his son for him. No wonder Li Guizhen was unwilling. In the end, the Yang family split up. Yang Jianjun’s family was separated, and Li Guizhen was overjoyed to have her wish fulfilled, while Yang Jianjun frowned and sighed in distress.
Home was still home, but some things have changed.
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