Transmigrated into a child bride, she punishes scumbags, raises children, and marries a soldier.

After chatting with people for a while, Zhou Chuan finished washing the pickle jar. She politely greeted her neighbor and was about to go inside when she turned around and saw Xiao Ran standing at the door.

"I heard?"

Seeing that the little guy was sullen, Zhou Chuan guessed that he had heard what they had just said. She was thinking about how to explain to him, but her hands kept moving. She carried two jars into the kitchen, lifted the lid of the pot and saw that the water in the pot had not boiled yet, so she added two more pieces of firewood.

Seeing that the fire in the stove was burning brightly and would continue to burn for a while, Zhou Chuan stepped back. Turning around, she found the little guy leaning against the doorway, looking so pitiful that no one could bear to see him like that. She pulled him to the living room.

"Did you hear everything?"

Xiao Ran remained silent, his eyes dull and occasionally misty.

Zhou Chuan sighed: "You, your mother, there might be some hidden difficulties in this matter."

She didn't necessarily have a reason for this; it was possible that Xiao Ran's mother was enjoying herself here and didn't want to bring the child over, but she couldn't say that directly to the child.

There could also be other reasons, such as a selfish person like the original owner's mother, who could ignore even her own daughter right under her nose. In comparison, Xiao Ran's mother's decision not to bring her son over is not so shocking.

Of course, this was just Zhou Chuan's conjecture. She always liked to assume the worst about others. For someone who had experienced various TV dramas, mindless novels, and the hardships of the original owner of the body, human nature was the most vulnerable to test.

Suffering is the breeding ground for all evil!

Xiao Ran's mother must have suffered a lot and endured great hardships. Now that she's finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel and good days are finally beckoning, why wouldn't she just enjoy herself to the fullest? What's wrong with not picking up the child? She can enjoy herself for a few years first.

However, she is already dead. When a person dies, it's like a lamp going out; there's no point in pursuing the truth anymore.

Looking at the little boy in front of her, Zhou Chuan felt a pang of heartache. She held his small hand, trying to comfort him: "Think about it, what mother in the world doesn't love her own child? No? Definitely not! There must be a reason. Maybe your mother, like your father, has to go on missions often."

Xiao Ran suddenly looked up at Zhou Chuan: "Auntie, I'm not sad at all. I've been without a mother since I was little, and I'm used to it."

Zhou Chuan was surprised: "How could this be? Didn't you grow up with your mother since you were little?" How come this is different from what I thought?

Xiao Ran shook his head.

Zhou Chuan then thought of another possibility: Xiao Ran's mother had no feelings for her son who grew up in their hometown. Regardless of the possibility, the little guy didn't have a good mother.

Father is no good, mother is no good either, Zhou Chuan felt sorry for him. She tightened her grip on his small hand: "Then you, then what were you doing just now? Don't pretend to be strong. Did you say you weren't sad, but were you still a little sad inside? Just a little sad?"

Xiao Ran was somewhat dazed. He didn't know if it was true or not, but when he heard others say that, he still felt a little sad, just a little bit sad.

Zhou Chuan didn't press him: "It's okay, it's normal to feel bad, and it's not a big deal if you don't feel bad." He's still young, and there are some emotions he might not be able to express yet.

"Auntie is just telling you one thing: no matter what others say about your father or your mother, it has nothing to do with you. You're a good child, and it's wrong of others to say anything about you. Remember that?"

Xiao Ran stared at Zhou Chuan for a long while before slowly nodding.

After comforting Xiao Ran, Zhou Chuan took him to the kitchen. She checked if the water in the pot had boiled, and the little guy went to check the fire in the stove. The two worked together very well.

Before the water boiled, Zhou Chuan stood by the stove talking to Xiao Ran. She did most of the talking, and Xiao Ran listened.

“I can curse your father, but you can’t, understand? If I curse your father, if he has any shame, he’ll treat you even better. After I’m done cursing, I’ll just walk away, and your father can’t do anything about it.”

"You absolutely must not go against your father, and you must not curse him. You are still young, and you will depend on him for your livelihood in the future. If he doesn't support you, you, such a small child, will really have to beg for food!"

"Begging isn't easy. Beggars have to be territories. With your physique, how can you compete with others for territory? If you can't win, you'll only get beaten up. I've seen so many kids with broken arms and legs from begging all the way here. It's so pitiful. Begging is something you absolutely can't do."

“You should listen to your aunt’s advice, study hard, and try to get into a good university. Once you get into university, you’ll have finally made it through. Then it won’t be you who has to deal with your dad’s attitude anymore, but your dad who has to deal with your attitude. If you get along well with your dad, come back and visit. If you don’t get along well, stay far away from him, and he won’t be able to do anything about it.”

“But not now. You’re not strong enough yet, so you have to put up with it. I remember the first time I came to your house, I heard you arguing with your father. You can’t do this again.”

“You’re not in the countryside now. If you go against your dad, the neighbors will think you’re ill-mannered and disobedient. Even though they’re not exactly well-mannered themselves, they’re all adults. How can a child like you possibly win an argument with them? Don’t you think so?”

"Besides, you won't gain anything by arguing with your dad. If you anger him, you might get a beating on the spot. He might not hold it against you once or twice, but in the long run, he will definitely be disappointed in you. What if he doesn't want to take care of you anymore and sends you back to your hometown? Haven't you had enough of the hard life back home?"

"To put it bluntly, your father is utterly disappointed in you and wants to find someone to have another son. Once your stepmother starts whispering in his ear, you'll really be out of the picture in this family. Don't be foolish."

"Don't believe your dad when he says he'll never find a wife in his life. He's just bluffing. If you believe him, you'll be a fool!"

As Zhou Chuan was talking, she noticed that the meeting in the pot had started, so she stopped talking.

Xiao Ran listened silently, nodding repeatedly. Later, she couldn't help but wipe away tears, saying, "Auntie, I'm scared..."

Zhou Chuan was about to bring over the pickle jar when she heard the little guy sobbing softly. Her heart ached immediately. She went to Xiao Ran, hugged him, and gently stroked the back of his head.

"Don't be afraid. I'm talking about the worst-case scenario. What if your dad still has a conscience? I thought what he said the other day made a lot of sense. Even if he wants to get married in the future, he'll definitely find someone who will treat you well."

"At worst, things will get better when you grow up. Your dad said you're already eleven years old. It won't be long before you grow up. Growing up isn't necessarily a good thing, but you'll have the right to choose."

Xiao Ran silently kept Zhou Chuan's words in mind.

Zhou Chuan didn't want him to dwell on these emotions, so she changed the subject: "Alright, alright, stop thinking about it. Auntie will make you something delicious later. I'm going to heat up the pickle jar now, so stay away from it so you don't get burned."