The Women’s Director actually knew the commune leader, and their relationship was quite close?
Then hadn’t she accidentally stumbled upon a powerful ally!
Seeing Su Nian hesitate to speak up and ask her to stay, Fubao grew anxious, squirming in the Women’s Director’s arms, kicking the swaddling blanket until it puffed up rhythmically.
[Mom, hurry and ask Aunt Xiang to stay! Aunt Xiang is super amazing!]
[Aunt Xiang is lying—her stomach has been growling for a long time! Mom, hurry and ask Aunt Xiang to stay for a meal. After eating, she can help Mom beat up the big bad guy!]
“Fubao misses her mom.”
The energetic and lively sight of Fubao stirred the Women’s Director’s maternal instincts, and she smiled, “This child can already recognize people after just a few days. So clever.”
Everyone loves a beautiful and clever child.
The Women’s Director’s fondness extended to Su Nian, and her attitude toward her became much warmer. “When Yao Zu and the others come, don’t push yourself too hard. Rest when you need to. Although children should be filial to their elders, your mother-in-law brought this on herself. It’s only right she suffers a bit. Don’t let her boss you around.”
“Nursing a child is exhausting. You need to rest well to have the energy to take care of Fubao.”
“The health center is busy with people coming and going. Keep a close eye on Fubao so she isn’t snatched away by traffickers.”
Reluctantly, the Women’s Director handed Fubao back to Su Nian. She had intended to take the things from Su Nian’s hands to lighten her load, but upon receiving them, she discovered the net bag contained several heavy aluminum lunchboxes. Her heart ached as she said,
“Comrade Su, as your Auntie, I must say something. When running a household, you have to budget carefully. You can’t spend recklessly. When you’re out, just grab some vegetable buns or dry rations to fill your stomach. Why buy full meals?”
“It didn’t cost much, Auntie. Don’t worry,”
The Women’s Director referred to herself as Auntie, and Su Nian was happy to draw closer to her, immediately switching her address. She took out the lunchboxes from the net bag, placed them on the table, and opened them. “You’ve worked hard all morning and must be hungry. Have a bite to eat.”
The moment the lunchbox lids were opened, the rich aroma of meat instantly filled the ward.
The marbled, soy-sauce-braised pork glistened with oil, while the cabbage and vermicelli were stewed to a tender, fragrant perfection.
“So much meat! How much money and ration coupons did this cost?”
The Women’s Director swallowed hard, turned her head away, and closed the lids. “I can’t eat this. The weather is cold, so the food won’t spoil easily. Put it outside the window to freeze, and you can stretch it out over several days.”
“Auntie!”
Su Nian pressed the Women’s Director’s shoulders, making her sit down. “This meat—I bought it because I was craving it, not specifically for you. I promise it’s just this one time I indulged. Please don’t lecture me.”
She cheerfully placed chopsticks in the Women’s Director’s hands. “If you don’t eat, I won’t either. I’ll just throw it all away.”
The Women’s Director wanted to refuse, but seeing Su Nian carry the dishes toward the window as if to dump them, she immediately stopped her. “You! You’ve grown bold, daring to waste food. When we return to the village, I must educate you properly!”
Though her words were stern, the Women’s Director was deeply moved inside.
How could she not see Su Nian’s intentions? Clearly, she was grateful for her help and had splurged on meat she herself couldn’t bear to eat. Worried that the Women’s Director might feel burdened and refuse, Su Nian took the blame upon herself.
Such a good comrade, yet she had nearly been framed as a villain by Chen Pozi.
The Women’s Director shoveled rice into her mouth in large bites, her eyes reddening. Silently, she vowed not to take the title of Auntie in vain. She would visit the Chen family more often to support Fubao and her mother, ensuring Chen Pozi would never bully them again!
Su Nian was unaware that her meal of meat had earned her a powerful ally. After serving the Women’s Director the largest piece of meat, she eagerly began eating.
She was truly craving meat.
Breastfeeding took a heavy toll on the mother’s body. Even with brown sugar egg soup at every meal, she still felt an emptiness in her stomach, a gnawing hunger for something rich and oily.
She had stubbornly insisted the Women’s Director join her for the meal, partly out of gratitude for speaking up on her behalf, and partly because she didn’t want the remaining meat to go to those two disgusting individuals, Chen Yaozu and Chen Pozi.
Having been hungry all morning, and now faced with such fragrant meat,
no one bothered with conversation, focusing only on stuffing their mouths.
Just as they were enjoying the meal, a murmur came from the hospital room.
“Where’s that smell of meat coming from?”
Su Nian looked up from her lunchbox to see Chen Pozi, still feverish and dazed, trembling as she propped herself up, staring intently at the braised pork in front of them, with suspicious drool at the corners of her mouth.
“Yaozu’s wife, hurry up and help me up!”
Chen Pozi stared fixedly at the two remaining pieces of meat in the lunchbox, wiping her drool with her sleeve, her voice trembling with urgency.
“You wasteful wretch, how dare you eat alone behind my back and your husband’s! Come help me up now, and when we get back, I’ll have Yaozu teach you a proper lesson!”
Braised pork, cabbage stewed with glass noodles, and white rice!
If she could just get up, she could eat three bowls!
That damned Su Nian, usually so stingy, yet so generous with herself and outsiders!
No! She couldn’t let Su Nian keep wasting the Chen family’s money like this!
This time, no matter what, she had to make Su Nian hand over the gold bars!
Chen Pozi was torn between craving the meat and resenting the expense. Her gaze toward Su Nian was filled with venom, as if Su Nian had desecrated the Chen family graves.
“Yaozu’s wife, are you deaf? Can’t you hear me calling you?”
“The doctor said you’re sick and shouldn’t eat greasy food. Giving you this meat would harm you, and I can’t be the kind of daughter-in-law who hurts her mother-in-law.”
Su Nian rolled her eyes, deliberately picking up a piece of meat and stuffing it into her mouth, mumbling, “What if something happens to you after eating it and you blame me? I don’t want to be falsely accused and paraded through the village.”
The Women’s Director nodded. “The doctor did say that. Xiao Su is just looking out for you.”
“You—you—you! What do you know!”
Chen Pozi slapped the bed in frustration. Seeing Su Nian’s chopsticks reaching for the last piece of meat, she ignored the IV needle in her hand, jumped off the bed, and lunged for the meat.
Chen Pozi moved quickly, but Su Nian was faster.
She stuffed the meat into her mouth in one bite. Chen Pozi’s eyes widened in fury, her chest heaving like bellows.
“Black-hearted wretch! I’ll beat you to death!” Chen Pozi was so enraged she tried to slap Su Nian. “You cheap woman, eating alone!”
Her hand had just risen when the Women’s Director stopped her.
“Chen Pozi, what do you think you’re doing? Daring to hit someone right in front of me?”
“Li Xiuhe, you’re taking sides!”
Chen Pozi watched as Su Nian poured the remaining sauce over her rice and swallowed it in two mouthfuls, her eyes reddening with rage. “Just you wait. I’ll report you to the Production Brigade. You’re taking bribes and helping the Five Black Categories bully Poor Peasants!”
“Auntie Xiuhe, don’t be afraid. You’ve always acted with integrity, and I’ll testify for you.”
Su Nian stood beside Li Xiuhe, speaking coldly to Chen Pozi. “Everything requires evidence. Slandering a Village Cadre can land you in jail. If you want to throw yourself into prison, no one will stop you.”
Chen Pozi’s face turned ashen, but she had no retort.
Li Xiuhe was famously strict and impartial. To accuse her of taking bribes, someone would need to testify or provide evidence.
She certainly couldn’t have someone cut open Li Xiuhe’s stomach to see if there was any meat Su Nian had bribed her with, could she?
Chen Pozi inwardly cursed Su Nian for being cunning, but a warning bell rang in her heart.
The time agreed upon with Yao Zu was almost up.
She couldn’t let Li Xiuhe stay here!
Li Xiuhe was a Production Brigade cadre and had witnessed the entire process of Su Nian exposing her. If she stayed behind to speak up for Su Nian, Yao Zu’s plan would definitely be affected!
“It’s not that I’m saying anything, Li Xiuhe, why aren’t you leaving yet? What, have you gotten addicted to freeloading food and drinks? Deliberately sticking around shamelessly, still hoping to mooch another dinner?”
Chen Pozi crossed her arms, speaking with a sharp tongue.
“Everyone should see what kind of behavior you, a Production Brigade cadre, have—craving meat but too stingy to spend your own money, coaxing Yao Zu’s wife to steal money from the Chen family to feed you meat!”
Li Xiuhe was furious at Chen Pozi’s unreasonable pestering, but she couldn’t find the words to refute her.
She had indeed eaten the meal Su Nian brought. In these times, meat dishes weren’t cheap, and most commune members could count the number of times they ate meat in a year on one hand. On this point, she was indeed in the wrong.
“Xiao Su, tell me how much money and ration coupons today’s meal cost. I’ll make it up to you when I return to the village!”
“Auntie Xiuhe, don’t pay her any mind,” Su Nian said, mercilessly exposing the true nature of Chen Pozi and her son. “This meal was paid for with my dowry money. Even if I invited a stranger to eat, Chen Pozi has no right to say anything. She’s just coveting my dowry, treating it as the Chen family’s private property!”
“One thing at a time,” Li Xiuhe said coldly. “No matter how poor I, Li Xiuhe, am, I can still afford this little bit of money. I don’t want anyone pointing fingers at me, calling me a freeloader.”
“If you’re not freeloading, then why don’t you stop lingering here?”
Chen Pozi, taking advantage of Li Xiuhe’s reluctance to pick a fight with her, hurled increasingly venomous insults. “What, do you know your sickly son is going to be hospitalized, so you’re here scoping things out in advance?”
“If you ask me, your son’s illness is because you’ve done too many wicked things. Heaven is tormenting you, deliberately punishing you through your son, making your family line die out!”
Slap!