Yang Xiaolin held a bowl of coarse corn porridge in her hands, feeling stifled. She peeked into the room and immediately noticed noodles in the bowl on the table—her eyes lit up at once.
“Yonghua and Tianzhen have been looking thin lately. They need some noodles to nourish themselves.”
Yang Xiaolin herself was thin and gaunt.
Whenever there was something good to eat, she either gave it to the men and sons or saved it to send back to her maternal family for her brothers and nephews.
She was the type who suffered herself while being harsh to others.
Hong Shanpang, on the other hand, wished she could snatch the noodles and eat them all herself. Whoever ate it mattered less than it going into her own stomach.
The two women were complete opposites.
“Su Xiaoqi, let me taste it.”
As soon as Hong Shanpang reached out, Su Xiaoqi struck her hand hard with her chopsticks.
“One more move, and your little two-yuan secret stash won’t survive.”
Hong Shanpang: “……”
How does she know I still have two yuan hidden at home?
Xu Yongguo: “……”
So our whole family only has two yuan left?
He froze, bowl in hand, eyes shifting from Su Xiaoqi to Hong Shanpang.
The entire room turned to look at her.
“What are you all looking at me for?” Hong Shanpang quickly waved her hands. “Don’t listen to her nonsense!”
Su Xiaoqi casually handed out two bowls of noodles.
“One bowl each for you two siblings. Not much—just a taste. I’ll make fish for lunch later.”
Zhou Cao nervously held her bowl, head lowered, not daring to look at anyone.
She was afraid that one glance would make her unable to eat.
Zhou Zheng took the bowl openly.
“Thank you, sister-in-law.”
Xu Youtian shouted for Yang Huaihua to bring out pickled radishes.
“You all stayed home all morning doing nothing and still want to eat for free.”
Su Xiaoqi sneered.
“Next time don’t hint around. I’ll just assume you’re guilty and talking about yourself.”
Xu Youtian coughed violently again.
Zhou Cao finished her noodles quickly, not even leaving a drop of soup.
She even chewed the fish bones.
After eating, she drank a bowl of corn porridge.
By the time breakfast ended, she felt the dizziness and tightness in her chest ease considerably.
She looked at Su Xiaoqi with gratitude.
After finishing, she quietly followed her outside.
“Sister-in-law… thank you.”
Seeing her pale, yellowed face, Su Xiaoqi felt uneasy.
In the book, when the original host fell on hard times, it was Zhou Cao who secretly gave her a bun.
“Do you have anemia?” Su Xiaoqi asked.
“I don’t know… I just feel dizzy when working,” Zhou Cao replied.
“Come to my room later. I’ll give you some peach pastries.”
“Thank you.”
Zhou Cao didn’t dare stay long and hurried off to work.
Yang Huaihua, unable to order Su Xiaoqi around, vented her anger on Zhou Cao instead.
“You’ve got eyes but no work in them! All you know is being lazy and eating!”
“You didn’t even clean up after breakfast. Do you expect me to serve you food and bring it to your mouth?”
“What kind of thing did I give birth to?”
“I didn’t do nothing! I just came out for a breath of air! I’ll clean it right away,” Zhou Cao cried.
“Talk back again and again!” Yang Huaihua jabbed her forehead hard with long fingernails digging in.
The Xu family daily drama continued as usual; the neighbors were already used to it.
Hong Shanpang, eyes glued to the fish, circled around.
“Mom, can we eat fish at noon?”
“Tomorrow is Yong’an’s wedding. The fish must be saved for then.”
She refused.
She planned to only cut off a fish tail for lunch for Xu Youtian and Xu Meizhen.
Everyone else could just smell it.
Hong Shanpang turned her eyes and shouted toward Su Xiaoqi’s window.
“Since the fish is saved for tomorrow, what are we eating today?”
Su Xiaoqi: “……”
“Then just chop off the fish head and tail for lunch.”
Hong Shanpang immediately yelled,
“Mom! Su Xiaoqi said we’re eating fish head and tail today!”
Yang Huaihua grabbed a broom and chased her around.
“You greedy woman!”
“It was her! Why are you hitting me?” Hong Shanpang cried.
After beating her, Yang Huaihua sat at the doorway, panting.
“Get back to work!”
“I know…” Hong Shanpang muttered, unfazed.
She turned to Xu Xiaocui and pointed at Su Xiaoqi’s window.
“Go kneel a few times and ask for candy. Bring it back and share with me.”
Xu Xiaocui sat blankly, thin and frail, wearing patched clothes and barefoot.
She didn’t respond.
After Hong Shanpang left, she sat on the doorstep, staring at Zhou Cao washing dishes by the well.
Meanwhile, Zhou Ye had gone to the educated youth station earlier.
After breakfast, he returned to the room and took out fifteen yuan.
“Xiaoqi, I got this from Xia Wenjie. It’s compensation for stealing your clothes.”
“He gave it so easily?”
“No. I beat him up.”
Zhou Ye flexed his fist.
“Reasoning doesn’t work. Only fists do.”
Su Xiaoqi placed her soft hand on his fist. The touch made his blood instantly heat.
“You’ll hit me too in the future?”
Zhou Ye froze.
That was a lethal question.
“I only hit people to stand up for you,” he said quickly.
“You didn’t answer me.”
“Then I’ll probably be the one getting hit,” he replied helplessly.
She took the money and counted it slowly in front of him.
Then she handed him two yuan.
“Your pocket money.”
Zhou Ye happily stuffed it into his pocket.
“Thank you, wife.”
After finishing the chores outside, Zhou Cao came to the door and knocked.
“Sister-in-law.”
“Come in.”
She quickly entered.
“Brother.”
“Mhm.”
Zhou Ye wasn’t familiar with her either.
Since childhood, Zhou Cao had always been afraid of him.
She would either sit on the doorstep or help with housework silently.
Whenever she saw him being beaten by their parents, she became even more afraid to speak.
Zhou Ye used to bring her wild fruits from the mountains, but she never dared accept them.
She would always throw them away in front of him.
If she accepted them even once, she would be beaten and locked in a chest.
Later, when she grew older and wanted them, Zhou Ye no longer gave them.
Su Xiaoqi handed her a pack of peach pastries.
“Hide it and eat slowly.”
“Thank you.”
She clutched it tightly and left quickly.
After she left, Su Xiaoqi said,
“Your sister seems very afraid of you.”
Zhou Ye shrugged.
“I look scary.”
After breakfast, Su Xiaoqi went out to wander the village, looking for any chance of “free shopping.”
Earlier that day she had used her one-yuan instant system draw and got a canned goods set—fruit cans and luncheon meat.
Perfect for the era, so no one would suspect anything.
But after circling the village like a drifter, she only collected curious stares and gossip.
No opportunities at all.
Eventually, she was stopped by a dark-skinned, pretty girl.
“Su Xiaoqi.”
“Who are you?” she asked.
The girl bit her lip hard, forcing down her jealousy.
“It was you who forced your way into marrying Zhou Ye and stole my happiness.”
Su Xiaoqi: “……”
Zhou Ye looked like a calm, refined man. He didn’t seem like someone who would like this girl.
Her face was broad, nose slightly flat, lips a bit protruding. Strong rural build—good at work, strong for bearing children.
“You say I stole your happiness?”
This pot is a little too big.