Lu Mingyang put down the firewood, not immediately running to the kitchen, but instead looking at Shen Meng's unsteady steps with shock.
A sugar-coated bullet! This is a sugar-coated bullet!!!
This wicked woman has so many tricks up her sleeve. In just one day, her two younger brothers and sister are almost completely won over. A little favor and she's forgotten everything from the past. She's so foolish. Lu Mingyang clenched his fist. Tonight, no matter what delicious food this wicked woman makes, he absolutely will not eat a single bite, absolutely not.
"Brother, what are you standing there for? There's a big bowl of sweet mung bean soup. Come and have some. It's too hot. Let's not go collect firewood later!"
Lu Mingyang walked into the kitchen, picked up the bowl of mung bean soup on the table, and gulped down a couple of mouthfuls.
"No, we've collected the firewood and said what we needed to say. Let's go back to the kang and lie down. Hey, did you hurt your foot with something while walking? Wash it with some water later."
"Okay!" Lu Mingliang agreed, his eyes darting around. He spotted the earthenware pot on the stove, lifted the lid, and saw that there was indeed a lot of mung bean soup inside. He was delighted and picked up the spoon next to it to scoop out a mouthful.
"Brother, do you want some more? There's still some here!"
"No, one bowl is enough. If you want some more, drink some more, but sneakily!"
"Hehe!"
One of the brothers secretly drank half a bowl, while the other peeked out from the kitchen to keep watch. After a while, he came out of the kitchen, spread out the firewood, washed his hands and feet, and then went back to the west room to lie down.
Lu Mingfang and Lu Mingliang on the kang were almost asleep. They raised their hands to rub their eyes and finally realized where they were. Lu Mingkai was overjoyed. He had been hugged by Shen Meng all afternoon, which made him bolder. While Shen Meng was still asleep, he whispered "Mother."
Lu Mingfang looked at Shen Meng and subconsciously wanted to grab her brother and run away. But then she remembered that her mother had hugged her to sleep that afternoon and had asked her second aunt to make her cotton clothes and shoes. She still couldn't believe that such good fabric and cotton were made for her.
Shen Meng hadn't slept all afternoon; she'd been sleeping the past two days, and she was so lazy from all the sleeping that she watched a movie in her spatial dimension while the two children slept, then brought out a bowl of mung bean soup.
She pretended to have just woken up, frowning as she looked at the two children.
"Oh dear, when did you wake up? Why didn't you call for Mom?"
"Mommy's sleeping, I won't call." Lu Mingkai shrank back slightly, not getting out of Shen Meng's arms. He was comfortable in his mother's embrace and didn't want to leave, so he boldly replied.
Shen Meng looked at the soft, squishy Mingkai, feeling happy, and gave him a quick kiss.
"Good boy, Mingfang, Mommy made you some mung bean soup while you were sleeping, with rock sugar added. Take Mingkai to eat some, but keep your voices down, Mingyang and Mingliang are resting in the west room!"
Lu Mingfang was taken aback for a moment, then got off the kang (heated brick bed), agreed, and carried the equally dazed Lu Mingkai out. As they reached the door, she turned and glanced at Shen Meng.
"Mom, lie down a little longer. Call me if you need anything."
"Okay, go ahead, my daughter."
Lu Mingfang smiled shyly at Shen Meng's words, then picked up Lu Mingkai and left.
As the siblings drank the mung bean soup, they kept praising how delicious it was. Lu Mingkai chuckled as he drank.
"Sister, Mom just kissed me, did you see? She kissed my forehead, hehe!"
"Yes, Mingkai, be a good boy, Mom definitely loves you." Lu Mingfang said with a hint of melancholy. No matter what, Mingkai was still her mother's biological child. Her mother said she would treat her well, but... but she didn't kiss him just now.
Lu Mingfang bit her lip, wondering if she had been too cold. After all, her mother had said she would change, yet she was still so good to them, even feeding them refined grains and white noodles and sweet mung bean soup while she was sick. She hadn't done anything, and she always wanted to run away. Would her mother be sad and revert to her old ways?
Lu Mingfang felt a moment of panic when she thought about this, but seeing her little brother's happy face, she made up her mind. Next time, next time she would definitely say something nice to her mother. Adults all like sweet-talking children. Hmm, she would be sweeter.
Liu Sanjin was unhappy. She only worked halfway through the afternoon's work before asking for leave to go home, which almost angered Lu Debang. It was the busy farming season; everyone, young and old, except those unable to work, was in the fields. She was in good spirits, having only finished half the work, which displeased the village officials in charge of production.
Xie Jinghao brought a bowl of cold water to her bedside and softly called out, "Mother." Liu Sanjin snorted coldly.
Xie Jinghao didn't care; besides her husband and children, only her eldest brother's family could she care about.
"Mother, didn't you say the sun made you dizzy? Drinking some cold water will make you feel better. Drink it before you sleep!"
"Hmph, forget about your filial piety. If you don't upset me, I can live a few more years!"
Xie Jinghao didn't reply, placing the cold water on the table beside her. She knew Liu Sanjin was going to bring up the old issue again, deliberately tormenting her, so she just listened.
“Our third son is unlucky too. If he hadn’t married a jinx like you, he wouldn’t have missed his chance to go to school. Now he’s working odd jobs in the mine, working himself to the bone to support you and your children.” Liu Sanjin sat up abruptly and started cursing at Xie Jinghao.
Xie Jinghao didn’t say a word. She was an orphan, raised by a kind grandmother. After her grandmother died, close relatives seized the old house and tried to kick her out. She had no family and no attachments. When she tried to commit suicide by jumping into the river, Lu Jiasheng saved her. Originally, Liu Sanjin had found a girl for Lu Jiasheng. If he could marry her, he would not only have a good in-law relationship but also be recommended to the Workers, Peasants and Soldiers University. After graduation, she would be guaranteed a job, a secure job for life. But at this time, Xie Jinghao’s relatives took the opportunity to make a big fuss about Lu Jiasheng ruining Xie Jinghao’s reputation, forcing the Lu family to marry her.
At the time, she didn't want to be the bad guy. Someone had kindly saved her, but she ended up ruining their future. It was Lu Jiasheng who found her, wanted to marry her, and swore to treat her well. Lu Zhenping paid for the house repairs and the dowry, giving Xie Jinghao a home again.
After marriage, the couple had a good relationship, but Liu Sanjin always looked down on this third daughter-in-law who had no family of her own.
Liu Sanjin looked at her silently, his brows furrowed. Thinking about what he had heard that afternoon, he said in a deep voice, "Tonight you cook, make some cornmeal dumpling soup, boil two eggs for the eldest son's family, and stir-fry a dish. Add some lard when you stir-fry the dish. You carry it, and have Jiaojiao and Jiaxuan carry it to the eldest son's family. They should deliver it after work."
Xie Jinghao's eyes flickered. What unpleasant things had she heard outside? She wanted to make something nice to send over and save face for her family!
Shen Meng lay listlessly on the kang (heated brick bed) when Lu Mingkai cautiously peeked over. Seeing his mother looking at him, he chuckled.
"Mom, what are we having for dinner?" He'd just finished his mung bean soup and was already looking forward to dinner. Just then, Lu Mingyang came out from the west room, inwardly scoffing. No matter what they made, he wasn't eating it.
"No cooking tonight. Your grandma and the others will bring food over."
Lu Mingyang: "..."
So annoying, he spoke too soon!!!