Meanwhile, Su Wangcai rubbed his empty stomach.
Sigh… Looks like I’ll have to go hungry tonight.
But it was still early, so he decided to take a walk to the livestock station.
In the 1970s, the livestock station was the social center of the village. People loved gathering there to chat and gossip.
As he passed Ye Xiu’e’s room, he noticed two shadows through the window.
A large one and a small one were sitting at the table, eating something.
Strange.
How did they have food?
Curious, Su Wangcai slowed his steps and quietly crept toward the window. Peering through a gap in the curtain, he took a look inside.
Good heavens!
The mother and daughter were secretly eating meat patties in their room!
He couldn’t even remember the last time he’d smelled meat, yet several patties were sitting on their table.
That raised an important question.
Where had they gotten those patties?
Could they have stolen them?
Ye Xiu’e had only been home a short while. There hadn’t been enough time to make them herself.
Food was precious these days.
He didn’t believe anyone would simply give away delicious meat patties.
That’s right.
Ye Xiu’e was a barefoot doctor who traveled around the village all the time.
Stealing things would be easy for her.
The more he thought about it, the more convinced he became.
He marched to the door and knocked loudly.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The mother and daughter were quietly eating when the sudden knocking startled them.
Who could be visiting at this hour?
As a barefoot doctor, people sometimes knocked on Ye Xiu’e’s door at two in the morning seeking medical help.
Without waiting for an answer, she hurried to finish the last bites of her patty and rushed to open the door.
When she did, she found Su Wangcai standing there with an unpleasant expression.
“What do you want?”
After everything that happened earlier, Ye Xiu’e wasn’t interested in being polite.
Su Wangcai sneered.
“Very good, Ye Xiu’e. I’m going to report you as a parasite of the people. You actually dare steal food from other families.”
Ye Xiu’e blinked in confusion.
Steal food?
Ignoring her reaction, Su Wangcai pushed past her and entered the room.
Pointing at the meat patties on the table, he demanded,
“Where did these patties come from?”
So that was what this was about.
Ye Xiu’e relaxed slightly.
Seeing the way Su Wangcai stared at the patties while repeatedly swallowing his saliva, Su Wanwan immediately understood.
He wasn’t here to accuse them.
He was here because he was jealous and wanted food.
Ye Xiu’e replied coldly,
“Brother-in-law, watch your words. These patties came from an honest source. Don’t try to slander me.”
The truth was, Su Wangcai didn’t actually care whether the patties were stolen.
Licking his lips, he said,
“Little sister-in-law, don’t be afraid. I was only joking. We’re family, after all. Why would I report you?
But if you stole meat patties and hid away to eat them by yourselves, isn’t that a bit selfish?”
The implication couldn’t have been more obvious.
He thought they should share some with him.
Su Wangcai looked at them expectantly.
At that moment, Su Wanwan picked up a patty and glanced at him.
Then, expressionless, she took a bite.
Next, she picked up another patty and took a bite out of that one too.
Hmph.
She wasn’t giving him anything.
There had originally been five patties.
The mother and daughter had already eaten one each.
Now the remaining three all bore Su Wanwan’s bite marks.
Su Wangcai’s heart ached.
But he understood perfectly.
This ugly girl simply refused to give him any.
Furious, he pointed at Ye Xiu’e.
“Fine! Just you wait! I’ll tell everyone you stole those patties and see how you’ll ever show your faces in this village again!”
Ye Xiu’e rolled her eyes.
She had been standing by the door the whole time, waiting for him to leave.
“Say whatever you want. Are you leaving or not? I need to lock the door.”
She wasn’t worried at all.
Everything she had was obtained honestly.
The Cheng family could testify for her.
She had nothing to fear.
Su Wanwan was secretly delighted.
She liked this bargain mother more and more.
Su Wangcai was on the verge of exploding.
He had threatened them so clearly.
Why weren’t they reacting?
He wouldn’t have minded eating patties that had already been bitten.
Why were they being so stingy?
If Su Wanwan knew what he was thinking, she would have told him plainly:
Of course I mind.
If I’ve already eaten it, I definitely don’t want to give it to you.
Su Wangcai couldn’t help feeling that both mother and daughter had changed.
Suddenly, they had become so strong-willed.
Wasn’t it just a beating?
What child didn’t get beaten occasionally?
Did they really have to make such a big deal out of it?
He looked longingly at the fragrant patties, then at Ye Xiu’e’s hostile gaze.
Her attitude couldn’t have been clearer.
No matter how shameless he was, he couldn’t continue begging for food.
Reluctantly, he turned and left.
The door slammed shut behind him.
Bang!
Su Wangcai spat angrily.
“Fine. Very fine.”
He would make them regret this.
A freezing wind swept through the yard, making him shiver.
Quickly tucking his hands into his sleeves, he hunched his shoulders and headed toward the livestock station.
Once his footsteps faded into the distance, Ye Xiu’e locked the door and returned to the table.
Su Wanwan handed over one of the bitten patties.
“Mom, you eat it. I’m full.”
She knew Ye Xiu’e wouldn’t mind.
She had only bitten the patties to annoy Su Wangcai.
Her voice was soft and sweet, warming Ye Xiu’e’s heart.
The truth was, Ye Xiu’e was hungry.
She had worked hard all day, and one patty wasn’t nearly enough.
Seeing that Wanwan looked energetic and sincere, she believed her.
Children had small stomachs.
One and a half patties was probably enough.
So she accepted it without hesitation and continued eating.
Thinking about the vicious look in Su Wangcai’s eyes before he left, Su Wanwan couldn’t help feeling worried.
In this era, theft was a serious accusation.
Although a few meat patties wouldn’t result in severe punishment, rumors could be devastating.
Once people believed someone was a thief, gossip would follow them everywhere.
It wasn’t that she doubted Ye Xiu’e.
She was worried about Su Wangcai spreading lies.
People who didn’t know the truth could easily be misled.
“Mom, who exactly from the Cheng family gave you these patties? Is there anyone who can testify?”
Ye Xiu’e froze for a moment.
Was her daughter worried she would be falsely accused of stealing?
The fact that Wanwan had thought that far ahead surprised her.
Maybe her daughter was quite smart after all.
Looking at Su Wanwan, her eyes softened with pride and affection.
“Don’t worry, Wanwan. Your uncle is just trying to scare people.
Old Madam Cheng gave me these patties herself. Last time I treated her leg and didn’t charge her. She specifically gave them to me as thanks.”
As for witnesses…
Well, things like this were usually done quietly.
No one wanted others seeing gifts being exchanged.
Still, Ye Xiu’e wasn’t concerned.
She didn’t think Su Wangcai would actually spread such rumors.
There was nothing in it for him.
And Old Madam Cheng was an honest person.
Even if Su Wangcai did start gossiping, she would step forward and testify.
Hearing that, Su Wanwan relaxed.
There were still two patties left on the table.
Ye Xiu’e carefully wrapped them again.
Then she picked up the biscuit tin from the bed, intending to store them for Wanwan to eat the next day.
When she opened the tin, she froze.
The sweet potato and soybean-cake she had left for her daughter earlier that day were still inside, untouched.
Su Wanwan had always disliked eating in the main hall with the rest of the family.
Whenever Ye Xiu’e became busy or was invited to eat at a patient’s home, she worried that Old Madam Su wouldn’t properly feed her daughter.
So she always left food hidden in the tin.
Usually, Wanwan would eat at least a little.
But today, none of it had been touched.
A trace of suspicion appeared in Ye Xiu’e’s eyes.
If Wanwan hadn’t eaten anything…
How had her health suddenly improved so dramatically?
How had she recovered her strength so quickly?