Aunt Hao acted like a thief, cautiously glancing around to ensure no one was watching before quickly gathering the rice sack.
“Where did this come from?” she asked nervously, staring at Xing Zhaozhao with a lowered voice.
“I bought it,” Xing Zhaozhao replied.
Seeing her casual demeanor, Aunt Hao felt the urge to slap her. Remembering this was neither her daughter nor daughter-in-law, she restrained herself, though her fingers twitched involuntarily.
“Did you go to the black market?” Aunt Hao asked with a stern face.
Such high-quality rice couldn’t be bought at the grain depot. The grains were so white, clearly from a special supply.
Xing Zhaozhao remained silent, tacitly admitting it. After all, she couldn’t very well say she had brought it from another world.
Aunt Hao felt the urge to hit her again.
“Are you out of your mind? Spending money recklessly on such expensive rice from the black market? Do you even know how costly this is?” Aunt Hao scolded, exasperated.
Xing Zhaozhao said nothing. In truth, she had already chosen the cheapest option, buying 50 pounds at a time to save more.
“If you bought such good rice, why not keep it for yourself? Why bring it out?” Aunt Hao questioned.
“I want to exchange it for more dried mushrooms and dried wild vegetables,” Xing Zhaozhao explained.
Aunt Hao looked at her as if she were a fool. “What do you need so many dried mushrooms and wild vegetables for? You won’t eat much over the winter anyway. Once spring comes, they’ll be everywhere, hardly worth anything.”
Xing Zhaozhao had already prepared an excuse. “Back when I was with the troops, you sent me quite a lot. I shared some with the other wives, and they all said it was delicious. I thought I’d send them some more and take the opportunity to ask about Mingcheng. It’s just some inexpensive dried vegetables—can’t really call it a bribe…”
Understanding her intention, Aunt Hao fell silent for a moment before sighing helplessly. She quickly tucked the rice sack away and said, “Alright, I’ll exchange it for you. But I don’t have much here—probably not enough. I’ll go ask others to get more for you.”
With that, Aunt Hao sprang into action. She first packed what she had in her jars, then gathered what was still drying outside. After scooping two bowls of rice from the sack Xing Zhaozhao had given her, she put them in a cloth bag and went to other households to make the exchange.
In the end, the dried mushrooms and wild vegetables Aunt Hao gathered for Xing Zhaozhao filled a large basket and then some.
Still, Aunt Hao seemed dissatisfied. “It’s still not enough. Let me ask a few more families to see if I can get more.”
Xing Zhaozhao quickly stopped her. “It’s enough, Auntie, really. Let me send these off first. If I need more, I’ll come back to you.”
Only then did Aunt Hao relent, though she added, “If it’s not enough, you must come back. Don’t stand on ceremony with me.”
Xing Zhaozhao smiled and agreed. “I understand, Auntie.”
Then, she took her leave. “It’s getting late, and I shouldn’t keep you any longer. I’ve got a rascal at home—I should hurry back before he turns the place upside down.”
Aunt Hao saw her out. “Be careful on the road.”
“Got it, Auntie.” Xing Zhaozhao finished speaking and was about to leave with Hongfei when she suddenly felt a burning gaze from the side. Puzzled, she turned her head and unexpectedly met the venomous old face of Gao Old Lady peering over the nearby wall, startling her.
It turned out that ever since encountering Xing Zhaozhao at the door earlier, Gao Old Lady had been straining her ears to listen to the commotion at the Hao family’s place.
Hearing that Hao Xiuning had brought out wild raspberries from the house for her father and his companion to eat, and that they were picked by Xing Zhaozhao in the mountains, she couldn’t help but drool. Unable to resist, she found a stool to stand on and leaned over the wall to spy on the situation.
When she saw Hongfei’s basket heavily laden, clearly filled with more than just wild raspberries but other rare items too, the thought that all those things would end up in others’ mouths instead of hers made Gao Old Lady feel as if ten thousand ants were crawling in her heart, unbearably agitated.
Those should have been hers, all hers.
Truly, birds of a feather flock together. The second son and his wife were both ungrateful wretches with no conscience. One got a good job but gave it to an outsider instead of his own brother; the other obtained good things but gave them to outsiders instead of her own mother-in-law.
Even though he came from her own womb, he still favored outsiders. If she had known it would turn out like this, she should have drowned him in the toilet right after he was born. What a waste of her milk.
Aunt Hao followed Xing Zhaozhao’s gaze and was also startled.
“You old hag, how dare you climb the wall to spy? Shameless!” she cursed angrily, grabbing the broom leaning against the wall and swinging it at Gao Old Lady’s face over the wall.
Gao Old Lady hurriedly dodged backward but forgot she was standing on a stool. She missed her step and fell down with a thud.
A loud “thump” was heard, followed by Gao Old Lady’s cry of pain: “Ow, my butt…”
“Serves you right! Why didn’t the fall kill you, you wicked old woman? Always up to no good…” Aunt Hao continued cursing.
Humiliated and furious, with a sore butt and an even sorer heart, Gao Old Lady beat her chest and wailed loudly: “Why is my life so bitter? I worked so hard to raise a successful son, but he turned out to be an ungrateful wretch. The daughter-in-law he married is a she-wretch, and they gave birth to a litter of little wretches. They all favor outsiders. When they get good things, they don’t know to offer them to their mother-in-law but give them all to outsiders. They even gang up with outsiders to bully their mother-in-law. I can’t go on living like this! Let a bolt of lightning strike me dead right now…”
“Boom…”
A distant clap of thunder echoed fittingly from the horizon.
On the other side of the wall, Gao Old Lady’s dramatic wailing abruptly ceased.
The she-wretch raised an eyebrow slightly and exchanged a mocking glance with the little wretch beside her.
Nearby, Aunt Hao was stunned for a moment before bursting into laughter. “Even Heaven can’t stand the sight of you, and you still have the nerve to complain. ‘Worked so hard to raise a son’? When Mingcheng was a child, he was so hungry he had to dig for food in the mountains himself. When he finally managed to find something to eat, you, his own mother, snatched it from him. Stealing food from your own child’s mouth—you’re the first mother in our village to do such a thing.”
“And besides, their family has already severed ties with you, yet you still expect them to show you filial respect? You’re utterly unattractive but have such grand delusions. Hasn’t Mingcheng been dutiful to you ever since he became successful? And how have you treated him in return? You’re like a dog that can’t stop eating shit.”
“The two children have no relatives to support them, so I help when I can. If they remember this old woman fondly, I won’t stand on ceremony. Envious? Jealous? Too bad you can see it but can’t have it. Heh, I’ll infuriate you to death.”
Gao Old Lady fell silent and stopped moving.
Though she didn’t die of anger, she fainted from it.
“Grandma, grandma…” Soon, Gao Nuannuan’s frightened crying came from next door.
Xing Zhaozhao pretended not to hear and apologized to Aunt Hao: “I’ve caused you trouble again.”
Aunt Hao waved it off unconcernedly: “Since becoming neighbors with them, troubles have never ceased. One more from you doesn’t make a difference, nor does one less.”
Xing Zhaozhao smiled and didn’t stand on ceremony further: “We’ll head back now. I’ll visit you again next time.”
Aunt Hao nodded: “Be careful on the road.”
Xing Zhaozhao led Hongfei out of the Hao family’s gate. Behind them, she could hear Aunt Hao speaking to Zhang Zhiqing.
“Wenming, remember to stay for dinner today.”
“Alright, Auntie,” Zhang Zhiqing replied with a laugh.
Wenming? Zhang Wenming? That name sounded somewhat familiar, as if she’d heard it somewhere before.
Holding Hongfei’s hand, Xing Zhaozhao walked toward the mountain while pondering this in her mind.
Just as they were approaching the village entrance, a sudden realization flashed through Xing Zhaozhao’s mind. She abruptly turned to look in the direction of Aunt Hao’s house.
She remembered now!