The village chief's wife knew that Deng Yuyuan was an outstanding young woman. Under her guidance, Tuantuan was bound to become a well-educated, good child. With their family's financial help, the mother and daughter wouldn't have to worry about their livelihood and could raise the girl well. Furthermore, since their family had done Deng Yuyuan a great favor, their boy would definitely stand out among Tuantuan's future suitors!
If Deng Yuyuan and Zhang Jiahua stayed together, things would be uncertain. Setting aside whether Granny Zhang, with her petty and greedy nature, would demand an exorbitant bride price, it was hard to say if Tuantuan would end up dark, skinny, and frail.
Tuantuan's personality would also inevitably become timid and cowering. And if she inherited her father's selfless and blindly filial traits... oh, her married life would be in utter chaos.
Even if Tuantuan grew up to be timid but capable, that wouldn't do. What she wanted was a beautiful, poised, and generous granddaughter-in-law to match her family's tall, strong, and capable Shi Tou.
Well, if Shi Tou didn't eat more, exercise more, and become one of the most capable and best-tempered men in the village, she wouldn't let her grandson ruin this beautiful, doll-like girl either.
The newly born Fubao from the east side of the village was uniquely fair and adorable too. But... she had several older brothers protecting her, and right from birth, she was the family's precious Mingzhu. The odds of successfully marrying her weren't as high as with Tuantuan.
With this in mind, the village chief's wife brought Shi Tou over to visit more and more frequently. Deng Yuyuan didn't suspect a thing. She had no idea about the convoluted matchmaking schemes of this era; she simply thought it was great for the two babies to have a playmate.
Indeed, it was incredibly amusing to watch the two babies—one dark, one fair—staring at each other and clumsily swatting their little hands around.
Conversely, Zhang Ci Hao insisted that the more the merrier. He went to the east side of the village and brought back two young boys, returning with a baby girl in his arms.
"I figured they could play anywhere, but the Knowledge Youth Institute is much livelier!" He handed the baby girl back to the young boy. Then, looking perfectly natural, he picked up a light blanket from the main room and draped it over Deng Yuyuan's shoulders as she came out to look.
His movements were so smooth and unabashed that no one realized anything was amiss.
This was Deng Yuyuan's first time seeing the female lead of the original novel, Fubao.
The chubby baby was noticeably a size larger than Tuantuan and looked much healthier. She wasn't shy around so many strangers, either, simply grinning and giggling happily.
The young boy carrying her had to be her second older brother, Jin Xinggu. Calling him a "young boy" was a bit of a stretch; he was more of a teenager. At twelve or thirteen years old, he had already shot up in height, standing just a little shorter than Deng Yuyuan and about the same height as the village chief's wife. He had a slender build and a strong gaze, which softened into something gentle and cherishing when he looked down at his sister.
The boy next to him still had a childish look about him. At eight or nine, he was at the age of pure mischief, yet he patiently helped his older brother look after their little sister. This must be the third brother, Jin Xinmai.
The three siblings didn't look like they belonged to the same league in terms of appearance. The two brothers had decent features—handsome at best. Deng Yuyuan remembered that the original novel described the female lead's looks as though she had won the genetic lottery: stunningly beautiful and harmless. Compared to the supporting female character's aggressively striking beauty, the female lead was as pure and flawless as an uncarved gem, ethereal as a goddess.
With the babies placed side by side, both had big eyes, high noses, and small mouths. Their adorable, chubby cheeks puffed in and out. One couldn't foresee the future difference between "striking" and "pure"; they just seemed incredibly cute, warming everyone's hearts.
...Except for Shi Tou, who sat beside them. None of the babies were ugly, but he was so dark he looked like he belonged on a completely different color palette.
Placed in the middle, Fubao swiveled her head, looking to the left and then to the right, before locking her gaze onto Tuantuan.
Even a baby knew how to be picky.
Every ounce of her chubby little body exerted effort. Clenching her tiny fists tightly, she used all her strength to clumsily roll over, immediately planting a wet, drool-covered bite on Tuantuan's plump cheek.
To think she could already roll over at such a young age! The adults present watched the scene in amazement.
Tuantuan didn't cry from the sudden attack. Her little face simply scrunched up as she raised a tiny hand to wipe her cheek. Unfortunately, her limbs weren't nearly as coordinated as Fubao's. After accidentally smacking herself twice, she resorted to slapping Fubao's face instead.
Fubao happily patted Tuantuan's face back, and the two began to play.
Left on the sidelines, Shi Tou wiggled helplessly. He patted Fubao's back, but when he got no reaction, he burst into tears. WAAAH!
The stark contrast made the village chief's wife look away. Both her second and youngest sons took after her and had very fair complexions. Yet her eldest son took after his father, born with dark skin.
Her eldest son had married a woman with a normal complexion. It would have been fine if her grandson had taken after his mother—even if he wasn't fair and delicate, he at least wouldn't be this dark. But as luck would have it, Shi Tou took after his father too.
Fortunately, she thought Shi Tou's facial features were quite handsome and masculine. A man didn't need to be fair-skinned anyway; he would still grow up to be a handsome young lad.
Her second son had been born fair, but working in the fields had tanned him. Only her youngest son—who was rather spoiled, disliked fieldwork, and always talked about sun protection before going out—remained fair and good-looking. Still, she didn't know how many times people had secretly called him a "pretty boy" behind his back.
She had been the village beauty in her youth, and all three of her sons were handsome. Because of this, her number one requirement for her daughters-in-law was beauty; everything else was secondary.
The eldest daughter-in-law was an exception. Her eldest son liked her, and she had an appealing look that grew on you. While her face didn't exactly align with the village chief's wife's aesthetic standards, she was warm-hearted and a good kid, so her mother-in-law was quite fond of her regardless.
When Deng Yuyuan first arrived in the village, the village chief's wife had considered setting her up with her second son. To her surprise, Zhang Jiahua had managed to win the beauty's heart first.
Now that the couple had grown estranged, it was truly a shame.
If they couldn't marry Deng Yuyuan into the family, marrying Tuantuan would be just as good!
The village chief's wife smiled radiantly as she watched the three children, her eyes especially lingering on the lively Tuantuan.
Zhang Ci Hao handed Deng Yuyuan a handkerchief so she wouldn't have to go back inside to wipe Tuantuan's face. Along the way, he gave his giggling mother a weird look and nudged her with his elbow, signaling her to tend to the endlessly wailing Shi Tou.
With the adults working together, the three babies soon started playing as a group. Even if they couldn't all roll over, placing them on their tummies allowed them to babble back and forth in their own baby language.
Deng Yuyuan secretly prayed that her daughter's frequent interactions with the female lead would allow her to rub off some of the legendary Fubao's good luck!
The sister-doting maniacs from the original novel were currently just two playful kids. Compared to normally mischievous boys, they possessed an extra touch of maturity and thoughtfulness. As they played with the toys at the Knowledge Youth Institute, they never forgot to include their younger siblings.
"Comrade Deng Yuyuan, a letter from your family has arrived." The door opened from the outside, revealing a bespectacled male knowledge youth.
His gaze briefly met Zhang Ci Hao's in mid-air before he walked straight over and handed the letter to Deng Yuyuan.