Zhou Mei fell into the strange thought that her maternal family was taking advantage of her, and before she could react, she agreed:
“That’s right, the Old Zhou Family is taking a huge advantage…”
Before she finished speaking, she suddenly realized.
Ah!
This… this voice sounds a bit familiar?
She turned her head back as if in slow motion.
The moment her eyes met her mother-in-law’s emotionless gaze, she was so scared that the basket in her hands dropped.
With a 'thud'—
Those crooked, cracked, clearly not-so-good sweet potatoes rolled to Li Xiuli’s feet.
Zhou Mei: “?！？！”
If she said these were meant to be taken out and eaten for lunch, would her mother-in-law believe her?
“…Zhou Mei!” Li Xiuli called out.
“Yes, Mother, I’m here.” Zhou Mei replied, trying to keep a straight face.
As long as she didn't treat it as a big deal now, her mother-in-law would forget…
However, the reality was—
Li Xiuli snatched up the ragged broom nearby and started hitting her with it.
“You stingy, tight-fisted miser! The Zhou Family isn't your maternal family, they didn't raise you.
You’re so stingy even with things for your own parents, are you even human? Is this how I taught you, Old Mother?”
Taking these things back was worse than not taking them at all!
How did the Old Lin Family marry such an infuriating wife?
Li Xiuli was about to be angered to death.
Zhou Mei took several solid hits and argued: “My maternal family doesn't lack food, and we barely have any grain left at home, how could I let her take it back…”
If there was no grain at home, she would have to starve.
She wouldn't do something so foolish!
But before she could finish speaking, she took a few more hits.
Zhou Mei cried out, “Ouch, ouch, Mother, be gentle.
If you beat me to death, your son will lose his wife, and Hu Tou and Niu Niu will lose their mother…”
To avoid stepping on the vegetables on the ground, she stood perfectly still and took the last strike head-on.
A dry twig from the broom accidentally brushed against her face, leaving a small red mark.
It stung a little!
Li Xiuli noticed and couldn't continue lecturing the foolish wife.
She dropped the broom and glared at Zhou Mei.
“Enough, I won't listen to your nonsense. I'll pack it up myself; you just take it back.”
“But…” Zhou Mei was still worried about the little bit of grain at home.
Li Xiuli glared at her fiercely again.
“…Are you going to talk back again?”
This Blockhead of a wife truly never learns from her mistakes!
Seeing her mother-in-law getting angry again, Zhou Mei’s back stiffened, and she quickly left the cellar.
Ten minutes later, Li Xiuli came out of the cellar.
“Take it to the Zhou Family. Don't let anything be missing. If I find out anything is short, watch your hands.”
Li Xiuli said while handing the basket to Zhou Mei, her face full of warning.
“Understood, Mother, you can rest assured when I handle things.” Zhou Mei said, her eyes occasionally darting toward the basket, feeling eager.
But looking at her mother-in-law’s warning gaze.
She forcibly suppressed the urge to lift the lid and look.
Li Xiuli thought to herself: Because it’s you, Old Mother can’t feel at ease.
Zhou Mei didn't know her mother-in-law's internal complaints and took the basket out of the house.
When she reached the village entrance, she couldn't resist lifting the lid of the basket.
“Heh!! So many!!”
Zhou Mei looked at the big, good sweet potatoes in the basket with heartache.
There was a whole basketful.
Her eyes widened.
She was losing out, losing out!
She should have just told the one in charge and gone straight to her maternal family.
Looking at the sweet potatoes, Zhou Mei only felt pain in her chest.
These sweet potatoes could last for several days.
She held back, but finally couldn't resist.
Zhou Mei picked out the biggest and best one and washed it by the riverbank.
She started crunching on it loudly.
One eaten is one less to worry about.
She was hungry anyway.
The Zhou Family was almost two hours away from the Shuangshan Brigade.
With Zhou Mei’s round trip, she wouldn't have time to go to work in the afternoon.
When the Zhou Family's sister-in-law saw her little aunt return, her eyelids twitched, and the smile on her lips was already stiffening.
As for the basket in her hands, she held no expectations at all.
The little aunt never brought back anything good…
Zhou Mei greeted her sister-in-law and completely ignored the thoughts in the Zhou sister-in-law’s mind, going straight to find her Old Mother.
She didn't treat herself as an outsider at all.
Zhou Family sister-in-law: …
If she had the thick-skinned nature of her little aunt, she wouldn't have to worry about not having enough to eat.
While Zhou Mei stirred up a small storm at the Zhou Family, the Lin Family was having a pleasant lunch.
Gou Dan was eating the mush in his bowl, looked up at his grandmother, and gazed expectantly.
“Grandma, can we have meat this afternoon?”
If the Lin family's three brothers had asked this, they would have certainly received a beating.
But since the eldest grandson asked, the result was definitely different.
Li Xiuli looked at him with loving eyes and said with a smile: “Yes, yes, yes, you’ll have plenty to eat.”
As soon as she said this, the Lin family's three brothers plus Lin Fu became expectant, feeling that they suddenly had strength for the afternoon’s work.
It had been a long time since they had any meat…
After eating, the family took a nap for almost an hour.
Ning Xinrou was the first to wake up. After washing up, she entered the room holding a damp towel.
She wiped Gou Dan’s face, who was lying on the bed, and the coldness instantly made the child open his eyes.
“Mother, it’s so cold, so cold! My face is frozen, I need to eat a Mung Bean Cake to make it better.”
The child hadn't fully woken up but was already starting to act playfully spoiled.
Ning Xinrou was at a loss whether to laugh or cry.
She gently pinched her son’s nose and smiled.
“Keep being playful. I’m going to tell your Grandparents that I’m giving your Mung Bean Cake to them.”
Gou Dan woke up completely upon hearing this.
With an expression of disbelief, he said, “What? I already asked, Grandparents don't eat it!”
He had already asked them; Grandparents, Father, and Mother didn't eat them.
They only told him to save two pieces for Hu Tou and Niu Niu.
Well, that went without saying; he had already saved them.
He wasn't a greedy child.
Grandma even said that family members must remember each other, and people shouldn't be so selfish.
He shouldn't be like Second Aunt!
Zhou Mei: Eldest nephew, are you being polite?
Ning Xinrou didn't know her son's thoughts. She patted his head and Said:
“Hurry up and get up to study. I’m telling you, if you don't study hard, I’ll tell your Little Aunt to stop giving you good things in the future…”
Gou Dan looked utterly incredulous, “Mother, am I your biological son or not?”
As soon as he said this, Lin Qingshan raised his large hand, like an iron fan, and slapped his bottom.
“Your mouth has no filter. You look so much like me, how can you not be my son?”
The slap was crisp and didn't hold back.
Gou Dan’s pale bottom turned red from the spanking.
However… country children are tough; he didn't feel much and just sighed, saying, “Alas, why didn't I take after Mother!”
Lin Qingshan heard that his son disliked his rugged Appearance, and his face instantly darkened.
The next second, he raised his hand again.
“Are you looking for a beating?” The dog doesn't even despise a poor home; what use is a son like this?
Gou Dan flinched and quickly hid behind Ning Xinrou.
“Mother, my father is going to hit me again. You must stand up for me! If you don't help me, I’ll go find Grandfather and Grandmother…”
Telling them that Father and Mother were bullying him!
Ning Xinrou glared at Gou Dan with mock annoyance, “If you weren't so mischievous, would your father hit you?”
Then, she looked at her man, “You’ve done enough too. Why argue with your son? If you beat him until he cries, won't you be the one feeling bad?”
Lin Qingshan: “…”
He felt bad for the Chou Dan who resembled his wife.
This mischievous boy who resembled him, he could beat three times a day.
Gou Dan saw his father being scolded and snickered, then followed his mother to study.