Because of the morning’s commotion, Yue Hongmei completely resented Lin Feizhou and He Tingyue, to the point that she didn’t even prepare lunch for the two of them.
Lin Daniu and Lin Erniu exchanged glances, both thinking their parents were truly old and muddle-headed!
Compared to Chu Yu, an educated youth of unknown origin, how could their promising third brother not be more worth currying favor with?
It was just that Lin Laogen, as the patriarch, was used to having the final say at home, so the two brothers only dared to grumble inwardly, not daring to speak up.
Chu Yu looked at the dry cornbread in front of her, which was so coarse it could scratch her throat, and thought of the grievances she had suffered because of He Tingyue. Furious, she threw the cornbread back into the bread basket!
The cornbread had already been reheated several times, and with her throw, a small chunk broke off, scattering crumbs everywhere!
Before Lin Laogen could even speak, Lin Erniu couldn’t sit still and stood up from the bench!
“Educated Youth Chu, as an outsider freeloading off our Lin Family, you seem quite aggrieved eating a bit of cornbread. If you don’t like it, go back to the cowshed and live with your parents. You’ve really been spoiled with your awful habits!”
After saying this, he lost his appetite and stormed out of the kitchen. Unexpectedly, he ran into Lin Feizhou just as he was dishing out food from the pot.
For lunch today, he had stewed crucian carp with cabbage.
The crucian carp had been specially exchanged with villagers, and he had used a lot of oil to fry it. Now, the savory aroma of the fish wafted straight into Lin Erniu’s nostrils!
He was already hungry, and the smell made him take a couple of steps forward.
Seeing this, Lin Feizhou subtly used his body to block the bowl in his hand.
“Second Brother, why aren’t you eating and instead coming over here? Be careful, or you might end up with nothing to eat later.”
Lin Feizhou didn’t have much affection for these two brothers.
After all, since childhood, the ones who bullied him the most were these so-called older brothers!
Hearing his words, Lin Erniu’s expression darkened.
“Third Brother, what do you mean by that? We haven’t split the family yet, can’t I even walk around my own courtyard?”
He had originally thought about cozying up to Third Brother, but now it seemed unlikely. Still, he glanced at the small amount of cabbage left in the large iron pot and couldn’t help but swallow his saliva.
“Third Brother, you don’t want this cabbage, right?”
Lin Feizhou hadn’t expected this person to be so shameless, but he really didn’t care for that bit of cabbage. He nodded and, shielding the bowl, went straight into the room.
Only after he entered did Lin Erniu rush back to the kitchen, pick up his own bowl of porridge, and scoop all the cabbage into it.
Even without meat, this cabbage stewed with fish was far tastier than Yue Hongmei’s bitter stir-fried wild vegetables, which were almost unbearable!
Although He Tingyue was inside the room, the Lin Family’s space was so small that she could clearly hear the commotion outside.
However, she was quite happy to watch the three Lin siblings fight among themselves. She also wondered, since they were all their own flesh and blood, who would Lin Laogen and Yue Hongmei favor more?
Lost in thought, she suddenly noticed a savory aroma wafting into her nostrils. Turning sideways, she realized Lin Feizhou was already beside her, carefully picking out the fish bones.
Crucian carp was delicious but full of bones. Yet, at that moment, Lin Feizhou simply lowered his head, patiently picking out the fish meat bit by bit and placing it in the empty bowl in front of her.
He Tingyue watched his focused expression, feeling a sudden sting in her nose. Remembering that she shouldn't cry during the postpartum month, she forcefully held back her tears.
However, much of her resentment toward Lin Feizhou had dissipated.
After a moment's thought, she was about to pick up the thermos in front of her when Lin Feizhou swiftly snatched it away!
"This thing is heavy. What if you strain your back?"
As he spoke, he removed the stopper, poured the water into a tea mug, and placed it in front of He Tingyue.
But He Tingyue didn't drink it. Instead, she pushed it toward him.
"You've been busy all morning. Have some water."
She had secretly added a bit of ginseng juice to the thermos, originally intending to nourish herself. Now, she hoped Lin Feizhou could stay by her side longer.
Lin Feizhou knew his wife was concerned about him! Delighted, he took the tea mug and gulped down the water in big, hearty swallows!
"So sweet!"
He Tingyue watched him drink like a thirsty ox and rolled her eyes in exasperation. Then, she picked up the steamed bun beside her and slowly ate the fish meat Lin Feizhou had picked out for her.
Since she wasn't breastfeeding, she didn't need to avoid certain foods, but she knew her body had been severely depleted over the past year. Even with the miraculous old ginseng to nourish her, daily dietary therapy was still crucial.
After the meal, Lin Feizhou helped her change the soiled bedding and then whispered, "I'm going to town this afternoon to see Han Ping. Lock the door from the inside so no one can bully you. Just wait here peacefully until I return."
He was afraid his unreasonable mother would take advantage of his absence to mistreat He Tingyue again, so he gave her these instructions.
He Tingyue nodded obediently.
But she also knew Yue Hongmei's temperament well enough to guess that she would definitely try to make trouble while Lin Feizhou was away!
If this had happened yesterday, she might have been worried. But this morning, she had unexpectedly discovered a "surprise" about herself and was eager to test it out~
Seeing her so compliant, Lin Feizhou couldn't resist stealing a kiss on her cheek before blushing, taking the leftover dishes outside to wash, and returning them.
Although the Lin Family hadn't officially split up, Lin Feizhou didn't dare let anyone else handle He Tingyue's food anymore—he prepared everything himself!
Sure enough, not long after Lin Feizhou left, Yue Hongmei's footsteps could be heard outside the room.
But He Tingyue remembered Lin Feizhou's instructions and deliberately locked the door from the inside. No matter what happened next, she wanted Lin Feizhou to clearly understand that she wasn't the one stirring up trouble~
Little did she know, when Yue Hongmei stormed over and found the door locked, her mind exploded with fury!
Staring at the tightly shut door, she felt as if her authority had been trampled underfoot. Unable to contain her anger any longer, she raised her leg and kicked the door with all her might!
It was at this exact moment that He Tingyue "timidly" opened the door. Yue Hongmei's leg was already in motion, unable to stop, and she stumbled forward. Unbeknownst to her, He Tingyue had been waiting for this moment!
"Ouch!"
Spotting Wu Jianjun and Feng Kai standing in the courtyard, He Tingyue summoned all her acting skills, portraying the pain of being kicked with startling realism!
Seizing the moment when Yue Hongmei's attention was diverted, she quietly yanked on the half-extended, bow-legged limb that had been thrust toward her!
"Aow~"
By the time Yue Hongmei's pig-slaughter-like scream rang out, He Tingyue had already been lying on the ground for a while!
Striving for realism, she now held her stomach and silently curled into a ball. Though she didn't scream as loudly as Yue Hongmei, in everyone's eyes, she looked utterly pitiful!
Wu Jianjun's face turned dark with anger, and even Feng Kai's expression grew grim!
"Yue Hongmei, do you really need to go through Reform Through Labor to feel satisfied?!"