Chapter 119: A Home Filled with Love is a Home Blessed

"Oh, where did these chickens come from?" Du Yun and Du Zhi had just finished putting away the items their eldest uncle had brought over when they heard a crisp, clear voice from outside.

"Back already?" Du Yun stepped out of the house and saw her younger sister, Du Yin, crouching under the eaves, cupping her face in her hands. She was gazing at the little hens wandering around the courtyard with a look of pure infatuation, and Du Yun couldn't help but smile as she greeted her.

"Mmhmm! I went to play at the school with my older siblings today. It was so much fun!" Du Yin’s eyes sparkled, clearly yearning for the day she could finally go to school herself.

Du Yin was only five or six years old, not yet old enough for school. Whenever her older siblings went, she would feel bored and sometimes tag along. That was exactly what had happened today, which was why she hadn't been home when their uncle arrived.

"Our eldest uncle came by and brought quite a lot of things," Du Zhi said as she walked out of the house upon hearing Du Yin’s voice, handing her a piece of candy.

"Oh! Uncle came? Has he left already?" Upon hearing about her uncle, Du Yin scrambled to rush inside, but seeing her two older sisters standing outside with no sign of a guest, she realized he must have already departed.

"Yes, he had things to attend to at home, so he left right after dropping off the gifts." Du Yin was close with her cousins at her maternal grandparents' house and loved visiting them, especially her uncle. Her face fell the moment she learned he was gone.

"How about this? In a few days, when I’m free, I’ll take you to visit Grandma’s house," Du Yun suggested. Thinking of how warmly her maternal relatives treated the original owner of her body, and seeing the abundance of gifts her uncle had brought for her sister, she felt inclined to pay them a visit herself.

"Really? Yes, please!" Du Yin’s face lit up instantly. She looked at the hens pecking at the ground and beamed. "Sister, chickens eat bugs, right? I’ll go catch some for them!"

"Go ahead!" Du Yun laughed, watching Du Yin scamper around the yard like a happy little bird, catching insects to feed the hens. Her own heart felt lighter.

Before long, the rest of the family returned from the fields. Upon seeing the bounty and learning it was a gift from Du Yun’s maternal family, everyone’s faces were wreathed in smiles.

"The eldest daughter-in-law’s family is so kind-hearted," Du Yun’s grandmother remarked, looking at the five hens in the yard and the hundred eggs, several pounds of white flour, and sugar stored in the shed. "They knew we were short on supplies for the wedding and went through all the trouble of bringing so much from so far away."

She had always been fond of her eldest daughter-in-law’s family—they were hardworking and generous. If only they weren't so timid and unworldly, she would have absolutely nothing to complain about.

"Since your mother’s family was so thoughtful, once the work in the fields is done, you should take the children back for a visit. Your mother must miss you," the grandmother added. She was a sensible woman; when others treated her family well, she knew how to return the favor.

"Yes," Du Yun’s mother replied softly, her eyes reddening as she choked back tears. Her family was always so good to her. Knowing that Du Zhi was getting married and fearing they lacked the funds for a proper wedding banquet, they had sent all these things. She felt both overwhelmed with joy and deeply ashamed. Joy, because her family’s love remained unchanged after all these years, warming her heart like a soothing balm; shame, because she felt she hadn't made any progress in life since her marriage, even falling behind her own daughters. She felt almost unworthy of facing her kin.

"Enough, enough! This is a good thing!" The grandmother, seeing her daughter-in-law on the verge of tears, waved her hand dismissively and walked away, not in the mood to comfort her.

"Mom, can we keep these chickens?" Du Yin popped up from somewhere, her eyes wide and expectant as she looked at her mother.

"Yes, let's keep them!" No one had more say in this than Du Yun’s mother, as the chickens were a gift from her own family for her daughter’s wedding. For once, she spoke with uncharacteristic decisiveness. "We’ll keep them."

"Yay! That’s wonderful!" Du Yin jumped for joy, her little braids dancing as she moved.

Just then, Du Tong and the others returned. Seeing the chickens, he lunged forward, eager to catch one for a stew.

"Hey, hey! Don't chase my chickens! You’re scaring them!" Du Yin cried out in alarm as the chickens scattered in a panic. The courtyard turned into a scene of chaos.

"Enough! All of you, behave! If these hens lay eggs, you’ll get to eat them!" the grandmother called out, her head aching from the commotion.

"Really? I get to eat the eggs?" Du Tong, a little foodie at heart, stopped his pursuit immediately. He hurried over to his grandmother, begging for confirmation.

"Yes, really!" The grandmother felt a pang of heartache looking at her grandson’s eager expression. She had spent her life trying to be strong, yet she hadn't been able to prevent the children from suffering. "Du Zhi’s wedding is in a month. I’ll assign one chicken to each of you. Take good care of them, and you’ll get the eggs. If you neglect them and a chicken dies, you’ll get a taste of the rod!"

"Deal!" Du Yin was thrilled. Even though she wasn't the sole caretaker of all five, she was happy enough just to be involved.

"I’m going to catch bugs to feed them!" Du Tong, motivated by the thought of eggs, tossed his schoolbag aside and bolted out of the yard.

"I’ll go gather grass!" "I’ll build them a coop!"

The other children scrambled to help, and soon the courtyard was filled with laughter. Even the usually quiet second brother, Du Huai, volunteered to help build a coop for the five hens.

"My, why is it so lively here?" As everyone busied themselves, a figure walked through the gate—it was Du Yun’s eldest brother, Du Song.

"Brother, why are you back?" Du Yun’s eyes lit up. She remembered sending him to the county town with pastries to test the waters for a potential business.

"It’s because I have good news!" Du Song gave her a mysterious smile. Du Yun’s heart raced with anticipation—it seemed their pastry business had a real chance of success!