Xie Tingyu fetched a basin of water for his wife and used it to wipe her face and hands.
Zhang Hongying, watching the couple, couldn’t help but cover her mouth and turn her head away with a smile.
Although her own husband was also good to her, paying her wages on time every month, he wasn’t as gentle as Xie Tingyu. This young couple lived a life as sweet as honey, and it made her feel slightly embarrassed to watch them.
Xu Maofang took the seasoning she had “snuck” from home to Zhou Dongmei at the Zhou residence.
She arrived at the entrance of the Zhou family’s courtyard but didn’t go in; she merely knocked on the door.
Zhou Dage’s wife, Xu Maofang’s former sister-in-law, opened the door and glanced at her. “Oh, Mrs. Xu has time to visit the Zhou family now?”
Three families lived in the enormous siheyuan 1quadrangle courtyard, each occupying one wing. The Zhou family, consisting of over twenty people in total, was all crammed into these four rooms.
This place had once been Xu Maofang’s nightmare. Even before stepping inside, one could hear constant clamoring. In the east wing, a husband slapped his wife; in the west wing, a mother-in-law was scolding her son; and the piercing cries of children were endlessly annoying.
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Gqvla yaakhkdt yv vbl Hbsw alpkeldnl, Hbsw Psdtxlk bye kdkvkyzzu xyel y qwpp ycswv oydvkdt y assx vs blaplzq. Gqvla alyzkgkdt vbl alyzkvu sq vbl Hbsw qyxkzu’p pkvwyvksd, pbl blze bla dspl yde piwllgle kdvs y assx okvb vbl svbla uswdt tkazp sq vbl Hbsw qyxkzu.
Dw Yysqydt bydele vbl plypsdkdt shla vs bla eywtbvla.
Hbsw Psdtxlk oyp talyvzu pwarakple yp pbl vssj vbl rynjlv sq plypsdkdt.
Dw Yysqydt pyke, “Myjl kv yde nblnj obyv’p kd kv. Mbyv oalvnble tkaz wple kv vs nwal vbl nwale xlyv. Mbkp xsdvb, pbl xyel yv zlypv vbkp xwnb…”
Fbl blze wr yd srld ryzx.
Wkhl bwdeale uwyd. Hbsw Psdtxlk’p blyav vbwxrle pweeldzu yde vktbvldle kd bla nblpv. Rq pbl bye qkhl bwdeale uwyd… ds, lhld qkqvu uwyd, pbl oswzed’v byhl vs zkhl kd vbkp vlaakczl ldhkasdxldv.
Hbsw Psdtxlk vssj vbl prknlp, yde Dw Yysqydt caswtbv bla eywtbvla vs yd lmrlakldnle, lzelazu vayekvksdyz Ubkdlpl xleknkdl esnvsa yv y rbyaxynu vs ekpvkdtwkpb vbl pnldvp.
Mbl sze esnvsa plryayvle y qlo sq vbl prknlp, vbld vssj vbl alpv yde vypvle vblx. Tl pbssj bkp blye.
“A few kinds have been ground up, fried, and boiled. They are too mixed, and I can’t identify them.”
Zhou Dongmei was somewhat disappointed.
Xu Maofang took the spices back and cursed under her breath, “That wretched girl is guarding against people! Dongmei, don’t worry, you have your mother here.”
A few days later, Xu Maofang acquired a large bag of spices and delivered it to her daughter.
Xu Maofang said gleefully, “Go ahead and use it. Your mother will get you more when you run out.”
Zhou Dongmei didn’t ask how her mother got them. She sweetly thanked her.
With the spices, making sausages became much easier for Zhou Dongmei. She took out all five yuan of living expenses she had received from her mother, bought casings and pork, and spent an entire day making twenty jin (approx. 10 kg) of sausages.
The children in the Zhou family hadn’t eaten meat in days, and they drooled while looking at the pork hanging in the courtyard to dry.
Zhou Dongmei was well aware of the Zhou family’s tendency to take petty advantage of others. She took the sausages down and hung them in her school dormitory to dry. After a full week of sun-drying, she secretly sold the sausages privately.
Although the taste was inferior to Ye Qingshui’s, someone was willing to buy a jin of sausage for two yuan.
After earning forty yuan, Zhou Dongmei tasted the sweetness of profit and stopped complaining about this “filthy” food. Xu Maofang also intermittently brought her spices a few more times.
With a continuous supply, Zhou Dongmei made money so quickly it felt easy.
Zhou Dongmei made money and dutifully took out ten yuan for Xu Maofang.
“Mom, take this to spend. Buy a bolt of cloth and have a new dress made.”
Xu Maofang had never taken money from her daughter in all these years. Clutching the ten yuan in her hand, she was so touched that her eyes nearly reddened.
Zhou Dongmei asked worriedly, “Mom, this business really makes good money. But the seasoning is all used up now. Can we ask Sister-in-law to spare some more for me?”
Yes, why not?
Xu Maofang thought of the spice jars full to the brim in the family’s kitchen. Zhang Hongying poured spices without any restraint every day, and Xu Maofang figured she herself probably didn’t even remember how many spices she had used.
Zhang Hongying was indeed very forgetful; if Xu Maofang took a little bit of spice each day, Zhang Hongying truly wouldn’t remember.
But Ye Qingshui had been wary of Xu Maofang for a long time. Even if one single spice grain was missing, it wouldn’t escape her notice.
However, Xu Maofang frowned. She had taken the spices too frequently this month; taking more would be too noticeable.
She asked, “Isn’t the money enough yet?”
Zhou Dongmei had already made money several times with these spices. She had sold at least a hundred jin of sausages in these few trips.
Originally, Zhou Dongmei only intended to solve her immediate predicament, but after easily making money a few times, the immense satisfaction that money brought—how could she stop?
She was also aware that Xu Maofang certainly hadn’t obtained the spices legitimately, but compared to the profit she could make, what did it matter if she secretly used a bit of Ye Qingshui’s spices?
Zhou Dongmei was also holding a grudge. She had gone to the Xie family and worked for Ye Qingshui for so long, yet the old madam of the Xie family never mentioned letting her come back.
“I worked for her for so long. It’s fine to use a little of her spices, right?” Zhou Dongmei grasped her mother’s hand and murmured.
Xu Maofang nodded.
It was just a bit of worthless spice. What was wrong with borrowing it? When Dongmei had money, she could pay it back tenfold. Furthermore, Xu Maofang didn’t feel guilty at all; this was what Ye Qingshui owed her daughter. If it weren’t for her, why would Dongmei have to suffer these hardships?
Xie Tingyu won first place in the English Oral Competition jointly organized by Capital University.
Grandma Xie was beaming with joy.
Her eyes squinted with laughter as she patted her grandson’s shoulder. “Tingyu, you did well this time.”
Grandma Xie said, “You should prepare well and practice your oral English more in the next few months. A US delegation might visit China at the end of the year, and you must receive them properly…”
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs had been preparing for this event for a long time. The opportunity, which arose from this year’s university oral competition, had fallen to her grandson.
Grandma Xie’s solemn and serious tone made Xie Tingyu laugh inwardly.
Yet, she wore an expression that implied this was a top-secret matter that absolutely could not be revealed, and she refused to say what it was about. Xie Tingyu could only agree, promising to practice his oral English diligently.
Grandma Xie then asked her grandson, “Can you play table tennis?”
Ye Qingshui was eating grapes and nearly choked.
No wonder major universities had actively organized table tennis competitions this year, encouraging students to exercise alongside their studies. It turned out the main intention was not what it seemed. This also reminded Ye Qingshui that China and the US did formally establish diplomatic relations at the end of this year!
Xie Tingyu nodded subtly, “A little.”
There was a reason table tennis was called the national ball: small space, easy to play. A ping-pong ball cost less than a dime. Looking around, which Chinese child hadn’t played table tennis?
Putting this together with Grandma Xie’s words, Ye Qingshui suddenly got excited.
Was Xie Tingyu going to be a translator for the leaders?
Ye Qingshui finished the remaining grapes and happily said, “Receiving the US delegation is a big responsibility, Brother Yu, you must practice your oral English quickly.”
Grandma Xie was extremely pleased that her grandson was so promising.
She uncharacteristically went to the supply and marketing cooperative and bought several jin of pork, planning a celebratory meal for her grandson. Not only that, she also called her husband to join the dinner.
Grandpa Xie knew about the matter, but his expression was indifferent, as if he wasn’t particularly happy.
However, he secretly called his friends. “Are you free today? Come over for dinner.”
At the end of every month, Ye Qingshui would make a few jin of spices.
Although she might not use them all up, the spices would come into contact with the air, and if stored for too long, they wouldn’t be as fresh. The cured meat made with them would have slight variations in taste.
This day happened to be the day she made new spices. She put the sun-dried spices into jars. Happily, she went with Grandma Xie to buy pork and extra dishes.
Xie Tingyu also left with his wife.
Xu Maofang emerged from the house and looked around. She went to the kitchen and took out the woven bag she had prepared earlier.
Xu Maofang had initially planned to take just one packet, but seeing so much left on the shelf, she greedily grabbed a few more handfuls.
Not only were the old spices scraped clean, but she also poured a lot of the new ones into the bag.
Just then, Grandpa Xie suddenly pushed the door open. He brought his old friends to the Xie family.
The elderly man walked lightly without making a sound. By the time Xu Maofang, looking shifty, had secretly grabbed a handful of cured meat spices and another handful of braised meat spices, stuffing the woven bag full, and turned around…
Grandpa Xie stood with his hands clasped behind his back, asking sternly, “What are you doing?”
Xu Maofang was startled, one of her three souls was scared away, and her hand shook, nearly dropping the mouth of the woven bag.
Grandpa Xie had lived for so long; how could he not see the forced pretense of calm in her eyes?
Zhang Hongying rushed out and yelled at Xu Maofang, “I knew why the spices kept running out! Turns out we have a thief in the house!”
Xu Maofang put on a forced smile. “I was just thinking of borrowing some spices from Shui’ya (Ye Qingshui) to make some cured meat to take back to my family. She’s far along in her pregnancy, and I don’t want to bother her to make it for me.”
Grandpa Xie gently asked his friends to leave. “Sorry, I can’t invite you to dinner tonight.”
His old friends shook their heads understandingly. “Next time, definitely next time.”
Elderly men whose ages added up to several centuries could see that the dinner was not going to happen today. The Xie family wanted to close the door and hide their shame.
Grandma Xie also returned at this moment. She was carrying a fish in one hand and a jin of pork in the other.
She saw the sharp look in the old man’s eyes directed at Xu Maofang, Zhang Hongying looking like she wanted to tear someone apart, and Xu Maofang hugging a bag of spices, her face pale as she argued:
“I am Shui’ya’s mother-in-law. What’s wrong with borrowing some spices from her?”
What’s wrong? Grandma Xie’s face completely darkened.
So, this shameless woman was the one stealing the spices! No wonder Shui’ya had to make the spices several times this month. Wasn’t making spices hard work?
Only Shui’ya knew the technique. The coarse spices were ground finer than sand. After grinding, they had to be boiled several times. She was seven months pregnant and couldn’t even bend over, grinding them bit by bit on her lap.
“What’s wrong with using some spices?” Pah! Grandma Xie had seen shameless people, but never someone as shameless as this.
“Taking something without asking is stealing.”
And this wasn’t just stealing once or twice; it had happened several times.
Grandma Xie slammed the fish and pork down heavily. If the pork wasn’t so expensive, she would have wanted to throw the meat at Xu Maofang’s face.
Xie Jun also got off work and came home at this time. When he entered the door and saw everyone squeezed together, the atmosphere tense, he couldn’t help but ask, “What’s going on?”
Xu Maofang burst into tears. “I’ve been in the Xie family for over ten years, working hard to manage this home. I haven’t earned merit, but I’ve certainly put in the effort. Are you trying to force me to die over a little bit of spice, Mom…”
She put on a look of heartbreak. “I wasn’t taking it for free without paying. You didn’t listen to a single word I said, all of you joining with outsiders, eager to put a label on me, falsely accusing me of stealing. Am I even considered a daughter-in-law of the Xie family anymore? I’m probably worse than a stranger!”
“I finally understand. In your eyes, I’m nowhere near as good as Wen Zhihua. You’re still thinking of her and have long wanted to drive me out to make room for her, haven’t you?”
Along with the tears she shed, it seemed as if she was facing not her family, but enemies who were trying to force her to die and ruin her reputation.
Grandma Xie was dumbfounded. What did this have to do with Wen Zhihua? How could she turn the tables like this?
If they said one more harsh word today, was it going to be seen as forcing her to die just so they could welcome the former daughter-in-law back?
If word got out, where would Tingyu’s mother save face?
Xie Jun frowned when he heard this; he finally understood.
“Look at the way you’re talking, saying things about leaving. Isn’t it just a bit of spice? Why make such a scene…”
Ye Qingshui gently interrupted her father-in-law at this point. “Is it just about the spices?”
“Setting aside how hard I work to make these spices, the bag of spices Aunt Fang took is probably not just for eating cured meat once or twice. The amount she took, I wouldn’t use up in a month. This isn’t the first time my spices have gone missing. Having to guard against a thief in my own home, I don’t know where I should live…”
This kind of step-mother-in-law, who always wanted to take advantage, and then would curl her lip and complain that you were low-class and not presentable after she got her advantage—Ye Qingshui wouldn’t give her a single grain of spice, let alone a whole bag.
What were the mother and daughter doing with the spices?
It didn’t take much thought to figure it out.
Zhang Hongying suddenly realized, “I knew why fewer people were buying cured meat a while ago! Turns out a competitor came to steal the business. How shameless! Stealing the goods and stealing the technique! Where I come from, breaking their legs would be considered getting off lightly.”
Xu Maofang wiped away her tears. “First it’s ‘stealing,’ then it’s ‘breaking legs.’ For this bag of spices, you’re not even recognizing me as family today. Fine, fine, I’m leaving.”
She hugged the spices and walked away, her face full of disappointment.
Grandma Xie’s expression grew darker the more she listened. Xu Maofang didn’t even want a way out; did she expect people to chase after her and beg her to stay?
She said, “Don’t stop her. Let her go. Go back to the Xu family and calm down. When you’ve figured things out, that’s when you can come back!”
Sansukini: Cnovels always have shameless people.
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