"Darling, you..." Lady Liu, feeling uneasy, wanted to remind him once more, but was interrupted by Lin Yuanshan's wave of dismissal.
"Don't worry, wife. I'm not going there to quarrel. I just want Uncle Three to see clearly what's so great about this so-called old family alliance he's arranged.
Back then, my parents passed away so suddenly, they didn't have time to arrange a marriage for my younger brother before they left this world. My brother needed a lot of resources to continue his studies, so we had no choice but to follow the clan's arrangement and agree to this marriage with the Zhou Family.
Old Mr. Zhou is a good man, able to guide my brother in his studies, and he's upright and honest. But after all these years of interaction, you've seen it too - it's clear that his daughter Zhou Yuhe and his son Zhou Chengguang are far from being like their father!"
Speaking with growing emotion, this tall and sturdy middle-aged man's eyes reddened with frustration.
"My brother has just died, the grass on his grave hasn't even grown yet, and the Zhou Family is already at our doorstep, trying to take advantage!
If it weren't for Uncle Three taking their side last time, would the clan have turned a blind eye and let the Zhou Family take that little rascal away?
Fine, you took him away, but not only did you grab hold of our Old Lin Family's property, you dare to bully our little one? I won't let them get away with this!"
With that, he grabbed his nephew and left.
"Father, we're coming too!" Lin Yousheng and Lin Youwen followed.
Chu Chi looked at An'an, then at Wan Wan, hesitating for a moment. Fortunately, her mind was working better now, so she only paused for about thirty seconds.
"...Miss Chu, why don't we go take a bath ourselves?" Knowing this young woman wasn't quite normal, Lady Liu asked with extra caution.
But unfortunately, a normal person's thought process is unlikely to align with that of someone who isn't entirely mentally sound.
Chu Chi stood up decisively, snatched the giggling little girl from Lady Liu's arms, and then quickly moved her legs, chasing after the group ahead at lightning speed.
"Oh, the child! Be careful with the child!" Lady Liu called out anxiously, chasing after them on her small feet, shouting all the way.
Child? What child?
Chu Chi, confused, shook the baby in her hand.
"Giggle giggle..."
The fearless little one, held upside down, laughed happily again. Yes, she loved this flying sensation!
Lin Yousheng, who had sharp ears, heard the sound behind them and turned his head. He was almost scared out of his wits.
He saw that not-quite-right-in-the-head Miss Chu swinging his little cousin by her right leg, dangling her carelessly.
"Father, stop quickly! That fool... that Miss Chu has caught up, and she's got the child in her hands!"
"What?"
The Lin men turned around, just as Chu Chi arrived, her eyes fixed intently on the older child.
Lin You'an took a deep breath, quickly went over and carefully took his sister back into his arms. After his little heart had settled back into his chest, he angrily questioned.
"Mom! What did I tell you yesterday? You're not supposed to carry her like that anymore, have you forgotten?!"
"Mm."
Seeing An'an angry, Chu Chi realized her mistake. She put her hands behind her back guiltily and nodded, answering in a small voice.
"I forgot."
"..."
The little boy felt so tired. Seeing his mother's innocent face after doing something wrong, he really didn't know where to direct his anger.
"Weren't you going to give Wan Wan a bath? Why did you chase after us?"
"You weren't there. Mother and child must always be together, or else they'll be separated and sold off."
Although her voice was still hoarse and unpleasant, Lin You'an's eyes suddenly reddened.
She had always remembered those words he had tricked her with yesterday.
This mother might be simple-minded, but she kept him, her son, close to her heart. She was incomparably better than that so-called birth mother who had abandoned her children!
Lin You'an sniffled and stepped forward to tug at her sleeve, his voice softening.
"Still, you can't just pick up a child and run. What if you had dropped her? You're so strong, what if you accidentally broke her leg?
This time it's my fault. I didn't have time to explain everything to you before we left. Next time, if something comes up, I'll make sure to tell you everything beforehand.
Mom, please listen. Don't carry Wan Wan like that anymore."
"Mm, I'll listen to An'an."
Chu Chi quickly nodded and promised.
Lady Liu, who had caught up, stood at a distance, quietly observing the scene. They were complete strangers, yet suddenly it felt like this adult and two children standing together were truly a family.
She exchanged a glance with her silent husband. Lin Yuanshan's eyes flickered, then he stared at Chu Chi for a long while. Suddenly, he oddly understood why his rascal of a nephew insisted on keeping her.
This Miss Chu was already not quite right in the head, and now she had been tricked by that little brat. She truly believed from the bottom of her heart that she was the mother of these two children.
And his nephew, who had been abandoned by his birth mother, now needed this clear and unambiguous acceptance more than anything.
His eyes met Lin You'an's, and uncle and nephew stared at each other for about ten breaths. The stubbornness in this child's eyes, how much it resembled his brother! Lin Yuanshan finally sighed.
"Wife, you don't need to come along. This is men's business, you womenfolk can't help much. Take our niece back, give her a bath and feed her. And also,"
He paused, the words tumbling in his throat several times before he finally steeled his heart and continued through gritted teeth.
"Also take sister-in-law back and help her get cleaned up."
The decision was made.
Now that the head of the family had spoken, from now on, Chu Chi would be the wife of the Second Branch.
Lady Liu also sighed.
"Alright, I understand."
Lin Yousheng looked curiously at his parents, not knowing why they would agree to such an absurd arrangement. But he had a good habit of never contradicting his parents in public.
Lin Youwen felt a slight ache as he clenched his fist, then quickly averted his eyes from others. From now on, this beautiful young woman would be his second aunt. This was the best arrangement for his cousins, and also the best arrangement for Miss Chu, who had lost everything and suffered brain damage.
Lin You'an smiled cutely, a faint dimple barely visible on his left cheek. Chu Chi, very curious, poked it with her finger.
"Mom, go back with Aunt and take sister with you. After you both clean up, eat something first. I'm going with Uncle and my cousins to take care of something, we'll be back soon.
Control your strength a bit, don't go around hitting things at home. Those will all be our own things from now on, if you break them we'll have to spend money to buy new ones!"
Thinking for a moment, afraid she might not understand the importance, he quickly added two more sentences.
"Money can buy lots and lots of meat. If you break one table, a whole pot of meat will be gone! Do you understand?"
