Chapter 54: The adorable child

Grandpa!

Xiao Xue ignored the adults' undercurrents.

She broke free from her grandmother's hold, swiftly climbed onto the kang, and, like a little kitten, darted into Lin Huainian's arms, her small arms tightly clasping his neck.

"Grandpa, Dad is fine now! Yesterday he beat up a bad guy to protect me and Mom! He even caught a puppy for me and named it Jin Hu!"

Childish words, innocent as a pebble dropped on an ice‑covered lake, stirred a barely perceptible ripple.

Lin Huainian's arms, holding his granddaughter, seemed less stiff, and the death‑cold lines on his face appeared to soften a fraction.

But his mouth remained sharp.

"Hmph, hitting people? That's all he's got left! A good‑for‑nothing who stays indoors, now he dares to go out and cause trouble?"

"Dad, I've really changed now."

Lu Qingshan lifted his head and met Lin Huainian's gaze—finally turned toward him, filled with scrutiny, suspicion, and deep loathing—without flinching.

"I know you don't trust me; I regret the rotten things I did in the past. I'm not asking you to forgive me right now."

He paused, his voice growing steadier.

"I just want to live an honest life, relying on my own strength, treating Yue E and Xiao Xue well so they no longer have to worry or suffer hunger and cold."

He pointed to the pile on the table: "These are what I got from hunting in the mountains these past days. From now on I'll be an upright person and make sure they have enough to eat and wear."

Lin Huainian's sharp gaze swept over the fresh stack of Great Unity on the table, lingered a moment on the marbled pork hind leg streaked with fresh blood, and finally settled on the big bundle of snowy, fluffy new cotton.

His Adam's apple bobbed, and his eyes flashed intensely.

He knew all too well how hard it was for a peasant to produce these things in these times.

This was certainly beyond the good‑for‑nothing Lu Lazi, who in the past did nothing but gamble, drink, and beg for money.

Real or fake?

Is it another deception, or… has the prodigal son truly returned?

He silently picked up his smoke pipe again, took a hard drag, and amid the swirling smoke his weather‑worn face grew dark and inscrutable.

Only the occasional crackle of the firewood and the faint rustle of Xiao Xue fiddling with the smoke‑pipe tassel remained in the room.

Li Cuilian saw her daughter's eyes rimmed with red, full of tension, and then her granddaughter's innocent, oblivious smile—her heart melted completely.

She walked to the table, gently touched the soft cotton, then glanced at the mouth‑watering meat, and her eyes reddened uncontrollably.

"Dad, look… this time Qing Shan… I think he really knows he's wrong. You…"

"Mom!"

Just then, the inner room's door curtain was flung aside, and Lin Yueqiang, home for the weekend, stepped out with a grim face.

He wore a brand‑new Texlon shirt, a cotton jacket over it deliberately left open, and his hair was slicked with oil—clearly he'd dressed up with care.

He first glanced at Lu Qingshan, and the corner of his mouth instantly curled in contempt.

His gaze was then drawn to the items on the table; his eyes widened, a flicker of greed flashed, but was quickly replaced by strong disdain and sourness.

"Yo, what wind blew the great 'talent' Lu Shan here?"

He spoke in a sarcastic, sing‑song tone, his voice sharp and grating: "You brought stuff? Tsk tsk, how unusual! Where'd you get that windfall? Surely you didn't swindle it again, huh? Brother‑in‑law, your luck's great—did you just "borrow" it from someone else's table?"

These words were even more vicious, directly linking Lu Qingshan to gambling and theft, instantly plunging the just‑eased atmosphere back into an ice cellar.

Yue E's face turned ashen, her body trembled slightly, and she clenched her fists tightly.

Li Cuilian's face went white with anger, she pointed at her son: "Yueqiang! What nonsense are you spouting? That's your brother‑in‑law!"

Lu Qingshan's suppressed fury surged up, and his fist clenched instantly.

In his past life, hearing that he would have surely flipped the table and started swinging.

But now he drew a deep breath and forcibly repressed that violent urge.

He couldn't act impulsively as before; that would only play into Lin Yueqiang's hands and shatter the fledgling hope they'd just seen.

He slowly relaxed his fist, not even glancing at Lin Yueqiang, his gaze steady and open on Lin Huainian's face, his tone calm yet carrying an undeniable force.

"Dad, this money, this meat, this cotton—I earned them fair and square by trading them from the mountains."

"You may not believe me, but the things from the mountains don't lie. From now on I'll keep going into the hills, supporting Yue E and Xiao Xue with my own two hands, and make a living."

His modest yet confident reply choked off the extra ridicule Lin Yueqiang had readied.

He never expected that the useless brother‑in‑law who used to bow his head or throw tantrums before him would dare to speak to his father like this—and even ignore him!

It felt like punching cotton; his face flushed then blanched, and he flew into a rage born of embarrassment.

"You—" Yueqiang still wanted to say something.

"Shut your mouth!"

Lin Huainian finally couldn't take it anymore; he slammed his smoke pipe hard against the kang edge, making a crisp 'bang'.

His piercing gaze swept over his son like a blade.

"Get back to your room! You have no say here!"

Lin Yueqiang jumped at his father's rare outburst, his neck shrinking, his face full of shock and unwillingness.

He opened his mouth, but dared not retort; he glared fiercely at Lu Qingshan, stomped his foot resentfully, and reluctantly withdrew to the inner room.

The door curtain swayed, obviously still eavesdropping.

After scolding his son, Lin Huainian's chest still heaved.

He looked at Lu Qingshan again, his gaze complex to the extreme.

There was scrutiny, suspicion, long‑pent‑up anger and disappointment, yet it seemed a faint, almost imperceptible wavering had entered as well.

He saw Lu Qingshan's restraint and composure in the face of Yueqiang's provocation—nothing like the hot‑headed good‑for‑nothing he remembered; they were worlds apart.

The room fell silent again, even more oppressive than before.

Finally, Lin Huainian seemed to have exhausted all his strength, letting out a long, heavy sigh.

He placed the cleaned smoke‑pipe bowl on the kang edge, lifted his head, and his cloudy eyes stared at Lu Qingshan for a long time.

Things... let's set them aside for now.

His voice was still dry and stiff, like rusted metal grating, but compared with the earlier coldness and harshness, it was worlds apart.

I don't care if you're sincerely repenting now or just pulling another trick. My eyes aren't blind—I'll be watching.

He paused, turning his gaze to Xiao Xue, who leaned against him and curiously watched everything; his voice finally softened a bit.

From now on, treat Yue E and the child well. If... if you ever let me see you acting like before...

He didn't continue, but the warning in his eyes was stronger than any harsh words.

These few words were like a ray of winter sunshine, instantly piercing the thick ice.

The heavy stone in Lu Qingshan's heart finally fell, a warm surge rushing to his eyes.

He nodded firmly, his voice hoarse with emotion: 'Dad, rest assured! If I, Lu Qingshan, ever wrong Yue E and Xiao Xue again, I'll punish myself before you even lift a hand.'

Enough!

Lin Huainian interrupted him impatiently, seemingly unwilling to hear those empty promises: 'Remember what you said today!'

Li Cuilian saw this and finally broke into a tear‑mixed smile.

She stepped forward quickly, grabbed Lu Qingshan's hand, and, excited to the point of incoherence, said: 'Qing Shan, as long as you understand, that's good, as long as you understand...'

Mom just knew you weren't a completely bad child.

Yue E has suffered too much following you.

From now on, live your lives well—it's better than anything.

She chattered on, tears falling unstoppably, half from years of repressed sorrow, half from finally seeing hope.

Lu Qingshan let his mother‑in‑law hold his hand, feeling the warmth brought by her scalding tears.

His heart was a mix of five flavors—guilt and the relief of laying down a burden.

The relationship has at last broken the ice.

Although Lin Huainian still wore a stern face and Lin Yueqiang's obstacle was plainly visible, this layer of ice had indeed cracked a gap.

For him, this was the most difficult and important step he had taken since his rebirth.

However, as they finished packing and prepared to say goodbye, Lu Qingshan inadvertently caught, in the corner of his eye, Lin Yueqiang's eyes—filled with jealousy and venom—glinting like a poisonous snake as they flicked onto his back before vanishing.

He knew clearly that the father‑in‑law's ice here was beginning to melt, but this little brother‑in‑law might be like a buried nail, ready to pop out at any moment and cause new trouble.

Qing Shan, wait.

They were just about to step out the gate when Li Cuilian rushed out from the house, clutching a small paper packet.

Without a word, she stuffed it into Lu Xiao Xue's cotton coat pocket: 'Xiao Xue, be good, this is the fruit candy Grandma gave you, sweet tooth—don't let your great‑grandfather see it.'

Xiao Xue instantly broke into a smiling grin, hugged her grandmother's neck and gave a loud kiss: 'Thank you, Grandma!'

Li Cuilian then quickly produced a neatly folded small cloth bundle from her bosom.

Taking advantage of the moment, she swiftly slipped it into Lin Yue'e's hand, lowering her voice: 'This is the little money Mom saved up—not much, keep it for emergencies, and don't let your dad and younger brother know.'

Lin Yue'e's nose tingled, tears threatening to fall again; she quickly shook her head and declined: 'Mom, we have...'

Take it! Be obedient!

Li Cuilian, without allowing argument, forced the cloth bundle into her cold hand.

Mom knows you're surely having a hard time now; this bit of money isn't much, but first look after the child!

She then looked at Lu Qingshan, her lips moving, and all her thousands of words finally became a sigh.

Qing Shan, Mom... Mom believes you've truly changed this time.

You... you must remember what you told your dad today—don't let Yue E and Xiao Xue suffer again.

Lu Qingshan's throat tightened as he felt the weighty hope in his mother‑in‑law's words, and he nodded heavily.

Mom, rest assured. I'll remember.

It's going to snow; let's head back first.

With the year's end approaching, the household scene was visibly improving day by day.

But lurking dangers and new challenges, like the winter sun, were quietly brewing.