Hearing this, Lin Feng was immediately angered.
"Damn, where did this impish kid come from?" he thought.
Turning his head, he saw that the culprit was none other than his eldest son, Lin Yuxiang. The child looked sallow, emaciated, and utterly naked—barely any flesh on his bony frame. In that instant, Lin Feng's anger melted away.
Nearby, three even smaller boys stood together. They resembled fragile chicks, their scrawny bodies topped with oversized heads. The marks of severe malnutrition were evident. Yet despite their pitiful state, the original owner still had the nerve to buy wine.
"Wait—weren't there five children? Where is the other one?" Lin Feng wondered, scanning the yard.
His eyes soon fell on a little girl with two playful pigtails, peeking nervously out of the main room's window. When their eyes met, she quickly withdrew. This was his youngest daughter, Lin Yue'er.
The original owner had been cruel—beating and scolding the children without exception, sparing not even his daughter. The boys, hardened by repeated beatings, had grown less afraid, while the little girl, having suffered only a few blows, trembled at his presence.
Seeing Lin Feng's stern look, Lin Yuxiang's eyes widened in fear, and he stepped back. Then, gathering courage despite his shame, the little boy squared his shoulders and retorted, "You stinky drunkard, what are you looking at? Want to hit me? I'll just stand here and let you hit me to death. Otherwise, when I grow up, I'll beat you eight times a day!"
With a calm smile, Lin Feng produced five sugar figurines and waved them enticingly. Lin Yuxiang's eyes locked onto the treats; his neck craned forward as drool began to form.
"Do you want to eat them? If you do, call me 'Dad,' and they're yours," Lin Feng offered.
After a moment's hesitation, the little boy swallowed hard and crisply replied, "Dad." Practical and unhesitating, he earned praise.
"Good son," Lin Feng said, handing the sugar figurines over. "Share them with your younger siblings—one for each."
The delighted boy grabbed the figurines and dashed away.
Later, Lin Feng's mother asked, "Xiaofeng, where did you get those sugar figurines?"
"Mom, I met three noble people in my dream who gave me steamed buns and silver. When I woke up, I found a lot of silver in my arms and took it to the county to buy them. There's even some silver left," Lin Feng explained, revealing the money bag slung at his side.
His mother's eyes widened at the sight of the silver. She quickly clutched the bag tighter and scanned the yard gate. "Dabao, Erbao, go close the yard gate," she instructed.
Lin Yuxiang and his second brother, Lin Yuxuan, each clutching a sugar figurine, ran to secure the gate. Convinced by the white gleam of the silver, Lin's mother walked to the wall, knelt before the Supreme God's statue, and kowtowed three times in earnest, "Thank you, Supreme One, for enlightening my son. Thank you, Supreme One, for enlightening my son."
Without further explanation, Lin Feng helped his mother to her feet. Suddenly, he heard a gurgling sound beside him and looked down to find his four sons clustered together, licking their sugar figurines one bite at a time as their stomachs rumbled in hunger.
"Mom, haven't you had dinner yet?" Lin Feng inquired.
"There's no food at home. I haven't had time to borrow any," she replied.
Quickly, Lin Feng untied the tightly bound bag he had carried on his journey. In these times, borrowing food was not so simple. He opened the grain bag and announced, "Mom, you don't need to borrow any more. I bought rice, flour, and cured meat—enough for our family of eight to last half a month."
Seeing the abundance of food, his mother smiled warmly. "Good, good, good. Now, Grandma will cook properly. My dear grandsons haven't had a full meal in days. Today, you'll eat to your heart's content."
At the mention of a hearty meal, the naked children rushed off to gather firewood and prepare a fire for their grandmother.
Then, Lin's mother urged, "Go and see your wife. She tossed and turned most of the night, and her condition has worsened. Fortunately, you brought back silver—find some time to get medicine for her."
Retrieving the medicine he'd already obtained, Lin Feng replied, "Mom, I got medicine for my wife. I also bought some for you to treat your sprains and bruises. After dinner, I'll apply it."
His mother's tearful eyes brimmed with relief. "Mom, why are you crying again?"
Wiping her tears with her sleeve, she smiled, "Wuwu, I'm happy. It seems my Feng'er has suddenly matured and knows how to care for others. Now, go and see your wife. I'm off to cook."
Accompanied by a group of children, his mother headed toward the kitchen. Lin Feng walked into the bedroom and found his wife lying on the bed in coarse linen. Although Zhou Chunlan was the mother of five, she still looked as youthful as a girl—only twenty years old in this world of early marriages.
As he stepped closer, Lin Feng admired her delicate, pale features, the graceful curve of her willow-like eyebrows, and the slender elegance of her face. She possessed a classical beauty that far surpassed the trendy faces of online celebrities from his previous life. In a harsher reality, a rural woman burdened with many children might appear worn down, yet here, perhaps due to stronger genes or environmental resilience, she shone with an almost ethereal vitality. Her ability to bear quintuplets was a testament to her extraordinary nature.
Just as Lin Feng neared her, his daughter intervened. With outstretched arms and a trembling voice, the little girl pleaded, "Mom is sick, don't hit Mom."
Despite her tear-streaked face and puffed cheeks, she stood resolute before her mother. In a household where the original owner would strike anyone—mother, wife, or children—the girl's courage was remarkable.
Kneeling down, Lin Feng took out a piece of osmanthus cake and handed it to his daughter. "Good daughter, don't worry. Dad has changed. I won't hit anyone anymore. Our little Yue'er is wise enough to protect her mother. You're such a good child. Dad will reward you with this osmanthus cake."
The little girl's nose wrinkled as she inhaled the cake's sweet aroma, drool forming at the corners of her mouth. "Really—not hitting anyone anymore?" she asked in disbelief.
"If I hit anyone again, I'll be a puppy," he replied with a lighthearted tone.
Reaching out, the little girl hesitated, then moved the cake away and placed it gently into Zhou Chunlan's hand. "I'm not hungry—give it to Mom," she said.
Hearing this, Zhou Chunlan's clear, watery eyes fluttered open. They shone with the innocence of a child's gaze, devoid of sorrow or joy. "Husband, you're back," she murmured softly.
Lin Feng, who had lived two lives, instantly sensed that his wife no longer held any hope for him. Just yesterday, she must have searched for him, desperate to ensure the children would not be left fatherless.
At a loss for words, Lin Feng placed a bag of osmanthus cake on the bedside and said gently to his daughter, "Yue'er, pour a bowl of water for your mother and feed her two pieces of osmanthus cake. Dad is going to prepare the medicine for her now."
After speaking, he tenderly touched his daughter's head. The little girl, expecting a blow, shrank back, her large, dark eyes wide like those of a frightened quail. Torn between laughter and tears, Lin Feng turned away to begin making the medicine.
Dong dong dong.
At that moment, a knock sounded at the gate of Lin Feng's house.