Chapter 9: 09 Lin Tang's grandmother was a big bandit back then
"Why have you all gone off-topic? Aren't we supposed to be talking about the two young ones breaking off their engagement?
I heard the reason. Seems like the Liu kid is about to go official, looking to marry someone from the city, so he called off the engagement!"
"What? The Liu kid is really going to become a city person, huh? Pretty impressive, bet his salary isn't small either!"
It doesn't matter how much, he's going to be eating public-grain.
Gets a paycheck and coupons every month, the Liu family is different now.
No wonder Liu Guohui wanted to call off the engagement."
The women chattered incessantly, envy written all over their faces.
As soon as Wu Chunhua opened her mouth, the atmosphere turned sour.
"Hmph! As far as I see it, it serves the Lin family's bitch right for being dumped.
With her nerdy look, which young guy would like her?
And her mom isn't any better.
Apart from being ugly, she's cheap trash that acts like she's never seen a man in her life.
Her daughter being dumped is just karma for snatching someone else's man..."
The moment Wu Chunhua's spiteful words came out, a bucket of dirty water splashed onto her face.
"... Scram!"
The one who threw the water was an old woman.
With half-white short hair, roughly over 1.7 meters tall, she stood much taller than the other women in the brigade.
Equally thin with bright eyes.
She looked fierce, and her anger was enough to make one's heart tremble.
This was Lin Tang's own grandmother—Zhao Shuzhen.
As soon as Wu Chunhua saw her, she froze completely.
Didn't even dare to remove the vegetable leaves on her head.
Her mouth moved, but she didn't dare utter a word in retort.
Next instant, she hastily tried to say something nice, "Zha... Aunt Zhao, we were just joking, don't be angry..."
"A joke with your mother! I beat you up and say it's a joke, does that work?
Whose joke you're cracking is none of my business, just don't joke about the Lin family, or I'll show you what's what!"
Zhao Shuzhen was furious.
With a glare, she silenced everyone present.
Her good granddaughter was dumped out of the blue and then slandered by others.
Did these people think Zhao Shuzhen couldn't wield a knife anymore?!
Wu Chunhua licked her dry lips and managed a stiff smile.
"I was talking nonsense, Auntie, don't be mad, it's all because my mouth has no filter, you're a generous person, please don't hold it against me..."
Saying this, she slapped her mouth sharply a few times.
A perfectly meek gesture.
She had no choice but to do it.
Everyone in these ten miles and eight villages knew that Zhao Shuzhen used to be a big bandit.
Chopped people like watermelons.
A woman stronger than any man, who wouldn't be afraid?
Zhao Shuzhen glanced at the others and snorted coldly.
Too lazy to speak any further, she went back home.
A few gossiping women felt a chill in their hearts and exchanged looks before quickly scurrying off to their own homes.
Man, that was terrifying!
How on earth does Aunt Zhao hear so well?
When Wu Chunhua came to her senses, everyone had scattered.
She felt aggrieved, seething with hate and annoyance.
Thinking of her own honest lump of a husband at home, who couldn't even stand up for her, her eyes were bloodshot with anger.
It's all Li Xiuli's fault!
If not for her, her own life wouldn't have turned out like this mess.
Feeling choked with resentment, Wu Chunhua went home and, seeing Wang Zhaodi leisurely feeding the chickens, lost her temper and began to scold.
"Can't you do things a bit quicker? Feeding the chickens so slowly, do you think you're herding cows?
Always causing me trouble, what use is a maid like you?
You can't even work properly, and you're ugly too, not sure if you can even get married in the future.
I just hope I don't end up getting no bride price and having to pay out instead..."
Wu Chunhua looked at Wang Zhaodi's dark, thin face and her slightly swollen body, and a surge of intense repulsion welled up inside her.
She was not bad-looking; back in her day, she was considered a village beauty.
Who knew that giving birth to a daughter would result in such a plaything-like appearance?
She really just inherited all of Wang Daniu's flaws!
So dark and short, not to mention how ugly.
Even though Wu Chunhua doesn't like Lin Tang, she can't bring herself to say anything bad about Lin Tang's looks.
Even if she says she's not good-looking, it's purely out of jealousy.
How on earth did Li Xiuli, that ugly woman, give birth to such a fair and beautiful daughter?
It's simply infuriating!
Wang Zhaodi was mercilessly mocked by her mother, and the sense of grievance in her heart was beyond words.
She didn't want to be this ugly either!
Wang Zhaodi was extremely distressed but didn't dare to talk back at all.
If she dared to say a word, her mother's broom would come flying at her.
-
Lin Tang returned to the courtyard with her nephew.
Hearing the scolding and beating from next door, the aunt and nephew looked at each other.
Goudan whispered, "Little auntie, grandma said the family next door is full of troublemakers, we normal folks should stay away from them.
When you see them, you should also keep your distance.
They only bully the timid and fear the brave, they can't bully my dad and the others, so they'll bully you."
He didn't quite understand what "troublemaker" meant.
But since grandma always said it, he passed the advice on to his little auntie.
He might be young, but he was clear-headed.
That dark-faced sister next door didn't like his little auntie.
Lin Tang bemoaned inwardly at how weak she must seem in her nephew's eyes.
Now even a child was starting to worry about her.
Shameful!
"I know, don't worry," she said.
After they had spoken for a bit, Li's mother came out from the house.
Seeing the firewood on Lin Tang's back, she quickly walked over and took it from her.
"Tangtang, you're still recovering, why did you go out?
Your brother went out to look for you, didn't you bump into him and Goudan?"
Lin Tang hadn't expected her mother to come back so soon and averted her eyes, smiling softly.
"I was just walking around the base of the mountain, I took a shortcut with Goudan, we must have gone a different way than my brother."
Li Xiuli could see that she was feeling guilty and gently tapped Lin Tang's forehead.
"You, alright, I won't say anything more, as long as you're fine.
Be careful these days, take Goudan with you wherever you go."
With that, she looked at Goudan.
"Goudan, your little auntie's head wound is still serious.
Stick with your little auntie for the next few days, don't let anyone bully her again.
If you do a good job, grandma will steam some eggs for you in a few days."
Goudan's eyes sparkled, and he puffed out his little chest.
"Grandma, don't worry, I'll definitely take good care of my little auntie," he declared.
Thinking about the steamed eggs he had eaten at noon, the young boy's mouth was overflowing with drool.
His skinny face was filled with longing.
Li Xiuli didn't notice, feeling the basket in her hands was a bit heavy.
"What's in this basket? Why does it feel a bit heavy?"
It was then that Goudan remembered that his little auntie had found some meat, his eyes and brows unable to hide his joy, he whispered excitedly:
"… Grandma, it's meat."
Could it be that grandma would let him eat an extra piece of meat?
Li's mother looked at him as if he were crazy.
Goodness gracious!
The grandson is driven mad by his craving for meat.
Meat, indeed?
She too wanted to eat meat, who doesn't these days?
But dreaming is faster.
Goudan, seeing his grandma's disbelief, became anxious and decided to let his actions do the talking.
"...Don't believe me? I'll show you."
Chapter 10: 10 Mom, did you slaughter our old hen ?!
With that, she led Li Xiuli to the kitchen.
He first removed the firewood one by one from atop the large basket, revealing a plump and hefty Dahua pheasant underneath.
"Granny, look, I wasn't lying!"
The kitchen at that time was a simple makeshift structure, built just good enough to shelter from wind and rain, without much regard for appearance.
The cheapest thing in the countryside was land, so the kitchen was not small, with a wooden door made by themselves.
A straw stove sat there, with a cracked iron pot resting on top.
A wooden bellows.
An elongated wooden bench about a meter long and half a meter wide was set up against the wall.
On top of it were placed items like a clay jar, wooden spoons, gourd ladles, and other utensils.
Upon hearing her oldest grandson's words, Li Xiuli's first reaction was to hurriedly close the kitchen door.
Her face, weathered with age, was full of joy, "Oh my, my dear, it really is a pheasant, where did this come from?"
After several years of famine, Small Blue Mountain had seen a decrease in its wildlife.
A pheasant so plump, she had not seen one in at least two years.
Goudan's gaunt face broke into a smug smile, his small head held high with pride.
"My youngest aunt found it."
He thought his youngest aunt was particularly impressive.
A look of realization appeared on his grandmother's face, "It's Tangtang, ah, my daughter is indeed capable."
She looked at Lin Tang with pride as she spoke.
Unexpectedly, she was not surprised at all.
In her eyes, Lin Tang was like a lucky doll.
Not just a pheasant, even if she had picked up a wild boar, she would not have been astonished.
At that moment, her face was full of pride and joy, completely lacking the hesitant and reproachful look she had when Goudan first mentioned there was meat.
"Tangtang, where did you find this? You didn't go up the mountain, did you? There are wild beasts up there," Li's mother asked with a worried expression.
She definitely did not want her daughter to get hurt over this piece of meat.
Lin Tang, touched by her mother's affectionate gaze, stepped forward and looped her arm around her.
She smiled softly, "No, I listened to you, Mom. I just looked around at the foot of the mountain."
She didn't dare mention going up the mountain at all, fearing that she would be restricted from going out in the future.
Goudan lifted his little face, gazing eagerly at Li Xiuli, his face full of longing.
"Granny, can we have meat tonight?"
He really wanted to eat meat!
His mom had said that the work in the fields was very tough.
Grandpa, dad, and the uncles were all exhausted and needed to eat something good to recover.
He wanted everyone in the family to eat together.
Li Xiuli was unaware of what her oldest grandson was thinking. After pondering for a moment, she said:
"Your youngest aunt told me to stir-fry a plate of eggs tonight. If we eat meat, we won't stir-fry the eggs.
If we eat the eggs tonight, we can save the meat for tomorrow. Do you still want to have meat today?"
Nowadays, every household was living tightly, with many even unable to afford Bean Cake.
Good things were saved to last a year; one couldn't just gobble it all up in one meal.
Goudan hardly hesitated, his eyes shining as if afire.
"We'll eat eggs today, meat tomorrow."
That way, they could have it all!
Li Xiuli ruffled her eldest grandson's hair, "You really are a clever one!"
Goudan scratched his head, let out a sheepish chuckle, and sweet-talked his way through.
"Granny is smart, and so is my youngest aunt, that's why I am smart too."
That single sentence brought smiles to Lin Tang and her daughter's faces.
Lin Tang looked at Goudan, thinking that she didn't remember him being so articulate.
Look at how well he flattered people; surely, if he were in the future, he would have been a talent.
After sending her grandson out of the kitchen, Li's mother quickly and deftly slaughtered the chicken.
Boiled a pot of water, scalded the chicken, and plucked its feathers.
"Mom, let me help you," Lin Tang said as she rolled up her sleeves and squatted down next to her mother.
Her young face was fair, with bright red lips and pearly white teeth.
Crouching down, she was but a small bundle, her eyes clear as lake water, impossibly beautiful.
Li's mother was softened by her daughter's gaze and smiled with affection.
"Such a small chore doesn't need your help, go back to your room and rest, and if you're really bored you can read a book."
She brushed her off, not allowing her to lend a hand.
Lin Tang's expression turned awkward at being rejected, "..."
She had forgotten that she seldom did any housework at home.
"Alright, I'll go back to my room then."
Li's mother smiled and waved her off, "Go on, go have a rest in your room."
A country girl of this era indeed couldn't afford to be good for nothing.
But who made it so that her family's Tangtang had three biological brothers and four male cousins?
At home, the men took care of the heavy labor, and she and her two daughters-in-law handled the household chores.
There was no need for the daughter to do anything!
The world was already harsh on women.
So what was wrong with spoiling one's own dear daughter while she was still young?!
Li Xiuli was efficient and quick in her tasks.
It wasn't long before she had plucked all the feathers from the chicken.
The exposed flesh was firm and plump, enticingly so.
Just then, other members of the Lin Family returned.
Lin Lu, who was restless by nature and a confirmed bachelor, always thought of Lin Tang whenever there was something to do.
Having not seen her for just an afternoon and learning from his nephew that his sister was in the kitchen,
he called out as if he hadn't seen her for years, "Sister, sister, your third brother is back."
He nearly collided with Li's mother who was just opening the kitchen door.
"You rascal, what's with the rush? How old are you? Can't you be a little more composed?"
Lin Qingmu, seeing he was about to bump into his mother, scratched his head guiltily.
Immediately, he stepped back several paces, his face still in shock.
Good thing he stopped in time.
Otherwise, if he had collided with her, he would have endured a tag-team scolding from both his parents.
He was just about to crack a joke to gloss over the situation,
when he caught sight of the white meat on the chopping board.
"...Mother, mother, is that... is that meat?! Did you slaughter our old hen?!"
As he spoke, saliva uncontrollably dripped from his mouth.
He was so eager it was unmistakable.
It wasn't that he was particularly gluttonous, but people at that time severely lacked fats in their diet.
It was bad enough that meals were bland and watery, but the key issue was that they never filled you up.
Every night he would wake up starving.
Under such circumstances, who wouldn't crave meat?
Lin Qingshan and Lin Qingshui, hearing their younger brother's voice, didn't even bother to wash their hands and hurried over.
Good heavens, it really was meat!!!
The two brothers stood alongside Lin Qingmu, similarly drooling, saliva overflowing.
Their eyes spelled out two words: Craving!
Lin's father also sauntered over, interrupting what was about to be a scold from Li's mother.
"Isn't our old hen in the backyard? Where did this meat come from?"
Though Lin's father was also long bereft of greasy food, he still had to keep up the pretense of the patriarch, enduring the hunger with difficulty.
The three Lin brothers struggled to look away.
Desperate gazes fixated on their mother.
Li's mother displayed a proud look, her chin held high as she said with pride, "Tangtang found it."
After her statement, she leisurely waited for everyone's reaction.
Lin Lu's face showed emotion as he smiled honestly, "My girl is really fortunate."
"As expected of Tangtang, such amazing luck!" said Lin Qingmu.
"...Both finding eggs and wild chickens, Tangtang's luck is just too good," Lin Qingshan also chimed in.
"Where did sister find it?" Lin Qingshui asked curiously.
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