Crossing Over to Yamada Love

Watching them walk away, Mo Lan sighed inwardly. Although the incident had nothing to do with her, she was somewhat responsible for it. If she hadn't kindly invited the two brothers to play, the second son wouldn't have torn his cotton-padded coat, and none of this would have happened.

However, she couldn't go with the others. It wasn't that she was afraid of trouble, but rather that it would be pointless to go and get any answers. Even if Gou Shengzi's stepmother agreed, apologized, and promised to treat the children well, what would happen afterward? The family had to make a living and lived together every day. Whether she was good or bad, it was the children who were suffering, and no one else could go to see her every day.

Besides, if his stepmother directly admits that she treats the children badly, what can anyone else do? Even biological children are sometimes beaten and scolded, let alone a stepmother. All she did was dress the children in padded cotton coats and feed them poorly, but what could anyone do about it? Nobody could do anything about it.

Unless the two brothers, Tian Gou Shengzi and his brother, become capable and independent, and their stepmother can no longer do anything, then the two brothers will truly no longer have to depend on others or suffer.

I'll wait until a private time and secretly give them some food. Then I'll tell them to eat less of what they eat at home and come to their shop every day for a few meat buns. It'll be good food for the kids, to help them grow.

As Mo Lan pondered this, she turned around. The two Xue brothers had already returned to their private room. She went to check on them.

Upon entering the private room, the Xue brothers noticed that Mo Lan's face was flushed, a rosy blush from the cold, making her look like a peach blossom, quite captivating.

"Is everything settled?" Xue Lingyun asked leisurely while sipping his tea.

“Every family has its own problems, and I can’t help with other people’s family affairs. There’s nothing I can do. Out of sight, out of mind,” Mo Lan said frankly, without hiding anything.

Xue Lingyun's eyes flickered, but she didn't say anything.

"Fifth Young Master, Seventh Young Master, life is short, only a few decades, so don't let hatred blind you and make you feel uneasy. What's the point of life then? I don't know how many years it takes to become brothers. Lanlan truly hopes that no matter what happens in the future, there will be no hatred between you. Is that alright?" Molan looked at the two of them and said sincerely.

Xue Lingfeng and Xue Lingyun exchanged a glance. Was this girl trying to resolve their misunderstanding? There was no deep-seated hatred between them; on the contrary, they were brothers. They wouldn't harm each other, but there was definitely a rift between them. However, after playing in the snow so relaxed today, that rift seemed to have loosened a bit. Having also witnessed the ordinary scene in the farmhouse—the stepmother's treatment of the ex-wife's child—they felt a pang of sympathy.

The two men chuckled, exchanged glances, and decided to give Lanlan face, promising to be good brothers in her presence and not let her worry about them anymore.

"Lanlan, look how hard we worked to build this snowman today, shouldn't we get a reward?" Xue Lingyun asked, seeing Mo Lan starting to show off again.

"Here you go, the reward is food. Eat as much as you like. Don't be shy." Mo Lan smiled, knowing that their problems couldn't be solved overnight, and she wouldn't force it, as long as nothing serious happened. She joked and went downstairs to bring them the food.

"This girl, is this a reward? If there were no reward, would she not feed us?" Xue Lingyun muttered with amusement.

"Don't let her hear you, or she really won't give you any food. Don't try to steal my food then," Xue Lingfeng teased Xue Lingyun in a good mood.

"Really? Fifth Brother, brothers should be loyal. You can't just stand by and watch someone die, can you? If that girl really doesn't give me any food, you should at least share half with me, right? Can you really bear to see your brother go hungry?" Xue Lingyun said exaggeratedly, in a rare good mood today, and joked around a bit.

"If every day could be like this, that would be wonderful," Xue Lingfeng said with a faint smile. He picked up his teacup, took a sip of water, and said it sincerely.

Xue Lingyun paused, his smile still on his face, a thoughtful glint in his eyes. He believed his brother was speaking sincerely; did his brother also want them to be happy every day? A flood of thoughts raced through his mind…

Two days later, news came from the village that although Gou Shengzi's stepmother had promised everyone that she would treat the children left behind by the first wife well and would not mistreat them, she had no choice but to accept that she simply didn't have any spare money and that this wouldn't happen again. She even said that she would go without anything for herself to ensure the children were well-dressed.

After receiving her assurance, everyone left. Gou Shengzi's stepmother, Ma, worked through the night to make cotton-padded jackets for them, and the child wore them the next day.

Aunt Hua and the others felt they had done a good deed and earned merit, and were extremely pleased with themselves. They boasted to everyone, saying they had helped the Gou Sheng brothers. But behind their backs, some people said that their visit had made life even harder for the Gou Sheng brothers. Now, the Gou Sheng brothers were afraid to speak to people when they went out, and their eyes were filled with confusion and avoidance, clearly indicating that they had suffered again.

Upon hearing this, Mo Lan felt a pang of unease. What could she do to help these two brothers?

Suddenly, Mo Lan's eyes lit up; she had an idea. Although now wasn't the best time, she had to give it a try. If it could help Gou Shengzi and the others, it would be a good thing.

In the afternoon, after saying a few words to her family, she asked Sanlang, who had just returned from school, to accompany her to the Liu family's house.

The Liu family was well-off, and their house was quite nice. They were considered a middle-class family in the village.

Upon entering the Liu family's courtyard, Mo Lan began to look around.

The yard is quite large, with yellow earth inside, which has been swept very clean. There are several large trees in the yard, but they are currently bare and haven't sprouted leaves yet. A number of farm tools are placed in a corner, and along the left wall are several rows of empty plots for planting vegetables, lying idle, clearly because the ground hasn't thawed and no planting beds have been prepared.

There are no chicken coops or pigsties in the front yard; those must be in the back. Therefore, the front yard looks very clean and tidy. It's a pleasant sight, unlike some homes where the chicken coops and pigsties are in the front yard, and the stench can be smelled from inside the yard.

"Who are you looking for?" A young girl wearing a cotton-padded jacket with orchid patterns came out of the house and asked Mo Lan and San Lang in confusion.

Mo Lan looked at the little girl, who was about eight or nine years old and quite pretty. Her face was a bit dark, but her features were regular. She must be the little girl that Widow Ma brought. Judging from how clean she was dressed and how new her clothes were, they must have been made. She was certainly being treated differently.

"Hello, little sister, I'm looking for Aunt Ma. I wonder if she's here?" Mo Lan smiled at the little girl and asked her.

"My mother is here. Who are you? I've never seen you before. Are you from this village too?" After saying this, the little girl shouted into the inner room, "Mother, someone is looking for you."

After calling out, she ran up to Mo Lan and began to examine Mo Lan's clothes.

Mo Lan grinned at the envious look in her eyes. Her own cotton-padded jacket, though not made of the finest material, was newly made this year. She had specifically asked Qiu Shi to adjust the waistline during the tailoring process, so it wouldn't look bulky and would appear much better.

"Sister is so pretty, both in appearance and in her clothes." The little girl gently touched Mo Lan's cotton-padded jacket, her face full of envy. She didn't know any adjectives, she just felt that her sister was beautiful in every way.

"Who's here? Why won't you let me in?" A woman's voice came from inside the house, and a woman came out.

Mo Lan looked up at the woman. She was in her early twenties, with her jet-black hair styled into a bun at the back of her head, adorned with a silver hairpin.

She had willow-leaf eyebrows, large eyes, double eyelids, long eyelashes, and a delicate nose; the upper part of her face was quite beautiful. However, her mouth had a problem—her teeth protruded, which detracted from her overall beauty. No wonder she always smiled at everyone she met; when she smiled, her protruding teeth were less noticeable.

She wore a light green jacket on top, thin black cotton pants on the bottom, and black cotton shoes on her feet. She looked to have a good figure.

Such a pretty and beautiful woman, no wonder she makes a good impression, no wonder she can manage Liu Daqiang's household and make him ignore his first child, only listening to her. She really is a charming woman. If she hadn't lost her husband and hadn't been raising two children alone, Liu Daqiang probably wouldn't have been able to marry her.

"This must be Miss Mo Lan? And this is San Lang? What rare guests! Please, come inside." Madam Ma knew of the Mo family shop and had seen Mo Lan and San Lang from afar, but because they were standing far apart and the two families had no connection, she wasn't entirely sure. Although somewhat uncertain, she was confident she hadn't mistaken them for someone else. Few people in the village were handsome, which was why she had such a strong impression of the Mo family.

"Hello, Auntie." Mo Lan smiled and nodded to Madam Ma.

Madam Ma quickly welcomed the two into the house and had them sit on the kang (a heated brick bed). Then she busied herself serving tea and water.

"Auntie, don't bother, we'll just sit for a bit and then leave," Mo Lan said loudly.

"You can't just come and leave! You have to have dinner before you go back. Don't be shy with me, or I'll get angry." Madam Ma poured water and brought it to Mo Lan and the other girl. She was all smiles, making her seem warm and hospitable. She was a good person.

While Madam Ma was busy, Mo Lan glanced around the room. The furnishings were similar to those of an ordinary household, but it was quite clean. It seemed that Madam Ma was not a slovenly person.

Ma and Mo Lan chatted for a while, exchanging many polite words, before Ma asked about the purpose of Mo Lan's visit.

Mo Lan pondered for a moment, then smiled and said, "It's nothing much, I just came today to ask you for a favor, Auntie."

"What is it? Lanlan, just tell me. As long as it's something your aunt can do, I definitely won't refuse," Ma said readily.

“I heard that Auntie can spin cattails,” Mo Lan said, pausing to look at Madam Ma’s expression.

Madam Ma's smile froze on her face. She couldn't laugh anymore. Was this girl doing it on purpose? Was she mocking her? Madam Ma's smile was awkward. She was at a loss for words.