Chapter 84

“What are you talking about?!”

Captain Cheng was almost amused by his stupid sister. He sneered,

“You had a crush on him, but he might not have liked you. I really regret it. I should have sent you away when you were acting up!”

He often had to go on missions. He didn’t know what his sister was doing crazy things in the army.

If his wife hadn’t been forced to jump into the river this time, she wouldn’t have told him about Cheng Xiaoyue’s outrageous actions.

She was really something. She even dared to bully and threaten her sister-in-law!

“If I married well, I could have gotten your promotion.”

Cheng Xiaoyue was exasperated. How could she have such a stupid brother? The siblings were both disgusted with each other.

Tang Wan was already riding her bicycle home. When she passed Cheng’s house, Cuiying was drying vegetables in the yard.

“Sister-in-law Cuiying, didn’t the doctor tell you to rest more?”

Tang Wan stopped her bicycle at the entrance of their house. When Cuiying saw her, her face lit up with a smile.

“I don’t do much housework now. I just feel a little musty after lying down for so long.”

“You have to listen to the doctor.”

Tang Wan also smiled. “Your husband sent your younger sister away. You can finally enjoy some peace now.”

“I have to thank you.”

Cuiying was very happy. Before Cheng Xiaoyue was here, she always bullied Cuiying.

If she didn’t listen, Cheng Xiaoyue would threaten to tell her husband and mother-in-law.

She would say that she was a hen that couldn’t lay eggs. It was a miserable life.

That big Buddha was finally gone!

“It’s nothing. Don’t worry about it. I’ll go back now.”

Tang Wan chatted with Cuiying for a while. When she got home, Tang Zhou had already finished breakfast. He was sitting at his desk, reading a book.

“Zhouzhou, are you hungry? I’ll make you something delicious.”

Putting aside the reluctance of Lu Huaijing leaving, thinking about being able to use her space more, she was still happy.

Tang Zhou was still a child. He didn’t notice how much stuff she brought back.

Thinking of the wild boars in her space, Tang Wan boldly took out the lard.

Because wild boars often ran in the mountains, a wild boar didn’t have much lard. But the lard from four wild boars added together was a lot.

She simmered the lard until it sizzled. The aroma was so fragrant that Tang Zhou in the room couldn’t help but run out.

“Sister, it smells so good.”

“I’m simmering lard. Go outside and watch. If anyone comes in, I’ll hide some.”

Tang Wan thought, since the aroma had already spread, she might as well simmer more.

She would simmer it all at once, so she wouldn’t have to worry about attracting the attention of the wives in the family compound next time she cooked.

“Okay.”

Tang Zhou quickly ran to the yard. He wasn’t stupid. He didn’t just sit there. He got some water and started watering the vegetables in the field.

In the kitchen, Tang Wan put the first pot of simmered lard into an earthenware pot and continued to simmer.

The simmered lard was fragrant and made people drool.

“Little comrade, is your sister simmering lard at home?”

A woman stood outside the yard, peeking inside.

Tang Zhou didn’t recognize her. He quickly said loudly, “She is. Sister said we just moved here and don’t have any oil, so we need to simmer some.”

Tang Wan in the house naturally heard the voice. She put the oil and lard on the stove into her space, leaving only a small portion.

Afraid that Tang Zhou would be bullied, Tang Wan came out of the kitchen and saw an old lady standing outside the yard.

When the old lady saw Tang Wan, her eyes lit up. She said warmly,

“Girl, I feel a connection to you. I’m your neighbor across the street, next to the next house.

My son is a soldier under your husband. His name is Cao Xiaobing.”

Auntie Cao was incredibly enthusiastic, making Tang Wan feel a little uncomfortable. She forced a smile.

“Auntie Cao, how are you?”

“You look like an educated person. You even speak so politely.”

Auntie Cao’s small eyes darted towards the kitchen. “Are you simmering lard?

Auntie Cao’s family ran out of oil this morning. Can you lend me some?”

She took out a bowl that she had been hiding behind her back. It was clear that she had been prepared.

Tang Wan: …

She was about to speak when she saw Cuiying, who lived across from her, shake her head slightly.

When Auntie Cao turned to look, Cuiying had already turned her back and was flipping some vegetables.

Although Tang Wan didn’t know why Cuiying was reminding her, she still smiled and refused,

“I’m sorry, Auntie. It’s not that I don’t want to lend you some. It’s just that this lard wasn’t bought by my family alone.

It was bought by me and several other wives. After it’s fried, I still have to send it to them.”

“Can’t I borrow your share?”

The smile on Auntie Cao’s face disappeared. She thought to herself, this Deputy Commander Lu’s wife looks fair and delicate, but she’s actually stingy.

“I don’t know how much oil I’ll get. If I lend it to you, Auntie, I won’t be able to explain it to the other wives.”

Tang Wan blocked Auntie Cao’s words with a few sentences, making Auntie Cao feel uncomfortable.

But she wasn’t as unreasonable as Qiu Dazhao. She still smiled and said,

“Auntie knows you have your difficulties. I’ll go ask someone else.”

She said this and walked away with her bowl. Tang Wan was speechless. After returning to the kitchen, she quickly finished simmering the lard.

The lard from four pigs produced nearly sixty liters of oil. She kept a small jar in the cupboard and put the rest into her space.

She put out the fire. Tang Wan didn’t rush to stir-fry anything.

Instead, she filled two large bowls with lard scraps and put them in a small basket. She carried the basket and went out.

“Zhouzhou, Sister is going out for a while. You watch the house.”

“Okay.”

Tang Zhou obediently played in the yard. Tang Wan first went to Cuiying’s house across the street.

“Come in.”

Cuiying quickly welcomed her in. “Did Auntie Cao ask you to borrow oil just now?”

“Yes.”

Tang Wan took out a large bowl of lard scraps for her. “This is the lard scraps I fried. You can use it to cook something.”

“No, no. You’re too kind.”

Cuiying wanted to refuse, but she was afraid of being seen by others. Seeing Tang Wan’s insistence.

She went into the kitchen and poured the lard scraps into her own bowl. Then, she returned the bowl to Tang Wan.

“You don’t know. I’ve lived in the family compound for half a year, and I’ve often seen Auntie Cao borrowing oil from one house and salt from another.

Sometimes, she even borrows the melons and vegetables from their private plots. She doesn’t borrow much, just a little bit.

She never returns it. If people ask, she smiles and says she’ll give it back next time.

In short, she borrows but never returns. The things she borrows aren’t much, so people don’t go to her house to ask for them again and again.”

She had been cheated by Auntie Cao before. She borrowed some brown sugar from her, and she hadn’t seen her return it in half a year.

“Oh, I see. Thank you.”

Tang Wan couldn’t help but feel relieved. Fortunately, she saw Cuiying’s reminder. Otherwise, she might have lent her a little bit.

It was really annoying to borrow but never return. She unconsciously added this person to her blacklist.

One of the people she wouldn’t deal with.

“You’re welcome.”

Cuiying smiled serenely. “We’re neighbors. It’s only right to help each other.”

Tang Wan chatted with her for a while. She was about to go to Zhang Hongyan’s house to deliver the lard scraps when she turned around and saw Auntie Cao’s face, full of wrinkles, smiling at her.

“Girl, have you finished simmering the oil and divided it up? Can you lend me some oil? We ran out of oil at home.”