Yang Ruxin then waved at Sini and Zhou Ying, "Now you two will be responsible for washing Lanlan’s hands and face, then put on some Xiangxiang. Can you do that?"
"Yes." Sini and Zhou Ying said in unison, "We guarantee to take good care of our little sister." Then, each holding one of Erya’s hands, they went to the yard.
Yang Ruxin smiled, her own siblings were indeed more comforting to be around.
Xun Hui looked at Yang Ruxin as if she had something to say but stopped herself, twisting the fabric of her clothes with both hands, looking more uncomfortable than if she were constipated.
Yang Ruxin sighed, "Mother, if you’re thinking of asking me to take in Fourth Aunt and her two daughters, don’t even start. It’s easy to invite trouble but hard to send it away. I don’t want anything to do with the people from the Yang Family old house. It took me so much effort to break away from them, and I won’t trouble myself by inviting it back..."
"But, they really are pitiable..."
Yang Ruxin shifted her gaze from Xun Hui to Erni’s face, "Do you think the same?"
Erni looked down and fiddled with her fingers.
"If they had offered us even a little bit of help when we were beaten by Old Lady Yang, or when we starved, I wouldn’t have refused. But they didn’t, not even when she had been sleeping in the same room with Yang Baifu for so many years. I don’t believe she didn’t know about the holes he drilled in the walls... By staying silent, and not expressing much even after the incident was exposed, it shows she had grown accustomed to it. That’s conniving with Yang Baifu’s crimes. Such a person, she’s lucky I haven’t dealt with her already."
Xun Hui’s face turned pale.
"Exactly, last time Eldest Sister jumped into the river to save Fourth Aunt, but Fourth Aunt didn’t even show any gratitude, she didn’t even come to thank Eldest Sister..." Sanni pouted, "Why should they come to bask in our success now, just because they see we’re doing well? Especially Daya, so cunning at such a young age..."
"They are still young..." Erni sighed.
"Having saved them once, why not..." Xun Hui hesitated before speaking, "I just think, you’re willing to take care of Brother Dabao and Sister Xiaobao, who are unrelated to us, why can’t you look after your own cousins?"
Yang Ruxin scoffed coldly, too lazy to continue the conversation, and walked away; cooking was more agreeable to her.
"Mother, what is wrong with you?" As soon as Yang Ruxin left, Sanni stamped her foot in frustration, "Haven’t you suffered enough in the past? Or do you think Sister’s silver is easy to come by? Brother Dabao and Sister Xiaobao are a different matter from Fourth Aunt." Turning to Erni, she continued, "Second Sister, have you forgotten how we got by when Mother was unconscious?"
"I haven’t forgotten, it’s just..." Erni’s face turned red with effort, "Never mind, I was wrong."
"Since Sister is the head of this household, from now on, we should just follow what she says. If Sister says we can do it, we do it. If Sister says we can’t, we don’t. Stop being foolishly kind-hearted all the time. If you end up chilling Sister’s heart, you can go back to being slaves for the Yang Family..." After saying that, she turned and ran off; she too had realized sometimes it was too exhausting to talk to Mother and Second Sister.
Only Xun Hui and Erni were left in the house, staring at each other. Finally, mother and daughter simultaneously sighed, both reaching the same understanding without speaking. Sanni made a lot of sense; compared to others, Sister was much more important.
In the kitchen.
Upon entering, Yang Ruxin walked over and crouched down to hug Gu Qingheng’s waist, "Gu Qingheng, sometimes I feel it’s really exhausting being a human."