Chapter 36

Jiang Manzhu looked at Tang Shengyan, who had so sincerely arranged everything for her. The young man's passionate feelings truly moved her.

But being moved was one thing; between Li Linxi and Tang Shengyan, Jiang Manzhu still chose Li Linxi.

Choosing Tang Shengyan would mean binding herself to him, and without marriage, it would be hard to end things. But with Li Linxi, it was different.

Their relationship didn't need to deepen; it was much freer. The conditions of the two were different, and Jiang Manzhu was a smart person. She needed to learn to be refined and self-serving, not to force herself to do things she didn't like.

So, after rejecting Tang Shengyan, looking at his tearful and aggrieved expression, like a dog caught in the rain, Jiang Manzhu felt a pang in her heart.

This…

It felt like she had fallen for a beauty trap. The sunny and handsome boy spoke sweetly and showed concern, but unfortunately, he wasn't suitable for her at this moment.

Jiang Manzhu went to look at the house he had prepared. Indeed, it was well-renovated, at least better than the youth point.

"I would be scared living alone. This house is quite well fixed up, so this box of things will be my gift to you," Jiang Manzhu said. She wasn't the kind of person who would toy with someone else's feelings, and she wasn't interested in playing childhood games with Tang Shengyan.

She put down the cardboard box. To be honest, the items inside looked valuable, which was a pity.

Even though Jiang Manzhu's refusal was somewhat tactful, Tang Shengyan still sensed it.

"Manzhu, why…" Tang Shengyan felt a mix of sadness and disbelief, not quite understanding why Manzhu would rather stay with the Li family than…

"I want to stay with the Li family. I promised Lin Dong and Mom that I would take good care of my two younger brothers. I can't just move out and live alone; besides, I'd be scared all by myself."

Seeing that Tang Shengyan was stubborn and wouldn't give in, Jiang Manzhu rolled her eyes impatiently, mimicking the original owner's impatience.

It was a bit gentle, but not too much. Over time, the original bratty attitude returned.

Hearing this, Tang Shengyan's sad heart turned to pity. "Manzhu, you've worked hard. It's all my fault; I didn't go to the countryside with you back then. If I had, I could have taken care of you."

Tang Shengyan felt guilty, thinking that if he had gone to the countryside, Manzhu wouldn't have had to endure those hardships.

"And Lin Dong, is he Li Linxi's brother? Does Manzhu like him?" Tang Shengyan couldn't help but ask. As soon as he spoke, he regretted it; even if she liked him, he was a dead man.

"Tang Zhiqing, you seem to have a lot of questions," Jiang Manzhu said, looking at him with a smile that wasn't quite a smile. "You should take care of yourself so that your parents in the city don't worry. I don't need your concern; let's live our own lives and be well."

Jiang Manzhu had no intention of taking over the original owner's romantic interests, and the idea of childhood sweethearts was even more out of the question. After all, they were just not meant to be… oh no, it was that they were not meant to be.

"If there's nothing else, I'll be leaving now. Goodbye," Jiang Manzhu said casually, her departing figure was light and carefree.

Wanting to catch up with her, Tang Shengyan couldn't think of a good excuse to stop her. He just… wanted to talk to Manzhu, that was all.

Looking at the tidy and clean room, Tang Shengyan felt a flicker of disappointment and sadness. Manzhu indeed… was blaming him.

However, Manzhu was right; living alone here would be scary, especially with all the people around. Perhaps he really hadn't considered this reason.

In his heart, he found an excuse for Jiang Manzhu's coldness, thinking it was surely because she was still angry and hadn't forgiven him yet. His actions were so careless; he shouldn't have expected her to easily forgive him.

Tang Shengyan's thoughts were unknown to Jiang Manzhu, who felt she had made things clear with Tang Shengyan, and from now on, they would not interfere with each other.

Her brisk steps, as if solving a great problem, looked to Li Linxi like she was having fun outside.

"Did you have a good chat with Comrade Tang Shengyan?" Li Linxi, sitting in the hall with the dishes laid out, asked in a seemingly casual but gentle tone.

"It was okay; I resolved a big issue." Jiang Manzhu thought she had reached a consensus with Tang Shengyan and that the conversation had gone quite well.

As for others' misunderstandings about the 'specially coming to the countryside for her' notion, Jiang Manzhu completely didn't believe it.

Human nature is always selfish and fails to withstand tests. Jiang Manzhu had never seen any letters from Tang Shengyan in the original owner's correspondence.

If one could enjoy life in the city, who would be willing to go to the countryside?

Jiang Manzhu also didn't want to keep playing the original owner's personality; that would be exhausting.

However, Li Linxi was unaware of Jiang Manzhu's thoughts. Upon hearing her say 'it was okay,' his indifferent gaze subtly scanned her.

The next moment, he lightly nodded. "As long as the issue is resolved, it's good. Otherwise, it's easy to worry and feel sad."

"Do you need my help? You are a member of the Li family; you don't need to be polite with me." Li Linxi added, subtly testing her.

"It's nothing important; it's already resolved, so there's no need to worry," Jiang Manzhu replied, not intending to tell Li Linxi that she was concerned about losing her character because she was not the original owner. That was another big issue.

"Comrade Tang is planning to live alone in a newly renovated house in the village. I wonder if the life at the youth point is too harsh for him," Li Linxi inquired lightly, already framing Tang Shengyan as someone who couldn't endure hardship.

"Are you suggesting that I should go back to the youth point to live?" Jiang Manzhu didn't catch his underlying implication and thought he was implying that she couldn't endure hardship.

Frowning, she looked at Li Linxi with dissatisfaction. "Before Mom left, she asked me to take care of you and Xiao Bei. I can't abandon you."

"I consider you both my younger brothers." Jiang Manzhu stated, as if it were a matter of course. You can't drive me away; I contribute here.

Li Linxi focused only on the last part: treating them as… younger brothers?

"You don't look like you're much older than me," Li Linxi glanced at her delicate, fair face. She looked quite young.

"Even if I'm ten years younger than you, I'm still your elder," Jiang Manzhu pointed out, using her status as leverage. "I'm your sister-in-law. Do you understand what it means to have an elder sister-in-law like a mother?"

"If you were ten years younger, you wouldn't be my elder. You might still be crying in your elder's arms," Li Linxi chuckled, not even considering how young she really was.

Jiang Manzhu fell silent for half a second before, still somewhat indignant, she began to argue back with Li Linxi, "Who knows, I could be a child bride?"

"Oh, then your status wouldn't be that high." Li Linxi looked at her with a teasing smile. "If you were a child bride, you'd have to listen to me now."

Jiang Manzhu's eyes widened. "Are you saying that you're listening to me now? When have you ever listened to what I say? Does that mean I'll be in charge of the family in the future?"

Immediately spotting a loophole in Li Linxi's words, Jiang Manzhu's eyes sparkled with excitement. "Oh my, does that mean you'll listen to me in the future? You'll listen to me?"

I really have made progress; the main male character said he would follow my orders in the future…

At this moment, images of Li Linxi becoming her little brother flashed through Jiang Manzhu's mind, a beautifully imagined scenario, but she quickly recovered, knowing that it was unrealistic.

"When has the family ever not been run by you? You can cook whatever you want; the grain management is all in your hands."

"Then you can do it too! I'll listen to you in the future; you can decide when to sweep the floor, when to fetch water, and when to cook…"

Jiang Manzhu immediately granted him full authority. "You can sweep the floor standing, sitting, or squatting. Any position is fine; look, such great power, I don't mind."

As she spoke, Jiang Manzhu smiled sweetly.

"The majority of the household chores are done by me." Li Linxi said lightly, instantly stifling Jiang Manzhu's charming smile, freezing the joy on her face.

"You're right, Linxi; what you said is correct." Jiang Manzhu nodded repeatedly, her expression serious. Then she hurriedly dashed into the kitchen to wash her hands and eat.

Seeing Jiang Manzhu being taken down by a single sentence from him, it was clear that he had considerable influence. Tsk, a woman who is lazy and carefree, isn't she easily controlled?

"Xiaobei, stop doing your homework and come eat. Go wash your hands with your sister-in-law." Xiaobei, while playing with a grasshopper, was also doing homework without worrying about the grasshopper possibly getting it dirty.

Li Linxi didn't judge; children, after all, can be easily distracted, just like the students in his class.

"Also, throw that grasshopper outside. Don't let it in the house; your sister-in-law doesn't like those bugs." Li Linxi remembered that Jiang Manzhu hated bugs the most. Young children don't know how to be careful, especially boys, who are more mischievous and like to play with such little things.

Of course, Li Linxi perhaps knew that it was because the child had no other toys to play with, unlike the children in the city…

Thinking this, he lowered his gaze to hide the thick ambitions swirling in his eyes. He wasn't willing to live such a mundane life forever.

Upon hearing that his sister-in-law didn't like bugs, Xiaobei hesitated for two seconds before finally throwing the grasshopper out.

When Jiang Manzhu saw Xiaobei coming over to wash his hands, especially knowing he had just played with a grasshopper, she took out a tree bud with soap-like properties to wash him thoroughly, saying, "So dirty! If you eat with those hands, it's no wonder you'll get worms in your stomach."

Speaking of this issue, Jiang Manzhu remembered there was a kind of deworming medicine from her childhood, specifically for roundworms. What was it called… oh, Baota candy.

She immediately asked Li Linxi whether they should buy some Baota candy for Xiaobei since he used to love drinking unboiled water. (Baota candy was invented in 1950.)

Li Linxi didn't really consider this problem, as life had become much more particular since Jiang Manzhu arrived in the house.

For example, when drinking water… before, they would just drink well water, but now they had to boil it before drinking. Even when cooling off, it was a bit warm.

Xiaobei loved drinking it; it wasn't just plain boiled water sometimes, but also with some mulberries added, sweet and sour, how could a child not love it?

"Just pay more attention next time. Look at Xiaobei; he's not as strong as Er Shunzi next door. Our family's food is not bad either," Jiang Manzhu reminded him before handing him over to Li Linxi.

This was his brother, after all. If Li Linxi didn't care, then no one else would.

In the following days, Jiang Manzhu didn't know whether Li Linxi took good care of his brother. She only knew that Tang Shengyan hadn't come to find her, and there were no other troubles from the village.

As the time for the elementary school entrance exams approached, Li Linxi had been busier. Principal Zeng Jianbai often called the fifth-grade language and math teachers for discussions.

He required the fourth-grade teachers to speed up the students' learning progress and grades, stating that the entrance exams were not just the responsibility of the fifth grade but should start from a young age. Only by getting into junior high could they eventually work in the city…

He went on for a long time; in short, he asked the teachers to pay more attention and not to disturb the fifth-grade students.

This was the first year of the principal's reforms, emphasizing the recruitment of educated youth. He also hoped for good results; otherwise, how would he maintain face among the various primary schools in the commune?

Tang Shengyan might have known this, or perhaps he was still a bit hurt from being turned down previously. It could also be that the village was busy, so he hadn't thought of looking for Jiang Manzhu lately.

Soon, the entrance exams approached, followed closely by the students' final exams.

The results of the entrance exam hadn't come out yet; they had to wait for the other primary schools under the commune to announce them together, but the results for the final exams of other grades were released first.

Principal Zeng looked at the class grades of the other two educated youth teachers, and he had to say that while these educated youth were not that great at work, they did have some skills in teaching.

He was pondering whether to recruit a couple more educated youth teachers, but that quota…

Forget it, let's wait and see how the entrance exams go; he didn't know if any students could get into junior high.

How well the students performed was only of concern to the parents. If they did well, they could show off in front of everyone.

After the results of the entrance exams were released, Principal Zeng was the first to break into a smile, so excited he could hardly contain himself.

Ah, the children from their school were really something! Back then, their grades were this good, and now they're teachers, with equally excellent abilities.

Two students got into junior high! That's wonderful!

The other two or three students had good math grades but were lacking in language…

This left the principal somewhat disappointed. If there were no comparisons, there wouldn't be any sense of loss. Shouldn't they consider changing the language teacher for the fifth grade next semester?

However, this good news had to be announced; it had been years since they finally had students who managed to get into junior high!

The two students who got into junior high and their parents were overjoyed; it was fantastic! Their child got into junior high, and with some effort, who knows, they might even work in the city in the future.

So, they brought two bags of peanuts to find Teacher Li, thanking him for his dedicated teaching.

Li Linxi seemed quite adaptable to such situations. After all, if he couldn't handle the parents of his students, how could he compete in the marketplace with those old foxes?

Jiang Manzhu didn't care how Li Linxi handled it; she was busy transplanting flowers with Xiaobei to the back room.

"I wonder if there will be honey by the end of this year." Jiang Manzhu looked at the two wooden boxes hanging on the wall of the back room, inside which were two hives of bees. They should… produce some honey, right?

She had worked hard for a year. It was said that honey should be harvested in winter for the best quality.

"At that time, we can drink sweet water every day." Xiaobei also looked forward to it. He knew that red sugar had to be bought, which costs money, but honey wouldn't cost anything.

"Xiaobei is right." Jiang Manzhu smiled and nodded. "But remember, you can't drink water that hasn't been boiled. Xiaobei should remember this; otherwise, it's easy to get sick."

In the evening, Captain Su personally came to check in on the two teachers regarding the children's grades in their brigade.

He also mentioned this year's summer harvest; since you'll be taking nearly two months off along with the students, you should come to help with the summer harvest.

Jiang Manzhu was somewhat reluctant; it was summer vacation, the hottest time of the year, and they had enough to eat and drink.

"The work points during the rush harvest are the highest. Even though you teachers have salaries, someone has to sell the grain; you can earn work points to exchange for food, why buy it? The bought food is so expensive!"

Captain Su spoke earnestly. Liu Jumei was gone, and the few remaining children didn't understand much; they couldn't endure hardship.

Moreover, the people in the village had some opinions about him now. He had to make a good showing during this summer harvest.

He was the captain; without his leadership, they wouldn't even be able to do a good job in the rush harvest.

After the harvest, they also had to sow the crops for the second half of the year. Otherwise, when winter comes, the harvest would be ruined by the frost.

"Everyone has to go. If you don't work in the fields, and others don't either, how can you deliver grain to the country?" Captain Su seemed to have seen through Jiang Manzhu's resistance and spoke directly.

He even tied this to the national grain supply, as if any delay on their part would mean the state treasury wouldn't receive grain and the city residents would starve to death.

Listening to Captain Su's words, Jiang Manzhu felt as if she was being morally blackmailed.

Why should the farmers do the work? Don't the city folks have to work in the fields too? Don't they need to face the dirt and toil under the sun?

Jiang Manzhu remained silent, her eyes containing autumn water as she glanced at Li Linxi, silently urging him to have a good talk with the captain. With so many people, wasn't it enough?

"Captain, Jiang Zhiqing isn't very familiar with farming work. She might even get in the way." Li Linxi, enchanted by those sparkling eyes, raised his head and spoke to the captain.

Captain Su glanced at Jiang Zhiqing, noting her delicate and tender appearance, which made her look like a weak little chick unable to do any work, with no strength at all.

If she were to go to the fields, she would probably need someone beside her to guide and take care of her, and she might even cause trouble for others, which would delay the harvest process.

"Linxi, you were once able to earn full work points, and even though you're a teacher now, you can't forget your roots," Captain Su said, not expecting Jiang Manzhu to be of much help. The only reason she managed to earn those two work points by cutting pigweed was that young Bei had helped her.

"Now, you're the only one in your family who can work. If you don't hustle a bit, how will you support the whole family?" Captain Su wasn't sure how things were run in the Li family and didn't ask much.

"Don't worry, Captain. I'll definitely go help out during the harvest," Li Linxi knew that Captain Su wouldn't leave without a decision today.

Also…

Recently, inspections in the city had tightened for some reason, and although the family's food was decent, without any work points, there would be no meat to distribute at the end of the year, making it hard to cover up.

"Good, good, good! What about Xiao Bei? He's not small anymore and could help with harvesting peanuts and such…" Captain Su was pleased and started mentioning Xiao Bei.

Although Xiao Bei was still a bit immature, he was a fifteen or sixteen-year-old boy and had plenty of strength.

"Captain, Xiao Bei is still young," Li Linxi frowned slightly at Captain Su's suggestion, refusing to agree.

"Linxi, Xiao Bei is getting older. You can't keep protecting him forever, can you? If he can go to the fields to earn work points, it means he has grown up enough to marry one day. Are you planning to support him for a lifetime?"

Captain Su didn't quite understand Li Linxi's mentality; he couldn't fathom why one would keep a younger brother sheltered forever. Once you get married, will your future wife and children be okay with that?

"What's wrong with me supporting him for life? Is that a problem?" Li Linxi retorted coldly, not seeing any issue with his thoughts.

"You brat! I didn't say it was wrong; it's just that children need to grow up. Eagles need to soar, not be kept in the nest forever. Are you willing to support him forever? You're a few years older than Xiao Bei; don't you think so?"

"If Xiao Bei can be self-sufficient, he can get married and have a family. It's for the best!" Captain Su spoke earnestly, emphasizing the importance of harvesting and sending in the grains promptly to ensure a good report above.

Hearing Captain Su's words made Li Linxi frown. Was he unwilling to support Xiao Bei? Then he wouldn't need to find someone. However, Captain Su's later comments made Li Linxi hesitate for a moment. If he were to leave first, what would happen to Xiao Bei being left alone?

Then he should find someone willing to take care of Xiao Bei. It was essential to teach and care for him properly, and finding a good match for him… that seemed feasible too.

In Li Linxi's current perspective, Xiao Bei was indeed the most important, a burden that was hard to let go of—not a burden, but a sweet responsibility.

As for Jiang Manzhu? She was capable enough to manage herself; there was no need to worry about her. She could live well, whether in the city or the countryside.

"We'll see when the time comes," Li Linxi did not agree immediately but responded casually.

"That's settled then. After all, it's your family matter; I won't pry too much," Captain Su said, finishing his conversation and preparing to leave. After all, he still had to visit other families with idle people. During harvest time, they needed to work hard.

Once Captain Su left, Jiang Manzhu turned to Li Linxi and asked, "Are you really going to the fields? Oh, right, you're going to harvest the crops, and you want to take Xiao Bei too? In this hot weather, can he handle it?"

Jiang Manzhu hadn't interjected earlier because she wanted to wait until Captain Su left to discuss it.

Even though they talked about gender equality nowadays, the older generation still thought men should speak while women should not interrupt.

It was enough for Li Linxi to refuse in front of outsiders; within the Li family, he was still in charge. If anything went wrong, they could just approach Li Linxi.

After all, as the male lead, he had a certain charm; even if he was confronted, he would remain unscathed. Just like Su Qianqian's mother, Huang Yeying, had come to find trouble several times before leaving in defeat.

They never actually fought; it was just arguments… Maybe the male lead's charm made them lose their wits?

Jiang Manzhu pondered as she gazed at the top of Li Linxi's head. She had heard that those who opposed the "Dragon Ao Tian" never ended well. Even the most powerful antagonists would end up losing their wits.

Haha, what if Li Linxi had this kind of charm too?

Jiang Manzhu reflected on whether she had ever lost her wits, realizing that she was indeed a smart and wise person, and the charm couldn't possibly affect her.

Noticing that Jiang Manzhu paused mid-sentence, Li Linxi looked over and saw her smiling sweetly at him, a smile that was both charming and somewhat mischievous…

Her beautiful face appeared softer under the candlelight, and for a moment, Li Linxi's gaze flickered slightly before he lowered it to conceal his emotions.

"By the way, Linxi, I need to clarify that I won't be going to work in the fields," Jiang Manzhu, having indulged in self-praise for just a few seconds, soon wanted to talk more about the situation with Li Linxi.

She was tired and didn't want to try again.

"Um, I didn't say I wanted you to go," Li Linxi had genuinely meant what he said in front of Captain Su. Whether Jiang Manzhu suggested it or not, it was all the same.

"I'll be responsible for house chores, cooking, cleaning, and feeding the chickens; there's plenty to do," Jiang Manzhu needed to ensure that Li Linxi didn't think she was just at home slacking off. She had her contributions.

Don't think that the contributions of a housewife are not contributions!

"I understand." Li Linxi actually wanted to say that doing housework wasn't too tiring… but if he said that, he worried Jiang Manzhu might just drop everything and leave all the chores to him.

This woman was quite capable of doing so.

"You haven't answered me yet. I asked you if you're taking Xiao Bei to work with you," Jiang Manzhu knew that Li Linxi was busy with 'work' outside and wasn't lacking in work points.

The key was that if Xiao Bei stayed at home, he could help with the chores too.

Hehe.

"I don't have that plan. Xiao Bei is still young, and it's too hot outside. What if he gets heatstroke?" How could Li Linxi bear to let Xiao Bei, whom their mother had told him to take care of, go out in this weather?

"You're right; it's better for him to stay home. I'm just worried Xiao Bei might go play with his friends and end up running to the river or lake. You know how boys can be—they're mischievous."

Jiang Manzhu agreed with his words and hinted that he should keep an eye on his younger brother's life in the next couple of months to prevent any accidents.

"You can have Xiao Bei help you with the chores at home. Although he's still young, he needs to learn to clean and cook too." Li Linxi was also concerned that Xiao Bei might get too playful with his wild friends and felt Jiang Manzhu should be the one to keep him in check.

"Thank you for that." In the end, Li Linxi added a polite remark.

"Of course, he's my brother. I will take good care of him. Don't worry; you just focus on your work," Jiang Manzhu assured, reminding him that they needed to earn enough work points to get their share of meat at the end of the year.

Suddenly, Li Linxi recalled Captain Su's earlier remark: "You're willing to support Xiao Bei; will your future wife and children be okay with that? After all, you're a few years older than Xiao Bei; don't you think so?"

In the next moment, realizing what he was thinking, Li Linxi's expression turned grim, and a chill surrounded him.

Before Jiang Manzhu could ask, Li Linxi got up and left, his back appearing somewhat flustered.

Jiang Manzhu didn't understand why he left so hurriedly, her sparkling eyes filled with confusion. Did he… see through her intention to encourage him to work hard for those work points to secure meat for them at the end of the year?

Wasn't this a form of deception? She was just motivating him to work well; she didn't mean to upset him. Did Li Linxi get angry?

Jiang Manzhu thought about it. If someone else wanted to persuade her to work while they slacked off, she would also be upset.

As she considered this, she realized that if she were in his position, she might feel the same way.

She shouted at Li Linxi's retreating figure, "Linxi, don't worry about a thing. I'll take good care of Xiao Bei and handle everything at home."

Huh? Why do I feel like this sounds a bit strange?

Jiang Manzhu didn't think much deeper; she just needed to express that she wasn't slacking off. This family wouldn't function without her.

However, after she said this, Li Linxi walked away even faster.

Oh, he's so petty, getting angry so easily. But… she wouldn't change!

...

This summer vacation was Jiang Manzhu's first in this era. She learned what it meant to rush to harvest and sow; she woke up early in the morning before dawn and returned home only when it was dark.

It truly matched that saying: "Work at dawn and rest at dusk." No, it was even more extreme; she got up when it was barely light, and by the time the sun set, it was still not completely dark!

Just looking at it felt exhausting. In her memories, the original owner had also gone through this farming process, but since it wasn't her own experience, the impressions couldn't be that deep.

"Xiao Bei, your third brother is working hard, so you have to be good and listen, okay?" Jiang Manzhu patted Xiao Bei's head, telling him not to mess around and to help with the work.

"Mm." Xiao Bei also knew his third brother was working hard. His friends invited him to play games, but he didn't go, "I will help, for third brother, to… reduce, reduce…"

No matter how Xiao Bei tried to think, he couldn't find the right word to describe it, but he understood he needed to be diligent and help.

"Reduce the burden, so your third brother doesn't have to worry. Our Xiao Bei is really a super cute good baby." When Jiang Manzhu said this, Li Linxi was right beside them.

His gaze involuntarily glanced at Xiao Bei, who was around fifteen or sixteen years old. For some reason, the term "good baby" left Li Linxi a bit speechless.

Is it appropriate?

Xiao Bei felt it was particularly appropriate and excitedly raised both fists, "Xiao Bei has finished! I'm going to wash the dishes."

"Third brother, you should go rest; just leave it to Xiao Bei." Xiao Bei didn't have the preconceived notion that "sisters-in-law must do housework" because previously, all these chores were done by his third brother.

Jiang Manzhu helped clean up, watching Xiao Bei's big, diligent movements, and she didn't try to do it herself. Instead, she exaggeratedly praised, "Xiao Bei is amazing! You've learned to wash dishes now, even better than your third brother. Look, they're so shiny and clean, incredible!"

Don't let the man take on all the work just because he doesn't know how to do it; that will only spoil him, and he'll never want to help again in the future.

Even though Xiao Bei wasn't considered a man yet, he was still a boy, and it was important to cultivate a new sense of responsibility starting from her. Who knows, he might be able to marry a wife in the future?

Xiao Bei didn't feel oppressed. Instead, his eyes lit up, and his face was filled with smiles, "Really? I'm better than third brother?"

"Yes, in terms of washing dishes, you're indeed better than your third brother. Keep it up! You're so much younger than him; when you grow up to his age, you'll definitely be great in other areas too."

Jiang Manzhu painted a big, delicious picture for Xiao Bei. It was so enticing that he felt stuffed, and after washing the dishes, he even insisted on sweeping the floor.

"Look, I swept the floor so clean!"

Li Linxi sat in a chair in the hall, raising his eyelids slightly and watching Jiang Manzhu without saying a word.

Jiang Manzhu hadn't noticed at first, but feeling a gaze fixed on her, she turned her head and saw Li Linxi staring at her, his expression inscrutable…

"You really know how to coax Xiao Bei." Li Linxi raised an eyebrow, seemingly teasing yet also somewhat critical.

At first, Jiang Manzhu thought Li Linxi was angry, but after thinking about it, he was actually indulging her; otherwise, he would have stopped her when she first opened her mouth.

"I'm just cultivating Xiao Bei's hands-on abilities. Isn't it good? If anything happens, he'll be able to live well on his own." Jiang Manzhu lifted her chin, feeling justified.

She didn't consider what their family situation was like. What if she died? She couldn't let Xiao Bei starve or beg on the streets, could she?

Although Jiang Manzhu didn't explicitly say this, the underlying implication was something Li Linxi could guess.

"You do have an excuse." Li Linxi chuckled lightly, not saying more. After all, he knew what the situation was.

However, the fact that Xiao Bei was so easily deceived truly worried Li Linxi. What if one day he was lured away with candy?

"How can we correct Xiao Bei's tendency to be easily deceived?" In terms of educating children, Li Linxi was open to suggestions.

He had underestimated Jiang Manzhu before. After seeing how she brought out Xiao Bei's liveliness and improved the students' grades significantly, he knew Jiang Manzhu might not be smart, but she had a way with children.

"Don't be too harsh on kids. If they see more good things, they won't be fooled by small favors…" After saying this, Jiang Manzhu suddenly remembered the rich girls who had been deceived by men. She stopped her words.

Weren't those rich girls raised well enough? Why were they deceived by men's sweet talk?

First, they were too naive. Secondly, the other party climbed from the bottom and had enough schemes. Xiao Bei was naive, and the traffickers had various tricks…

"We need to educate Xiao Bei well and teach him to be cautious around strangers." Jiang Manzhu felt a bit of a headache. Wait, I don't even have kids; why am I discussing how to raise children?

Looking at the pure and lovely Xiao Bei, Jiang Manzhu sighed helplessly. "I don't think traffickers would abduct children nearing adulthood, right? They don't buy men when looking for wives in the mountains…"

"There are plenty of beggars on the streets missing arms and legs; they might have been abducted by others." Li Linxi saw that she didn't take it seriously and emphasized his reminder.

"I got it. I'll educate Xiao Bei well." Jiang Manzhu thought for a moment. Oh right, how did I overlook this point? "It's a pity those traffickers are cunning…"

Now there were no surveillance cameras, and identification could possibly be fake. Once people were abducted or deceived, they could just run away, and it would be hard to trace them.

Even in the later generations, despite having surveillance, many people went missing every year, and there was no way to investigate.

After discussing how to educate children about safety, Jiang Manzhu actually wanted to say: raising children isn't just one person's job, but a joint effort.

But after thinking it over, she felt it was inappropriate and had to rephrase, "Xiao Bei isn't just my little brother; he's your little brother too. You need to pay more attention and take responsibility for his education. Don't blame me if anything goes wrong."

Jiang Manzhu had seen too many couples blame each other for their children's shortcomings; she wasn't going to take on the whole responsibility for education. If you, as the older brother, didn't care, then she wouldn't bother with it.

"I know; I won't blame you…" Before Li Linxi could finish, Jiang Manzhu shot him an angry glare.

"What do you mean you won't blame me? This isn't just my responsibility; aren't you his brother? His education isn't my sole responsibility; you should teach him well."

Jiang Manzhu didn't like the sound of that. How could you blame me? I'm not his parents; isn't this my first time doing this?

He's your little brother; what does that have to do with me!

Jiang Manzhu's face turned red with anger as she said this and turned to leave. She had put in so much effort, but to no avail; she, Jiang Manzhu, wouldn't be bothered.

Watching Jiang Manzhu leave angrily, Li Linxi subconsciously grabbed her. He really didn't know why Jiang Manzhu was upset.

As he held her wrist, he recalled his earlier words: "I won't blame you" → "What do you mean you won't blame me? This isn't just my responsibility; aren't you his brother? His education isn't my sole responsibility; you should teach him well…"

So, she was angry about that?

Li Linxi didn't understand. What was wrong with what he said? He never claimed he would blame her. After all, he was the one who let her take charge, so any blame would naturally fall on him, right?

His mind turned quickly. Was it that he spoke too harshly, and his tone seemed accusatory, making Jiang Manzhu angry?

"Of course, I have no right to blame you. It's my issue. Xiao Bei should be taught by me, but I've let you help. If anything goes wrong, it's my fault."

Li Linxi explained gently, "I was too eager in my tone; don't be angry."

Xiao Bei listened as his third brother and sister-in-law quarreled, and since it was about him, he stopped sweeping, looking at the two of them in confusion.

Hearing Li Linxi's apology, Jiang Manzhu let out a delicate hum and realized her temper seemed a bit volatile. Could it be because her period was coming??

Out of the corner of her eye, she inadvertently noticed Xiao Bei holding the broom, looking helplessly at them. She recalled a video she had seen somewhere: even if you argue, don't do it in front of the children.

"Let go; you scared Xiao Bei." Jiang Manzhu was puzzled as to why the male lead suddenly pulled her to apologize. Perhaps… he was worried she might truly neglect Xiao Bei??

In truth, Li Linxi also didn't know. He just noticed Jiang Manzhu's expression suddenly turned cold, which was completely different from her usual cheerful demeanor.

For a moment, he felt Jiang Manzhu seemed far away from him.

But the nature of their relationship should be distant and polite; why was he concerned about this?

He didn't delve deeper or want to, so he acted accordingly.

Listening to Jiang Manzhu, he turned his gaze to the confused Xiao Bei and let go of her hand, reassuring Xiao Bei, "We weren't arguing; we were just discussing a problem. We just raised our voices a bit."

Xiao Bei looked at Li Linxi with wide, round eyes, filled with confusion. Really? Don't think I'm easy to fool just because I'm young.

Li Linxi also realized that his earlier quarrel with Jiang Manzhu might leave a psychological shadow on the child. His temper softened, but he overlooked that it was only Jiang Manzhu who had been arguing; he had just said one sentence.

And besides, he had apologized afterward.

He was truly defeated by these two… one big and one small.

This issue, seemingly simple, was passed over, and neither Jiang Manzhu nor Li Linxi mentioned it again, as if nothing had happened during the noon argument.

Li Linxi was genuinely busy and tired; earning work points wasn't that easy. Jiang Manzhu had no choice but to cook more meat for him to replenish his strength.

People need fuel to work; how can they do farm work without food?

If there was no meat, they could eat eggs. The pillar of their family couldn't be shortchanged in this regard.

Seeing that Jiang Manzhu and Xiao Bei weren't eating, saving meat and eggs for him, Li Linxi felt deeply touched, but more so, guilty.

If he tried a bit harder, they wouldn't need to save eggs and meat for him; instead, they could all eat together.

He immediately divided the meat and eggs into three portions and asked Jiang Manzhu to cook three servings in the future, saying they didn't need to save, and they could buy more when they finished.

Hearing Li Linxi's arrangement, Jiang Manzhu didn't doubt whether he could fulfill his promise of 'buying more after eating.' "Alright, tonight we'll stir-fry some fatty meat!!"

Xiao Bei had no objections; he was happy as long as there was food.

However, due to this, the saved cured meat and eggs were all used up during this rush to harvest and sow.

Jiang Manzhu could only make him more sour plum soup to cool off. Since Xiao Bei was idle, he could deliver water to Li Linxi around ten o'clock. By then, the water in the kettle, basked in the sun, had already turned warm.

Fortunately, she found nitre… oh, no, it was Li Linxi who found it; the ice made from it couldn't be eaten directly but could still be used.

Jiang Manzhu's leisurely attitude made many new brides and educated youths in the village quite envious.

Why could she avoid going out to work?

The new brides thought Jiang Manzhu was just a widow without a husband. Since she didn't work hard, it was fine, but her brother-in-law indulged her; what a vixen.

The educated youths were somewhat envious yet also dismissive. Even if she didn't have to go out to farm, so what? She was still married into the village and had become part of it.

No matter how carefree she seemed now, just wait until two years of hardship passed; she would surely end up in a sorry state!

Pregnant Su Qianqian had long stopped paying attention to Jiang Manzhu. Now, suddenly hearing this news, her expression changed slightly.

Giving up on Li Linxi didn't mean she would stop stirring up trouble for Jiang Manzhu. Besides, she had already become somewhat neurotic after being delayed.

She had a kind of obsessive mindset: 'If I can't have it, then you can't either.' Thinking about Li Linxi's future achievements, becoming a rich tycoon…

Tsk, in this era, what rich tycoon? They were all big capitalists, and they would be dragged to be fed bullets for reform!

Reform through labor??

Touching her belly, she revealed a cold smile. She should go back and make some 'tonic' soup for Luo Liang. Without good health, how would she escape in the future…

Jiang Manzhu sneezed and looked up at the sun above her head. In such hot weather, it didn't make sense for her to catch a cold; she had no fan or air conditioning.

Someone must be cursing her behind her back; they were either jealous of her beauty or her intelligence!!

As the rush to harvest and sow came to an end, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. That day, Li Linxi was still working in the fields when he heard someone shout loudly at him:

"Li family kid, something happened at your home; people from the red armbands are here; they've gone to your house."