Chapter 18: Barging into the House

“Of course, a family should eat together. Being so separate feels so distant. Sister-in-law, your cooking is delicious. I don’t know how to make braised pork belly with preserved mustard greens, so I need your help. Besides, I bought so much pork, it’s for the whole family. If you don’t eat it, I can’t eat so much either, and the vegetables will go bad tomorrow. It’ll be such a waste.”

Su Luoluo pinched Niuniu’s little face, stood up, and said to Zhu Yanhua.

Zhu Yanhua was persuaded by Su Luoluo, but still felt like she was taking advantage of her sister-in-law, which didn’t feel right. Her face flushed slightly, and she rubbed her hands on her clothes. “I’ll go make the braised pork belly now.”

“Great!”

Niuniu and Jingjing cheered.

Xiao Fan glanced at his brother Xiao Lei, lowered his head, and didn’t dare to show his happiness.

Su Luoluo let Niuniu and Jingjing go out to play; she wasn’t crazy enough to make three-year-old toddlers work for her.

Niuniu and Jingjing went out to play hand-in-hand.

Xiao Lei went to the vegetable patch in the yard to pick scallions and dig ginger.

Xiao Fan went to check on the chicks and ducklings in the chicken coop.

Su Luoluo wanted to personally make braised pork ribs. If there were also a pot of wine, it would be too perfect. Eating and drinking heartily would be better than being a god.

Niuniu and Jingjing went out to play and saw Cuihua’s little Fat boy sitting on a large stone, happily gnawing on a chicken claw.

Seeing Niuniu and Jingjing, he showed off by shaking the chicken claw in his hand. His oily mouth revealed a mischievous smile, and he said triumphantly, “Heh heh, your family doesn’t have anything to eat, you poor ghosts.”

The aroma of oil wafted over. Niuniu sucked her little finger, stared at Xiaopang’s chicken claw, and couldn’t help but drool.

Jingjing looked longingly at the chicken claw and swallowed.

Xiaopang spat the bone on the ground, shaking his chubby little legs, and said mischievously, “Whoever picks up the bone on the ground and eats it, I’ll give them this chicken claw.”

Niuniu and Jingjing both looked at the chicken bone on the ground.

The bone was covered with saliva, dropped on the ground, and coated with a layer of mud.

The desire for the chicken claw instantly disappeared.

“I, I don’t want it. Home, home has meat, and big, big bones.”

Thinking of the pork ribs at home, Niuniu puffed out her little chest and refused Xiaopang.

“You’re lying. Your family is so poor, you can’t afford meat. You’re a liar, shame on you.”

Xiaopang sneered, pointing at Niuniu’s nose.

Jingjing was a little scared and hid behind Niuniu.

“I, I’m not lying. We, we eat big pieces of meat, big bones. Your family, doesn’t.”

Niuniu angrily argued with Xiaopang.

“My mom said your family is the poorest in the village, and you have a vicious stepmother. If you can eat meat, the whole village would be rich.”

Xiaopang continued to taunt Niuniu.

“Humph!”

“Your mama is the liar. We, we do have meat to eat. My mama is not, not vicious, she just, just has a bad temper.”

Niuniu retorted loudly.

“We do have meat to eat.”

Jingjing echoed Niuniu.

Niuniu pulled out a candy from her pocket. Xiaopang’s eyes widened when he saw the candy; he hadn’t eaten candy a few times in a year.

Niuniu peeled the candy wrapper and gave it to Jingjing.

Jingjing ate it, grinning.

“How come you have candy to eat?”

Xiaopang was stimulated and shouted.

“My mama bought it.”

Niuniu proudly raised her little chin.

Smoke curled from the chimney.

An enticing aroma of meat wafted from the Yang family’s house.

Xiaopang hadn’t recovered from the blow of Niuniu having candy when he smelled the meat from the Yang family’s house. He cried out, “Wah!”

“Woo… Wah wah…”

Xiaopang cried sadly; the chicken claw was no longer appealing.

Niuniu was startled, afraid of being accused of bullying Xiaopang, and pulled Jingjing’s hand, running home.

“It smells so good, it made the child cry.

Uncle Guisheng passed by, saw Xiaopang crying, and sighed.

“Ah… Woo woo… I, I want to eat meat.”

Xiaopang opened his mouth wide and howled.

“…” Uncle Guisheng, he didn’t have any to eat either.

The Yang family’s meat aroma was truly torturous.

Yang Family.

On the dinner table was a large bowl of braised pork belly with preserved mustard greens, braised pork ribs, radish and vegetable soup, and a plate of stir-fried greens.

The aroma of meat filled the nostrils, making people’s appetites soar.

Several children surrounded the dinner table, their eyes fixed on the dishes, their saliva about to drool.

“Go wash your hands. Once your hands are clean, you can eat.”

Su Luoluo said.

Xiao Lei took Niuniu and Jingjing to wash their hands, and Xiao Fan followed behind.

Just as they were about to eat, a “bang bang” knocking sound came from the front door.

“You dead girl, get out here! If you don’t come out, you’ll be sorry!”

A fierce scolding came from outside the door.

The children sitting at the dinner table heard the scolding outside, and their little faces tightened.

“Brother…”

Niuniu looked timid and fearfully pulled Xiao Lei’s hand.

With the person yelling outside the door, the children couldn’t eat properly.

Su Luoluo stood up and walked towards the door.

She opened the door bolt and pushed open the courtyard door.

An old woman in her sixties, with a long face, hanging eyebrows, and triangular eyes, had a very mean-looking face. Now that she was angry, her meanness was even more pronounced.

Her clothes were clean and without a single patch.

This was Wang Fengxia, the original owner’s mother.

Su Luoluo frowned. This face shape and appearance didn’t resemble the original owner at all.

Thinking about it, it seemed that none of the Su family members looked like the original owner.

“You wicked girl, you dared to hit your sister-in-law. I see you’re itching for a beating. Prepare a gift tomorrow and apologize to your sister-in-law.”

Wang Fengxia’s voice was sharp and thin, very harsh.

“I don’t have time. I have to fetch water, chop wood, wash clothes, cook breakfast, and work in the fields after breakfast. You can do these chores for me.”

Su Luoluo flatly refused.

She swung a stick at Su Luoluo.

Su Luoluo dodged quickly, and the stick missed.

“You even dare to dodge, you unfilial thing. Today, I’ll beat you to death.”

Wang Fengxia’s eyes became even more ferocious, and her whole face became ferocious.

It didn’t look like she was dealing with her daughter, but rather an enemy.

She swung the stick at Su Luoluo again.

Su Luoluo dodged the stick, nimbly moved to Wang Fengxia’s side, grabbed Wang Fengxia’s wrist, and pressed on some acupoint. Wang Fengxia felt a numbness in her hand and lost her strength. The stick fell to the ground with a clang.

“You wicked girl, what did you do to me?”

Wang Fengxia’s other free hand slapped Su Luoluo’s face.

Seeing the slap coming towards her, Su Luoluo pushed Wang Fengxia back forcefully.

“Ah…”

Wang Fengxia lost her balance, instinctively retracted her hand, and took a few steps back before regaining her balance.

“I’m your mother. I raised you with great difficulty, and you dare to hit me…”

Just as Wang Fengxia was about to scold, she suddenly smelled the aroma of meat, her cursing stopped, and she sniffed hard.

“Good, you’re hiding good things in the Yang family.”

Wang Fengxia stormed into the house, her movements agile, not at all like an old woman.

Seeing the meat dishes on the table, Wang Fengxia’s face was filled with anger, making her face even more ferocious. She slapped the table. “Such good food, you don’t keep it for your nephews and nieces. Dazhi is starving at home, don’t you feel sorry for him? Giving it to these wild brats is a waste. Are you crazy?”

Su Luoluo almost rolled her eyes. Dazhi was almost as fat as a pig, and yet he was starving!

“Wah… Woo woo… Bad… bad person… Woo woo…”

Niuniu was scared and cried.

“Get out of my house.”

Xiao Lei protected his sister, his eyes fiercely glaring at Wang Fengxia.

“Get out? You little wild brats, this is my daughter’s home. Dare to glare at me? Believe it or not, I’ll gouge out your eyes.”

Wang Fengxia raised her hand to slap Xiao Lei’s face.