Lin Sila arrived covered in dust to pick up the guest. Le Xia was reluctant to leave.
Ouyang Meihua urged her, "Hurry and go. Tian Jing and I need to talk privately."
Only then did Le Xia leave with Lin Sila.
Ouyang Meihua wanted to discuss personal matters, so Tian Jing led her into the east room.
Inside the east room, only young Lily was sleeping soundly.
Ouyang Meihua was extremely envious. "Your daughter is so well-behaved, eating when she's full and sleeping when she's full."
Tian Jing chuckled, "You're talking about a pig."
Ouyang Meihua bent down and poked Lily's little belly. "Isn't she just like a little pig? Even with all this noise and heat, she sleeps so soundly."
"Sigh... I used to hope for a baby girl, but after Damaimai, I now wish for a boy."
Tian Jing asked again, "What happened with Damaimai?"
"Damaimai, she... she's fallen for a man. I've tried to persuade her countless times, but she won't listen."
"Who is it?"
Tian Jing wasn't surprised. Damaimai was fifteen, an age where young love blossoms. It was normal for her to have someone she liked.
"Dr. Yang's apprentice."
"Him?"
Tian Jing was surprised. "Isn't he around thirty?"
"Twenty-nine."
Twenty-nine? Fourteen years older than Damaimai. That was quite unsuitable. No wonder Ouyang Meihua was so anxious and worried.
Even the baby in her womb was affected.
Indeed, Damaimai was such a well-behaved and sensible girl. When faced with so-called love, she became disobedient. Other girls would be even harder to manage.
How did a man of few words and a straightforward young girl get involved?
"There must be a reason, right?"
"Of course, there's a reason."
Speaking of reasons, Ouyang Meihua's anger flared up again. "Zhao Xiaofang is out."
This, Tian Jing wasn't surprised by. Zhao Xiaofang was a cunning woman who knew how to leverage her advantages. Most people couldn't outmaneuver her.
It turned out that Zhao Xiaofang had met a prominent elder sister while she was inside.
This elder sister had significant connections.
After her release, the elder sister immediately used her connections to get Zhao Xiaofang out.
Zhao Xiaofang then smoothly became the elder sister's strategist.
A few days after Tian Jing and her group left, Zhao Xiaofang brought the elder sister to challenge Tian Jing.
Upon learning that Tian Jing was not around, Zhao Xiaofang had the audacity to boast, claiming Tian Jing had run away, scared by the elder sister's reputation.
Next, she went to Li Liguo's house to cause trouble. Seeing Ouyang Meihua, she mocked her again, saying that since Li Liguo had left her, he could only find an old woman like Ouyang Meihua.
If Ouyang Meihua weren't heavily pregnant, she would have beaten up the owner who raised such a dog like Zhao Xiaofang.
They didn't even keep their dogs leashed properly, letting them run around and bite people.
After mocking Ouyang Meihua, Zhao Xiaofang intended to take Damaimai and Xiaomai away.
Naturally, Damaimai and Xiaomai refused.
The elder sister then forcibly tried to snatch them.
Ouyang Meihua clutched her belly and screamed for help, but no villagers were willing to step forward.
Only Yuan Man took up a hoe to confront the elder sister.
When the apprentice intervened, Dr. Yang naturally joined in. Only then did the villagers go to inform Village Chief Ou.
Village Chief Ou quickly led his men to circle around the Ku River from another direction, intercepting them on the other bank. Seeing that she couldn't take the girls, Zhao Xiaofang directly threw her two daughters into the Ku River.
She declared that her daughters would never fall into the hands of another woman.
Village Chief Ou immediately jumped in to save them, and Yuan Man also jumped in.
Yuan Man saved Damaimai, and Village Chief Ou saved Xiaomai.
After Yuan Man rescued Damaimai, he took her directly back to Dr. Yang's home without saying a word to Damaimai.
For several days, Ouyang Meihua noticed that Damaimai was acting strangely, always dazed and distracted.
She inquired, and Damaimai, blushing, confessed that she had fallen in love with Dr. Yuan.
She said that at that moment, she felt desperate, and among all the people in the village, only Dr. Yuan, a stranger, was willing to step forward to save her.
She spoke of hero worship.
Ouyang Meihua tried to explain her feelings to Damaimai, but Damaimai wouldn't listen, insisting that her feelings were love, not admiration.
"What do you think I should do? Even if she's my own daughter, at this age, I can't hit or scold her."
"I'm so worried, and I can't tell anyone else. I've been waiting for you to come back for help."
Tian Jing had no solution. Damaimai was in her rebellious phase. Even the most obedient child goes through it.
"Don't try to stop her. The more you resist, the more she'll believe it's beautiful love. Just let it cool down. Watch her carefully to ensure she doesn't get too close or make any mistakes."
"How can she not get too close?" Ouyang Meihua patted her belly again. "Look, I'm this big, and I can still come out on my own. There must be a reason, right?"
"She went out?"
"Yes, to help feed the chickens and pigs."
As they were talking, Li Min's loud voice was heard from outside. "Little sister-in-law, little sister-in-law."
Tian Jing opened the door. "What are you shouting about?"
Li Min threw Damaimai, who she was holding, at Tian Jing. "Ask her."
Damaimai almost tripped, and Tian Jing quickly reached out to steady her. "Li Min!"
"Hmph! I'm going to cook," Li Min said, turning and leaving the main room.
"Little aunt."
Damaimai lowered her head and called out softly.
Tian Jing released her. "Tomorrow morning, I'm going into the mountains. You're coming with me."
"Into the mountains?" Damaimai asked, surprised.
"Yes, into the mountains. Come with little aunt to see."
"Okay," Damaimai replied, nodding happily.
"Go back now. Your mother is pregnant, don't let her wander around."
"Mm." Damaimai, feeling ashamed, helped her mother. "Mom, let's go home."
Ouyang Meihua winked at Tian Jing and left with her daughter.
Tian Jing glanced towards the kitchen door. "Minmin, where's Afeng?"
"She's at Dr. Yang's. That Yuan Man is her cousin."
Such a coincidence?
Tian Jing set aside that question first. "Minmin, keep your mouth shut about Damaimai's matter. If it gets blown out of proportion, do you want her to live or not?"
"Little sister-in-law, do you know that she..."
"Shut up!" Tian Jing interrupted Li Min. "Think about when you were eager to get married. Also, your temper is getting worse and worse. If you don't change, don't come back. It affects Haohao's worldview."
"Little sister-in-law, you, you're kicking me out?"
"Is your brain still working?"
Tian Jing turned and walked away, not wanting to talk to someone brainless.
Mother Li returned with the vegetables. Seeing her daughter in tears, she tapped her daughter's forehead and scolded her, "Why are you being dramatic again? I don't have the patience to coax you."
"Mom~ You're like this too."
"What do you mean? We have guests at home, and you're acting like this. What will your little sister-in-law's father think?"
"Then I'm going home."
"Go, go, hurry up and go." Mother Li impatiently chased her away. "By the way, did your little sister-in-law see you like this?"
Li Min pouted. "It's because little sister-in-law drove me away that I'm crying."
"Why did your little sister-in-law drive you away?"
"It's Damaimai..."
Mother Li raised her hand as if to slap her daughter, but Li Min dodged by bending over. "Mom~"
Mother Li pointed outside. "Get out and go back to the Chen family. Don't come back until you've figured things out."
After chasing her daughter away, Mother Li hurried to find her younger daughter-in-law. Seeing that her daughter-in-law's expression was calm, she breathed a sigh of relief.
"Tiantian, Minmin's mood these past two months... sigh, I can't explain it. My younger son is with Suozhu all day, and she brings Xiaofu home to accompany me."
"Suozhu is busy with both farm work and housework. I feel sorry for him, but I can't figure out what's wrong with Minmin. Scolding her doesn't help, and she doesn't listen."
Tian Jing was applying baby powder to her daughter's bottom, who had just woken up and peed.
She noticed her daughter's bottom was red, likely from the cotton padding being too tight during the train journey.
"Don't worry about her. Wait until she calms down and comes to me, then we'll talk. I'm very busy."
"Mm-hmm," Mother Li replied, then added, "Just don't take her words to heart. I'll go make dinner."
"I won't," Tian Jing understood Li Min's temper very well and could even guess the reason for her current dramatic behavior.
"Mom, that Afeng is a cook. I've already paid her wages. From now on, the kitchen will be her responsibility."
Mother Li was worried. "How can I trust that? The safety of the family's food is in the hands of a stranger."
"Then Mom can work with her. You can do the lighter tasks, and she's a very good cook."
"That's fine too."