Xu Erya lay in the room, listening to the words Anning said, nearly losing her mind with anger. She had always known from her reading that this great-aunt was no good, and now having experienced it firsthand and heard those words with her own ears, Xu Erya felt even more that this great-aunt was truly malicious. She could feel even more how difficult it was for the second branch of the Xu Family to live in this household. Xu Erya thought to speak up for Mrs. Feng, but her whole body was weak, and her head hurt unbearably at the slightest movement, making it impossible for her to get up. All she could do was clench her fists, silently curse Anning in her heart, and resolve that once she got better, she would definitely find a way for the second branch to separate from the family. Then, she would lead them to prosperity and slap the face of Old Madam Xu and the first branch hard. "Mother, stop hitting her." Xu Zhiyong still felt sorry for his wife. Seeing the Old Madam beat Mrs. Feng too harshly, he hurried over to break it up. At the same time, he said to Anning: "Elder sister-in-law, we’re not wickedly scheming after your money; we’re genuinely out of options. Moreover, we’re not asking for money, just borrowing from you, and we will pay it back." Anning let out a string of cold laughs: "You make it sound nicer than singing. Who knows what you really think? Xu Laoer, you have more relatives than just me; why come to borrow from me? It’s because seeing our head of the family gone, our household all women and children, you think we’re easy to oppress. Why don’t you go borrow from someone else? In Xiao Guan Village, Xu Laoer, you have plenty of friends and relatives. Also, why doesn’t Mrs. Feng go borrow money from her own family? Isn’t that her own mother and father? Would they really watch Erya die of illness without money for treatment?" After speaking, Anning gave a few cold glares, turned on her heel into the house, and slammed the door shut with a bang. Once inside, she saw that Brother Ying and Lan had already woken up. Anning’s face was truly mean when she confronted Xu Zhiyong outside earlier. But now back in the room facing her children, she was as affectionate and gentle as could be. She quickly walked to the bedside, picked up the clothes warmed under her blanket, and dressed the two children, quietly explaining, "It’s not that your mother doesn’t want to save your second sister. It’s just that your second uncle’s family has taken us for soft persimmons. Think about it, I’m just the sister-in-law, but your third uncle and second uncle are brothers from the same mother. Why don’t they go borrow money from your third uncle? It’s just because they know whom they can’t afford to provoke." Originally, Lan thought her mother was a bit excessive. But after Anning explained it like that, Lan thought about it a bit and felt Anning had a point. Indeed, the Xu family was not just the two brothers. In this very courtyard lived her third uncle and his family. The third uncle was also a shrewd character who probably didn’t lack in siphoning money. So why didn’t the second uncle borrow from the third uncle? Instead, they chose to knock on the door of a widow—obviously thinking that their own family was the weakest and most reluctant to lose face. If they were pushed hard enough, they might be able to get the money out. Brother Ying thought even more. Like his deceased brother Xu Zhiwen, Brother Ying had a shrewd nature and would think deeper into matters. He wondered, if the second uncle borrowed money, what would they do if the third uncle found some excuse to borrow money after a while? To lend or not to lend? If they refused, the third aunt would definitely be angry, and would surely say that the first branch was willing to lend only to the second branch and not to the third, which would lead to a mess. But if they lent the money, their father had already passed away, and the house lacked a supporter; for many years to come, it would likely only be outgoing without any incoming, and no amount of money would be enough to lend. If they ran out of money, as the grandparents get older, they would certainly not supplement it. Both the second and third branches had their own schemes; how could they be willing to support the first branch? Brother Ying knew that Anning intended for him to study and even thought about him taking the Imperial Examination in the future. He also knew that required a lot of money. Without money, how could he have the chance to study? He would probably end up scraping a living from the soil his entire life, forever insignificant just like most people in the village. Thinking this, Brother Ying felt even more convinced that what Anning did was right. Anning watched as the two children seemed to understand and thus said nothing more. She was different from her original self. Her original self was outwardly strong, but did not want the children to see it. She had been overprotective of them, raising them a bit naive – initially, Lan even felt guilty for not lending money to the second branch of Xu Family and treated Xu Erya especially well, without any guard, and that was what allowed Xu Erya to betray her. However, Anning believed that despite their young age, children were capable of distinguishing right from wrong. She didn’t want to raise two naive and gullible children, so she would analyze and explain many situations to them, letting them know the difficulties of life and that everything she was doing as a mother was for their family and for their benefit. Only in this way could she become closer to her children and unify the family of three, making it easier to guard against Xu Erya. Anning dressed the two children, led them to wash their hands and faces, combed Lan’s hair, and then took the children to the main house to prepare for dinner. Meals at home had always been prepared by the third branch on rotation. Today, it was Mrs. Li’s turn to cook, and at this moment, she had already gotten everything ready and entered the kitchen. Anning, accompanied by Lan and Ying Ge’er, entered the main house and saw the old master and Old Madam sitting in chairs, deep in conversation about something. She instructed the children to greet the elders, and with a smile, she stood next to Old Madam: "Mother, you really shouldn’t be angry about the second sister-in-law’s affairs. The family has divided, and everyone should lead their own lives. If she has not been prudent, she cannot blame others. This hardship might teach her a lesson, so she won’t be so careless in the future." While speaking, Anning also rubbed Old Madam’s shoulders: "I know you’re upset, but children and grandchildren have their own fortunes. Now, the most important thing for you and father is to take care of your health and live longer. Didn’t you say you are waiting to see our Ying Ge’er pass the Imperial Examination and become an official? You have to eat and drink well and take extra care." "Grandma, when I become an official, I will take you to be the Old Sealed Lord, and I will buy maids to serve you and grandpa." ʀᴇᴀᴅ ʟᴀᴛᴇsᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀᴛ novelꞁire.net Ying Ge’er was also quick-witted, immediately running to Old Madam to act cute, spewing endless sweet nothings that made the two old folks beam with joy. Lan also chimed in: "Grandma, my brother and I will both honor you so that you and grandpa will always be happy and live a long life." With the children’s playful banter, Old Madam was truly no longer angry. "Oh, my dear grandchildren." Old Madam hugged Ying Ge’er with one arm and held Lan with the other, loving them dearly: "My dear grandchildren are the most filial. Unlike some people who wish nothing more than for us old folks to pass away sooner." "Mother, even if not for other reasons, for the sake of these two children, you and father need to take good care of yourselves." Anning massaged Old Madam’s shoulders, her eyes filling with tears: "If the two of you are well, we can be well. Otherwise, I..." Old Madam, touched by Anning’s words, truly felt a pang of heartache: "I know what you mean." Anning added: "Look at how tense your shoulders became from your anger just now, this isn’t good. I’ll rub them out for you, and from now on, you should move your shoulders more frequently." Old Madam felt warm at heart. She thought to herself, Xu Laoer and Third have only complained that she favored the eldest branch, but they never considered if their wives had ever been this attentive. When did Mrs. Feng and Mrs. Li not scheme for her private savings, as if they wished to divide all her money right away? Yet, the Eldest Son’s Wife genuinely showed filial piety and care for her as a mother-in-law, and both children were also good. She wasn’t oblivious to what was right or wrong; naturally, she would favor the eldest branch. Furthermore, the Eldest Son’s Wife had never asked for her money. Sometimes, the Eldest Son’s Wife would even buy gifts for the two old folks, and she never took things to her parental home. Unlike Xu Laoer’s household, which seemed to wish they could move the entire Xu Family to her parental home. Thinking of Mrs. Feng, a sharp glint flashed across Old Madam’s eyes. Mrs. Feng had become increasingly outrageous in her actions, and this time, she deserved a good lesson.