Early in the morning, Ye Xiaohua took down the suffocating quilts and mattresses to wash them. Taking advantage of the fine weather, they were almost dry by evening.
The bedding had been incredibly dirty; in Ye Xiaohua’s memories, they had likely never been washed. Using the newly purchased soap locust pods, she scrubbed them back and forth five or six times until no more black, filthy water came out.
When she finished, Ye Xiaohua stretched her arms and waist. Looking up, she realized it was nearly noon. Today, she planned to make pork rib soup.
When she bought the ribs, she had the butcher chop them up for her. Now, she only needed to blanch them in water before putting them in the pot. She didn’t even need to add oil; the ribs would release their own fat during the stewing process, ensuring the soup wouldn’t be overly greasy.
Once the seasoning was adjusted, Ye Xiaohua took a few herbs from a basket in the courtyard and added them to the pot. These were things she had gathered while visiting the back mountain.
These small items wouldn’t fetch much money, but eating them would help strengthen the sickly little Douzi and herself.
Ye Xiaohua pondered that her body was finally starting to recover. Once she had enough dried rations, she would venture deeper into the back mountain one day; perhaps she would find some valuable medicinal herbs.
Little Douzi had long since smelled the aroma of the pork ribs and was drooling. Knowing a delicious meal was coming, he didn’t go out to play but hovered around Ye Xiaohua, asking every so often, “Sister, when can we eat?” This was his fourth time asking, his big eyes fixed intently on Ye Xiaohua’s lips.
Ye Xiaohua threw a piece of wood into the stove and stood up to stretch her legs, which had gone numb from sitting. “Just wait a little longer. If it doesn’t cook long enough, the meat won’t fall off the bone.”
Little Douzi swallowed hard and glanced at the fragrant pot. “Alright then.”
Two quarters of an hour later, just as Douzi’s saliva was about to spill over, Ye Xiaohua finally gave the word: “Go get the bowls and chopsticks; it’s time to eat.”
“You got it!” Though little Douzi was small, he did his best to help Ye Xiaohua with tasks. He was very proactive when it came to fetching the tableware.
When the lid was lifted, the rich aroma of pork ribs hit them, mingled with a faint hint of herbs that didn’t overpower the meat. Before taking the pot off the fire, Ye Xiaohua sprinkled in some green onions, stirred it with a spoon, and began ladling the soup into a chipped bowl.
After bringing the tableware, little Douzi returned to the kitchen, circling Ye Xiaohua. She had to caution him repeatedly for fear he would burn himself.
Old Madam Ye had heard too many rumors about the “silly girl” these past two days and could no longer suppress her curiosity, so she came over to investigate. She hadn’t even entered the courtyard when she caught the scent, and she took a deep sniff.
Hmm, that’s the smell of meat.
Who could be so wealthy to eat meat when it wasn’t a holiday? She looked left and right; aside from the smoke rising from the silly girl’s chimney, the other houses were quiet.
Old Madam Ye quickened her pace, following the scent to the gate. Without so much as a greeting, she charged straight into the house.
“What good food are you eating?” Old Madam Ye shouted as she pushed the door open. Her eyes fell on the ribs on the table, and she swallowed hard as she crossed the threshold. Her curiosity vanished, replaced entirely by the urgency to eat.
“How could you forget to call your grandmother when eating ribs? I’ve wasted all my affection on you two.”
As she spoke, Old Madam Ye sat down and reached out to grab a rib, but Ye Xiaohua was faster, snatching the plate away.
Driven by gluttony, Old Madam Ye frowned, her face long, dark, and fierce. “What are you doing? Put it down!”
Old Madam Ye was used to acting like a tyrant in the second branch of the family. Li was afraid of her and let her run wild. Sometimes, Ye Xiaohua thought, Li’s departure from this family was justifiable, but what made one hate her was that she shouldn’t have abandoned her two children. She had no attachment to the Ye family, but these two were her own flesh and blood—how could she be so heartless?
Not only did Ye Xiaohua not put the plate down, she handed a bowl to little Douzi, signaling him with her eyes to go eat somewhere else.
Old Madam Ye had a naturally mean-spirited face, and now that things weren’t going her way, she looked like a demon. She immediately planted her hands on her hips and began to lecture Ye Xiaohua.
“So it’s true that you’re no longer a fool. I didn’t believe the villagers before, thinking the sun must have risen in the west. Now that you’re guarding your food, it means your brain is working, right? What, I’m your grandmother, and you can’t even bear to let me eat a piece of meat? Do you even have a conscience?”
Old Madam Ye kept trying to get closer to little Douzi, but with Ye Xiaohua blocking her path, she couldn’t reach the bowl of meat.
“Little Douzi, go eat outside.”
Little Douzi was a good boy who listened to his sister; he took his bowl and went outside to gnaw on the bones.
Old Madam Ye was anxious and used force, but Ye Xiaohua, despite being shorter and thinner, blocked her firmly. The old woman was as furious as a rabid dog.
The eldest branch of the family hadn’t eaten meat in ages because they were saving money for Ye Teng’s wedding. To Old Madam Ye, meat was dearer than her own father. Whoever stopped her from eating meat was her enemy.
“You dead brat, why are you blocking me? Do you have any conscience left? You’re just like that rotten woman who birthed you, equally unfilial! I just want one bite, and you keep stopping me—aren’t you afraid of being struck by lightning?”
Old Madam Ye’s words grew more vicious, her eyes blazing with fire. Ye Xiaohua’s expression darkened. She said coldly, “Why am I unfilial, Grandmother? Don’t you know the answer to that in your own heart?”
Seeing that little Douzi had almost finished the bowl of meat, but Ye Xiaohua was still blocking the doorway so she couldn’t get out, Old Madam Ye grew desperate.
“So you really aren’t a fool; you even dare talk to me like this! Heaven has no eyes! An unfilial brat like you should have stayed a fool your whole life.” The aroma of the meat was driving her mad.
Ye Xiaohua looked at her with piercing eyes. “Grandmother, don’t talk nonsense. Why did Heaven make me sane? It’s because it saw how pitiful my brother and I were. If I had stayed a fool, our lives would have been lost long ago. Heaven is watching—it knows who is unfilial and who is unkind to us.”
“Now that I’m sane, I remember everything you did to us before. If it comes to that, I’ll go talk to the village chief. Before, when I was a fool, he thought I was babbling; but now that I’m well, I’m sure he’ll believe me.”
Old Madam Ye considered that the girl might have gained a sliver of intelligence, but thinking of her mother’s cowardly nature, she reasoned that if she really weren’t a fool, she wouldn’t be acting so fierce, grabbing a knife at every turn. She had thought she was easy to bully, but this girl was no pushover.
Ye Xiaohua certainly wasn’t easy to manipulate. She wouldn’t be a coward like Li. Grandmother or uncle—if they wanted to bully people, they needed to be taught a lesson.
Old Madam Ye was truly frightened by Ye Xiaohua. She had already lost the village chief’s trust over previous matters, especially since she had indeed bullied the second branch more than once.
Just as Old Madam Ye was seething with rage but unable to do anything, a tall man with a full beard, fierce as a starving wolf, appeared. His eyes, glowing with a deep, eerie light, stared fixedly at Ye Xiaohua.
“Eldest son, you’re finally back! If you hadn’t come back, this dead brat would have ruined us.”
Ye Genshu was confused. He had just returned from working away, planning to organize his son’s wedding, only to hear that his son had been kicked in the crotch by the “silly girl.” He had been bedridden for over ten days, and he had come to settle the score for his son.
Seeing her eldest son, Old Madam Ye cried out as if seeing a savior: “Quick, pull that dead brat away!”
Aside from not knowing that Ye Xiaohua was no longer a fool, Ye Genshu knew everything else. The moment he arrived home, Ye Teng’s mother had poured out her grievances with tears and snot, and he had rushed over without even sitting down.
Even if his mother hadn’t spoken, Ye Genshu wouldn’t have been polite. He raised his foot to kick little Douzi, who was gnawing on a bone. If Ye Xiaohua hadn’t sensed his intent and pulled little Douzi aside with lightning speed, one kick from him would have cost the boy half his life.
Though little Douzi wasn’t hurt, Ye Xiaohua’s face turned white, and her hands went cold.
Failing to land the kick, Ye Genshu grew even more violent. He reached out to grab Ye Xiaohua to give her a beating. “Dead brat, you dare hit anyone you please? A lowly life like yours, and you dare touch my son? Watch how I…”
Watch how you what?
Old Madam Ye was waiting to see her eldest son thrash the silly girl, but Ye Genshu suddenly froze. His face was a mask of disbelief. He looked down at his arm, which Ye Xiaohua was gripping. A sharp, stinging pain shot through his arm, as if hundreds of needles were pricking him at once; he couldn’t muster any strength at all.
“Wh… what’s wrong?” Old Madam Ye asked.
Ye Genshu grimaced in pain, his face showing a murderous glare. “Dead brat, what did you do to me?”
Ye Xiaohua hadn’t done much; she had simply pressed on his acupuncture point. She had studied Chinese medicine well, and her acupuncture skills were excellent—finding pressure points was second nature to her.
At this moment, Ye Genshu’s arm was numb and painful, unable to move as if it didn’t belong to him anymore.
Seeing the two vicious faces wear the same expression of shock, Ye Xiaohua felt much better.
“If you dare hit little Douzi again, I will cripple this arm for good,” Ye Xiaohua threatened.
Ye Genshu endured the discomfort and looked at her suspiciously. He understood the words, but he couldn’t fathom the situation. The silly girl actually knows how to say things like this? “Mother, wh… what’s going on?”
Old Madam Ye saw him clutching his arm and knew he must have been struck by some dark hand. She slapped her thigh and shouted, “She… she isn’t a fool anymore! Why can’t you even beat a dead brat?”
Beat her?
Ye Xiaohua sneered. Ye Genshu wouldn’t be enough to beat her even if there were ten of him.
“Not a fool anymore?” Ye Genshu was shocked and surprised, but his anger and hatred soon overwhelmed him. “No wonder you dare to fight back and threaten people. Dead brat, you’re just asking for a beating.”