The matter finally came to an end, and Mrs. Hong’s family still wanted to freeload meals at the Mo Family, but Mo Yan quickly sent them packing with just a few words.
Seeing no advantage to be gained, Mrs. Niu wished Mo Yan would pay for a donkey cart with a canopy for her family. In the end, it was only after Old Man Mo scolded them, fearing that he would anger Mo Yan, that they finally gave it up.
"Yanyan, your aunt has caused you trouble. I, I shouldn’t have brought them over!"
Mo Wu stood behind with her child, her eyes red as she apologized to Mo Yan.
Mo Yan shook her head, stroking Shitou’s head. How could this be blamed on Mo Wu? Even if it weren’t for her, Old Man Mo and the others would find plenty of ways to show up at the door.
Thinking of Mo Wu’s soft nature, she couldn’t help but say, "Aunt, a mother needs to be strong. You should also stand up for yourself. Otherwise, why would your second aunt dare to snatch San Ni and Shitou’s cotton-padded clothes? Don’t you feel heartbroken seeing your children bullied?"
These words were like a sharp spike, piercing straight into Mo Wu’s heart and causing an intense pain that brought on a stream of tears.
Seeing this, Mo Yan silently sighed and refrained from saying anything more.
Once Old Man Mo’s family had left, Mo Yan instructed Lin Da and the others about the details of selling vegetables the next day. After distributing their wages, she sent them home, leaving only the Mo Family and Liyan in the quiet house.
Seeing the mess and filth in the house and on the table, Mo Yan, too tired to move, had the Xing Er siblings clean up. Liyan, who had been hiding in the room, also came out to help with the tidying up.
The two rooms had been rummaged through as well, but thankfully, apart from the newly made clothes and cotton quilts, all the valuable items had been stored away by Mo Yan in "Space". Still, those new clothes, thick quilts, and the pork and chicken in the kitchen were enough to fill Mrs. Hong and the others with envy. If this had happened in the past, they surely would have found an excuse to snatch them away.
Mo Yan went back to her room to tidy up. After folding the clothes, she caught a glimpse of Zhenzhen holding a rag at the door, looking troubled as he stared at her. She couldn’t help but chuckle, beckoning him over with a finger.
Zhenzhen pouted and walked over unhappily, his chubby face scrunched up like a bun. Mo Yan pulled him onto the bed and couldn’t resist pinching his soft cheeks, squeezing them a few more times, which only annoyed Zhenzhen to the point of glaring at her.
"Are you still upset about what happened earlier?"
Facing the accusing gaze of her little brother, Mo Yan finally showed some mercy by withdrawing her hand and coughed awkwardly, deciding to change the subject decisively.
Zhenzhen glared at her resentfully and muttered in dissatisfaction, "If you know, why ask?"
That kid has quite the temper!
Mo Yan gave his fluffy head another rub, stopping before he could get ruffled: "Think about it, what do you think your second grandma would have done today if I hadn’t agreed?"
Hearing this, Zhenzhen seriously pondered, tilting his head as he considered the possibilities. Finally, he looked down, disheartened, and said, "Second Grandma would definitely start throwing a fit and refuse to leave, and Second Aunt would yell and throw tantrums on the ground!"
The corner of Mo Yan’s mouth twisted. Weren’t those the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law’s signature antics – making a scene and being unreasonable?
"And if they threw tantrums and I still didn’t agree, then what?"
This time, Zhenzhen took a bit longer to think, going through all the possible outcomes in his mind. Clenching his fists in anger, he eventually said, "They would make a huge fuss, grabbing onto the fact they once raised father and took care of us, calling us unfilial, tarnishing our reputation everywhere, and... and they would curse us as ’bastards with no upbringing’!"
Upon saying "bastards with no upbringing", Zhenzhen suddenly had tears welling up in his eyes, as he also vaguely understood why his sister had acted the way she did.
"You’re right, Zhenzhen. If we didn’t agree, Second Grandma and the rest would have made a real commotion."