Chapter 9: If She Grows Up Like This, She Should Be Crying

Zhu Yanhua was struggling to carry a large bag of rice into Su Luoluo’s room.

“Sister-in-law, rice and flour should be kept in the kitchen for household use; it’s more convenient that way,” Su Luoluo said, walking over to stop her.

“Oh, okay.” Zhu Yanhua moved the things back to the kitchen.

She was surprised. In the past, her sister-in-law guarded these things closely. Even if they couldn’t finish them, she would take them back to her parents’ home. Now, she readily left them for the family to use.

Su Luoluo stuffed a new set of clothes into Zhu Yanhua’s arms.

“This…” Zhu Yanhua looked at the brand-new baby clothes in her arms.

Su Luoluo said, “It’s for Jingjing. Try it on. If it doesn’t fit, you can exchange it.”

“How can I do that? It should be for Niuniu…” Zhu Yanhua pushed the clothes back.

“Niuniu already has three sets. This is to thank you for your care of them,” Su Luoluo said with a smile, refusing to take them back.

At this time, Xiao Lei, Xiao Fan, and Niuniu came out wearing new clothes and shoes. The new clothes and shoes fit perfectly.

“Auntie, please accept them,” Xiao Lei said to Zhu Yanhua. It’s better to give the new clothes to their aunt’s family than to those annoying people in their mother’s family.

“For… for Jingjing,” Niuniu said with a big smile, running towards Su Luoluo on her short little legs.

Su Luoluo pointed at the three children, “The children are all in new clothes; it’s so festive.”

Thinking of her paralyzed mother-in-law, Zhu Yanhua thought a little festive atmosphere would be good, so she swallowed the words she was about to say.

However…

This sister-in-law has changed so much. Before, she would always take any good things to her parents’ home and never cared about her husband’s family.

She would never buy things for her second brother’s three children.

“I, I’m, I’m pretty!” Niuniu, wearing her new clothes, tugged at the hem, her big eyes full of anticipation as she looked at Su Luoluo.

“Pretty.” Su Luoluo touched Niuniu’s little head.

“Pretty!” Jingjing clapped her hands in support, a tiny little cheerleader.

“Yay, I, I’m pretty like Mama!” Niuniu jumped with joy.

“…” Su Luoluo thought, That’s not a good thing. If she really grows up like this, Niuniu shouldn’t be laughing, she should be crying.

Xiao Lei and Xiao Fan both had an indescribable look on their faces.

“Try on the other two sets of clothes as well. If you don’t like them or they don’t fit, you can exchange them within three days,” Su Luoluo turned to Xiao Lei. She thought they would fit; she bought them in similar sizes.

Xiao Lei took his younger siblings to try on the clothes. As Su Luoluo expected, the clothes fit well.

“I have new clothes too,” Jingjing said happily.

“Yes, you do.” Zhu Yanhua also dressed Jingjing. The sleeves were a little long, but children grow fast, so it didn’t matter.

“Sister-in-law, feel free to use the rice and vegetables in the kitchen. Dinner is on you,” Su Luoluo said to Zhu Yanhua.

She had to make her ointment to cure the unsightly birthmark on her face. Which girl doesn’t want to be beautiful? She didn’t want to live with an ugly face.

Zhu Yanhua paused in her action of taking the bamboo basket. She didn’t expect Su Luoluo to be so generous, setting aside pork and fish.

“Uh, can we have shepherd’s purse and pork dumplings tonight?” She had planned to go out to pick shepherd’s purse, but after hearing Su Luoluo’s words, she hesitated and asked.

“Yes, please, sister-in-law.” Su Luoluo took out the herbs from her backpack.

“No trouble, no trouble at all.” Zhu Yanhua waved her hand, took the bamboo basket, and took Jingjing out to pick shepherd’s purse.

Su Luoluo spent the entire afternoon concentrating on making her ointment.

The sun set in the west. Smoke rose from the chimneys.

Zhu Yanhua chopped the meat filling and made dumplings. The four children helped, washing vegetables and dishes.

Soon, the fragrant smell of meat wafted out.

In this era of scarcity, villagers only ate meat during festivals.

Many villagers smelled the meat and were captivated by the aroma, guessing whose family was cooking meat. It wasn’t a holiday, and they lamented that the family was extravagant and wasteful, not knowing how to live frugally.

Su Luoluo finished making the ointment and waited to use it after bathing in the evening.

Seeing her sister-in-law making dumplings, Su Luoluo made fish soup. Dumplings with fish soup seemed nice. She added some herbs to the fish soup to nourish the body.

Zhu Yanhua was a very filial daughter-in-law. After dinner was ready, she had her daughter eat with Xiao Lei in the hall. She took the dumplings and fish soup into the room to serve her mother-in-law first.

On the table were steaming hot dumplings and fish soup, but the four children sat upright, their hands on their laps, staring at Su Luoluo.

Su Luoluo misunderstood. She stood up and served each child a bowl of fish soup.

She didn’t serve them fish meat, worried they might choke on fish bones. She also put a few dumplings in their other bowls.

“Eat,” Su Luoluo said to the four children.

The four children were very happy and ate happily.

“So delicious!” Niuniu held the spoon, scooped up a spoonful of soup, pursed her lips and blew hard, “Awoo,” ate it in one mouthful, her eyes lit up, and she exclaimed.

Su Luoluo took a sip of the fish soup. Yes, it tasted good, very fresh. She had processed it with herbs, removing any fishy smell and adding a refreshing fragrance.

“Just one bowl. You can’t wet the bed tonight,” she said, teasing Niuniu as she gulped down the fish soup.

“I, I’m not a baby anymore. I, I won’t wet, wet my pants,” Niuniu said, her little face flushed, pouting.

Jingjing imitated Niuniu and took a sip of the fish soup. It was delicious.

Xiao Lei drank the fish soup, his gaze occasionally glancing at Su Luoluo. He felt complicated. The bad woman’s cooking used to be terrible, but now her fish soup was delicious. The bad woman had become very strange.

“Wow… there’s meat, super, super delicious!” Niuniu took a bite of the shepherd’s purse dumplings, exclaimed, and then shook her little body.

“Super delicious.” Jingjing also took a bite of the shepherd’s purse dumplings.

It was just a meal of shepherd’s purse and pork dumplings, but the children ate as if they were enjoying a delicacy, their faces full of happiness.

Children are so easily satisfied.

Su Luoluo thought about the only two yuan left in her pocket and felt troubled. The money really didn’t last.

She took a big bite of the dumpling.

After this meat, there would be no next meal. She didn’t know if she could catch any game in the mountains.

She really didn’t want to eat any more vegetable soup.

She had never worried about a meal of meat before. How down and out she was.

Su Luoluo left enough dumplings and fish soup for Zhu Yanhua. The rest was for the children.

Xiao Lei ate until his mouth was oily, slumped in his chair, his hand on his bulging belly, and burped. It was the best meal he had ever eaten.

Xiao Fan also had oily mouth and hands.

Niuniu and Jingjing were even dirtier. Being only three years old, they weren’t skilled with spoons, getting their faces and clothes dirty.

Su Luoluo took Niuniu and Jingjing to wash their faces and hands.

When she returned with the two toddlers, she saw Xiao Fan standing on a chair, reaching for the candy on the table.

Seeing Su Luoluo come in, he almost fell off the chair in fright.

“Don’t eat candy at night,” Su Luoluo said, seeing the candy in his hand.

Xiao Fan’s face turned pale with fright, his eyes filled with terror, crouching at the foot of the table, trembling.

Xiao Lei, like a little tiger, rushed over and stood in front of Xiao Fan, baring his teeth, fiercely protecting him. If Su Luoluo made any move, he would bite her.