Chapter 83

83. Chapter 83: Zhao the Scoundrel Doesn't Return Home at Night

"N-no, it's not that..."

Chunmiao waved her hands hurriedly. She didn't know what to do. Jiang Xiaoxiao's family had made such a large table of meat dishes; in her own home, even Zhao Ergou didn't have this treatment. They were just young girls, and usually, they didn't even have the qualifications to sit at the table to eat. How could they eat someone else's meat for no reason?

Jiang Wei sighed and softened her tone: "Come over and sit down. At least eat a little; otherwise, how will you have the strength to help me work later?"

"I..." Chunmiao was still hesitating, so Jiang Xiaoxiao simply stepped forward, pulled Chunya to sit down, and stuffed the bowl and chopsticks directly into her hands.

"Sister Chunya, all these dishes were specially made by Mom today. It's so hot; if you don't eat, it will be wasted."

Today, Jiang Wei not only made braised pork but also stir-fried greens and boiled a pot of radish and pork bone soup. Added to the fragrant roasted chicken bought in town, this meal was a perfect combination of meat and vegetables, delicious and nutritious.

As Jiang Xiaoxiao spoke, she used her chopsticks to pick up a piece of braised pork and stuffed it directly into Chunya's mouth. "Sister Chunya, hurry and taste it. Isn't the braised pork Mom made delicious?"

Chunya was caught off guard, froze for a moment, and subconsciously bit the meat in her mouth. The next second, her eyes widened sharply.

She had never eaten such delicious braised pork!

The tender, soft, and glutinous texture made it so delicious she felt like swallowing her own tongue!

Seeing that she liked it, Jiang Xiaoxiao picked up a few more pieces of braised pork and put them in her bowl.

Eight-year-old Chunya was young after all, and before long, she was conquered by the temptation of the food and began to eat in large mouthfuls.

Jiang Xiaoxiao went to pull Chunmiao to sit down and stuffed the bowl and chopsticks into her hands.

Seeing that her sister was already eating without a care, Chunmiao felt it would seem pretentious to refuse again, so she sat down too. But after sitting down, she just buried her head in the rice in her bowl, not daring to pick up the dishes on the table.

Because the sisters Chunmiao were there, Jiang Wei also restrained herself, not cooking pure white rice as she usually did, but mixing millet and rice together.

After all, in this era of scarce resources, even wealthy families in town couldn't manage to eat pure white rice every day.

This bowl of rice cooked with millet and rice was already very luxurious for Chunmiao, who couldn't even get enough to eat at home.

At her home, there were only wild vegetables. The wild vegetables were chopped up and a little bit of millet was added to boil into a wild vegetable paste, which counted as the whole family's daily rations.

But even this meal of wild vegetable paste was only eaten first by Zhao the Scoundrel and Zhao Ergou. Only after the father and son were full could the two sisters eat the paste left at the bottom of the pot with their mother, adding some clear water to boil it, which could also be drunk as a thin paste for a meal.

Jiang Wei looked at Chunmiao, who was silently eating rice, and didn't say anything more. Girls were thin-skinned; being able to sit at the table to eat was already using up all their courage. She was afraid that if she said a few more words, Chunmiao's guilt would deepen, and she wouldn't dare to come to her house in the future.

Fortunately, Jiang Xiaoxiao was there. Occupying the fact that she was young and sweet-mouthed, she called "Sister Chunmiao" left and right, and before she knew it, she had picked up quite a lot of dishes for her bowl.

Chunmiao was also tricked into eating a few pieces of meat.

At the square table, one person sat on each side. There was no rule about not talking while eating. As they ate the delicious food, they chatted about household affairs, and the atmosphere gradually became lively.

By the end of the meal, the sisters Chunmiao no longer had the initial awkwardness. She even stood up to take the initiative to help clear the bowls and chopsticks.

Jiang Wei didn't stop her. She walked into the kitchen and, before long, brought out a large bowl. On top was a pointed pile of millet rice, and buried under the rice was braised pork.

She looked at Chunya, who was helping wash dishes by the well, and called out: "Chunya, take this bowl of rice to your mother first, then come back to work."

Chunmiao looked back and only saw the millet rice on top. Her heart immediately relaxed, so she told Chunya to hurry over.

Chunya wiped her hands on her clothes, took the bowl, placed it in a basket, and covered it with a blue cloth. From the outside, one couldn't see what was inside at all.

Jiang Wei instructed: "When you arrive home, don't enter the courtyard first. See if Zhao the Scoundrel is at home. If he is, you don't need to deliver this bowl of rice; bring it back."

Otherwise, even if this rice were delivered to Zhao Dasao's hands, it would eventually end up in Zhao the Scoundrel's stomach.

Chunya nodded and ran away with the basket.

Chunmiao, who was washing dishes to the side, heard this, and her eyes turned slightly red.

She sniffed and washed the dishes even harder.

Xiaoxiao and Auntie Jiang were such good people; she must help them work well and absolutely must not let them down!

Chunya went quickly and returned quickly.

Not long after Chunmiao finished washing the dishes, she saw Chunya walking back empty-handed.

Her heart skipped a beat, and she asked hurriedly: "Where is the basket Auntie Jiang gave? Could it be that Dad is at home?"

Zhao the Scoundrel wouldn't have snatched the basket along with it, would he?!

Chunya shook her head: "Dad is not at home. Mom said he hasn't been home since last night... Mom told me to hurry over to help Auntie Jiang work, so I came back early."

Chunmiao relaxed: "That's good..."

As long as her dad, Zhao the Scoundrel, wasn't at home, her mother wouldn't be beaten while alone at home, so her injuries could heal.

Jiang Xiaoxiao, who was listening to the side, couldn't help but frown. Zhao the Scoundrel hadn't returned all night?

Zhao the Scoundrel's family had moved out after dividing the family years ago. He was an outsider in this village and logically shouldn't have any relatives or friends. Where would he go if he didn't return home at night?

Given his lazy and gluttonous nature, no one in the village should take him in for the night...

While pondering, the voice of Qiulian Niang sounded outside the courtyard: "Xiaoxiao, are you at home?"

It was just past noon, and Qiulian Niang had come to her house to work.

She seemed to have specially timed it to come after mealtime.

Jiang Xiaoxiao ran to open the gate. As soon as the gate opened, she saw Qiulian Niang's son, Zhao Tiezhu, following behind her.

He lowered his head, carrying a bundle of firewood on his back.

"Auntie Qiulian, this is..."

"I was thinking that your family uses quite a lot of firewood these days, so I let Tiezhu go up the mountain to chop some this morning," Qiulian Niang said with a smile, patting Zhao Tiezhu on the shoulder and telling him to put the firewood neatly outside the kitchen.

Jiang Xiaoxiao smiled embarrassedly: "Auntie Qiulian, you are too polite."

But to be honest, her family had indeed used quite a lot of firewood these days. Boiling snow cakes and ice cream these past few days had almost exhausted the firewood at home. Her mother was just thinking about going up the mountain tomorrow to chop some wood to burn, and the firewood Qiulian Niang brought just solved an urgent need.

Zhao Tiezhu put down the firewood and left without staying long.

However, when passing by Jiang Xiaoxiao, he paused and said with some awkwardness: "Your family's snow cakes and ice cream are very delicious. Thanks."

After saying this, as if embarrassed, he left in a hurry.

Jiang Xiaoxiao chuckled. Why was he acting embarrassed?

"Chunmiao, Chunya, you are here too." Qiulian Niang saw the sisters Chunmiao in the courtyard and greeted them with a smile. "Is your mother feeling better? I'll bring two eggs to see her tonight."

Zhao Dasao being beaten by Zhao the Scoundrel to the point of being unable to get out of bed had become something everyone in the village knew.