Chapter 6: Give Me a Bowl of Meat

After being yelled at by her own man, Xie Lanzhi could only back down. After all, what else could she do if she didn’t keep quiet?

She couldn’t seriously fight with Zhang Qin again—unlike Xu Xuemei, she didn’t have a strong maiden family to back her up. If she really got beaten up, she’d just have to swallow it. It wasn’t worth it.

All she could do was sit there and watch that whole family of bandits enjoying themselves joyfully.

Zhang Qin held Shen Jintao’s small hand with a heartache-filled expression. “Taozi, if anyone ever bullies you again, you must come home and tell your uncles and aunts. Our old Xu family might not have much, but we’ve got plenty of people. If we hadn’t stopped your cousins this time, they would’ve torn down a certain someone’s house!”

Who she was talking about wasn’t exactly clear, but Shen Jintao nodded along very cooperatively.
“If anything like this happens again, I’ll definitely come running to complain to you all first thing!”

“That’s more like it!” Zhang Qin immediately broke into a broad smile. The three aunts surrounded Shen Jintao, all asking about her upcoming marriage to Huo Beichuan.

After all, they knew this niece of theirs had always liked a certain educated youth.

“You’ve really thought it through? You really want to marry him?”

Shen Jintao nodded. “Yes, I’ve thought it through. I don’t see anything bad about him—he’s good-looking, makes money, way better than some educated youth who doesn’t know how to do anything.”

“You really think that?” Zhang Qin was a bit surprised at her niece’s change of heart. Even though they weren’t in the same brigade, she’d still heard about how Shen Jintao used to chase after that educated youth—there’d been no shortage of gossip.

“Mm, I really think so! Plus, Beichuan and I grew up together. We know each other well, and his family treats me nicely too. Isn’t that way better than marrying an educated youth and having to face so many unknowns?”

Shen Jintao said with a smile.

Xu Xuemei nearly burst into tears when she heard her daughter say that. They had tried to persuade her before, but this girl just wouldn’t listen.

“It’s the best thing that you’ve come around. I get along well with your Aunt Huo too—I know exactly what kind of person she is. If you marry into their family, you’ll definitely live a good life.”

“Hmph! It’s just because Brother Qingshan didn’t want you. You’re only good enough to pick up what others throw away.”

Shen Chunmiao walked into the courtyard with her head held high, her tone dripping with sarcasm.

“Hey! This Mother and daughter are of the same character! Look at my temper about to blow!”

Zhang Qin rolled up her sleeves again. Seeing this, Shen Chunmiao quickly ran off, shouting,
“You bunch of bandits! This is our Shen family! Who do you think you are bossing people around here?!”

Shen Jintao quickly grabbed her hot-headed eldest aunt, “Auntie, don’t stoop to the level of someone whose mouth is smeared with shit.”

Only then did Zhang Qin sit back down, though she was still fuming. The second and third aunts didn’t look any happier either.

“Shen Jintao, don’t think that just because you’re marrying Huo Beichuan you’re going to have a good life. Just wait—hahaha—wait to be a widow your whole life!

Bet you didn’t know, Brother Qingshan is coming to my house in a few days to propose! I’ll be going back to the city with him to live the good life, and you’ll be stuck in this village forever, looking after that pair of old couple for Huo Beichuan! Hahahahaha…”

Shen Chunmiao sounded completely unhinged, and the things she was saying got nastier and nastier.

Just as Xu Xuemei and the others were about to charge at her, Shen Chunmiao quickly ducked into the house.

A moment later, Xie Lanzhi’s sharp, screeching voice rang out.

“You little brat! This is such a big matter—why didn’t you tell the family first? You just made the decision on your own. What’s so good about that Lu Qingshan anyway?”

Lu Qingshan was famously weak and frail—couldn’t carry anything, couldn’t lift a thing, and spent all day reciting sappy poems. Xie Lanzhi completely looked down on him.

No one knew what Shen Chunmiao had said, but somehow Xie Lanzhi stopped scolding and, when she came out again, she didn’t say another word about refusing the engagement.

—

Not long after, Huo Beichuan arrived with his parents, along with Huo Nanxi and Huo Dongsheng.

Shen Jianmin had also come back with meat and vegetables. The women in the house were all great cooks, and soon the smell of the food wafted far and wide—after all, in these times, being able to eat meat was a rare treat.

Meanwhile, Shen Chunwang was throwing another tantrum, but Xie Lanzhi didn’t indulge him. After a few scoldings, he quieted down.

In the side kitchen, Xie Lanzhi was banging and clanging things around. “Eat, eat, eat! May you all eat yourselves to death!”

Wang Lanxiu, however, couldn’t bear to see her grandson craving meat. Instead of giving him money to buy some, she tiptoed her way over to Shen Jintao’s side.

“Eldest, give me a bowl of meat!”

Shen Jintao was speechless. They had just split households, and clearly the old woman wasn’t used to it yet—still hoping to suck them dry.

“Mom, you saw it too—I still have to entertain my brothers-in-law and the others. There really isn’t any extra meat to spare. How about you and Dad just come over and eat with us instead?”

Shen Jianmin was a bit troubled. He knew full well that his mother had come asking for meat for someone else, but if he outright refused, it would sound terrible if word got out.

So he could only come up with a compromise. That way, no one could say he was being unfilial.

“What do you mean by that?” the old woman’s voice instantly jumped up several notches. “We just split the household, and you already won’t give me a bowl of meat? How am I supposed to count on you in the future? You heartless thing! I raised you with all my blood, sweat, and tears—and this is how you repay me?!”

“Grandma, have you looked at what kind of ‘bowl’ you’re holding?”

Shen Jintao rolled her eyes in disbelief. The old lady was holding a soup basin, not a bowl.

If they really filled that up, there’d be nothing left for anyone else—might as well drink dishwater instead.

“Who said you could speak, you shameless little wretch?! I haven’t even settled accounts with you yet! If it weren’t for you, how would Chunmiao’s perfectly good marriage have fallen through? You disgraceful thing!”

“Mom!” Shen Jianmin’s voice turned cold. “There’s no meat left today. If you want meat, go ask Shen Jianguo.”