Chapter 11

She looked up at her family.

Ding Hongmei’s rough fingers rubbed around the rim of the bowl, and the sound of her gulping down the malted milk echoed frequently.

Jiang Doudou drank even faster, and Jiang Cheng couldn’t control himself either.

He drank with shining eyes.

It was delicious, so delicious.

Malted milk, for their family, was something they had only heard of and seen, never tasted.

Jiang Cheng was the first to finish, he quickly wiped his mouth, the sweet taste lingered in his mouth, making him savor it.

Jiang Doudou was a child, he didn’t know how to hide his emotions.

After finishing a bowl, his eyes were filled with satisfaction.

Jiang Nianzi pushed the rest of her bowl to Jiang Doudou: “Doudou, sister can’t finish it, you drink it for sister.”

Jiang Doudou had been taught since he was a child to be good to his sister.

Although his eyes were almost popping out of his head, he said shyly: “Sister, Doudou is full, you drink it.”

“That’s right.” Ding Hongmei pulled the bowl to Jiang Nianzi: “You’re weak, drink more to nourish your body.”

Under the strong insistence of her family, Jiang Nianzi finally drank the bowl of malted milk.

That night, Jiang Nianzi asked Jiang Cheng to cook rice, and she even indulged in frying a few eggs.

The aroma of eggs kept invading everyone’s sense of smell, Jiang Cheng couldn’t help but swallow his saliva.

Her child was successful, although Ding Hongmei felt sorry and reluctant, she didn’t say anything.

At the dinner table, Ding Hongmei originally only wanted to eat some pickled vegetable scraps, but Jiang Nianzi kept putting eggs into her bowl.

Ding Hongmei’s mouth was greasy.

Everyone ate their fill except for Jiang Nianzi.

Jiang Nianzi took some eggs and rice to her grandmother’s house. Ding Hongmei, with a full stomach, went out for a walk on the road, and went to Wang’s house to deliver a gift.

She met Liu Shenshen on the way.

Liu Shenshen was walking ahead, she didn’t know that Ding Hongmei was not far behind, she was pulling her good friend and gossiping.

“Did you smell the aroma of eggs from Hongmei’s house?” She deliberately asked Aunt Gui.

Aunt Gui said: “Oh, you think my nose is broken? How could I not smell it.”

Liu Shenshen said sarcastically: “It must be Auntie Liang sending them eggs again. I don’t understand, what kind of sick people are they, they don’t care about their two sons, but they favor that sickly, money-losing daughter.”

The Auntie Liang she was talking about was Jiang Nianzi’s grandmother.

Aunt Gui thought so too: “Why bother with them, they’re spoiling her now, they’ll regret it later. A daughter who is married is like water that has been spilled, I say, your son should get married, Hongmei should think more about her son. If those two daughters don’t get married soon and bring back some dowry money, it will be difficult for your son to find a wife.”

Liu Shenshen thought her good friend made sense: “That’s right, but who knows, I heard from the village chief’s wife that Pengyu sends money to Ding Hongmei every few months. Maybe Ding Hongmei is planning to use Pengyu’s money to prepare dowry money for her son. Oh, what a black heart, a child without parents is so pitiful.”

Ding Hongmei was filled with anger.

She had a few children, if she was good-tempered, she would have been bullied to death.

Hearing Liu Shenshen and Aunt Gui’s words, she shouted unceremoniously from behind: “Liu Widow, can’t you keep your mouth shut? Who told you I used Pengyu’s money to prepare dowry for my son?”

The sudden voice startled Liu Shenshen and Aunt Gui.

They were caught gossiping, both of them were immediately flustered.

Aunt Gui and Liu Shenshen turned around, their smiles awkward: “Hongmei, where are you going?”

Ding Hongmei originally wanted to wipe the grease off her mouth, hearing this, she deliberately walked closer, letting them see the grease on her mouth.

“I’m digesting my food. My Zizi bought malted milk and a lot of eggs today. This child can earn money now, she keeps bringing good things back home. I told her that malted milk is a good thing and we should save it, but she wouldn’t listen, she insisted on mixing several bowls, forcing our whole family to drink it. She also fried a few eggs, I’m so full.”

As she spoke, her lips moved up and down, allowing Aunt Gui and Liu Shenshen to clearly see the grease on her mouth.

There weren’t many families with good conditions in this village, even the best families could only eat their fill, and they didn’t have to drink porridge every day.

As for oil, it was scarce.

Not only did they have malted milk to drink, but they also had fried eggs to eat, and they were even full?

Those simple words made Aunt Gui and Liu Shenshen green with envy.

Both of them felt a sense of injustice in their hearts, what good fortune Ding Hongmei had, having a money-losing daughter who could still help out the family like this.

Ding Hongmei deliberately annoyed them, speaking in great detail.

“I’ve never eaten such delicious eggs in my life. You two don’t know, you put lard in the pan, and it sizzles, my Zizi, that wasteful thing, she put five eggs in at once, the bright yellow eggs floated up instantly, the smell… tsk, never mind, you two wouldn’t understand.”

Saying that, she deliberately raised her hand to wipe the grease off her mouth, and said disdainfully: “It’s just that there’s too much oil, it made my mouth greasy. Oh, I’m going to Wang’s house to deliver a gift, do you two want to come?”

Wang’s daughter was getting married soon, villagers would always send some money as a gift, although it wasn’t much, it was a custom in the village.

Because Ding Hongmei described it in such detail, Liu Shenshen and Aunt Gui couldn’t help but swallow their saliva.

So much lard, how fragrant it must be!

Liu Shenshen’s family only cooked dishes with oil once a month, and they had to be frugal, they only dared to use a little bit.

Never had they imagined someone frying eggs with so much oil.

Liu Shenshen looked at Ding Hongmei with longing, her eyes turning red with envy.

Ding Hongmei knew how to get a rise out of people.

After showing off, she deliberately said: “You two should talk less gossip in the future, my Zizi said, she’ll earn a lot of money with her brother in the future, and my Shen Cheng’s wedding money won’t need Pengyu’s.”

Then she turned around, walked away with her hands behind her back, proud and confident.

That posture, that attitude, could make someone die of anger.

Liu Shenshen couldn’t deny that she envied Ding Hongmei for having such a successful daughter.

After Ding Hongmei walked away, she said angrily: “Five eggs and a lot of lard, bah, I don’t believe it. She probably just rubbed some lard on her mouth before going out, deliberately showing off.”

Aunt Gui thought so too.

The two were gossips, they couldn’t help but gossip wherever they went.

When they went to Uncle Wang’s house together to deliver the gift, Liu Shenshen couldn’t help but tell Ding Hongmei’s words.

She said disdainfully: “Malted milk? Wang’s wife, isn’t it ridiculous? With their conditions, malted milk? It’s laughable. That sickly daughter of hers, what good is it that she can earn money now? She’s clearly going to die young.”

Old Wang was smoking a pipe, he didn’t like to participate in these women’s gossip, but hearing Liu Shenshen’s outrageous words, he couldn’t help but speak.

“What are you rambling about? Is it appropriate to talk about a little girl like that?”

Wang’s wife was a smiling tiger, she never offended anyone directly, hearing Old Wang’s words, and she couldn’t help but glare at him: “Mind your own business.”

Old Wang was dissatisfied, he was thinking about the two eggs Jiang Nianzi gave him, so he quickly defended her: “What am I minding my own business for? Hongmei was telling the truth. Zizi, that girl, I brought her back today. She’s got skills, wow, she’s only been working for how long, and she bought a bag of rice, a can of malted milk, and a lot of eggs and soybean oil, one person couldn’t carry it all.”

Malted milk, rice, eggs, soybean oil, and a lot of it!

Liu Shenshen was even more envious as she listened.

Knowing that Ding Hongmei was telling the truth, she was completely sour.

At the same time, her face burned with shame.

Old Wang was really something, he said these things in front of people, and he didn’t care about other people’s feelings at all.

She immediately pulled Aunt Gui and stormed off.

Wang’s wife wanted to say something to Old Wang, Old Wang tapped his pipe: “Zhao Tongzhi, you should remember, those two eggs you fed your son just now were sent by Zizi.”

Zhao Lijuan opened her mouth, but in the end, she didn’t say anything.

Forget it, she wouldn’t meddle in other people’s business.

–

Old Wang’s daughter Yanzi was getting married today.

Yanzi was Jiang Nianzi’s sister’s best friend.

So Jiang Xue came back that day, and Jiang Nianzi didn’t go to the clinic, she specially asked Zhang Grandpa for leave.

Jiang Xue went to the city to work, she wasn’t a regular factory worker, and she was just an apprentice helping out at a tailor shop.

But she was working in the county town after all, although she didn’t earn much, she made twelve yuan a month.

Plus, the boss was nice, he gave Jiang Xue the leftover fabrics that weren’t popular with customers.

Jiang Xue was a vain person, she dressed herself up neatly when she returned to the village, her newly sewn clothes were smooth and neat, and they looked very stylish.

Jiang Nianzi was still sleeping in bed, when someone knocked on the door.

“Jiang Nianzi, get up quickly, sister is back.”

Jiang Nianzi was sleeping soundly, suddenly woken up, she was a little annoyed.

She had finally gotten a day off, what was going on?

Who was it?

She groggily went to open the door.

A woman in a navy blue, neat shirt and trousers stood outside the door.

The woman’s skin was fairer than most people in the village, she was very delicate-looking, like a little white flower.

This was…

“What’s wrong, are you dumb?” Jiang Xue chided, her voice was a little sweet.

Jiang Nianzi was stunned, she looked at the woman in front of her.

Who was this person?

Wait, a little white flower appearance… a sweet voice.

Wasn’t this Jiang Nianzi’s sister, as described in the book?

The book didn’t describe this sister much.

Jiang Nianzi liked the atmosphere of this family, the sudden appearance of the little white flower persona made her heart skip a beat.

“You’re still sleeping now? You’re really something, you’ll be lazy to death.”

Jiang Xue chided, seeing Ding Hongmei come out of the kitchen, she immediately ran over and held Ding Hongmei’s arm: “Mom, you’ve spoiled this girl rotten, she sleeps all morning, she doesn’t even know to get up and help with the work. She’s so lazy, how will she get married?”

Perhaps because of her persona, her words had a kind of tea-like quality.

Jiang Nianzi’s heart sank, was she still a white lotus?

Before she could think about it, she heard Ding Hongmei laugh and say: “You say I spoil her, aren’t you always spoiling your dear little sister?”

“Hmph, that’s right, she’s my sister after all.” Jiang Xue’s voice was sweet, she remembered something and quickly took out her cloth bag: “Stinky girl, come here, see what good things sister brought you.”