After finishing work, Zhang Jiao returned home and saw a scratch on her son’s face while he was playing in the yard. “Junjun, what happened to your face?”

Junjun pouted with grievance, “Huahua scratched me.”

Huahua is a kid from the daycare.

Zhang Jiao felt both heartbroken and angry.

Holding her son’s hand, she entered the house and said to Lin Guodong, who was sitting on the cooling chair smoking, “Tomorrow you take the kid to daycare and talk to the caregiver. Tell her to watch Junjun more carefully—look at the scratch on his face.”

Lin Guodong looked at the injury on his son’s face and said, “I’ll talk to the caregiver properly tomorrow.”

“I’m just saying, it’s better for family to look after the kids.”

“My mom won’t watch him, what can I do?”

Zhang Jiao said, “You’re your mom’s own son. Go talk to her. Maybe she’ll agree.”

“My dad tried talking to her and it didn’t work. Why would it work if I go?” Lin Guodong shook his head.

“You’re you, and Dad is Dad. Mom’s mad at Dad, that’s why she left. Dad talking won’t help, but you’re different—you haven’t made her angry,” Zhang Jiao reasoned.

Lin Guodong thought it over.

She was right.

He hadn’t angered his mom; she was angry with Dad and left home after divorcing him.

“If you ask me, you should just go pick Mom up. That way it’ll be easier for all of us. In the morning, breakfast is ready, the kid has someone to watch him, and after work you can just come home and eat dinner.”

This morning Zhang Jiao had gotten up to cook breakfast.

After only one early morning, she was already tired.

Working every day was hard; she couldn’t even sleep in a little longer.

Lin Guodong blew out a smoke ring. “Alright, I’ll talk to Mom after work tomorrow.”

At 7:30 PM, the Lin family finally sat down to eat.

Everyone was starving, and as soon as the dishes were served, they all gathered at the table.

Liu Qin picked up her chopsticks but changed her expression when she saw the red chili peppers in the twice-cooked pork.

“Starving,” Lin Jianshe said as he took a bite of meat and then some rice.

Seeing his wife hadn’t touched her food, he asked, “Qinqin, why aren’t you eating?”

“They put chili in it. How can I eat that?” Liu Qin said grumpily.

Zhang Jiao’s expression suddenly changed but she said nothing, instead serving a portion of meat to her husband and son.

Lin Jianshe frowned, “Sister-in-law, didn’t I tell you? Qinqin can’t eat spicy food.”

“But Dad, your eldest brother and you both love spicy, and this twice-cooked pork wouldn’t hide the smell without some chili,” Zhang Jiao said. If the pork didn’t have chili, she simply couldn’t eat it. She cooked according to her own taste—why compromise for others?

Lin Yongnian said, “Twice-cooked pork needs some chili to taste good. This isn’t too spicy. Liu Qin, you’ll get used to it.”

Liu Qin replied, “I sweat when I eat spicy. I can’t get used to it.”

“Then eat the cabbage. The cabbage in front of you has no chili,” Lin Yongnian pointed at the stir-fried cabbage.

Liu Qin clenched her chopsticks tightly, furious inside. Why should she eat cabbage?

Sister-in-law was clearly being deliberate. Knowing Liu Qin couldn’t eat spicy, she still put chili in the meat. If Liu Qin refused to eat the meat, then the three of them could eat more—and she still had to pay for the meat.

Zhang Jiao was so calculating.

“Sister-in-law, today’s food cost is 1.2 yuan,” Liu Qin said coldly.

“1.2 yuan? That’s so much!” Zhang Jiao frowned.

Liu Qin said, “What do you mean by that? Are you implying I’m hiding money?”

Zhang Jiao: Exactly that.

“Who said you’re hiding money? I just thought it was a bit much, so I asked. No other meaning. Liu Qin, you’re just too sensitive.”

Liu Qin: “…”

She clearly meant it, but turned around and said Liu Qin was sensitive!

Lin Yongnian came out to smooth things over, “Liu Qin, your sister-in-law didn’t mean it. Don’t think too much.”

If he hadn’t said anything, it would’ve been better. After his words, Liu Qin was even angrier.

The father-in-law thought she was petty.

Seeing the father-in-law take her side, Zhang Jiao looked pleased. “Younger sister-in-law, I’ll give you the money after dinner.”

Liu Qin: “…”

In this showdown between sisters-in-law, she lost again.

…

“Hmph…”

Sweaty Lin Jianshe lay flat on the bed, breathing hard after getting off Liu Qin.

“Sister-in-law knew I can’t eat spicy but still put chili in the meat on purpose. If I don’t eat it, the three of them get to eat more.”

“She obviously suspects I’m hiding money. She said, ‘How come it’s so expensive?’ She didn’t think about the fact that I bought a pound and a half of meat today!”

“She’s just like that—petty,” Lin Jianshe’s voice sounded weak.

In another room, Zhang Jiao was also complaining about Liu Qin. “It wasn’t even that much meat. It couldn’t have been a pound and a half. Liu Qin definitely exaggerated to scam us.”

Lin Guodong didn’t answer, so Zhang Jiao pinched him. “Did you hear what I said?”

Lin Guodong said impatiently, “Her family is the kind that likes to calculate and be petty. It’s no surprise she’s like that.”

Hearing that, Zhang Jiao felt better, turned over, and wrapped her arms around Lin Guodong, sliding her hand under his undershirt.

Lin Guodong pulled her hand out. “Isn’t work tiring enough? You still think about this?”

Zhang Jiao snorted in annoyance, wrapped herself in the quilt, and turned over.

Her second child also worked. She heard noises when she got up at night.

Brothers born of the same mother, yet so different.

At 6 AM, Li Shuping woke up naturally. Her daughter Lin Xiaoyu was still asleep, so she quietly got up and got dressed.

Opening the kitchen door, she drew water to wash up and then started a fire to cook millet porridge.

Closing the kitchen door, she took a basket to the supply store to buy vegetables, sometimes greeting old neighbors from number 18.

Some neighbors asked, “You really won’t go back to the Lin family?”

“Really not going back?”

Li Shuping always gave a firm no.

By the time she finished shopping and came home with buns, Lin Xiaoyu was awake and the millet porridge was ready.

“Mom, where will you set up your stall today?” Lin Xiaoyu asked while eating buns.

Her mom was starting to set up a stall today; last night they had prepped the chives.

Li Shuping thought carefully and said, “I’ll try the alley entrance at noon first. If that doesn’t work, I’ll ride the bike to the flea market to set up. If I’m not home when you come back from school, just cook something yourself.”

Lin Xiaoyu nodded.

After breakfast, Lin Xiaoyu went to school.

Li Shuping began kneading dough, chopping chives, frying eggs, and mixing filling.

By 10 AM, everything was ready; she had also made a tray of dumplings.

She pushed the tricycle outside the yard and started loading everything: folding table and stools, coal stove, buckets, bowls of dough and filling, chopping board, bowls, chopsticks, and the tray of dumplings.

The dumplings and the bowl of dough were covered with clean gauze. The neighbors watching her hustle knew what she was up to.

After moving everything, Li Shuping locked the door.

Liu Mingxiang said, “Is she going to sell dumplings at a stall?”

“It’s embarrassing if someone she knows sees her,” Wang Guixiang shook her head. Even though she had no job now, she’d rather stay home making matches than set up a stall.

Cui Juanzi said, “These days people won’t even go to state-run restaurants. Who would spend money on roadside dumplings? She won’t sell any.”

Old lady Yuan also shook her head, “Li Shuping really likes to mess around. Divorced and now selling dumplings at a stall. Watch, she’ll pack up and come back soon. If she can’t sell it, I’m willing to help eat some.”

The last time she ate dumplings was during the New Year. She was craving dumplings again.

Cui Juanzi laughed, “You’re just dreaming. If she’s down and out, she won’t even share with us.”

The other night, her eldest son stood guard for a long time but didn’t get a single dumpling to eat.