Seeing Meng Liu’s behavior, Xu Chunhua frowned.
Meng Sang had a gentle personality and never fought over things. Meng Liu, on the other hand, had a sweet mouth, and as the second child in the family, she was especially favored by Wang Yun.
Wang Yun hated Wang Cuilian’s favoritism, yet she herself was also a biased mother.
Xu Chunhua turned her head away and pretended not to see it.
Other people’s family matters were none of her business. Rather than wasting her kindness meddling in other households, she’d rather open her throat wide and eat a few more pieces of meat.
Before long, the bowl of braised pork was empty.
Meng Wei and Meng Qing stopped going outside to play and instead stayed beside Xu Chunhua helping with little tasks they were capable of doing.
Out of the twenty-five jin of pork, twelve jin were made into braised pork, ten jin into twice-cooked pork, and the remaining three jin were minced for eggplant with minced meat.
They had also bought eggs from the villagers to make steamed egg custard, plus the salted fish hanging from the rafters in the woodshed.
Barely enough to count as five meat dishes.
Wang Cuilian prepared twelve tables in total, each with five meat dishes and five vegetable dishes, symbolizing “perfect completeness.”
In this era of scarce supplies, for a family like the Mengs to put together a feast like this was already quite impressive.
Meng Yu leaned against the pillow, drowsily listening to the noisy chatter outside.
Xu Chunhua devoured a bowl of freshly cooked twice-cooked pork.
Meanwhile, Wang Yun saved all the meat in her bowl for her two daughters.
After eating until they were stuffed, Meng Wei and Meng Qing rubbed their round little bellies and burped.
Tilting her head, Meng Qing looked at Kang Youcai. Her mushroom haircut paired with her round little face made her especially adorable.
“Grandpa Kang,” she called sweetly.
The soft milky voice made Kang Youcai’s heart tremble. Turning around, he felt his heart completely melt.
“What is it, little Qing?”
Meng Qing smiled, revealing tiny dimples as her round eyes curved into crescents.
“Grandpa Kang, your cooking is the most delicious ever. Even better than the state-run restaurant.”
That praise hit directly at Kang Youcai’s weak spot.
He reached into his pocket and pulled out several peanut candies, stuffing them into Meng Qing’s pocket.
Xu Chunhua proudly raised her brows.
As expected of her daughter—such a sweet mouth and such a clever little brain.
Kang Youcai looked at Xu Chunhua and laughed.
“This little girl is exactly like you when you were young.”
Xu Chunhua had been lovable as a child too.
Leaning against Wang Yun’s arms, Meng Liu stared longingly at the candy in Meng Qing’s pocket.
She had eaten that candy before.
It was made with peanuts. Her third aunt had once given one to both her and her sister, but in the end, both candies had gone into her own stomach.
Meng Liu lowered her head resentfully.
Why did only Meng Qing get peanut candy?
Suddenly, a commotion erupted outside.
Madam Zhao and Old Master Zhao barged in with their sons and daughters-in-law.
Not a single trace of a smile appeared on their faces. They looked like they had come to start a fight.
“Wang Cuilian, I heard you’re letting our Zhao family granddaughter take the Meng surname?” Madam Zhao’s lips drooped downward as she stared fixedly at Chen Rou.
Chen Rou instinctively stepped back.
Though Madam Zhao was a city woman, her combat ability was fiercer than most village women.
Hearing the noise outside, Meng Yu immediately perked up her ears.
As the female lead, Meng Zhu was naturally destined to be surrounded by all kinds of troublesome people.
Although she was the Zhao family’s granddaughter, the Zhao family never liked her.
During Meng Zhu’s first birthday celebration, the Zhao family had even come intending to snatch her away and adopt her out to a childless distant relative.
The moment Xu Chunhua heard the commotion, her spirits instantly lifted.
She immediately ran to the kitchen doorway to watch the scene unfolding in the courtyard.
Wang Cuilian glared fiercely, rolled up her sleeves, and jumped up from the small stool.
“Your Zhao family were the ones who kicked Xiao Rou and her daughter out first! Since you don’t cherish Zhuzhu, then she’ll take the Meng surname, and we Meng family members will love her instead!”
“Bah!”
Madam Zhao shoved Wang Cuilian hard in the shoulder.
“I said I didn’t want that little jinx, but I never said I didn’t want the child! She’s Zhao family blood, and today we’re taking her away no matter what.”
Wang Cuilian staggered backward, nearly falling flat onto the ground, but Chen Rou quickly caught her in time.
“Mom, are you alright?”
Steadying herself, Wang Cuilian roared at her three sons nearby:
“Are you all blind? Your mother’s being bullied and you’re just standing there watching?!”
Meng Qiufeng and the others immediately stepped in front of Wang Cuilian.
At the same time, Meng Qiushi glanced toward the kitchen and met Xu Chunhua’s gaze.
He blinked at her.
The corners of Xu Chunhua’s lips lifted as she raised two fingers in the air and made a little running motion.
Meaning: Pretending to stop them is enough. If a real fight breaks out, run immediately.
Madam Zhao wasn’t intimidated either.
She glanced sideways at her eldest son Chen Gui, second son Chen Yuan, and three tall sturdy nephews.
The five men immediately stepped forward to stand in front of her.
The villagers hurriedly moved aside, delightedly watching the drama unfold.
Chen Rou’s eyes reddened as she clenched her fists tightly.
“Zhuzhu is my daughter. She has nothing to do with your Zhao family anymore. Don’t even think about taking her away!”
“She’s Zhao family blood, and today I’m taking her no matter what.”
With that, Madam Zhao aggressively shoved open the third branch’s room door.
She didn’t know which room Chen Rou lived in, but she could search them all eventually.
The wooden door suddenly swung open, sunlight flooding inside.
Sitting cross-legged on the bed, Meng Yu happened to meet Madam Zhao’s eyes directly.
Xu Chunhua and Meng Qiushi hurriedly blocked the doorway.
Stretching an arm behind him, Meng Qiushi pulled the door shut again.
“If you want to take away your Zhao family bloodline, fine—but don’t randomly grab children. The kids in this room belong to our third branch!”
Madam Zhao’s mouth twitched.
Changing direction, she immediately opened the second branch’s room instead.
Meng Qiufeng and Meng Qiushou were no match for the Zhao family men. Even Wang Cuilian and Chen Rou were blocked outside.
Wang Cuilian shouted furiously:
“Third branch! Hurry and stop them!”
Meng Qiushi and Xu Chunhua exchanged a glance before pretending to block Madam Zhao, only to be stopped by Old Master Zhao.
Wang Yun also rushed out and half-heartedly grabbed Madam Zhao’s arm, only for Zhao family’s second daughter-in-law Chen Li to seize her arm instead.
After aggressively searching several rooms, Madam Zhao and eldest daughter-in-law Li Xiaofang finally found Chen Rou’s room.
A smile immediately appeared on Madam Zhao’s face as she quickly stepped forward and scooped up Meng Zhu from the bed.
But after seeing the scars on Meng Zhu’s face, Madam Zhao’s expression darkened.
The distant relatives had offered one hundred yuan in exchange for her youngest son’s posthumous child.
“Mom, it’s just bug bites. It’s nothing serious,” Li Xiaofang said after examining the child closely. “She looks pretty clever.”
Madam Zhao’s expression turned complicated.
“Xiao Jun and his wife have good family conditions. I’ll feel more at ease giving the child to them.”
She disliked Chen Rou.
And she disliked this child too.
Chen Rou charged into the room with bloodshot eyes, trying desperately to snatch her daughter back from Madam Zhao.
“Give me back my daughter!”
Wang Cuilian burst in behind her, hair disheveled, followed closely by Meng Qiufeng and the Zhao family men.
The already cramped room instantly became overcrowded.
Chen Rou desperately struggled to reclaim her daughter while Wang Cuilian continuously slapped Madam Zhao across the face, her mouth unleashing nonstop curses.
Meng Zhu opened her mouth and screamed in terrified sobs.
Then, amid the chaos of grabbing and pulling—
Meng Zhu fell to the floor.
The room instantly fell silent.
Tears streaming down her face, Chen Rou stared stiffly at her unconscious daughter lying on the ground.
A sharp scream tore from her throat as she immediately dropped to her knees and gathered the child into her arms.
Her trembling fingers hovered beneath her daughter’s nose.
Only after feeling warm breath did she finally relax slightly, closing her eyes in relief before abruptly opening them again, her gaze blood-red with hatred as she glared at Madam Zhao.
“Are you trying to force us mother and daughter to death?! Zhuzhu is your own granddaughter! How can you be this cruel?!”
Before Madam Zhao could respond, Chen Rou clutched Meng Zhu tightly and ran out.
Wang Cuilian viciously glared at Madam Zhao.
“If anything happens to my granddaughter, I won’t let you off!”
Then she hurried after Chen Rou.
Xu Chunhua curled her lips into a faint smile and said to Meng Qiushi:
“Looks like today’s birthday banquet is probably ruined.”
Meng Qiushi rubbed his empty stomach.
“I only care whether we’ll still get to eat on time.”
Dragging him back into the kitchen, Xu Chunhua scooped out another bowl of braised pork.
“Hurry up and eat.”
Seeing Meng Wei and Meng Qing staring eagerly, she scooped each of them a small bowl too.
“Eat too much and you’ll get indigestion. Finish your bowls, then go outside and play.”
Nearby, Kang Youcai silently averted his gaze and pretended not to notice.
“You eat first. I’m going back to the room to check on little Yu’er and little Che’er.”
Xu Chunhua calmly returned to her room.
Although the Zhao family had come because of what she said yesterday, she didn’t feel guilty in the slightest.
She was a selfish person.
She only cared about the people she treasured.
As for Chen Rou—even if Chen Rou died in front of her, she wouldn’t blink an eye.
There was a scar on Meng Qiushi’s thigh from a wild boar attack.
Back then, Chen Rou had encountered a boar on the mountain.
Everyone immediately fled downhill, but Chen Rou ended up lagging behind.
Ahead of her was Meng Qiushi pulling Meng Qiucan along while running.
Terrified of being gored, Chen Rou grabbed Meng Qiushi’s arm and shoved him backward.
That single action instantly redirected the boar’s attention.
The boar stopped chasing Chen Rou and instead charged toward Meng Qiushi, who had tumbled beside a tree.
Meng Qiushi rolled across the ground several times before the boar’s tusk slashed into his thigh.
Fortunately, he reacted quickly and endured the pain long enough to climb the tree behind him, barely saving his life.
Afterward, Meng Qiushi complained to Wang Cuilian and Meng Dazhuang.
Meng Dazhuang maintained his usual dead-silent attitude.
Meanwhile, Wang Cuilian shamelessly declared:
“Who told you not to protect Xiao Rou properly? You deserved it! Being able to exchange your life for Xiao Rou’s safety is your blessing!”
“Blessing?”
Sitting beside the bed and looking at her peacefully sleeping children, Xu Chunhua let out a cold laugh.