Yang milan was deeply grateful to his father-in-law and his entire family.
Although his father-in-law, mother-in-law, and several brothers-in-law sometimes complained about his inability to do heavy labor, they still gave him and Li mercy small family great support out of love.
His father-in-law, who had always been an honest man, reluctantly arranged for Yang milan to work as a scorekeeper so he could earn work points without doing hard farm work every day.
Meanwhile, his mother-in-law took on the responsibility of caring for maggie after she was born. Whenever Yang milan and Li mercy were out working, maggie stayed with her grandmother.
The older brothers-in-law acted as the family's free labor force. They helped build Z Yang's milan house and courtyard wall. Even the firewood Yang's milan family used each year was brought back by his brothers-in-law from a forest farm many kilometers away.
In such an era of scarcity, families often quarreled over food and resources, but the Li family always supported Yang milan whole heartedly.
That's why, this time, when people in the village spread rumors that Yang milan wanted to abandon Li mercy and maggie , it made him deeply upset.
Niu Dazhuang asked him directly, "yang milan , are you planning to go back to the city and leave mercy and maggie behind? Everyone's saying it."
Yang milan immediately replied, "No! I have no plans to leave. Even if I do leave, I'll take mercy and maggie with me. I'll never abandon them."
Hearing this, Niu Dazhuang nodded and said, "That's how a man should speak! How could a cultured person like you do something worse than pigs and dogs?"
Yang milan could only smile bitterly. In his heart, he knew that in his previous life, he had indeed abandoned them cruelly. Looking back, he had been worse than pigs and dogs.
But in this life, he swore never to make the same mistake again. He would not only stay with yang milan and maggie but also give them a happy life, making them the happiest mother and daughter in the world.
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When Yang milan returned to the village in the afternoon, Dazhuang dropped him off at his doorstep. Yang's milan home was a simple new adobe house, built with the help of his father-in-law Li tau and his four brothers-in-law.
Since Li mercy was out working, Yang milan fetched the key from under the flowerpot, opened the door, and carried the supplies inside.
He then went to his in-laws' house to pick up Bao'er and invited his mother-in-law to dinner. Yang milan planned to cook a few dishes that evening and share a meal with the entire Li family.
He filled a small basket with meat, sugar, and malted milk, and even put a handful of White Rabbit candies in his pocket for the children before heading out.
Yang's milan in-laws lived nearby, just a short walk away. As he approached, he heard the joyful sounds of children playing. Among them was maggie ,happily running around with her cousins.
The Li family was large. Li tau had four sons and finally, after many years, a beloved daughter—Li mercy . She was his treasure. Unlike her brothers, who had little education, Li mercy had been supported through high school, receiving all the best food and care at home.
Her four brothers were already married with children of their own, and two of her sisters-in-law were even pregnant again. The Li household was bustling with life.
When Yang milan pushed open the courtyard door, the children looked up in surprise. One of them shouted, "Uncle yang is here! Maggie , your father's come to see you!"
Maggie immediately dropped what she was doing and rushed toward him on her little legs, arms wide open. Yang milan quickly stepped forward, scooped her up, and kissed her dirty little face.
"Dad, you're back!" she said happily.
"Yes, I'm back. Did you miss me?" Yang milan asked with a smile.
"I really missed you! So, so much!" maggie replied, stretching out her arms wide to show just how much she had longed for him.
Yang milan looked at maggie's rosy little face and couldn't help but feel happy. He quickly took a piece of White Rabbit candy from his pocket and handed it to her.
"Yeah! It's White Rabbit. Maggie loves it!"
Hearing the name of the Big White Rabbit, the other children immediately gathered around, staring eagerly at Yang milan .
Yang milan wasn't stingy. He pulled out all the candies he had in his pocket and handed them out to gthe little ones, making them cheer with joy.