Chapter 4: It Feels Good to Be Taken Care of by My Mother

Shen Xuezhu said, “Our family is going to raise a lot of chicks. How can we have chicks without a rooster? I also want a rooster.”

At that moment, a villager spoke up in her defense.

“Xiao Shan’s daughter-in-law no longer wants the land, so it makes sense for her to get another chicken.”

“Yes, yes,” others agreed.

Song Guimiao didn’t want to be drowned by their criticisms, so she reluctantly gave Shen Xuezhu their only rooster.

She also gave her 50 kilograms of rough rice and some bowls and chopsticks.

Shen Xuezhu didn’t know how much grain the Lu family had, so she didn’t say anything about the rice.

It was nearly noon, and some villagers had already gone home.

Shen Xuezhu watched them leave and thanked them for speaking up for her.

She remembered that when she had just married Lu Xiaoshan, he had bought her a pair of silver bangles and a silver hairpin.

After Lu Xiaoshan went missing for half a year, Song Guimiao told her, “Such beautiful jewelry might be stolen, I’ll keep it safe for you.”

At that moment, Shen Xuezhu mentioned the jewelry.

Song Guimiao replied with certainty, “I’ll give it back to you soon.”

Shen Xuezhu knew her intentions. “Mother, the two bangles and the silver hairpin are already on you, so whether you give them to me now or later, it’s the same.”

The village head glanced at Song Guimiao and turned his face away.

Song Guimiao was worried the village head might say something, so she reluctantly took off the silver hairpin and bangles and handed them to Shen Xuezhu.

In her heart, she thought, Shen Xuezhu is no longer someone who can be easily fooled.

…

After settling her household, Shen Xuezhu went to the kitchen to clean the blood from her head.

Lu Xiaolin and several villagers helped Shen Xuezhu move. She didn’t have much stuff, so the move was completed in one trip.

There were two households next to the old Lu family house. Across from them was Aunt Yao’s family. Her husband had died from a serious illness, and she was left alone with a son and a daughter.

Her daughter was 14, and her son was 11.

Seeing that Shen Xuezhu couldn’t cook yet because she had just moved in, and there wasn’t even a pot to cook with, Aunt Yao invited Shen Xuezhu and her two daughters to her house for lunch.

Shen Xuezhu looked at Aunt Yao, who seemed familiar, feeling grateful but also a bit embarrassed to accept.

From the memories of the original owner, she knew that Aunt Yao was also struggling in life.

Now, she was still inviting them to lunch.

With nowhere else to go and not wanting to let her daughters go hungry, she agreed. “Thank you, Aunt Yao.”

Aunt Yao waved her hand. “It’s nothing, nothing.”

She had only cooked for her own family earlier, and now that Shen Xuezhu’s family of three was joining, she needed to fry three pancakes.

Thinking this, she went home to prepare.

When Shen Xuezhu and her two daughters arrived at Aunt Yao’s house, she saw there were only two dishes on the table—wild vegetables and eggs.

Before long, Aunt Yao brought the pancakes to the table.

However, it wasn’t three pancakes.

She had cut the pancakes into many small pieces, thinking that this way, everyone could have some.

She also served each bowl of rice with half a bowl less, so everyone could have some.

Finally, she brought a small bowl of pickled vegetables to the table and invited everyone to start eating.

Seeing that Lu Xiaoyue and Lu Xiaoli were very thin, she gave each of them a piece of fried egg.

Lu Xiaoli thought it was already a great kindness for Aunt Yao to invite them to lunch, so she quietly returned the egg and picked up a piece of pancake, sitting by the door to eat.

“Wow, what’s for lunch at your house today?” Aunt He, who lived next door to the old Lu family house, came over with her three-year-old grandson, Bao, to play.

Aunt Yao ate while saying, “It’s just some ordinary dishes.”

“But there are eggs and pancakes, too! It’s not bad!” Aunt He glanced at the food again.

She looked at Shen Xuezhu and said, “What kind of household division is this? First meal and you’re already eating at Aunt Yao’s house?”

Shen Xuezhu put down her bowl and chopsticks, “Aunt, I just split from my family and didn’t even have time to buy a pot. I can’t cook right now, so I’m eating here today. I’ll return this favor in the future.”

“Oh, I was just saying it casually. Xiao Shan’s wife, you’re so serious!” Aunt He thought Shen Xuezhu had brought her two kids just to get a free meal.

Lai Bao, Aunt He’s three-year-old grandson, kept staring at the pancake in Lu Xiaoli’s bowl. He really wanted to eat it and tugged on Aunt He’s hand, saying, “Grandma, the pancake in Xiaoli’s bowl looks so delicious, I really want to eat it.”

Aunt He, who doted on her precious grandson, was willing to give him anything he wanted.

A pancake wasn’t much, so of course, she was going to ask for it.

She flashed a smile at Lu Xiaoli and said, “Xiaoli, Lai Bao wants a piece of your pancake, can you give him a little?”

“In the future, if I have something good, I’ll share it with you.”

Lu Xiaoli glanced at the table. The pancakes were already gone.

If she gave Lai Bao the pancake from her bowl, she would go hungry since there wasn’t much rice left in her bowl either.

She directly said, “Grandma He, I can’t give him any, I haven’t had enough myself.”

When Lai Bao heard that Lu Xiaoli wasn’t giving him the pancake, he started crying and making a fuss, almost rolling on the floor.

Aunt He’s face immediately darkened, “Xiaoli, how can you be so stingy? It’s just a pancake!”

“You can’t even spare a piece? No child will want to play with you in the future.”

Lu Xiaoli lowered her head in shame after hearing Aunt He’s scolding.

Shen Xuezhu had heard everything clearly. She had thought Lu Xiaoli would be embarrassed to refuse, but to her surprise, she knew how to stand her ground.

She put down her bowl and chopsticks, then walked over to her.

Seeing Lu Xiaoli’s distressed expression, Shen Xuezhu felt bad for her. Frowning, she said, “Aunt He, how can you say she’s stingy? She only had a small bowl of porridge this morning.”

“She’s already so hungry, how can she give the pancake to Lai Bao?”

“Besides, your family isn’t lacking in pancakes. If Lai Bao wants one so badly, you can take him home and make one for him.”

When Lu Xiaoli saw her mother standing up for her, she felt a sense of support. Her head slowly lifted.

It felt so good to be protected by her mother. If it had been the old her, her mother would have made her give the pancake to Lai Bao.

Aunt He, who cared a lot about face, didn’t like anyone speaking ill of her. “If she doesn’t give it, then she doesn’t give it. Am I so old and still being lectured by you, a younger generation?”

Aunt Yao, who had been silently observing, knew that Aunt He often took advantage of her, but because they lived so close, she didn’t want to cause a scene.

But Shen Xuezhu didn’t seem to care about that at all. Aunt Yao was curious how Shen Xuezhu would handle Aunt He.

Shen Xuezhu responded to Aunt He, “I’m not lecturing you. I’m just explaining things. If I told you that you’re being unreasonable and difficult, that would be lecturing, alright?”

Aunt He realized that Shen Xuezhu was indirectly calling her unreasonable and difficult.

She had always heard that Shen Xuezhu had a gentle personality and didn’t talk much, but now she seemed like a completely different person.

Even the way she looked at her was more piercing.

At this moment, Lai Bao saw Lu Xiaoli starting to eat the pancake, and he immediately started rolling on the ground, shouting, “Xiaoli sister is eating the pancake, not giving me any!”

Worried that the ground might be cold, Aunt He quickly carried Lai Bao back home.

After they left, Aunt Yao said to Shen Xuezhu, “Aunt He often brings Lai Bao to my house to eat and drink for free, but I don’t want to say anything because I don’t want her to think I’m being petty.”

“I just couldn’t stand her talking about Xiaoli, that’s why I said something to her.”

Shen Xuezhu held her bowl and replied.

…

After lunch, Shen Xuezhu left her two daughters at Aunt Yao’s house and headed to the town.

She planned to sell her recipes to the restaurants in town. If none of the restaurants wanted them, she would pawn the two silver bangles and hairpin for some money.