Chapter 36: Heartache for Mother
“Big Aunt, Big Uncle, Little Aunt, Little Uncle.” (Note: In the local dialect, “Aba” and “Abadie” refer to aunt and uncle by marriage.) Zhu Yanli and Zhu Yanyi greeted the arrivals politely. Upon seeing Yao Hongqi and Yao Yayun, one called out, “Hongqi, Yayun,” while the other shouted, “Brother Hongqi, Sister Yayun.”
Although Yao Hongqi was the same age as Zhu Yanli, she was born in October, making her technically younger than her.
“A’nan Jie, A’ni.” Yao Hongqi and Yao Yayun greeted them in return.
Perhaps because they were still young, the children felt only the joy of reunion, lacking the complex emotions that weighed on the adults’ hearts.
“Now that everyone is here, let’s start eating. A’lian, heat up the dishes,” Gan Juhua said directly.
“Alright.” Xie Xinlian didn’t say anything else. She turned and went to the kitchen to begin cooking.
Xie Xinlian’s cooking skills were quite good, likely inheriting Qi Qiaoer’s techniques. She wasn’t stingy with oil or ingredients. A simple dish of shredded pork with celery seemed to have no meat visible, but the generous amount of oil made it exceptionally delicious, resulting in a rich and savory meal. However, Gan Juhua frowned slightly at the oil in the dishes, her heart unconsciously displeased. “If you don’t manage the household, you don’t know how expensive firewood and rice are. It’s as if this oil costs nothing.”
Yao Jinsheng chuckled from the side. “Mother, today is your special day. It’s only right to eat something good.” At this point in time, Yao Jinsheng was still relatively simple and honest. Although she had a bit of shrewdness, she wouldn’t yet cheat her relatives.
It was no wonder that among her two sons-in-law, Gan Juhua favored Yao Jinsheng. Yao Jinsheng was indeed sweeter-tongued than Shi Hongjun. Furthermore, between her two daughters, Zhu Jinhui was smarter than Zhu Yinhui. Zhu Yinhui had also been quite clever as a child, but she had suddenly fallen ill with a high fever. With no money for proper medical treatment, they had relied on a few folk remedies from a barefoot doctor to save her life. While she seemed fine on the surface, she appeared much more clumsy compared to her siblings.
Of course, it wasn’t that Gan Juhua didn’t care for this daughter. She was still flesh of her flesh, and she did feel love for her.
“Jinsheng, you eat too.” Gan Juhua smiled, her face blooming like a chrysanthemum.
Zhu Yanyi casually picked up a piece of meat and placed it into an empty bowl, then added a meatball.
“A’ni, what are you doing?” Yao Hongqi asked curiously, watching Zhu Yanyi’s actions.
Without lifting her head, Zhu Yanyi continued picking food. She selected only the dishes suitable for Xie Xinlian. “My mother is cooking and hasn’t eaten anything. I’m saving some for her so she doesn’t miss out later.”
“It’s not like we’re not going to let her eat. Why put it aside first?” Zhang Qiaolian complained, dissatisfied.
“Because my mother has a little brother now. With a new baby, she needs to replenish her nutrition. My grandmother said my poor health was because when my mother gave birth to me, everyone was starving. Now that everyone has enough to eat, we certainly can’t neglect my mother and my little brother.” Zhu Yanyi blinked her clear, innocent eyes, leaving the adults present momentarily speechless.
After a long silence, Zhu Guifu spoke up. “It’s just a child’s gesture. Since that’s the case, let it be.”
With Zhu Guifu having spoken, Gan Juhua had no choice but to stay silent, even if she was unwilling. She merely glanced at Zhu Yanyi. At such a young age, the girl spoke in such calculated ways; she felt the child was too cunning and not honest enough. In her heart, she believed Zhu Yanyi had been corrupted by the Xie family. However, since she hadn’t valued Zhu Yanyi and her sister to begin with, she said nothing more, only remarking, “Children should be careful with their words. Talk too much, and no one will want you in the future.”