Chapter 52

Before long, Mother Fan came back, carrying a wooden basin used for feeding the chickens.

This time, she wasn’t directing her anger at her own son or her granddaughter, but at Shuiqing. With a mix of surprise and anger, she said, “The nutrition in this rice is all in the bran! Why don’t you mix it into our meals to add nutrition?

And besides, food is so scarce these days. It’s such a waste to throw away good bran like this. Isn’t it a pity?”

In the past, she would mix it into the porridge or black bread and feed it to her daughter-in-law and granddaughter.

But now her daughter-in-law, upon splitting the household, used it to feed the chickens!

This was wasting food and showed a lack of thriftiness, which she absolutely couldn’t tolerate!

Fan Jin quickly interjected, “Mother, we can now afford to eat well. We don’t lack…”

Before her son could finish, Mother Fan continued to scold Shuiqing: “I’m teaching my daughter-in-law how to manage the household and save money. It’s for her own good!

She’s lucky to have married into our Fan family. If she had married someone else, she might have been tormented to death by a wicked mother-in-law!”

Shuiqing thought to herself: No need to be so modest, dear Mother-in-law. Even if you don’t torment your good daughter-in-law directly, you indirectly cause her harm with your indulgence!

Not satisfied after speaking her mind, Mother Fan continued her lecture, this time addressing Fan Jin, “Son, you can’t spoil your wife like this anymore. Such good bran shouldn’t be wasted.”

Shuiqing let go of her two daughters and took the basin from Mother Fan with a bright smile and a pleasant tone: “Mother, you’re right.

Mother, it’s getting late. Why don’t you stay for dinner? Your daughter-in-law will make something delicious for you.”

Fan Jin looked at Shuiqing in surprise and tried to stop her: “Shuiqing, there’s no need…”

Mother Fan raised her eyebrows triumphantly and asked, “What will you make to honor me?”

Sure enough, a daughter-in-law needs to be disciplined. Once you do, she can do everything.

Shuiqing looked at the bran and wild vegetables in the basin and answered dutifully, “Mother, you always say this is good stuff.

It would be too wasteful to give such nutritious food to the chickens. I think so too. I’ll cook it later, and you can eat more to nourish your body!”

“You want me to eat bran?!”

“Mother, haven’t you often given it to your daughter-in-law? And you just said it’s good stuff. Why not give good things to you?”

Mother Fan was speechless.

Seeing that her son didn’t help her, her granddaughter showed no affection for her, and even the grandson she always favored looked distant, she angrily threatened, “Don’t blame me if I favor my eldest son’s family from now on!”

At least her eldest son’s family was good, with four grandsons who listened to her and revolved around her.

Shuiqing quickly stepped forward, earnestly trying to keep her: “Mother, don’t go. Stay for dinner. There’s still half a bag of bran at home. I’ll make sure to cook a few bowls for you every meal!”

Mother Fan ran away faster than a rabbit.

Her legs were so nimble, you couldn’t tell that she always complained about aches and pains when they lived together.

Watching her fleeing back, Shuiqing sneered inwardly: She loved reading palace and mansion intrigue novels. Could she not handle a sharp-tongued old lady?

Fan Jin was stunned.

He had said so much, yet it couldn’t compare to Shuiqing’s few polite words?

Yan Qiuxing and her sister were both shocked. Their mother was amazing!

Without arguing or fighting, she had subdued their grandmother.

In the past, she would have just kept explaining that the food was not tasty and they didn’t want to eat it.

Jiang Huhu silently swallowed his saliva.

Pfft.

The silence was broken by laughter.

All seven people turned to look in the direction of the sound.

Was there someone else nearby?

A boy slowly sat up on the cart. With red lips and white teeth, he looked quite handsome, though his expression was arrogant. He raised an eyebrow and said without any apology, “Sorry, I couldn’t hold it in.”

His mother had a quick temper and acted straightforwardly, but his grandmother’s crying, shouting, and threats, along with the heavy hat of filial piety, had suppressed them for over ten years.

His father couldn’t do much either, as filial piety governed their country, and being unfilial was a grave crime.

When his grandmother cried, they had to comfort her. When she threatened to hang herself, they had to kneel and plead with her. This recurring scene at home exhausted him, but he was helpless.

Today, after seeing this family, he suddenly realized that if either his father or mother were like them, his grandmother wouldn’t be so fearless in her tyranny…

Shuiqing and the others remembered that they had rescued someone on the road.

Fan Jin asked gently, “It’s good that you’re awake. Are you feeling unwell?”

Shuiqing was more concerned about his mind, “Do you remember your name?”

Jiang Huhu was curious and chattered, “Big brother, how did you faint?”

“Where do you live? How can we inform your parents? Are they worried?”

Bai Ziqian pursed his lips at the mention of informing his parents. He had finally escaped from that house and didn’t want to go back!

He wanted to live a free and unrestrained life!

Lowering his head, he spoke in a low, sorrowful voice, “My parents drove me out. I am alone and have no family. I walked until I fainted from hunger on the roadside.

Luckily, you all saved me. I have no way to repay your kindness except by working for you!”

Shuiqing: … Go on, keep making up stories!

The five little ones: … This doesn’t match what we saw in the market.

Fan Jiang, the simplest one, couldn’t help but ask, “But, earlier…”

Fan Jin interrupted his son and gently reassured him, “I think your parents didn’t truly want to drive you away. Stay with us until they come for you;

As for food, you can work to earn your keep.”

Then he signaled the children not to ask further questions.

Shuiqing thought it was just as well to have someone to help plant fruit trees.

Uh, their family didn’t keep idle people.

“By the way, what’s your name?” Fan Jin asked again.

Bai Ziqian hadn’t expected things to go so smoothly. He felt happy and thought the outside world wasn’t so dangerous but quite good.

With a youthful smile, he said, “My surname is Hei, and my name is Man. You can call me Hei Zi.”

Yan Qiuxing thought: They always believed their names, Big Sis and Little Sis, were casual. They didn’t expect there could be even more casual names.

Jiang Huhu: Hei Zi? If you called that, many dogs in the village would respond.

Shuiqing’s eyes showed sympathy: What an awful name!

At dinner, Bai Ziqian held a roughly made large pottery bowl, shocked speechless.

Was this a bowl? Wasn’t it a basin?

“White rice, with stir-fried kidney slices, scrambled eggs with loofah, and spicy shredded potatoes. Isn’t it a feast?!”

Bai Ziqian pursed his lips, unwilling to respond.

Only three dishes, and it’s called a feast?

Besides, “Kidneys are from pig innards, with a strong odor and bad taste;

Eggs are common. What’s so special about them?

Shredded potatoes? What is that? I’ve never heard of it.”