Xia Shu is standing and eating obediently.

  Xia Zhi thought for a moment and then took out the almost untouched cold mixed tofu silk, which was served with rice for his younger brother.

  "Sister, where did you get the money to buy dried tofu?" Xia Shu asked Xia Zhi, lifting his face from his rice bowl.

  All the money in their family is controlled by their mother, Tian Shi. This time when she went out, she didn't leave them a single penny, and even had specific arrangements for what they would eat every day.

  For example, Little Tree and Xia Qiao can share an egg. This egg doesn't belong to Summer, after all, she's a money-losing girl.

  Xia Zhi's family raised a few chickens, and the eggs they laid were stored in a gourd by Tian Shi. Occasionally, she would arrange for her elder son and younger son to eat two of them, while the rest would be taken to the market to sell for money.

  Every day, Tian's egg production is counted, because she feels the chicken's buttocks every night. Yesterday, because she was sending her relatives back home, Tian didn't feel the chicken's buttocks and therefore doesn't know how many eggs there are today.

  This is also why Xia Zhi dared to bring eggs to entertain Xiao Hei Yu and Da Qing.

  Of course, even if Tian knew, Xia Zhi was not afraid. As the saying goes, one who is willing to be skinned alive dares to pull the emperor off his horse. Since Tian wanted to marry her off to a fool, what else did she have to fear?

  "It was Grandpa and Grandma who gave it." Xia Zhi replied casually, looking outside the door.

  "Really? How can they be so kind." Xia Shu sneered.

  Xia Zhi withdrew her gaze and stared at Xia Shu with a glare.

  "Didn't your grandparents treat you well? Don't learn from Tian Laiji in the future, with her sarcastic tone!"

  The Tian family had never gotten along with Old Man and Old Woman Xia, and they made no effort to hide it.

  In front of the children, as soon as Tian's family mentioned Xia Lao Ye Zi and Xia Lao Tai Tai, they never said a good word.

  Xia Zhi and his sister Xia Shu were influenced by their surroundings, not only did they not get along with their grandparents, but they also thought that the old couple was not good people and treated them very badly. The difference between the siblings was that Xia Zhi would not learn from Tian Shi to speak ill of the old couple.

  "Sister, what's Mother's name?" Xia Shu carefully said after taking a mouthful of rice. Apparently his concern was here.

  "Are you going to report this?" Xia Zhi glared at his younger brother.

  "Sister, I won't tell on you, I really won't tell on you." Xia Shu said with a flattering face.

  "You don't dare either." Xia Zhi coldly snorted.

  A girl like Tian, she'd rather not have. She thought back to before she crossed over, fortunately that couple abandoned her and she was able to grow up in an orphanage. If that couple had kept her at home, she probably wouldn't even have the opportunity to study with scholarships and student loans, and would have to serve as a cow or horse for some family's roots.

  Xia Xia has already died at the hands of Tian Laiji, even if she didn't die, she would be sent by Tian Laiji to her mother's house as a tool for giving birth to children, why should she care about Tian Laiji being called "mother"? Wait until Tian Laiji has the demeanor of a mother before talking.

  Xia Shu eats very quickly and after finishing his meal, he puts down his bowl and chopsticks and wants to leave.

  Xia Zhi glanced slowly and leisurely.

  "Sister..." Xia Shu looked at Xia Zhi with a flattering expression, trying to guess what was on her mind. "I... I'll go wash myself."

  "Uh-huh." Xia Zhi nodded and watched as Xia Shu ran outside, washed the bowls and chopsticks with her butt up in the air, then brought them back for her to inspect.

  This kid is actually very clever. Moreover, usually at home, people are doing what and how to do it, he should have seen it all with his own eyes.

  Xia Xiuzai and Tian Laiji's child would never be stupid.

  "Sister..." In the afternoon, Xia Shu didn't run out to play, but instead kept circling around Xia Zhi.

  The sister and brother said many words, this is still the first time in these years.

  In the late afternoon, Xia Qiao came back from the fields with a hoe on his shoulder.

  The fourteen-year-old boy was not very sturdy, but he was already quite tall. He silently put down his hoe, washed his hands and face by the well, and saw Xia Zhi walking out of the house, looking up and smiling to greet him.

  "Sixteen."

  "Big brother is back." Xia Qiao has a good attitude towards Xia Zhi.

  From Xia Zhi's memory, she knew that he was a kind and gentle boy who deserved respect and sympathy.

  Xiaqiao smiled and suddenly produced a bouquet of flowers from behind her back.

  They are not some rare flowers picked from the fields, but just dandelions, purple flowers and the like. However, with the purple, yellow and white small flowers clustered together, they look so lively and fresh that people can't help but feel delighted when they see them.

  What makes people feel even more joyful and warm is a young man's heart.

  With face to the yellow earth and back to the sky, even in the most arduous labor, there are still flowers blooming in the heart of youth.

  Xia Zhi happily accepted the flowers and chose a broken ceramic vase from under the window, inserted the flowers into it, and then poured in water.

  This way, the little flowers can bloom for a day or two.

  "Still sixteen clever hands, after this manipulation, the flowers look even more beautiful." Xia Qiao smiled and said.

  "Big brother picked a good flower." Xia Zhi smiled and asked Xia Qiao, "I haven't been down to the ground for two days, how are the crops?"

  "It's fine. The land won't be deserted this year. I'll go again tomorrow and finish weeding. You and Xiao Shu don't need to go down to the fields."

  Weeding is different from spring planting and autumn harvesting, it can be done at leisure. Xia Qiao felt sorry for his younger brother and sister, so he took on this task alone. Although Xia Zhi was often driven to the fields by Tian Shi on ordinary days, as long as Tian Shi was not around, Xia Qiao would not let her work, but only allowed her to play in the shade of the field.

  Dinner was prepared by Xia Zhi, she didn't wait for Tian Shi.

  Looking at the shiny leek and egg on the table, Xia Qiao hesitated for a moment, but ultimately didn't say anything.

  Xia Shu's butt was swollen and wouldn't recover for a while, so he had to kneel on the kang to eat dinner. He had always been mischievous and had all sorts of strange expressions, but Xia Qiao didn't ask about it.

  After dinner, Xia Zhi collected bowls and chopsticks, while Xia Qiao went to the well to wash her own clothes.

  Xia Shu ran back and forth beside him, muttering: "Why hasn't mother come back yet."

  The bowl in Xia Zhi's hand slipped and fell into the wooden basin.

  "Sixteen," Xia Qiao continued washing clothes, "about Da Bao's matter, I've told Mother, and won't let you marry him."

  "Brother, what did you say?" Xia Zhi doubted, wondering if she had misheard.

  She has an elder brother who, although he knows how to pamper his younger sister and protect her within a certain range, is even more filial and obedient to the Tian family.

  She had never seen him explicitly oppose Tian's decisions, even on the most critical issues of his own life. She had never expected Xia Qiao to help her with this matter.

  And even if he didn't agree with it and was willing to speak up for her, could he win over the Tian family?

  But Xiaqiao can express his attitude like this, even if he can't help much in the end, Xia Zhi is very grateful to him. Moreover, one more person means one more force, and Xia Zhi cannot refuse Xiaqiao's help.

  "When mother comes back, I'll tell her. I'll do more chores. After finishing the farm work in two days, I'll go find another job to earn more money for Dabao..."

  Xia Zhi sighed in her heart, this poor child.

  "Brother, have you ever thought about it? The Tian family's place is actually a bottomless pit..."

  The young man's face also showed a look of confusion.

  He's not someone who doesn't understand this principle.

  "I'm doing it all for our mother."

  "The money that Ge does, it's okay to give them usually, but this matter, I'm afraid the Tian family won't approve." She wasn't Xiao Xia, she knew that the Tian family wanted her as a daughter-in-law not just for saving money.

  Just as they were talking, there was a knock at the back door.

  "Mother is back!" Xia Shu exclaimed.

  Tian's family trampled on the last sunset of late spring and early summer, and returned from Kao Shan Tun.

  PS: Seeking recommendation votes