Bai Li stuck her tongue out at Wei Linlang. “Who’s looking at you? You’re not some treasure. Nyeh nyeh nyeh!”
Seeing the two children bickering, Qin Xiuqiao and the others paid it no mind. Kids will be kids—let them sort out their own problems. As long as they didn’t cause trouble right in front of them, they wouldn’t intervene.
Yu Qingqiu looked at the large crowd at home and thought about how Yu Shian and the other child would be back from school soon, and Yu Jianguo would be off work. She had to cook for the whole family, and a wave of irritation settled in her heart, refusing to dissipate.
She didn’t want to spend every day stuck in the kitchen.
With that thought, Yu Qingqiu suddenly pressed her hand to her forehead, leaned back on the sofa, and closed her eyes without saying a word.
Seeing her mother leaning against the sofa with a pale face, Wei Linlang grew frightened and shook Yu Qingqiu’s arm. “Mom, Mom, what’s wrong?”
Yu Qingqiu forced a weak smile. “Linlang, Mom’s fine. I just feel a bit dizzy. I’ll be okay after resting for a while.”
Qin Xiuqiao glanced at Yu Qingqiu’s state, pursed her lips, and snorted coldly, but she didn’t say a word.
Her sister-in-law was definitely pretending to be sick to avoid cooking tonight’s dinner. If she didn’t want to do it, then fine—she wasn’t keen on partnering with her anyway.
But asking Lixia to help with the cooking? She felt too embarrassed to bring it up. Lixia usually handled most of the household chores, and it was rare for her to have a day or two off. Better to let her relax for a few days.
Still, Qin Xiuqiao wasn’t willing to do it all by herself either.
Shen Qionghua, seeing Yu Qingqiu’s pale face, felt a twinge of concern and said softly to her, “Qingqiu, since you’re not feeling well, go back to your room and rest. I’ll keep an eye on Linlang.”
“You don’t have to cook tonight’s dinner either.”
Hearing Shen Qionghua’s words, Bai Li narrowed her eyes slightly and said crisply, “Grandma, if only Auntie is cooking because Auntie Qingqiu isn’t feeling well, then Auntie will be working too hard.”
“Auntie Qingqiu, I’m sure you wouldn’t want Auntie to cook all by herself, right?”
“I have an idea that would let everyone eat without making Auntie work so hard, but it requires Auntie Qingqiu’s cooperation. I just don’t know if you’d be willing to cooperate?”
Seeing the sly glint in Bai Li’s eyes, Yu Qingqiu cursed inwardly. This little brat was ruining her plan again. Originally, she had intended to fake an illness so that Yu Lixia would continue cooking with Qin Xiuqiao. Once this meal was done, it wouldn’t matter if Yu Lixia cooked the next one too.
But with Bai Li saying this, Yu Lixia was off the hook, and she herself was put on the spot. If she said she wasn’t willing to cooperate, wouldn’t that make it seem like she was bullying Qin Xiuqiao, forcing her to cook for the whole family alone?
Though she was cursing inside, on the surface, she forced a weak smile. “Li Li, how do you want Auntie to cooperate?”
Bai Li paid no mind to Yu Qingqiu’s act. Blinking her bright, watery eyes, she smiled sweetly. “Auntie, you could take out some money and food coupons so we can eat at the canteen.”
“That way, Auntie won’t have to do your share of the work, and everyone will still get to eat.”
Going to the canteen for a meal—she was sure the Yu family could have thought of it themselves. But what she wanted was to make Yu Qingqiu pay, to make her feel the pinch.
With Bai Li putting it this way, even if Yu Qingqiu was unwilling to spend the money and coupons, she had to say against her will, “Li Li is right. Then tonight, Auntie will treat everyone to a meal at the canteen.”
Bai Li listened, her eyes and eyebrows curving into a smile as she reached out and patted Guo Jingbo’s arm. “Guo Jingbo, don’t be polite later. Eat to your heart’s content and make sure you’re full. Otherwise, if people find out that my aunt invited guests but didn’t let them eat their fill, my uncle will be laughed at.”
She had originally intended to pat his shoulder, but unfortunately, her height held her back, and she could only reach Guo Jingbo’s arm.
Guo Jingbo, who had just been held back by Bai Li and only eaten half his fill, was already hungry again. Hearing Bai Li tell him to eat his fill tonight, his eyes immediately lit up, and he nodded eagerly. “Mm-hmm! Thank you, Aunt Qingqiu!”
Seeing Guo Jingbo’s ravenous appearance, Yu Qingqiu inwardly groaned, but she had to maintain a gentle smile on her face, which only deepened her resentment toward Bai Li.
This little wretch—she would definitely teach her an unforgettable lesson.
During dinner, Yu Qingqiu watched as Guo Jingbo ate ten meat dishes, five vegetable dishes, and five large bowls of rice, feeling as if her heart were bleeding. How long had this starving ghost been hungry before being reborn to eat so much?
And so, for the next few meals, the Yu family members each went to the military canteen to solve their hunger.
On the third day, Bai Li sat in the Yu family living room early in the morning, waiting for Bai Dingting to return.
What kind of reward would the military give her?
Gold was out of the question, so at the very least, it had to be money or ration coupons. Otherwise, Little Pi Xiu would feel anxious without money in hand.
But even after lunch had passed, Bai Li still hadn’t seen Bai Dingting return.
Wei Linlang, seeing Bai Li sitting gloomily on the sofa, felt pleased and couldn’t resist taunting her. “Bai Li, your dad must have lied to you. He doesn’t want you anymore!”
She had seen Bai Li sitting in the living room waiting for her father early in the morning and had initially worried that once her uncle returned, everyone would like Bai Li again and not her.
But seeing that her uncle hadn’t returned, she had been itching to mock Bai Li. However, her mother had kept stopping her. Now that her mother wasn’t around, she had to mock Bai Li quickly.
If she delayed, she might miss the chance.
Hearing Wei Linlang’s words, Bai Li grew upset. She bared her little canine teeth at Wei Linlang and glared at her angrily. “My dad would never lie to me. If he said he’d come back, he definitely will.”
“It’s not even off-duty hours yet. What’s the rush?”
Wei Linlang burst into laughter. “Hahaha! Your dad just doesn’t want you, that’s why he isn’t back. If it were my dad, he’d have returned long ago.”
“But my dad is on a mission. Otherwise, I’d have him come back today, and he’d definitely be home early for dinner.”
Watching Wei Linlang’s smug laughter, Bai Li felt her fists itching. This little brat was so annoying—she wanted to give her a good beating.
Just as she raised her little fist and was about to charge at Wei Linlang, she heard Guo Jingbo, who had been quietly sitting beside her reading a comic book, suddenly speak up. “Li Li’s dad hasn’t come back yet because he must have a lot of work to do, just like my parents. It’s normal for them not to come home for days or even months.”
“If your dad can come home often, he must be useless. Only unimportant people with nothing to do can come home for dinner every day.”
Hearing Guo Jingbo’s words, Bai Li was delighted. “Guo Jingbo, you really know how to talk. Say more!”
“Wah!” Wei Linlang burst into tears upon hearing Guo Jingbo say her father was useless. She jumped off the sofa and stomped upstairs to complain to Yu Qingqiu, “Mom, Bai Li and that starving ghost are bullying me!”
Seeing Wei Linlang driven away by Guo Jingbo, Bai Li felt delighted. She also jumped off the sofa and headed straight for the courtyard gate.
Noticing Bai Li seemed to be going out, Guo Jingbo quickly stood up and followed her. “Li Li, where are you going?”