Xu Wanning carefully glanced at Lin An's tightly furrowed brows, quietly wondering if her half-true excuse had managed to convince him.
The original Xu Wanning did have a life-saving benefactor—something Lin An knew about.
Years ago, when she was thirteen, she secretly went to play by the riverbank with her "green tea" best friend, Li Qianqian. She accidentally slipped and fell into the river, and just as she was about to drown, someone jumped in and saved her.
But she had lost consciousness before she could see her savior's face. All she knew about him came from Li Qianqian's vague retelling.
The room was filled with a suffocating silence. After a long time, Lin An finally spoke, his voice low and hoarse.
"You can do whatever you want most days. I won't interfere. But Dashun and Yaomei are my bottom line."
His tone was calm, but the threat underneath it was crystal clear.
Xu Wanning understood—this conversation was over.
She nodded quickly. "Dashun and Yaomei are the children I risked my life to give birth to. I would never treat them badly."
As she said it, she couldn't help thinking of those two little ones—both scrawny and smaller than other kids their age—and silently cursed the original owner of this body for the neglect.
Lin An shot her a glance but didn't expose her.
He slowly stood up, his tall, nearly 1.8-meter frame making the cramped room feel even smaller.
Xu Wanning took one look at the narrow, barely one-meter-wide bed and quietly shuffled farther inward to make space.
But her heart started to race.
Wait… Lin An wouldn't actually try anything with her, would he?
Sure, they technically had two kids, and sure, this was their shared body—but her soul was still that of a pure, untouched virgin!
Just imagining what might happen next made her cheeks burn red. A wave of discomfort rose in her chest, and her body went stiff with tension.
But Lin An didn't get into bed.
Instead, he dragged two stools together, pulled out a dark, old quilt from the cabinet, and spread it out. Then he lay down—fully clothed.
His tall body looked awkward stretched out on the makeshift "bed." His long legs didn't even fit, dangling halfway in the air.
Xu Wanning felt a rush of relief—but then guilt crept in.
After wrestling with her conscience for a while, she finally convinced herself to speak up and tell him to sleep on the bed instead. But before she could open her mouth, Lin An had already closed his eyes and turned his head away.
The words stuck in her throat, leaving her chest tight with frustration. Huffing quietly, she grabbed the blanket and turned her back to him.
She ended up sleeping surprisingly well that night.
——
By the time the rooster crowed at dawn, Xu Wanning was already waking up.
Lin An was gone. Even the stools he'd used as a bed were neatly put back in their place.
After a quick wash, she stepped outside.
The winter wind hit her face the moment she opened the door—sharp and biting.
In the yard, Dashun was chopping pig grass while little Yaomei was feeding the chickens and ducks. The steady rhythm of the axe blended with her childish chatter.
"Mom, you're up! I already fed the chickens and ducks, and look—I found two eggs!" Yaomei's tiny body stood proudly, clearly waiting for praise.
Ignoring her daughter's protesting look, Xu Wanning reached out and mussed the two small buns on her head. "Didn't I tell you? From now on, I'll handle these chores. You and your brother just focus on your lessons."
Dashun put down the old, rusty tool in his hand and smiled faintly. "We're used to it, Mom. It's not tiring. Besides, this way you can rest more."
"Such a good son!"
Xu Wanning gave his head a good rub too, her mind already planning to make something nutritious for the kids later. Their hair felt like dry straw—no softness at all.
"Alright, wait here. Mom's going to make breakfast!"
Hearing that, Yaomei's eyes lit up. She licked her lips and turned toward the kitchen, where smoke was already rising. "Brother, what do you think Mom's making today?"
"You'll see soon enough!" Dashun grinned and ran toward Lin An, rolling up his thin little sleeves. "Dad, I'll help you stack the firewood!"
Lin An gently blocked the boy's small, claw-like hands and said softly, "Go memorize your text. I can handle this."
He didn't know why Xu Wanning suddenly wanted the kids to learn to read, but having seen the world outside, he knew it could only help them, never hurt. So he fully supported it.
In the kitchen, Xu Wanning looked at the nearly empty flour jar. She carefully pulled some out from her hidden space—just enough for one hearty meal.
Before long, the aroma of stewed noodles filled the air.
The smell drifted out through the old wooden windows. Yaomei sniffed deeply and grinned from ear to ear. "It smells so good! I could get full just from the smell!"
Carrying out the bowls, Xu Wanning caught her words and couldn't help laughing. She reached out again to ruffle her hair. "Don't worry, I made plenty. You won't just smell full—you'll eat full!"
She set out five bowls—two big, three small—on the table neatly. That's when she realized: she hadn't seen Mother Lin all morning.
Ignoring Lin An, who had just walked in, she turned to Dashun, who was setting out chopsticks. "Where's your grandma?"
Dashun shook his head. "I haven't seen her since I woke up."
Xu Wanning's expression changed. She quickly turned and went to Mother Lin's room, knocking on the door—no response.
"Dashun, Yaomei, start eating first. I'm going to find Grandma!"
She hurried out, walking east for about a mile, when she heard a familiar, furious voice.
"I'll say it again—our A-Ning never sold her children! Shut that lying mouth of yours! If I hear you say that one more time, I'll tear it right off your face!"
Mother Lin, who had singlehandedly raised two kids, wasn't someone to mess with. Her temper could easily crush most people's.
Still, even in anger, she didn't curse or lose composure—and Xu Wanning actually admired that.
She quickly closed the distance, stepping in front of Mother Lin without making it obvious, shielding her while looking at the woman opposite.
"Aunt Zhang," she said with a calm but sharp smile, "if you've got something to say, you can say it to me. Don't you dare pick on my mom when I'm not around."
Her tone was polite—but her presence was powerful.
Hmm… almost exactly like Lin An's intimidating calm last night.
Aunt Zhang rolled her eyes. "I'm not making things up! The whole Dajiang Village's been talking about it these past two days!"