Gu Wan's Troubles

The two children nodded like chicks pecking at grain.

"Alright, let's go to the backyard and take a look."

She held their hands and went to the back garden.

Yesterday's heavy rain hadn't affected the plants in the garden at all; on the contrary, it had helped them grow tremendously. The pear tree the two had planted was already as high as her waist.

Du Yuerao pinched each of their cheeks. "It must be thanks to your hard work catching worms."

The two kids grinned from ear to ear upon hearing that.

After returning from the garden, the two secretly ran off to play again.

After recording Gu Si's measurements, Du Yuerao took out several rolls of dark-colored fabric from her Space.

She thought to herself that after bringing him lunch in the afternoon, she would start sewing the clothes.

The important task right now was to make hats for the two little ones.

When the two brothers returned home, they saw two brand-new hats sitting on the table.

"Wow!" The two returned sweaty from playing and rushed to the table to admire the hats, their eyes overflowing with joy.

Under Du Yuerao's training over the past few days, the two boys were very mindful of hygiene. They went to wash their hands thoroughly before trying on the hats.

Both cherished the hats and wouldn't let go, even refusing to take them off during their afternoon nap.

When they went to deliver lunch to Gu Si in the afternoon, they even wore the new clothes Mother had bought. Wherever they went, they puffed out their chests and held their heads high, looking extremely proud.

"Dad!" From afar, Gu Yingming saw his father's figure and called out loudly.

Gu Si turned around and saw the mother and sons. All the exhaustion after a day of labor seemed to vanish instantly.

Today, Du Yuerao had brought meat-stuffed buns she had made herself. The filling was packed with meat, and the crust was fried golden brown and fragrant.

She had also cooked some mung bean porridge to bring to her parents-in-law and Gu Feiyu.

Afterward, she led the two children leisurely back home.

Gu Feiyu looked at the three of them with their identical hats and teased Gu Si, "Brother Si, where did those beautiful hats come from? I want one too."

"If you like them, ask your wife to make one for you," Gu Si said before returning to his farm work, though the corners of his mouth couldn't hide a smile.

Gu Feiyu watched his busy back and sighed; a man loved by his wife truly was different.

Now, Gu Si no longer had any of the rough, bachelor-like appearance of years past, and the two children were well-cared for.

This was exactly the image of a family man he had imagined.

...

Back home, the two kids wore their hats to find their playmates.

Du Yuerao walked toward Gu Wan's house. She was pregnant and, as her due date was approaching, had returned to the village to rest and wait for the birth.

In the original host's memory, Gu Wan was very skilled with her hands and knew how to sew. The twins' old clothes had all been mended by her.

Since children grow fast, she had intentionally sewn them a bit large.

Du Yuerao carried several pieces of fabric and a basket of eggs, knocking on Gu Wan's door.

Gu Wan came to open the door, and her complexion didn't look good.

In just a few days of not seeing her, she had grown noticeably thinner. There were bruises on her face, and her mouth was stained with dried blood.

Seeing that it was Du Yuerao, she immediately lowered her head, using her hair to cover her face.

Before, she only knew this sister-in-law's life wasn't easy, thinking it was because her husband and mother-in-law were difficult. She hadn't expected things to escalate into domestic violence.

Du Yuerao closed the door and stepped inside. "What happened to you?"

"Sister-in-law, I'm fine. Da Ya's father just drank too much and was a bit muddled, that's all."

Seeing her beaten like that yet still defending her husband, Du Yuerao's hands shook with anger.

"You're still pregnant!"

Fearing she would go find her husband to cause trouble, Gu Wan spoke up quickly.

"I'm really fine. Da Ya's father knows he was wrong; he already knelt down and apologized to me, really, Sister."

Other people's family matters were difficult to intervene in too deeply, no matter how angry she was.

She could only go along with her words.

"If anything happens, you must tell me and Brother Si. Don't endure it alone anymore, do you hear me?"

Gu Wan nodded. "Don't worry, Sister-in-law, I'm fine."

To reassure Du Yuerao, she even forced a smile, though it was full of bitterness.

"Did you come to see me for something?" Gu Wan asked. Since Du Yuerao had married her brother, she had never come to visit her privately.

"It's just that the weather is about to turn cold, and I planned to sew a few outfits for Brother Si. I took his measurements this morning, but once I started, I realized how difficult it is."

Gu Wan was slightly surprised, then nodded and led her into the inner room.

At this hour, the rest of the family was out in the fields, and Da Ya had been sent up the mountain by her grandmother to gather firewood, so she was the only one home.