Chapter 6: Villains

Granny Zhang left the Xiao family in a hurry.

It wasn’t until she returned to her own courtyard that she remembered she had forgotten to bring back the meat she had hidden.

She climbed up to peek over the wall and saw Ye Xin Ran already up and in the yard. She immediately knew she had missed her chance.

No meat for her today!

That evening, she cooked stir-fried cabbage and millet porridge. As soon as her son, Zhang Da Shan, sat down at the table, he slammed his chopsticks on it.

“Why isn’t there any meat today? Who can eat this lousy cabbage!”

Granny Zhang was just as angry.

“Meat, meat, meat! That’s all you ever talk about! Your father doesn’t even bring home much all year, and you sit at home every day, eating and doing nothing. Where do you think the meat comes from?”

“But wasn’t Xiao Huai’an getting married today? He’s back, so how could he not buy meat?” Zhang Da Shan argued.

“Oh, he bought some, all right. He was so generous today, buying such a big piece of pork! He even asked me to cook something nice for dinner!”

Granny Zhang’s eyes gleamed with greed as she continued, “But before dinner was even made, he got angry and left because of that new wife of his.

That young lady from the Yuan Wai family is such a strange one. First, she tried to kill herself, and then she drank poison. Clearly, she didn’t want to get married.

And guess what?

When I advised her to leave quickly, she had the nerve to question my motives!

She’s like a stubborn mule, won’t move when pulled, backs away when pushed. Serves her right for marrying into the Xiao family and suffering!”

Zhang Da Shan sensed something was off.

“Mother! She didn’t leave? If she stays, won’t we never get to eat meat again?”

“Ah!” Granny Zhang was startled by the thought.

Could it be that the woman really wasn’t going to leave?

If she stayed, the 500 wen, she received every month and the oil and water Granny Zhang secretly took from the Xiao family would all be gone!

“She definitely won’t stay!” Granny Zhang thought for a moment and said, “I heard she was originally engaged to the son of the country magistrate! With that kind of connection, would she ever take a liking to someone like Xiao Huai’an, who has nothing?

Besides, that spoiled young lady who’s used to feasting on delicacies, do you think she can handle eating coarse grains and bran here?”

Seeing her son still worried, Granny Zhang added, “And with Xiao Huai’an’s eldest son, that bratty little wolf cub, glaring like he wants to eat someone every day, how could she bear to stay?”

Thinking of Xiao Chang Sheng, Zhang Da Shan felt a chill down his spine.

“Yeah, with that ungrateful little wolf cub around, she definitely won’t stay long!”

“Exactly, exactly! I even deliberately skipped making dinner for them today. With no food, they might just leave tomorrow!”

As she spoke, Granny Zhang picked up the chopsticks from the floor, wiped them on her clothes, and handed them to Zhang Da Shan with a fawning smile. “I used oil in the stir-fried cabbage. Try it! It’s edible!”

Reluctantly, Zhang Da Shan took the chopsticks and started eating, still grumbling that his mother had been too timid today.

Zhang Da Shan was the precious son of Old Zhang and Granny Zhang, born to them late in life. They had raised him with great difficulty.

The old couple denied themselves food and clothing, even scraping by to ensure their son was well-fed.

As a result, at seventeen years old, Zhang Da Shan had never worked the fields and wouldn’t even bother to pick up a fallen oil bottle at home.

The bowl of food was quickly emptied.

Zhang Da Shan scooped a second bowl of food as he said, “I don’t care. Tomorrow, I must have meat to eat.”

Granny Zhang quickly reassured her son.

“Alright, alright, I’ll get up early tomorrow and go over. I’ll grab the meat while they’re not looking!”

“That’s more like it. And this time, don’t forget to add a slice of that “He Shou Wu” when you cook the meat. I need to nourish my qi and blood,” Zhang Da Shan instructed.

Hearing this, Granny Zhang immediately grew nervous. Lowering her voice, she said, “Oh my goodness, my little ancestor, keep your voice down! Don’t ever mention this again. What if the neighbors hear us?”

Zhang Da Shan dismissed her concern. “Let them hear. Just a bunch of snot-nosed brats and a weak, ugly girl. What could they possibly do?”

Granny Zhang quickly countered, “Do you think Xiao Huai’an is dead? If he finds out about this, it’ll definitely be trouble!”

Thinking of the tall and strong Xiao Huai’an, Zhang Da Shan finally shut his mouth.

Fine, I won’t say anything.

But it’s not like that changes the fact that I’ll eat it.

So what if Xiao Huai’an is strong?

The “He Shou Wu” he worked so hard to buy still ends up in my bowl.

With that thought, Zhang Da Shan’s mood improved, and he scooped himself another bowl of food.

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Over at the Xiao family’s small courtyard.

After finishing their meal, the three people started discussing sleeping arrangements.

With three children, Ye Xin Ran, and Xiao Huai’an occasionally coming home, how should they divide the two rooms?

“Auntie, the east room is for you and Second Uncle. The three of us will sleep in this room,” Chang Ping said, pointing at the two rooms.

“I want to sleep with Auntie!”

Chang An jumped up and exclaimed.

“Chang An, Auntie has to share a room with Second Uncle. It wouldn’t be convenient for you to join them,” Chang Ping tried to persuade him.

“Why wouldn’t it be convenient?”

Chang An pouted, looking grumpy.

Chang Ping didn’t really know why it wouldn’t be convenient, he only remembered his father telling him that when he was younger.

“Because I said so! It just wouldn’t be convenient!”

“But I want to sleep with Auntie! Auntie smells nice, and I like her!”

Chang Ping was about to argue further, but Ye Xin Ran spoke up.

“Let Chang An sleep with me. It’ll be cramped if the three of you share one bed. Besides, your Second Uncle isn’t here, right?”

“But…” Chang Ping hesitated. He wanted to say there was another reason not to let Chang An sleep with her.

However, seeing Chang An so happy, he didn’t have the heart to bring it up.

Maybe if his little brother slept with Auntie, he wouldn’t be like that anymore!

Chang Ping clung to this hope.