Since her husband remained silent, Zhang Lijuan pulled back her pouting, dissatisfied daughter. Lu Minxiu, with her two little braided pigtails, reluctantly looked away.
Why is Grandma favoring Fourth Aunt now?
The bowl of white rice even had several fatty slices of pork on top. It was enough to make anyone drool.
Around the table, adults and children alike couldn’t help swallowing.
Today was one of the rare occasions they got to eat meat.
Even then, everyone else received at most one or two thin slices, and the children had to share.
Yet that single bowl had several large pieces.
Who wouldn’t be jealous?
Zhang Lijuan was a smart woman.
Since the old lady’s own son wasn’t willing to speak up, there was no way the eldest branch of the family would become the sacrificial lamb.
She quietly kept her thoughts to herself.
After all…
Someone else was bound to lose patience.
Sure enough, Li Zhaodi poked resentfully at the mixed-grain rice in her own bowl.
She’d thought the old woman had finally grown a conscience today.
Instead, she’d still been reduced to dirt beneath Lin Xiyun’s feet.
She spoke softly.
“Mom… Fourth Sister-in-law only scraped her head a little. She was already awake by noon. Does she really need special treatment even at mealtime?”
What she didn’t say aloud was…
Lin Xiyun ate pastries and meat every single day.
Why would she even care about this little bit?
It would be better if everyone shared it instead.
“Even food can’t keep your mouth shut!”
Zhao Jinlan glared at her.
“What do you mean ‘just scraped her head a little’?”
“Go smash your own head until blood covers the floor, and I’ll cook you white rice too!”
She could clearly see the silent exchange of glances around the table.
Her face darkened as she reached toward Li Zhaodi’s bowl.
“If you don’t want to eat it, someone else will.”
“Mom, I know I was wrong.”
Li Zhaodi hurriedly shielded her food and pulled the bowl away.
After being scolded, she lowered her head and dared not speak another word.
She didn’t even dare look at the others.
The head of the Lu family, Lu Aiguo, remained silent from beginning to end.
His silence clearly meant he agreed with his wife’s decision.
In the end, Zhao Jinlan personally carried the meal to Lin Xiyun.
Watching her mother-in-law’s unusually attentive attitude, Zhang Lijuan’s eyes flickered thoughtfully.
After lunch, the family cleaned their bowls so thoroughly there wasn’t a drop of grease left.
Zhang Lijuan cleared the table as usual, while Li Zhaodi washed the dishes and pots.
Once inside the eldest branch’s room, Zhang Lijuan shut the door.
Grabbing Lu Jiandong by the sleeve, she pulled him inside.
After patting down her clothes, she sat on the bed and lowered her voice.
“Come here. I need to tell you something.”
Seeing how mysterious his wife looked, Lu Jiandong obediently walked over.
Kicking off his shoes, he leaned lazily onto the bed.
“What is it?”
“Something’s wrong with Mom.”
“Huh?”
Lu Jiandong had the typical square, honest-looking face.
He scratched his forehead in confusion, looking thoroughly bewildered.
Sitting cross-legged, Zhang Lijuan tapped the table with one finger as she began analyzing the situation.
“I’ve never seen Mom treat Fourth Brother’s family this well before.”
“Whether someone was sick or not…”
“Other than Dad…”
“Have you ever seen Mom personally bring food to anyone?”
Forget being kind.
Why had Fourth Brother built his wife a separate large room that sat across most of the courtyard from everyone else?
Wasn’t it because Mom had scolded Fourth Sister-in-law?
Ever since then, aside from absolutely necessary conversations, the two women had acted as if the other didn’t exist.
Now Fourth Sister-in-law was injured.
Knowing the old woman…
It would’ve been a miracle if she hadn’t dumped the food bowl over her head.
Personally delivering lunch?
Impossible.
What she said made sense.
Lu Jiandong knew his mother fairly well.
Among all her children, she favored her only daughter and her youngest son the most.
The remaining three brothers had all been treated about the same.
In fact…
He and the second brother had probably received slightly better treatment than the fourth.
Over all these years, he’d never once seen Zhao Jinlan mail anything to Lu Yanbei.
After thinking for a while, he guessed,
“Maybe Fourth Sister-in-law was seriously injured this time, so Mom’s just more concerned?”
“Hmph.”
Zhang Lijuan poured herself a bowl of water.
Picking up the half-finished shoe sole she’d been sewing for her son, she lowered her head and continued working.
“Didn’t Second Sister-in-law say Lin Xiyun woke up before noon?”
Her mind kept turning.
There had to be something Zhao Jinlan wanted from Lin Xiyun.
Otherwise…
She’d never be acting this eager to please her.
But what could it be?
Before she could figure it out…
Loud snores filled the room.
Turning her head—
“…”
Her husband was already asleep.
She almost wanted to stab him with her sewing needle.
Infuriating.
Meanwhile…
The recently pampered Lin Xiyun had her own alarm bells ringing.
She stared at the bowl of white rice and the unusually generous serving of meat.
Something’s wrong.
Whenever something seems too good to be true… it usually is.
Still…
Who would refuse meat already served onto their plate?
Without a second thought, Lin Xiyun happily finished every bite.
Feeling completely justified, she handed the empty bowl to Li Zhaodi, who had come to collect the dishes.
The very first thing Li Zhaodi did was peer into the bowl.
Lin Xiyun merely smiled without saying a word.
“You little glutton.”
“Not even a single piece of meat left.”
Looking inside, Li Zhaodi found only a few grains of white rice remaining.
Every last piece of meat had disappeared.
All her enthusiasm for collecting the bowl instantly evaporated.
Dejected, she pouted while washing the family’s mountain of dishes in the kitchen.
Her eyes drifted down to her own rough, callused hands.
Years of hard labor had left them coarse and cracked.
Then she remembered Lin Xiyun’s pale, soft, delicate hands.
Unable to stop herself, she muttered,
“We’re both country girls…”
“I wonder how Lin Xiyun takes care of her hands.”
“They’re so pretty.”
At that exact moment, Zhang Lijuan walked into the kitchen and happened to overhear her.
She rolled her eyes dismissively.
Forget her hands.
What part of her isn’t prettier than you?
“Fourth Sister-in-law never had to work for her younger brothers back at her parents’ house.”
“And after getting married, Fourth Brother turned out so capable.”
“Second Sister-in-law…”
“You can only blame yourself for not having the fate to enjoy that kind of life.”
The sudden voice behind her startled Li Zhaodi so badly that she nearly dropped the bowl she was washing.
Then she heard the thinly veiled mockery.
The worst part…
Everything Zhang Lijuan said was true.
She couldn’t argue.
Deep down, she simply couldn’t accept how fortunate Lin Xiyun was.
A lazy woman who couldn’t even give birth to a child…
Yet Fourth Brother, a man outstanding in every way, granted her every wish.
Back then, when the new house had been built beside theirs…
Which branch of the family hadn’t turned green with envy?
Especially Li Zhaodi.
The eldest branch benefited from being the oldest.
Zhang Lijuan was a city woman.
The Lu family had spent lavishly when marrying her.
Their room was the largest in the house.
The eldest son got all the advantages.
The fourth son earned his own success.
That left the second branch…
Stuck awkwardly in the middle.
Thinking about it, Li Zhaodi scrubbed even harder, as though trying to wear the bowls completely smooth.
She had always felt inferior because she’d married above her station into the Lu family.
After giving birth to two daughters, her status had sunk even lower.
She’d become the one everyone ordered around.
Even after being mocked to her face by Zhang Lijuan, Li Zhaodi still looked meek and submissive.
She quietly greeted her.
“Eldest Sister-in-law.”
Though she continued washing dishes, her attention remained fixed on Zhang Lijuan.
This woman’s always looking for ways to avoid work.
If she’s coming into the kitchen now, she must want something.
But Zhang Lijuan had no intention of hiding it.
She immediately revealed the eggs she’d concealed inside her sleeve.
Her tone dripped with smug satisfaction.
“Second Sister-in-law…”
“Could you help your sister-in-law light the stove?”
Seeing the two eggs in her hands, Li Zhaodi’s eyes widened.
She almost lost control of her expression.
“Mom gave those to you?”
In the entire Lu family, aside from Lin Xiyun, Zhao Jinlan controlled every penny.
With Zhang Lijuan acting this triumphant…
The question was practically pointless.
“Who else would have?”
Zhang Lijuan urged her to start the fire while skillfully cracking the eggs into bowls.
“Xiangyang’s getting bigger.”
“Growing boys have huge appetites.”
“Mom just feels sorry for her precious eldest grandson.”
“She’s worried he needs more nutrition while he’s growing.”
Lu Xiangyang—
The only grandson of the Lu family’s third generation.
The son Zhang Lijuan was proudest of.
Li Zhaodi’s face twisted.
“Y-Yes…”
“Boys do eat more.”
Satisfied after showing off in front of Li Zhaodi, Zhang Lijuan carried away the two small bowls of steamed eggs.
The moment she left, Li Zhaodi threw the firewood in her hand onto the ground.
Dark-faced, she spat toward Zhang Lijuan’s retreating back.
“Big deal. So what if you gave birth to a son?”
“As if I don’t have a womb too!”
Even after cursing her out, she still wasn’t satisfied.
She shot a resentful glance toward the old couple’s room.
“That old woman’s so damn biased!”