Chapter 11 The Tao Family's Protective Nature

Xiao Jiu's voice was high-pitched and thin, with extremely strong penetrating power.

Tao An, a three-year-old boy, didn't cry when he got into a fight. If Xiao Jiu hadn't suddenly started crying, the Tao family wouldn't have turned around to look. Once they turned around, things got out of hand. How could a fight have broken out?

The other children's parents noticed something was wrong at almost the same time, so the mother dropped her sickle and ran to the field first, followed closely by the grandmother.

When they arrived at the destination, the two children had already been separated. Tao An cried and shouted to his mother who rushed towards him.

"Don't worry about me, go check on Xiaojiu, she's crying even harder than me, waah..."

Seeing her son like this, the mother felt both amused and heartbroken. She patted her son's head and quickly picked up Xiao Jiu, who was still crying on the ground.

After being picked up, Xiao Jiu kept turning her head to look at her brother, waving her little hands to grab him, but Tao An was too short, and she couldn't reach him at all while her mother was holding her.

Grandma finally ran over, a little out of breath from her anxiety. When she got there, she immediately went to check on her grandson. When she noticed that he was covered in scratches from wheat straw and was bleeding, she was immediately displeased.

"Ding Ermao, why did you hit Xiao An? Don't you know he's younger than you?"

"He called me a bad guy. I'm not a bad guy. If I don't hit him, who should I hit?"

Faced with the adults' questioning, Ding Ermao not only refused to apologize, but also covered the same scratched area on his body and shouted at them in a flustered manner.

Tao An was not to be outdone, showing no stage fright whatsoever, and spoke clearly.

“Grandma, Mom, they said my sister is a bastard, and that nobody would want her here. They even whispered that she's an ugly monster. Humph, I heard it all! Ding Ermao, you're so mean! How dare you talk about my sister like that? I didn't say anything about your sister!”

Ding Ermao scoffed after hearing this, "She's just ugly, so what? Can't I say that? Even my mother says she's ugly, and that it's a waste of your family's good looks to have married such an ugly hag. Didn't you even look at her before you found her? Waaaaaah!"

The rest of the words were stuck in Ding Ermao's mouth because his mother appeared and tightly covered his mouth, then turned back to Zhao Lingli (Tao's mother) and explained with a forced smile.

"Sister-in-law, don't listen to the child's nonsense. I never said that. It's all a misunderstanding, a misunderstanding."

But Ding Ermao, whose mouth was covered, was clearly getting anxious. He kept arguing while covering his mouth. You didn't even need to look to know that he was saying his mother was lying. If she had said it, why wouldn't she admit it?

Zhao Lingli's face turned somewhat pale. She wanted to say something, but her grandmother tugged at her arm and coldly swept her gaze across the faces of the Ding family members.

"Now that Xiao Jiu is a member of the Tao family, she will always be a member of the Tao family. Whom our family chooses to raise as our daughter is our freedom, and it's none of your business. Whether she's ugly or beautiful, it's our own family affair. I don't want to hear you gossiping behind our backs anymore. The child is still young, and she won't understand what you're saying. But if she grows up and you still say these things, I, this old woman, will be the first to object. After all, we haven't bothered you in any way, and we haven't eaten your food or drunk your water to grow up, don't you think? Hmm? Ding Dajun's daughter, did you hear that?"

Ding Ermao's mother blushed immediately, and she looked at her grandmother with embarrassment: "Auntie, I..."

"You don't need to explain anymore. I've already made myself very clear. If you say anything unpleasant again, don't blame me for being ruthless!"

As Grandma spoke, she hugged Xiao Jiu back into her arms, then looked up at Zhao Lingli and said.

"Xiao An's mother, you continue harvesting wheat. I'll take the two kids home to rub some medicinal wine on them,"

Zhao Lingli quickly agreed, "Mom, the basin is quite heavy, so let's leave it here and take it back with us. Please drive carefully."

The old lady nodded, picked up a few diapers from the ground, and turned to Xiao An on the ground.

"I don't have a free hand to hold yours, so hold onto your clothes and walk slowly, don't fall,"

Xiao An winced in pain, but didn't forget to turn back and say goodbye to her mother. Then, obediently, she tugged at the old lady's clothes and followed her step by step.

As soon as the family left, Ding Ermao's mother quickly came over to Zhao Lingli and said, "Sister-in-law, I'm so sorry, I..."

"Sister-in-law, you don't need to say anything more. Just be more careful in the future. I still have to harvest, so I won't chat any longer."

Zhao Lingli didn't speak to the loud-mouthed sister-in-law anymore. She picked up her sickle, wiped the sweat from her face, and left.

"Mother, you're lying. The teacher said it's wrong. You said it yourself, so why won't you admit it?"

"Shut up! Is it the same whether I tell you or not? Fine, fine, I'm too lazy to argue with you. You wouldn't understand anyway. Go pick the wheat now, or you won't get dinner tonight!"

Seeing how ruthless his mother was, and hearing that he wouldn't be fed if he didn't work, Ding Ermao stopped complaining and ran away quickly.

The other onlookers whispered among themselves and then left with their children.

Seeing that everyone had left, Li Dazui (Er Mao's mother) angrily shook the towel in her hand.

"You're such a troublemaker, never letting your mother have a moment's peace. Now look what's happened, you've offended him terribly, let's see if your father can get any more credit when buying alcohol!"

Grandma carried Xiaojiu all the way home, and once home, she put her in her crib.

"Little Jiu, let me see your brother's injury."

Because there are many boys in the family, they have stocked up on some ointments for sprains and bruises. As Xiao Jiu lay there, she could hear her older brother crying and complaining of pain.

Before long, Grandma had cleaned all the scratches on his body, scolding him as she did so.

"You should stay away from this kind of person in the future. His mother is a notorious gossip. Otherwise, why would people call her Li the Big Mouth? She's always talking behind people's backs and has gotten into fights with women countless times. Why are you getting involved with her son? Don't associate with this kind of person anymore, understand?"

"Also, if you encounter someone who can't be reasoned with, who is persistent and has a bad temper, don't bother explaining too much to them. Stay away from these people. It's not that we're cowards, but it's a waste of breath. You might even get hurt. It's not worth it, you understand?"

Listening to this, Xiao Jiu felt even more that her grandmother was a wise woman, which is what later generations often refer to as staying away from toxic people.

The reason for not arguing is to better protect yourself, because you don't know if you're facing a human or a ghost.

Being constantly wary of everyone around you except yourself is the first reality you need to understand after entering society. Don't wait until you suffer losses and misfortune to agree with this statement, because then it will be too late.