Si Nian finished speaking without looking at Zhou Tingting's contorted face, then turned to the two dazed kids and said, "Quickly go do your homework. Let your aunt handle the work. Since she's so diligent, you should learn from her, okay?"

The two kids snapped out of their stupor and immediately shouted, "Thank you, Auntie!"

The little one, who had been frowning, now had a bright smile and said loudly, "Auntie, while you're cleaning Da Huang's doghouse, please also clean the rabbit hutches for Xiao Bai and the others. They've grown up and make a lot of mess every day. Mommy says if it's not cleaned daily, it will smell really bad." He then stuck his tongue out at Zhou Tingting.

Zhou Tingting's face turned a deep shade of anger, almost as if she would vomit blood.

Fuming, she glared at Si Nian, wanting to retort, but the sight of Si Nian's smiling face sent a shiver down her spine.

Grinding her teeth, Zhou Tingting decided to endure. It was better to endure a bit of hardship and stay than to be kicked out!

Zhou Tingting believed that Si Nian's treatment of her would surely anger her brother.

Thinking of this, Zhou Tingting felt a wave of satisfaction.

Si Nian, unaffected by Zhou Tingting's reaction, enjoyed her reprieve. She took Yao Yao upstairs to read.

In the bathroom, Zhou Yue Shen was tidying up the remnants.

The bathroom was quite spacious. Previously, it only had two basins, but since Si Nian's arrival, it had accumulated many more items.

On a nearby shelf were various bottles and jars for shampooing and bathing.

The bathroom was well-designed, with a window that provided excellent ventilation when opened.

For privacy, Si Nian had hung a white lace curtain, tied with a bow. As the gentle breeze blew, the curtain fluttered slightly.

Looking up, it resembled a picturesque pastoral scene.

Zhou Yue Shen had positioned the bath tub in the center, which had a drain hole at the bottom. By removing the plug, the water would drain out by itself, making cleaning easier.

To prevent slipping, he had also installed two small steps beside the tub.

The bath tub wasn't very large, but it was spacious enough for one person to relax comfortably. However, it was quite heavy and difficult for Si Nian to move on her own.

After cleaning up the bathroom, Zhou Yue Shen heard some noise and saw Si Nian walking in with the child. He raised his hand to signal her over.

"Wow, you even installed a little step."

Si Nian was pleasantly surprised to see the steps.

Zhou Yue Shen nodded slightly and reached out to take Yao Yao from her, then said, "Try it out and see if it's stable."

Si Nian nodded and stepped onto the small steps, testing their stability while Zhou Yue Shen held onto her arm.

His hand was quite warm, likely from moving things earlier, with visible veins in his arm. Si Nian's delicate hand felt especially small in his grasp.

After trying it for a moment and finding it stable, Si Nian was satisfied and sent him away, ready to enjoy her bath.

She had bought some scented sachets before, which are used by wealthy ladies in the city. When placed in the bathwater, they can keep the scent for several days.

They are also good for the skin.

She hadn't had a chance to try them out yet.

Seeing her eager expression, Zhou Yue Shen nodded slightly. "I'll go boil the water."

With that, he turned and went downstairs.

---

As soon as Zhou Yue Shen entered the kitchen to boil water, Zhou Tingting walked in.

Seeing her brother in the kitchen, her expression immediately darkened.

In their village, no man would ever step into the kitchen. People believed that only incapable men would do such things, as kitchen work was considered women's responsibility.

A man who smells of oil and smoke was not seen as someone who could achieve anything significant.

Even in the city where she lived, men occasionally cooked, but her husband never entered the kitchen. It was always her or her mother-in-law who did the cooking.

It was one thing when they were poor, but now that her brother was so wealthy, it was surprising that he would still be doing such tasks.

"So what's the point of marrying Si Nian if she's like this?" Zhou Tingting thought.

Recalling how Si Nian had just ordered her around, making her do this and that, Zhou Tingting immediately put on a sulky face and said, "Brother, sister-in-law is really too inconsiderate, isn't she? How could she let you come to the kitchen to boil water yourself? What is she even doing? Just now, she even told me to sweep the floor and wash the dog's kennel. She's clearly making things difficult for me on purpose."

If this had happened before, Zhou Tingting would have thrown a tantrum long ago if Si Nian had asked her to do these chores.

But now, in order to stay, Zhou Tingting didn't dare to act out and could only play the victim. Deep down, she couldn't swallow this resentment. She had never been treated like this in her entire life.

She was now hoping that Zhou Yue Shen would stand up for her. After all, no matter what, she was still his biological sister.

With these thoughts, Zhou Tingting felt more confident.

She looked at Zhou Yue Shen with righteous indignation, ready to complain.

But unfortunately, Zhou Yue Shen remained indifferent, not even glancing up at her. His voice was cold as he said, "Weren't you the one who said you wanted to help her?"

His words instantly choked back Zhou Tingting's complaints.

She stared at her brother in disbelief. So it was true what people said—once a man has a wife, he's no longer his sister's brother.

She had always found her older brother difficult to get along with—naturally cold and indifferent, never smiling at anyone, and completely devoid of warmth.

There was nothing about him that felt inviting, and she even felt a bit of fear, never daring to get close to him.

Now that Si Nian was around, he seemed even more ruthless!

He could actually tolerate an outsider bullying his own biological sister.

What on earth was he thinking?

Zhou Tingting never liked this brother of hers. When she got married and moved to the city, he had said the Li family wasn't good enough, even putting on a sour face in front of her in-laws.

It had embarrassed her.

Back then, he was just a lowly soldier, while her in-laws were city folk with stable government jobs. How were they not good enough? They were far better than the Zhou family by a hundredfold.

Who was he to disagree?

Zhou Tingting felt humiliated, so when she got married, she vowed never to come back.

But who could have predicted that Zhou Yue Shen would start a pig farm and make a fortune?

The in-laws who once looked down on her quickly changed their attitude toward her

It was only after that change that Zhou Tingting was willing to continue interacting with him.

"But... but you can't expect me to do everything by myself!" Zhou Tingting complained, her heart full of frustration.

Only then did Zhou Yue Shen glance at her, his voice calm, "If you can't handle it, then go back."

Zhou Tingting was immediately rendered speechless.

Seeing him leave, she twisted her face in anger and stormed outside, looking for something to vent her frustration on. But when she came face to face with Da Huang's fierce dog face, she was so frightened that she held it all back again!

Filled with rage but with nowhere to release it, Zhou Tingting felt an even stronger urge to leave. This place was a dump, and no matter how big the house was, she couldn't bring herself to like it.

Her anger grew as she grabbed a hatchet and muttered curses against Si Nian and Zhou Yue Shen, making her way up the mountain.

Si Nian had been reading in her room for quite a while. When she came downstairs and didn't see Zhou Tingting, she thought maybe she had given up and left.

But after taking just a few steps, she spotted Zhou Tingting, drenched in sweat and panting heavily, struggling back with a few pieces of firewood.

Her face was long and sour like an old cucumber, and Si Nian could only imagine how many times she must have cursed her in her mind.

"Little aunt, what took you so long? It's already noon, and we're waiting for you to cook. Are you trying to starve everyone?"

Even Si Nian herself felt like she sounded like a sharp-tongued rural woman.

Zhou Tingting, already fuming, was now so angry at Si Nian's words that she nearly coughed up blood.

She hadn't done any work in the city for years, and now making her go up the mountain to gather firewood was practically torture for Zhou Tingting.

Digging her nails into her palms, Zhou Tingting forced a smile as she looked at Si Nian and said, "I got a little delayed, but I'm here now."

Who would have thought Si Nian would step closer, wrinkle her nose in disdain at the small bundle of firewood in Zhou Tingting's basket, and say, "Little aunt, you're really slacking off. This tiny amount of firewood won't last us the day. You'll have to go gather more later, or else we won't have anything to cook with tomorrow."

Zhou Tingting's expression twisted.

She couldn't hold back anymore. Seeing that Zhou Yue Shen wasn't around, she grew bolder and snapped, "Sister-in-law, aren't you just bullying me now? You're taking advantage of my brother being mad at me to push me around. Don't go too far. When Yujie comes back, my brother will definitely marry her. Don't say I didn't warn you then."

When Si Nian heard that woman's name, she raised an eyebrow but didn't get upset. "Any man who can be taken by someone else isn't worth keeping. Do you really think I'd care?"

After saying this, Si Nian shrugged, yawned, and went back into the house, casually adding, "It's New Year's Day today, so we should make something nice for dinner. It'll be my first time tasting little aunt's cooking—don't disappoint me."

Watching Si Nian's dismissive attitude, Zhou Tingting nearly lost it.

But, of course, she didn't dare. Her older brother was still at home, and the last incident had already made him angry. If she got into another fight with Si Nian, she really wouldn't have a place in this family anymore.

Remembering that today was New Year's Day, Zhou Tingting decided that if she cooked a nice meal for her brother, maybe he'd be in a good mood and not angry anymore.

With that thought, Zhou Tingting suddenly felt re-energized and headed into the kitchen.

Seeing the vegetables, fresh meat, and a slaughtered chicken laid out on the kitchen counter, Zhou Tingting was stunned.

"It's just New Year's Day, yet it looks like they're celebrating the New Year," she thought.

Many rural families still couldn't afford to eat meat. Even though her brother ran a pig farm, this level of extravagance seemed excessive. They had already eaten meat dumplings for breakfast, and now they were preparing to cook chicken—living better than she did in the city.

The more Zhou Tingting thought about it, the more unsettled she felt.

Back when she was still living at home, the family's situation was far from ideal. The Zhou family was among the poorest. Forget about meat—rice was a luxury. She had grown up eating sour cornmeal soup and lumpy porridge. To eat a bowl of rice was already a rare treat.

Now that the Zhou family had money, she hadn't benefited from it. Instead, it was Si Nian, an outsider, who was living the good life.

Looking at the beautiful dresses Si Nian wore, Zhou Tingting, with her sharp eye, recognized their value. Though she couldn't afford them herself, she often kept an eye on such things.

"It looks like it wasn't cheap," Zhou Tingting thought to herself. Si Nian was living so well, and the family's situation was steadily improving. It seemed her brother was truly getting wealthier.

"Maybe I can take some money back with me?" she mused. She had given up on the idea of going after the bankbook, but perhaps she could get some cash to send her son to a foreign language school. After all, it was only right for her brother to help his nephew with some tuition fees.

With this thought in mind, Zhou Tingting's attitude toward her chores became noticeably more enthusiastic. Gone was her earlier sluggishness, replaced by an eagerness that suggested a change of heart.

Hearing the clattering and banging in the kitchen, Si Nian wondered if Zhou Tingting might be so angry that she would end up destroying the kitchen. But when she stepped inside, she was surprised to find Zhou Tingting busily and earnestly preparing the meal.

The look of willing dedication on her face made it seem as if she had been brainwashed. Si Nian almost believed her sister-in-law had truly turned over a new leaf.

"Little Aunt is quite nimble with her hands. Looks like I won't need to lift a finger to help," Si Nian remarked with a hint of amusement.

Si Nian glanced over and smiled as she spoke, suspecting that Zhou Tingting must be hatching some new scheme. But it didn't matter; whatever Zhou Tingting had in mind, Si Nian had no intention of letting her succeed.

Zhou Tingting put on a fawning expression and said with a grin, "It's been a long time since I cooked for my brother and Xiao Dong and Xiao Han. It's only right that I do this now that I'm back. But, sister-in-law, you all sure live extravagantly here, with such lavish meals every day. Even though we live in the city now, we're not doing as well as you all. We haven't had meat for days. Brother and sister-in-law, you're living the good life now, but don't forget about us poor relatives."

Si Nian's expression remained calm as she replied, "Oh, Little Aunt, no need to be so modest. No matter how we live, we could never compare to city folks like you. In fact, I've been hoping you might bring us some nice things from the city. Speaking of which, it's so easy to buy seafood there, isn't it? The kids here have never had any—they're so pitiful. Could you bring us some next time? It should be simple enough for a city dweller like you, right?"

Zhou Tingting's face twisted as she heard this, her voice becoming sharper. "Seafood? Are you dreaming? Do you think just anyone can afford seafood? You're lucky enough to have food on the table!"

In truth, Zhou Tingting's family wasn't struggling as much as she made it seem. They could afford seafood occasionally, but it was a luxury she wasn't willing to share with Si Nian. The mere thought of buying it for Si Nian was absurd to her.

Realizing she had let her emotions slip, Zhou Tingting quickly added, "It's not that I don't want to help, it's just that my son, Xiao Yang, is about to enter fourth grade. His previous school didn't provide good education, and his grades aren't great. The school fees are so high that I can't afford them right now. I've been so worried about getting him into a good school that I can't sleep or eat properly."

She finished, looking expectantly at Si Nian, waiting for her to respond.

As expected, Si Nian nodded in agreement and said, "That does sound difficult."

Zhou Tingting's eyes lit up, and she immediately continued, "Right? You're from the city too, so you must understand how hard it is for a mother. But when it comes to money, sister-in-law, you're practically my child's aunt. It would be only right for you to help out a little, wouldn't it?"

Si Nian tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Alright then, since you are my little aunt, I'll talk to Xiao Dong and see if he can ask the headmaster at their Hope Elementary School if they might be able to enroll your son."

"What? Hope Elementary?" Zhou Tingting's face went through a spectrum of colors, her expression contorting in disbelief.

"Yes, I noticed that Xiao Dong's grades have improved a lot since studying here. You mentioned that your son's grades aren't good, so why not bring him here? There's no tuition, which would solve your financial problem," Si Nian replied innocently.

"Who would want to go to that rundown school!" Zhou Tingting's face twisted further, feeling utterly insulted. She couldn't believe Si Nian would suggest sending her son to the countryside, the very place she had fought so hard to escape. The idea was outrageous to her.

Si Nian, still seemingly naive, asked, "Then where would be better?"

"Isn't it obvious? The city, of course!" Zhou Tingting snapped.

Si Nian pretended to have a sudden realization. "Oh, I see! Since you're planning to send your son to a good school in the city, why don't you help enroll our Xiao Dong and Xiao Han too? After all, you're their aunt, so it would only be right for you to help out, wouldn't it?"

Zhou Tingting was left speechless, a mix of confusion and frustration on her face. "What?"