This baby isn’t panicking.
This baby wants to counterattack.
Little Fuyuan glared at You Jingui with her large, dark eyes and pouted.
“Waa… waa…”
“Waa… waa…”
Little Fuyuan began to wail loudly at You Jingui.
This baby can’t talk yet, so this baby will use crying to express her displeasure.
As soon as Little Fuyuan started crying, Mrs. Zhen’s heart fell into a state of panic.
“What’s wrong? What happened?”
The last time Little Fuyuan had cried was when she was lying in the snow by the front gate. Since being brought home, she hadn’t cried once. Mrs. Zhen had never seen such an easy-going, well-behaved child.
How could she suddenly start howling out of the blue? She had just been smiling a moment ago.
Mrs. Zhen always felt that despite Little Fuyuan’s age, she was incredibly bright. If she was crying, there had to be a reason. It certainly wasn’t hunger; she had just finished a bottle of goat’s milk an hour ago.
Had she soiled herself?
Mrs. Zhen checked, but the diaper was dry.
She wasn’t hungry, she wasn’t wet, and yet she was howling specifically at You Jingui.
It seemed the “aura” between the sisters-in-law didn’t match. Then again, with a personality like the second daughter-in-law’s, she didn’t get along with anyone. It was perfectly normal for a child to be afraid upon seeing her.
“Second daughter-in-law, go back to your room and rest. Be careful of the child in your belly,” Mrs. Zhen said, holding Little Fuyuan tightly while tactfully ushering You Jingui out of the main room.
You Jingui stood her ground, curling her lip and sneering inwardly, though she maintained a mask of concern for her sister-in-law.
“Mother, why did my little sister-in-law suddenly start crying? She hasn’t fallen ill, has she?”
No matter how good Mrs. Zhen’s temper was, You Jingui’s loose tongue finally sparked her anger.
“What nonsense are you talking? Is that any way to speak? The moment you open your mouth, you’re cursing Yuanman,” Mrs. Zhen snapped, raising her voice in a rare scolding.
You Jingui’s expression turned sour.
She knew her mother-in-law was annoyed that she had schemed to marry Bai Er-zhuang, but the older woman had never raised her voice or scolded her so sharply before. Usually, when she felt unwell or was sulking with Er-zhuang, her mother-in-law would even try to comfort her.
This was the first time she had been spoken to so harshly. It left her with absolutely no dignity.
“Why is Little Yuan Bao crying? I heard her screaming all the way from outside,” Old Mrs. Bai asked as she lifted the door curtain. However, she didn’t step further inside, fearing the cold air on her clothes might chill her granddaughter.
Once she saw You Jingui standing by the bed and heard Little Fuyuan continuing to “dry-howl” in Mrs. Zhen’s arms, her face instantly frosted over.
People were constantly coming and going from the main room, and the granddaughter had never cried. Why was it that as soon as You Jingui entered, the child started wailing? There had to be a reason.
“Second daughter-in-law, what did you do to your sister-in-law?” Old Mrs. Bai asked in a sharp, questioning tone.
Once again, You Jingui felt humiliated.
What could she possibly do to this little brat? No matter how malicious or resentful her thoughts were, she couldn’t possibly lay a hand on a baby, especially with her mother-in-law right there.
How was she supposed to know why the kid started howling non-stop just after they locked eyes for a few seconds?
“Grandmother, how can you say that? What could I have done to her? Did I hit her or scold her?” You Jingui snapped back.
The moment You Jingui finished speaking, Little Fuyuan howled even harder.
To Old Mrs. Bai, this confirmed it: the granddaughter’s crying was caused by You Jingui frightening her.
“Are you still not leaving? Do you need an eight-man sedan chair to carry you out?” Old Mrs. Bai’s sharp tongue was as lethal as ever.
Faced with Old Mrs. Bai, You Jingui lacked the confidence to keep arguing. Huffing in anger and twisting her handkerchief, she slammed the curtain aside and stormed out.
The moment she left, Little Fuyuan stopped crying.
Mrs. Zhen pulled Little Fuyuan closer to her chest, saying heart-brokenly, “You must be tired from crying, my little darling.”
Old Mrs. Bai looked at Little Fuyuan in Mrs. Zhen’s arms. There wasn’t a single tear on the baby’s pink face; in fact, she was already beaming at Mrs. Zhen. The grandmother relaxed slightly, but a thoughtful look flashed in her eyes.
Little Fuyuan looked at Mrs. Zhen, then at Old Mrs. Bai.
Her mother was a simple soul with no hidden motives, but her grandmother was sharp as a tack. Had Grandma figured out her little trick of “dry-howling” to express her dislike for the second sister-in-law?
“Eldest Son’s mother, isn’t this child a bit too clever? She was howling at the second daughter-in-law like that—all thunder and no rain,” Old Mrs. Bai mused.
Mrs. Zhen looked down at her daughter.
Little Fuyuan grinned at her, her bright eyes meeting her mother’s with a look of pure, innocent infant charm.
Mrs. Zhen’s heart melted all over again.
“Mother, they say children are the most sensitive to good and evil…” Mrs. Zhen felt the grandmother was overthinking it.
Old Mrs. Bai pondered for a moment and agreed that her daughter-in-law was right. What could a baby who hadn’t even reached a month old possibly understand? It was all instinct.
Perhaps You Jingui’s “malicious energy” was simply too heavy, and the child instinctively disliked it. Then again, with a temper like You Jingui’s, which child would like her?
“Ee-ya, ah-ya…”
Having successfully driven away her annoying second sister-in-law, Little Fuyuan was in an excellent mood.
Hmph, this baby isn’t someone to mess with. Back at school, even the kids who tried to bully her never got the better of her.
“…The second daughter-in-law is already a mother herself, yet she won’t settle down and live properly. She’s the only troublemaker in this house,” Old Mrs. Bai grumbled about You Jingui without holding back.
“Once the girl in her belly is born, her personality will probably soften up a bit,” Mrs. Zhen said.
“Ee-ya, ah-ya…”
Little Fuyuan shook her head slightly. Second Sister-in-law doesn’t have a baby in her belly. Aside from herself, she couldn’t sense any other little babies in the Bai family.
Old Mrs. Bai remained noncommittal about Mrs. Zhen’s theory. A daughter wasn’t a miracle cure for a bad personality. You Jingui’s own mother, Madam Qian, had raised seven daughters, and her temperament wasn’t any better for it.
“Mother, what happened to my little sister-in-law? Is she alright?” Xie Chuntao asked through the window.
She had been stewing meat in the kitchen and grew worried after hearing the baby wail for a while.
“She’s fine now,” Mrs. Zhen and Old Mrs. Bai replied in unison.
“Grandmother, the food is ready. Where should I set the table?” Xie Chuntao breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing the baby was okay.
Fortunately, the eldest daughter-in-law was virtuous, kind, and efficient, which provided the mother and daughter-in-law with a great deal of comfort. If both daughters-in-law had been the type to constantly clash, the household would be in utter chaos.
“Set it in the main room.”
The main room was warm. Old Mrs. Bai went out to help Xie Chuntao set the table.
From Bai Muban down to the Bai brothers, everyone had quickly finished their baths. Even Da-lang and San-lang had been dragged over by Bai Da-zhuang and forcibly scrubbed; the two boys shivered and cried out from the cold. Hearing the noise, Mrs. Zhen quickly ushered the two children into the main room, wrapping them in quilts to huddle with Er-lang for warmth.
The meal was soon served, and the aroma filled the air.
There was a whole basin of braised wild pheasant, a basin of dry-braised wild rabbit, a basin of tofu with pig’s blood, and thick, hearty millet porridge.
The colors, scents, and flavors were all perfect, making everyone’s mouth water.
Da-lang and San-lang jumped up and sat around the table, drooling at the sight of the meat. They couldn’t be blamed; since birth, they had never seen such a lavish feast.
The clean Bai brothers entered the room one by one. Each of them went over to play with Little Fuyuan first. Seeing her smile at them, the brothers were relieved. It seemed the scent of blood from the hunt had been washed away and wouldn’t offend their sister. They then turned as one toward their father, seeking praise.
Bai Muban had no eyes for his sons, only for his daughter. He waved a hand and said, “Let’s eat.”
As the brothers gathered around the table, Bai Muban continued his lecture: “We are only able to eat this meat thanks to Little Yuan Bao. This was all brought by her. Sigh, when I think about how Little Yuan Bao brought this meat but can’t eat it herself, and it’s all going into your stomachs… I… I feel like I’m failing her…”
Oh boy, why is Father getting all sentimental?
The Bai brothers didn’t know how to play along with Bai Muban’s impromptu performance.
Bai San-zhuang, who was best at reading the room, understood his father’s underlying message. He patted his chest and said, “Father, don’t worry. Once Little Sister is old enough to eat meat, I’ll buy her several pigs so she can eat her fill.”
“I definitely won’t fight with Little Sister for food,” Bai Zhaomei echoed his third brother’s words, rolling up his sleeves and glaring at Da-lang and San-lang. “I’ll beat up anyone who tries to grab her share.”
Da-lang and San-lang trembled. “We won’t grab it! It’s all for Auntie! All for Auntie!”
Little Fuyuan, lying on the bed: “…”