Seeing Sun Pinghua protect Mianmian, Old Madam Zhou felt much more at ease.
Though Second Zhou’s wife was not exceptionally bright, her kindness and sense of justice were beyond reproach.
With this daughter-in-law around, the Zhou family would have another person to dote on Mianmian, and Old Madam Zhou was thoroughly satisfied in her heart.
After everyone had eaten and drunk their fill, Old Madam Zhou pulled Sun Pinghua aside to chat about random things.
As the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law chatted away, the conversation eventually drifted to the old jujube tree back at their former home.
Old Madam Zhou was advanced in years, and the feeling of a falling leaf leaving its roots was not easy to bear; the corners of her eyes grew secretly moist.
“At a time like this, I just want to have a bite of those big red jujubes that used to grow in our courtyard.” Old Madam Zhou let out a sigh.
She then mocked herself, “I’m getting old. We haven’t been out for long, yet I miss home so terribly. How pathetic.”
Sun Pinghua had been the earliest to marry into the family, so she naturally knew what that jujube tree in the old courtyard meant to her mother-in-law.
In the past, during the poorest times, Old Madam Zhou would endure starvation and give all the food in the house to the children.
She would eat a handful of those red jujubes herself just to barely stave off hunger.
Those red jujubes were not only a bite of food that kept her alive, but also a spiritual pillar rooted deep in the old lady’s heart.
“Mother, don’t feel sad,” Sun Pinghua consoled her hastily.
“Once we settle down, I’ll have Second Zhou plant a jujube tree in our new courtyard as well. What do you think?”
Old Madam Zhou did not want her daughter-in-law to fret and worry over her, so she nodded and agreed for now.
Then, she quickly changed the subject.
Nonetheless, the expression on Old Madam Zhou’s face still retained a bit of melancholy.
Zhou Mianmian noticed this, and her soft, adorable little body plunged straight into Old Madam Zhou’s arms.
Her little hands hugged Old Madam Zhou’s back, her palms warm and cozy, just like a small stove.
“Big jujubes,” she mumbled in a sweet, milky voice, “Grandma wants to eat big jujubes.”
A wave of warmth flooded Old Madam Zhou’s chest, and she looked at the sweet granddaughter in her arms with a beaming smile.
Her mood instantly became much brighter.
“Sweet Mianmian, what, you know how to care for your grandma?”
Just like a little adult, Zhou Mianmian pouted her tiny mouth and nodded her little head.
This made Old Madam Zhou overjoyed, and she quickly held the little one tightly in her arms.
No matter what Mianmian’s nodding actually meant, Old Madam Zhou believed from the bottom of her heart that she was responding to her words—her granddaughter was caring for her.
This little girl was truly too precious; Old Madam Zhou could never hold her enough.
Zhou Mianmian closed her eyes, her mind already diving into the spiritual pool to pick jujubes.
Since her original form had been a koi fish fry, the size of the spiritual pool was related to her own size, so it wasn’t very large yet.
However, it was more than enough for now; besides, it could slowly expand in the future.
The livestock and poultry beside the spiritual pool grew exceptionally fast, capable of reproducing to double or triple their number in just three to five days.
Seeing the huge heap of additional chickens, ducks, geese, and cattle, Zhou Mianmian refrained from catching them and went first to the hills on both sides of the spiritual pool, where she found several red jujube trees.
The jujube trees grew in the spiritual pool, meaning it was always harvest season regardless of the time. The jujubes on the branches were each red and large, growing in full abundance.
Zhou Mianmian chopped down two jujube trees and took them away, along with several bird nests on the branches.
Working inside the spiritual pool took a great deal of effort.
By the time Zhou Mianmian withdrew her consciousness, night had already fallen, and her stomach felt a bit hungry.
Zhou Mianmian rubbed her little belly and could not help but lick her lips.
Then, she extended her little hand and fumbled under her pillow.
Beneath it was a small cloth bundle containing the lotus root starch crystal cakes that Second Brother had left for her.
There were also a few pieces of meat jerky that Song Nianxi had made by roasting the pork Mianmian hadn’t finished.
Zhou Mianmian’s eyes brightened with joy. Her little hand randomly grabbed a piece of meat jerky and was just about to stuff it into her mouth.
Yet right at this moment, a dark, filthy claw suddenly extended before her eyes.
It was reaching eerily straight for her meat jerky.
Zhou Mianmian’s reactions were incredibly fast; she instantly hid the meat jerky inside her blanket.
Turning her little head around in bewilderment, she happened to lock eyes with Meifu’s face.
Meifu had been secretly watching her the entire time. Catching her taking out good food just now, her eyes were practically popping out of her head.
“Mianmian, quickly take out that meat jerky. Let me taste it for you.”
Meifu’s mouth watered with greed.
Though Meifu was already five years old, because she had been deprived of nutrition when she was just born, her stature was not much larger than Zhou Mianmian’s.
Even so, she still relied on being a year and a half older than Mianmian, believing that her little sister Mianmian was someone easy to bully.
Zhou Mianmian naturally refused to give it to her.
One had to know that the original owner falling gravely ill was entirely thanks to this Meifu. Right now, let alone meat, Zhou Mianmian wouldn’t even let her catch a whiff of a meat-flavored fart.
Seeing that Mianmian wouldn’t give it up, Meifu glared at her with a slanted gaze.
She gnashed her teeth in anger, mimicking her own mother’s expression.
Taking advantage of the fact that the adults were all asleep, Meifu’s courage grew, and she straight up initiated a underhanded attack on Zhou Mianmian.
“My mother said you are only three years old, and eating too much will cause indigestion. Hand it over!”
With a fierce glare, Meifu came forward and grabbed Zhou Mianmian’s arm, pulling and tugging forcefully.
She even thrust her fingernails—which were packed with black dirt—into Mianmian’s hair, pinching and scratching inside.
Meifu knew Mianmian had fair skin; if she pinched her body, it would easily leave marks.
But the scalp was different; scratching it open a little wouldn’t draw much attention.
Even if Old Madam Zhou and Song Nianxi eventually noticed it, they would never suspect that she had pinched Mianmian’s scalp; they would surely assume it was just an accidental scrape.
Zhou Mianmian’s little head stung, and she felt immensely wronged.
She was naturally no pushover either. Raising a pair of short legs that looked like white lotus roots, she kicked straight toward Meifu.
“Ugh!”
Caught off guard, Meifu was struck square in the face and fell backward.
Even her front teeth loosened a bit.
By the time she finally recovered her strength, she was still unwilling to give up.
Like a big rat, she crawled back over sneakily.
However, by this time, Zhou Mianmian was no longer hiding it; instead, she flashed a completely harmless smile at her.
Revealing a neat row of tiny teeth that looked like white seashells, she appeared incomparably adorable.
“No more fighting. I’ll just give you two pieces to eat.”
As she spoke, Zhou Mianmian opened her hand, and two dark, dried-up lumps lay upon her soft palm.
It was dried cow dung she had just picked up from the side of the spiritual pool—eat to your heart’s content!
Meifu’s eyes lit up, and she lunged forward recklessly, grabbing them and stuffing them into her mouth.
At least Zhou Mianmian knows what’s good for her!