Chapter 34

Originally, I planned to come here to take advantage of the situation, grab the fish in one go, and let my beloved youngest son taste it. But I never imagined that the plump girl from the big house would be so fierce.

Chen Shi glared at the bowl of fish in front of her, feeling both anxious and angry. If she didn’t eat it, wouldn’t that mean the big house would get the advantage? She had to eat it!

Grabbing the chopsticks and picking up the bowl, Chen Shi started eating the fish. She hadn’t eaten meat in a long time—her family was just too poor, and the little oil they had went to nourish the youngest son. Everyone else had nothing but cornmeal, and that included her. Now that she had some meat, Chen Shi ate loudly, making noises as she devoured the fish, even cleaning the bones completely.

Nie Xiaocui curled her lip in disgust. Chen Shi had always looked down on her eldest son, yet here she was, eating meat at his house. She didn’t think it was wrong for her daughter to feed the old lady fish; in fact, she thought it was the right thing to do.

Liu Yu’s gaze was calm. It was just a bowl of fish; she didn’t care. What she cared about was something else: “Grandmother, our family now has four people: three adults and one half-child. We need at least fifty pounds of grain per month!”

Chen Shi spat out a fishbone: “You’re dreaming! Fifty pounds? Why don’t you ask for one hundred pounds! Your family barely gets twenty pounds a month! Don’t even think about more.”

Twenty pounds? The big house was seriously lacking in oil and fat, so they ate a lot of coarse grains. Two adults could easily consume a pound each in one meal! What would this little bit of grain be enough for?

Although Liu Yu had the magic of a treasure basin that would keep her from going hungry, she couldn’t let anyone discover its secret. She still needed to get enough grain! She needed it to be enough!

Liu Yu smiled slightly: “The big house traded all their work points for grain. My father earned full work points, and my mother earned half. Together, they earned at least four or five hundred pounds of grain a year, and all of that went into the old Liu family’s storage! Grandmother, just adding twenty pounds a month for us is unreasonable!”

Hmph, if she gave more grain to the big house, the youngest son’s family would starve!

Chen Shi gave her a sideways glance: “Let me do the math. Sure, the big house earned that much! But what about your family of four? You don’t eat at all? Your grandfather and I, as the elderly, don’t need to be supported by your parents! If I give you twenty pounds of grain a month, that’s already a good deal!”

Refusing to admit it, turning white into black—that was really one of Chen Shi’s signature tricks! How did she end up with such a strange grandmother?

After exhausting all the pleasantries, it was time to take a stronger approach.

Liu Yu grabbed Chen Shi: “If the big house doesn’t keep its word, let’s go to the accountant at the village office! And let’s invite the old village chief to come and divide the grain for our family!”

Chen Shi was a frail, small old lady, while Liu Yu was strong and big, like picking up a chick. She grabbed Chen Shi’s clothes and lifted her up into the air. Chen Shi twisted her body: “You wicked girl, put your grandmother down! These old bones are going to fall apart!”

Liu Yu snorted coldly: “Once we settle this matter, we’ll naturally let you down!”

Chen Shi wasn’t having it. Liu Yu was making too much noise by involving the accountant and the village chief. At home, Chen Shi could call the shots, but outside, she couldn’t control the situation. Wouldn’t that mean more grain would go to the big house?

No, no!

Chen Shi shouted: “Fine, fine! I’ll give your big house forty pounds of grain a month!”

Liu Yu knew this was Chen Shi’s limit and decided to stop pushing. If pressed too much, Chen Shi might turn hostile. If it wasn’t enough, she could always use her treasure basin. She put Chen Shi back on the ground and changed to a smiling expression: “Alright, we’ll go with what Grandmother said. Tomorrow at noon, please have the big house come to collect the grain!”