After spending another night in the dilapidated temple, Lin You'an painstakingly taught, word by word, until he had more or less crammed the logic of the mother-son trio's identities into Chu Chi's mind.
As soon as dawn broke the next day, Lin You'an, his mind full of concerns, opened his eyes. Glancing to his side, he suddenly jumped up in shock.
"Mother! Wanwan!"
Where were they?!
They had all slept huddled together last night, so how come he was the only one left when he woke up?
He scrambled to his feet and rushed outside in a panic.
Just as he stepped out of the ruined temple, he saw Chu Chi crouching by a small ditch, dangerously swinging Lin Wanwan back and forth with one hand. The little girl was hanging upside down over the water, giggling with delight.
"Mother! What are you doing?!"
Poor Lin You'an's voice nearly cracked from fright. Like a startled puppy, he yelped and lunged forward to rescue his sister, who was dangling precariously over the gates of hell, held by just a thread.
"Giggle giggle..."
Lin Wanwan's little face was flushed with excitement as she flashed two adorable tiny teeth at her brother, whose soul had nearly left his body.
"Playing with her!"
Chu Chi proudly shouted back.
She didn't have much useful knowledge in her brain, but her skill in entertaining young ones came naturally.
Back at the base, she had seen people pick up children and toss them up and down, catching them again. Both the adults and children seemed very happy. She heard humans say this behavior was called "playing with children."
She thought she could do it too.
"No, you can't!"
Lin You'an let out an explosive shout.
"Mother! Didn't I tell you just yesterday that you don't know your own strength, so you shouldn't hold Wanwan anymore?"
"I'm not holding her!"
Chu Chi quickly held out both hands to defend herself.
"I'm carrying her."
"..."
Lin You'an took a deep breath and declared once again.
"Mother, remember, you can't carry Wanwan like this in the future either. Especially situations like just now, where you're dangling her upside down over water and swinging her back and forth - that's absolutely, absolutely not allowed!
No, actually, you shouldn't do this to any child, no matter whose they are. Do you understand?"
"Why? Wanwan is clearly very happy."
She pointed at the little girl's smiling face with her mouth open, and the child obligingly giggled several times. Chu Chi then pointed at herself with a satisfied expression.
"I'm very happy too. So why aren't you happy?"
"..."
How could I be happy when you're swinging my sister in circles at death's door?
But it was impossible to explain the real reasons to these two clueless individuals! Lin You'an sighed, feeling that his days of worrying were probably just beginning.
He casually picked up the tattered swaddling cloth that had been thrown on the ground, wrapped his sister up snugly again, and then looked at Chu Chi with a serious expression.
"Because what you did was too dangerous, Mother. You absolutely can't do it again in the future! It's okay if you don't understand why, just listen to me, alright?"
Although she couldn't comprehend, seeing the expression on An'an's face, it seemed that what she had done didn't align with normal human behavior. Her brain, which had already started working, gave Chu Chi the correct feedback.
So she nodded her head with a bewildered expression.
As long as she listened, that was good enough.
He let out a sigh of relief.
"Do you still remember everything I told you last night?"
"I remember!"
This was said in a very proud tone, likely boasting about her excellent learning ability.
"Good that you remember. Let's go back and pack up, we'll leave in a bit."
"Okay."
After wandering on the road for another half day, they finally arrived at Lin Family Village at high noon.
Lin You'an was still just a child after all. Returning to his home after being away for several months, seeing the familiar surroundings, he became very excited.
"Mother, we're home. Look, that first house at the village entrance with the gray brick and tile roof - that's our house!"
Chu Chi followed his little hand and looked over, then nodded. She took a few steps forward, pushed open the courtyard gate, and walked into the small farmhouse courtyard.
It was midday, and Lin Yuanshan's family was eating lunch inside the house. Suddenly, a beautiful young woman walked in from outside, and Lin Youwen, Lin Yuanshan's second son, immediately stared at her with wide eyes.
"This... this young lady, may I ask who you're looking for?"
He quickly put down his chopsticks and stood up, his handsome and refined face instantly covered with a hint of shyness.
The other members of the Lin family also looked at the newcomer with suspicion.
Chu Chi didn't speak but stepped aside, revealing the brother and sister behind her. Lin You'an, wearing a bright smile, very politely and obediently greeted everyone in the room.
"Uncle, Aunt, brothers, sisters-in-law, and cousins, I'm back."
When those present saw it was him, the expressions on their faces changed instantly. Lin Yuanshan looked at his nephew, then exchanged a glance with his wife, Lady Liu.
This little brat must be back to cause trouble!
"Sixth Brother!"
Lin Youwen walked over from the dining table, his voice filled with undisguised joy.
"How come you're back? You haven't had lunch yet, right? Quick, quick, come sit down and eat a bit, we've only just started. And please, miss, join us as well."
He had asked earlier but received no response, so his scholarly reserve prevented Lin Youwen from inquiring further. However, since she had come back with his cousin, she must be a guest.
He reached out to pull his cousin, but his eyes fell on the bundle in his arms. Curious, he lifted the tattered cloth wrap to look, and froze.
"This child is...?"
"Second Brother."
Lin You'an still had deep feelings for this cousin.
After all, his father had taught him quite a lot of knowledge. He remembered that when he was little, his cousin was always coming and going from their house, and the relationship between the two cousins was indeed quite good.
Unfortunately, in his dream, his second brother didn't exist for some reason, otherwise he probably wouldn't have suffered so much.
"This is my sister, Lin Wanwan."
"Sixth Brother, your cousin is still so small, how come you've brought her back? How could your aunt agree to this?"
The bookworm Lin Youwen belatedly realized that the situation seemed quite off.
"Where's your aunt? Why have you come back with only your cousin? And these clothes you're wearing...
Could it be that something happened?
Sixth Brother! Quick, tell Second Brother, did you encounter some misfortune?"
Lin Youwen asked urgently.
Lin You'an replied with a tearful voice.
"Second Brother, my mother remarried, and the Zhou family tried to sell my sister for a ghost marriage, but I stole her away. I didn't dare stay with the Zhou family anymore, so I brought her back home."
He quickly explained the cause and effect with clear logic. Then he looked at his uncle Lin Yuanshan, tears streaming down his face.
"Uncle, I have nowhere else to go, so I could only bring my sister back home! Waa waa waa, this is the home father left for me and my sister, now that we're back we're not afraid anymore..."
The expressions on the Lin family members' faces were quite unpleasant.
Especially Lin Yousheng, the eldest son of the Lin family, who glanced at his pregnant wife with a hostile expression. He clenched his fists tightly, awkwardly avoiding his cousin's gaze.
This house couldn't be returned to his cousin.
Meanwhile, Lin Youwen had already started crying along with him, thinking about how short a time it had been since his uncle and enlightening teacher had passed away, yet his sixth brother had already fallen into such a predicament.
"How dare the Zhou family do this? Uncle held the title of Juren, how dare they?!"
The fifteen or sixteen-year-old youth was at an age full of passion and righteous indignation. After hearing his cousin's account, he was even more furious!
"To think the Zhou family claims to be a scholarly household! When that woman Zhou insisted on taking you away while pregnant, how did Zhou Chengguang promise to care for you? Now they dare to mistreat you like this!
I... I'm going to confront the Zhou family!"
