Chapter 24: Every Household Has Its Own Difficulties (2)

Just as Old Mrs. Qian was feeling a sense of trepidation, the ward door was pushed open from the outside. A boy of about ten years old ran in, bawling, "Mom, Qian Xiaohu hit me..."

Before the boy could finish, an eleven or twelve-year-old girl chased in after him. With her hair in disarray, she also began to complain to her mother, "Mom, that Qian Xiaohu and Qian Xiaobao are just too wicked."

"Xiaojun, Xiaojuan, what happened to you two?" the mother asked anxiously, looking at her youngest son’s swollen cheek and her daughter’s messy hair.

"Mom, when Dad left for work this morning, he left us a scoop of millet flour and told us to make pancakes for lunch."

"Who would have thought that when my sister and I got home at noon, all that flour had been eaten by Qian Xiaohu and Qian Xiaobao."

"When my little brother asked them why they did it, they just said Grandpa told them to eat it."

"Did your grandpa really tell them to eat it?"

"I don't know, Grandpa wasn't home."

"Those two wretched brats must be lying again."

"My little brother got angry and called them greedy gluttons. They started hitting him, and when I tried to pull them away to protect him, they hit me too. Mom, my chest hurts," Xiaojuan said, clutching her chest.

The mother looked at where her daughter was holding her chest, her anger mounting. "They—those two animals, how could they hit a girl in the chest? Come on, we’re going to find your father and your oldest brother. If those two little runts aren't kicked out today, I’m divorcing your father."

The mother glared fiercely at her mother-in-law, who had been playing dead just a moment ago, and dragged the two children toward the exit.

"Youngest daughter-in-law, youngest daughter-in-law!" Seeing that her daughter-in-law was truly livid, Old Mrs. Qian dared not feign illness any longer. She scrambled off the bed and chased after them, her feet shuffling in her slippers.

"Oh my, look at the old lady’s brisk pace; she doesn't look like someone who’s ill at all."

"Good heavens! She’s been in the hospital for days—could she have been faking it?"

Old Mrs. Qian, who had just rushed out of the room, stumbled in fright upon hearing the woman’s remark.

"My goodness, I hit the nail on the head."

"This old lady, the hospital bed costs several dimes a day, and she’s just faking it? She’s a total menace to society."

Su Qiao held the door to the ward and spoke in a loud, clear voice. Hearing this, the mother-in-law burst into tears. "Your Qian family is too bullying! The old and the young alike, you all just pick on us. I’m not living with Qian Dayou anymore; I’m going to find someone who can reason and demand justice for us."

Old Mrs. Qian was only a bully within her own home; she usually relied on putting on airs to manipulate her youngest son and his wife. Now, hearing that her daughter-in-law was going to seek justice elsewhere, she was truly terrified.

She knew that her actions were indefensible. If the leaders at her youngest son’s workplace or the neighborhood committee found out, she, her husband, and the two boys from the eldest son’s family would all be driven back to the countryside.

Watching the scene, Sister-in-law Zhou curled her lip. "That old woman is nothing but a curse."

"To have a mother-in-law like that is truly the worst luck in eight lifetimes."

"Indeed. Their family is dirt poor; they have to split every penny they spend on rice and flour. Think of how much money this old woman has wasted staying in the hospital while faking an illness."

"Exactly. With a mother-in-law like that, no wonder the daughter-in-law is seething with hatred."

The other women in the ward, all daughters-in-law themselves, shared a unified sense of indignation toward Old Mrs. Qian’s behavior. Fang Xiaoying, who had just woken up, was startled by the atmosphere. "Mom?"

"Don't be afraid." Su Qiao recounted what had just happened to her daughter.

"How could that old woman do such a thing? That is just too evil."

"If the daughter-in-law shows even a little bit of backbone today, she’ll be able to turn the tables and finally stand up for herself."

"I think she’s quite clever; she’ll definitely seize this opportunity to get rid of those two boys."

"Her brother-in-law is truly despicable, dumping those two boys at her house like that. He clearly had ill intentions."

Seeing that she had completely swayed the sentiment in the ward, Su Qiao picked up a canned fruit jar and offered it to Fang Xiaoying to drink. "Are you hungry? Mom will get you a piece of mung bean cake. Have a bite."

"Mm." Fang Xiaoying nodded; she was feeling a bit hungry.

"Drink some water too; the cake is dry on its own."

Fang Xiaoying took the jar from her mother, drank some water, and finished the mung bean cake.

"Want another piece?"

"Mom, one is enough."

"I bought some canned peaches today; would you like some?"

"Mm." Fang Xiaoying felt that ever since she was sent to the countryside, she had become quite a glutton—she wanted to eat whatever her mother offered.

At dinner, Fang Xiaofeng brought them two large lunchboxes filled with dumplings.

"Grandpa really spent a fortune today. They’re leek and egg filling, with meat added in too. They smell so good."

"Have you eaten yet?"

"Not yet. I thought I’d bring the first batch to you and Sis."

"Then you go back and eat your dumplings."

"Mom, do you want me to come and relieve you tonight?"

"No, I’ll stay here to keep your sister company tonight."

"Mom, then I’m heading back. I’ll come relieve you tomorrow during the day." Dumplings still held a massive appeal for children in this era.

"No need, you should go to school tomorrow. I suspect your sister will be discharged in a couple of days."

"My sister can be discharged that soon?"

If not for that elderly doctor, Su Qiao would have wanted Fang Xiaoying discharged tomorrow.

"Go on! Take the bus."

"Mom, I borrowed the bicycle from the Guo family next door. I’ll be home very quickly, don't worry."

"Still, be careful. There are a lot of people on the road at this hour."

"I know, Mom." With that, Fang Xiaofeng ran off; he wanted to get home to eat his dumplings.

After he left, the people in the ward all found excuses to step out, saying they were waiting for their own family members to bring food.

Su Qiao understood what was happening. Since they were tactfully giving her space, she promptly opened the lunchbox and told her daughter to eat quickly.

Fang Xiaoying also understood why the others had stepped out. Everyone wanted to maintain their dignity and didn't want to be seen salivating over her family’s dumplings.

"Mom, the dumplings Grandpa and Grandma make are just the best." Fang Xiaoying looked at the lunchbox her mother opened, picked up her chopsticks, and bit into a dumpling.

Su Qiao caught the scent—that unique, nostalgic aroma of dumplings from this era—and her own mouth began to water.

"Mom, eat up. I can finish this whole box."

"Alright. Mom can't eat that much; I'll share half with you."

"Mom is the best." Fang Xiaoying hadn't eaten anything good since she was sent to the countryside. Although Su Qiao had tried her best to make it up to her over the past two days, it was impossible to have everything at once.

Back home, Fang Xiaoying always loved the dumplings her grandparents made. Eating them now, they were truly heavenly. Soon, the twenty dumplings in the lunchbox were completely gone.

"Hiccup~" Fang Xiaoying held the empty box, giving a sheepish, satisfied burp.