Quick Transmigration: The Mad Beauty Refuses to Be the Scapegoat!-Chapter 318 - 16: The Cannon Fodder Sister-in-Law in the Group Pampering Novel (16)
"Why is it like this?"
Lv Cuiping frowned, she could smell the aroma from afar, there was no way she had mistaken it.
Xie Yumian was reading inside the house, heard the commotion outside, and came out, noticing the unusual look on Lv Cuiping’s face.
"What’s wrong, Mom?"
"What are we cooking tonight?"
Lv Cuiping pulled her daughter aside, wondering if her daughter had become clever, made something delicious and secretly hid it away.
Xie Yumian shook her head.
"Didn’t make anything."
"If you didn’t make anything, then where’s this aroma coming from?"
Hearing her say so, Xie Yumian said softly.
"In the afternoon, I got hungry while reading, so I made a bowl of egg custard to eat."
"If you’re hungry, just eat. Those eggs are for you to nourish your body. So where is this aroma coming from?"
When Xie Yumian stepped outside, she could smell the aroma too. It seemed magical, making the hungry worms in her stomach come alive.
Looking around, Xie Yumian finally looked towards the back room.
"Could it be from Third Brother’s house?"
That was probably the only possibility, and from where they stood, they could see smoke coming from their chimney.
Lv Cuiping’s face darkened, feeling both curious and reluctant. When Xie Jian was building his house, she had heard that the helpers were paid one yuan a day and were also fed.
In the following days, it spread throughout the village that Xie Jian had struck it rich, having fish and meat at every meal. Even those who helped got to eat lots of meat. She had some doubts about it before, but now smelling this aroma made her unsettled.
Having just argued recently, she was too embarrassed to go over again. At this moment, Xie Yumian suggested.
"Why not let Gou Dan check it out? He’s just a kid, can’t help but follow the aroma."
That makes sense.
Just as Jiang Lai was serving the food and about to start dinner, a small head timidly popped in, grimy little hands folded across the chest, their black eyes filled with longing.
"Third Aunt."
At this moment, Xie Jian came over.
"Gou Dan, what are you doing?"
Gou Dan hurriedly turned back, and upon seeing Xie Jian, he couldn’t help but feel a bit scared. But recalling his grandmother’s instructions, he still silently stared at the stove.
Jiang Lai smiled.
"Take him to wash his hands, let’s eat."
This was essentially the first meal after the new house was built. Three dishes and one soup were neatly arranged on the table, with fish, meat, and eggs. Even the vegetable soup had a layer of oil floating on it. Just one meal was enough to last other families a month.
Aside from the biscuits stuck to the fish soup, there was also white rice on the table, its aroma making Gou Dan drool. As soon as Jiang Lai handed over the bowl, he eagerly started stuffing food into his mouth.
The Xie family’s conditions weren’t bad, but such a lavish meal wasn’t even seen during New Year’s, let alone cooked so well.
Gou Dan ate without lifting his head, silently being served food by Xie Jian until the seven-year-old had eaten two full bowls of rice and drank a large bowl of soup. Only when his stomach was so full that he couldn’t eat another bite without vomiting did he stop.
Jiang Lai’s attitude towards Gou Dan was indifferent, as it had nothing to do with her.
Xie Jian, however, had some affection for this nephew, and after he was full, he brought out a package wrapped in oil paper.
"Take this back and share it with Ermao."
Inside the oil paper package were sweet pastries, crescent-shaped and coated in sugar, with thick and sweet syrup oozing out upon biting. The sweet treats, usually only available during New Year’s, were given to him in a large package by Xie Jian.
And so, Gou Dan happily returned with the oil paper package. By then, it was completely dark. He was about to go straight back inside, but as soon as he reached the entrance to the courtyard, he saw a figure standing guard there.
Seeing the switch in Lv Cuiping’s hand, Gou Dan was scared out of his wits, standing there clutching the pastries, unable to move at all.
"Went to check things out, why don’t you just stay there for the New Year!"
As she finished speaking, she lashed out with the switch, hitting Gou Dan’s bottom, painful enough to make him cry out. The sound of his cries alerted Liu Suping and Xie Guo inside.
Liu Suping couldn’t sit still, and hearing Gou Dan’s cries, kicked her husband.
"Mom’s hitting Gou Dan again!"
Xie Guo turned over, groggily, answering absentmindedly.
"Let her hit, what’s wrong with Grandma teaching a lesson to her grandson."
"Do you not know how hard your mom hits?!"
Liu Suping couldn’t bear it, tossing aside the sweater she was knitting, rushing outside, only to see Gou Dan running around the yard after being beaten. She hurried forward to shield him.
"Mom, what did he do this time?"
"You disgrace! Can’t find anything to eat at home and have to go freeload off others! What’s the point of raising you! No spine at all!"
Looking down, Liu Suping saw her son’s arms were red from being hit, yet his eyes were still on the bag of pastries Lv Cuiping held.
"Mom, mom..."
Gou Dan kept crying. Liu Suping had no way out, so she had to swallow her anger, waiting for Lv Cuiping to throw away the switch and leave, grumbling.
"What did you do, tell Mom!"
"Boohoo... Grandma asked me to check out Third Uncle’s house, and Third Uncle gave me food, and he also gave me candy pastries. Boohoo... The pastries were taken by Grandma, the pastries are gone!"
Gou Dan wasn’t crying because he got beaten; he was crying because his candy pastries were taken by Grandma.
Liu Suping suddenly remembered the bag of sweets Grandma was holding, realizing it had been snatched from her son.
She was so angry that tears began to fall, kicking Xie Guo awake beside her.
"What’s wrong?! What’s wrong now?!"
"Ask your mom! Xie Jian gave Gou Dan some food, and your mom beat him like a dog and even took away the candy pastries given to the kid! What does your mom want?! Can’t stand to see the grandson doing well, is that it?!"
Xie Guo sat up with a grim face, immediately noticing the red marks on his son’s arms. Liu Suping then pulled down Gou Dan’s pants, revealing the welts crisscrossed on his swollen, bruised bottom.
The woman covered her face, crying. Gou Dan was crying too, and Ermao, woken up by the noise, joined in, the cries making Xie Guo’s head pound.
"Did your Grandma hit you?"
"Candy pastries! Boohoo, my candy pastries!"
Gou Dan didn’t care about being hit; he only wanted his candy pastries.
Xie Guo’s mood grew more complex. After all, it was his own son; seeing him beaten like this, how could he not feel heartache?
If it was because Gou Dan was naughty, it would be one thing, but the child only acted out of a desire to eat, eating things that weren’t even others’, yet ended up beaten like this.
"I can’t live like this anymore! Getting hit and scolded as she pleases, we came into your family just to be punching bags, didn’t we?!"
Early the next morning, Liu Suping packed up their belongings and left with her two children, heading back to her parents’ house.
In any case, Liu Suping’s parents’ house wasn’t lacking. If their daughter came back, she could just stay, and even help with the cooking and a bit of farm work.
The whole day, Xie Guo’s face looked grim, and as he got into the fields, he saw Xie Jian approaching with a sickle.
"Still remember to come out and work, huh?"
