Chapter 46

Chapter 46

You Enjoy Being Scolded, Don’t You?

Lin Nannan stared at her with an innocent expression. "No, why would I have any problem with you, Second Aunt?"

"Then why do you keep criticizing the dishes I made? Isn’t it clear you’re picking on me?" Lu Lin asked angrily.

If she had actually offended Lin Nannan, it would be understandable. But she had been just as polite to Lin Nannan as her elder sister had been. Why was Lin Nannan giving her a hard time?

"How is this picking on me?" Lin Nannan put on a surprised look. "Second Aunt, isn’t this the same way you talk to Xiao Li? I thought you liked it, so I deliberately imitated it. I even worried I wasn’t getting it right. What? You don’t like it?"

The moment these words were spoken, everyone froze.

Everyone got it—Nan Nan was sticking up for Xiao Li.

Lu Lin hadn’t expected this to be the reason and was momentarily stunned. Then, she said incredulously, "What’s the harm in scolding a kid when they misbehave?"

She truly hadn’t imagined that disciplining her own child would draw Lin Nannan’s attention. It made her feel as wronged as Dou E.*

"Why do you need to scold her?" Lin Nannan pushed back, her voice sharpening. "Isn’t it because you dislike her and can’t stand the sight of her? Otherwise, why don’t you say a single word when your son throws tantrums on the floor?"

Lu Lin stammered under the questioning. "Th-That’s because she’s a girl!"

"But An An is also a girl! She’s even older than Xiao Li, and she gets just as dirty. Aunt never snaps at her!" Lin Nannan pressed on relentlessly, making Lu Lin feel inexplicably guilty.

Xiao Li hadn’t expected this aunt, who had been making things difficult for her mother and had annoyed her, to actually be standing up for her.

She had grown accustomed to being scolded. Though she felt wronged at times, she never thought to hold it against her mother—she just assumed she wasn’t good enough.

But now, having it pointed out like this, she suddenly felt overwhelmed and was fighting back tears...

"How many times have I told you? If you have something to say, say it properly. There’s no need to snap at the child!" Lu Hua, sensing the tense atmosphere, stepped in to reprimand.

Lu Lin didn’t think she had done anything wrong. In the village, wasn’t it common to scold girls like this? She hadn’t even hit anyone—that was already better than many other families. Why was she being called out?

"Eldest Sister, even you’re criticizing me?" While Lu Lin couldn’t lash out at Lin Nannan, she didn’t hold back with her elder sister, her anger—and perhaps misplaced resentment—showing. "Isn’t this how every child is raised? Everything I do is for her own good, so she doesn’t grow up reckless and wild. Otherwise, people might think no one taught her manners!"

*Bang!* Grandma Lu slammed her bowl onto the table in fury. "Watch your tongue! If you can’t speak properly, then leave!"

Only then did Lu Lin realize she had misspoken.

She hadn’t meant any harm—it was just careless words. But the phrase *wild child with no parents* directly applied to Lin Nannan, making it seem like she was deliberately mocking her.

Feeling completely misunderstood, Lu Lin stood up to defend herself. "I didn’t mean it like that! I wasn’t targeting Nan Nan. But what Nan Nan said was clearly aimed at me!"

"If just a few words make you feel wronged, Second Aunt, then what about Xiao Li?" Lin Nannan asked.

"It’s not the same! I’m an adult. What does a kid know?" Lu Lin argued stubbornly.

Lin Nannan let out a heavy sigh. "Even a child a few years old knows anger and sadness. She’s not stupid—how could she not realize you dislike her, or even hate her?" *Chinese idiom referring to extreme unjust suffering.