Chapter 4

“I said she wouldn’t buy clothes for Xiaohe and Nuannuan. How could she be willing to spend money on two children? They are not her children.” Fan Fuying said disdainfully.

“Xiaohe and Nuannuan are so pitiful to have such a stepmother.” Guo Xia sighed in a serious manner.

“Captain Fu is really blind to find a woman like her.” Feng Lingling also said.

…

Yan Xi walked around the market with more than eight yuan in her pocket, and saw how long money lasted in this era.

She bought pork belly, spare ribs, some green vegetables, and some rapeseed – there was a vacant lot in the yard of the house that had been abandoned and no one had taken care of it. Yan Xi planned to use it to grow some vegetables, which were natural and pollution-free, so that she could eat whatever she wanted in the future.

She also bought seasonings such as salt, MSG, soy sauce, and flour.

It wasn’t that she wanted to buy so much, but she really had nothing left at home. If the original owner had spent a little money on these things before, she wouldn’t have to buy so much now.

After buying these necessities, Yan Xi used the remaining money to buy thirteen spices, chili powder, sesame seeds, cumin, etc., and she only had a few cents left in her hand.

The seasonings she finally bought all have other uses, and she wants to make money from them.

She has already figured out where her first pot of gold will come from.

Because Yan Xi had so many things to buy, by the time she returned to the compound, Fan Fuying and her sisters-in-law had already left.

Fan Fuying and Guo Xia returned to the compound chatting and laughing, and saw their son Shuai Shuai playing with some friends in the compound, including Fu Caihe and Nuannuan.

When they saw Fu Caihe and Nuannuan, the sisters-in-law were stunned and looked at each other for a moment.

Although Fu Caihe and Nuannuan looked as dull as usual, they did not seem to have any injuries on their bodies and did not look like anything had happened to them.

“Xiao He, Nuan Nuan, we haven’t seen you two for a few days. Your aunts are worried that something has happened to you or you are dead.” Fan Fuying said the vicious words in a light tone.

Fu Caihe and Nuannuan didn’t realize the malice in Fan Fuying’s words, nor did they know how to answer Fan Fuying’s question, so the two of them just stood there stupidly.

“Auntie is talking to you two, why don’t you say anything? You look so stupid.” After Fan Fuying said this, she looked at her sisters-in-law Guo Xia, Feng Lingling and laughed.

The two children were even more at a loss. They didn’t know how to respond and could only smile foolishly.

This was the scene Yan Xi saw when she came back.

Fu Caihe and Nuannuan’s biological father was just an ordinary taxi driver, and he was not qualified to bring his family with him, so they had been living in the countryside with their mother.

But their father was very capable and was highly valued by Fu Wen. However, during a flood rescue operation, their father successfully relocated many affected villagers, but he himself was swept away by the flood due to lack of strength. When their mother learned of the bad news, she could not bear the blow and died.

Fu Wen felt guilty, so he took the two children who no one was willing to raise and raised them as his own.

When Fu Caihe and Nuannuan first came to the compound, the sisters-in-law in the compound were very kind to them. Some sisters-in-law even envied them privately, thinking that they would have a bright future if they followed Fu Wen, the youngest leader, which was much better than following their biological parents.

But since the original owner came, she made all the sisters-in-law in the compound dislike her. As a result, these sisters-in-law did not allow their children to play with Fu Caihe and Nuannuan, for fear that they would cause any trouble, provoke the original owner, and bring trouble to their families.

For example, just now, Fu Caihe and Nuannuan just stood aside, watching the other kids playing together.

Yan Xi took a deep breath and stepped forward: “Sister-in-law Fan, how can you let Xiao He and Nuan Nuan say anything? You let the two children say, yes, we haven’t seen Auntie for a few days, and we are worried that you are dead?”

“Some adults are not well-mannered, but my Xiaohe and Nuannuan are very well-mannered. They know that they can’t just ask others if they are dead or not. Even if the other party is rude first, they can’t be unmannered.”

Fan Fuying was so angry that his smiling face turned purple.

“You think you are very well-mannered and polite?!” she shouted angrily.

Yan Xi was calm and composed: “My greatest strength is that I know myself very well. I know that I am not well-mannered and polite, so I answered the questions you asked Xiao He and Nuan Nuan just now on behalf of the two children.”

She said word by word: “Aunt Fan, I haven’t seen you for a few days. I was worried that you were dead.”

Yan Xi asked Fan Fuying twice whether she was dead or not. She was so angry that she almost vomited blood.

No one wants to be asked such unlucky words as “Are you dead?”

“You – you – you -” Fan Fuying pointed at Yan Xi, but was so angry that he couldn’t utter a word.

“What do you mean by ‘you’? I’m talking to you and all you can say is ‘you’. You’re so stupid.” Yan Xi imitated Fan Fuying’s previous tone and returned Fan Fuying’s words exactly as they were.

Guo Xia and Feng Lingling both found it strange.

Although Yan Xi was also arrogant in the past, she was unreasonable and rude like a scoundrel, but now Yan Xi’s words are so sharp that they are completely unable to resist.

Feng Lingling quickly pulled Fan Fuying and changed the subject: “Sister Fan, didn’t you buy new clothes for Shuai Shuai? Take them out and let Shuai Shuai try them on.”

Fan Fuying’s expression brightened a lot when she thought about the new clothes she bought for Shuai Shuai, but Yan Xi didn’t buy any for Fu Caihe and Nuannuan.

She glanced at Yan Xi, snorted coldly, and took out the new coat she bought for Shuai Shuai like a yellow robe, shook it, and waved to Shuai Shuai: “Shuai Shuai, come here, Mom bought you a new dress, come and try it on!”

When the friends who played with Shuai Shuai heard that Shuai Shuai had new clothes, they all exclaimed “Wow” and showed expressions of great envy.

In this era, although the reform and opening up has been going on for several years, except for big cities, life in most places is only slightly better than before. Most families still only buy new clothes for their children during festivals. The clothes that children wear on weekdays are washed over and over again, or are discarded by their older brothers and sisters, cousins, etc.

Shuai Shuai strode up to Fan Fuying and tried on the new clothes.

Guo Xia waved to her daughter Xidi: “Xidi, come here, Mom bought you new clothes too.”

The children who didn’t have new clothes let out an envious “Wow” again.

Xidi happily ran to Guo Xia and tried on the new clothes.

“My son is so handsome. Look, this clothes fits him so well and looks so handsome.” Fan Fuying said to Guo Xia and several sisters-in-law, but his proud eyes were glancing at Yan Xi.