Reborn as a Landlord-Chapter 158 - 78: Baby Bok Choy_2
Ruoyan was sickened with anger, for she encountered the most contemptible of men, prancing about in the Emperor’s new outfits, flaunting his shamelessness, causing Ruoyan to once again be deeply disappointed in human nature.
Ruoyan, no longer young, to tell the truth, still harbored some idealism in her bones, always believing there must be a clean place, where people at least knew some shame and decency. If this statement is outdated, then———
Whether it’s an official rule or an unspoken one, one rule remains unchanged through the ages: even thieves have their principles, and the contemptible will ultimately face divine retribution.
Thank you to all the readers who have been tolerant of Ruoyan; I hope you will continue to support Ruoyan, as she greatly needs your pink tickets of support. Thank you, everyone.
PS: Please don’t repost this interlude on pirate sites.
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"Third Aunt, you’ve gone half the day without eating anything. With so many people around, who knows if there will be any leftovers. Even if you, Third Aunt, aren’t afraid of being hungry, aren’t you worried about starving little Yeye?" Lian Manman urged Lady Zhao, "Come with me, the food is ready, and eating quickly won’t delay things."
Hearing Lian Manman speak like this, Lady Zhao was somewhat swayed. But she had grown so accustomed to fearing Lady Zhou that in the end, she still shook her head.
Lian Manman touched her forehead in frustration; if it were not for the fact that Lady Zhao was much older and a senior relative, she might not have been able to suppress her anger.
"Sister Manman, you are a good person, you... don’t be angry." Lian Yeye suddenly said.
Lian Yeye, clinging to Lady Zhao’s clothes, had remained silent all this while. She resembled Lady Zhao closely, and her personality also seemed to follow Lady Zhao’s, always quiet, with practically no presence at all.
When they heard Lian Yeye speak, both Lian Manman and Lady Zhou turned their gazes toward her.
"Yeye, you must be starving, come with me to eat," Lian Manman said.
"Manman, why don’t you take Yeye with you to eat? I’ll be better off staying here," Lady Zhao said, glancing at Lian Yeye. After all, as a mother, her heart ached for her daughter, and she would rather let Lian Yeye go with Lian Manman to eat while she herself dared not leave.
Lian Manman looked at Lady Zhao and knew she could not persuade her, so she sighed and pulled Lian Yeye by the hand back to the West Wing Room.
"Why didn’t Third Aunt come?" Lady Zhang, seeing only Lian Yeye with Lian Manman and not Lady Zhao, asked.
"Third Aunt didn’t dare to come," Lian Manman replied.
Lady Zhang sighed and said nothing more.
"Yeye, you must be starved, let’s eat," Lady Zhang said.
Because they were waiting for Lian Manman to join them for a meal, only bowls and chopsticks were placed on the table. Lian Zhizhi and Wu Lang were getting the steamed buns and soup, while Lian Manman led Lian Yeye to the basin stand, prompting her to wash her hands in the water-filled basin.
"Use this soap," Lian Manman handed a box of fragrant pancreas soap to Lian Yeye.
"Fragrant pancreas soap?" Lian Yeye said with a hint of surprise in her voice, lifting her head to look at Lian Manman, timid as if she dared not use it. "Sister Manman, this is expensive. I... I can just wash with some ash... it will get clean too."
"Yeye, you’re in my house, you don’t need to worry. If I give it to you, just use it," Lian Manman said.
Lian Yeye placed her hands in the basin and carefully scrubbed her palms before taking the soap and lightly swiping it over her hands.
"Use more," Lian Manman said, seizing Lian Yeye’s hands and helping her soap them up.
"Sister Manman, this... this is too much. My hands... don’t deserve to use it..." Lian Yeye said timidly.
Lian Manman looked at Lian Yeye, feeling both anger and pity. Lady Zhao was even more of a pushover than Lady Zhang. While Lady Zhang was a pushover, she had once been a happy one, driven by the noble goal of being virtuous. Lian Zhizhi, Wu Lang, and Xiao Qi had learned to make compromises but didn’t lose their self-esteem. But Lady Zhao had raised Lian Yeye to be so self-effacing and timid. Despite having loving parents, she was truly like a pitiful little cabbage.
Simply unforgivable!
Lian Manman took a few deep breaths and, seeing that Lian Yeye had already washed her hands, grabbed a towel from nearby to dry her hands.
Lian Manman accompanied Lian Yeye onto the heated brick bed, and the whole family sat around the table to eat.
"Yeye, don’t be shy, it’s just like at home with your aunt," Lady Zhang said first, passing a large steamed bun to Lian Yeye.
Lian Yeye took the bun and nodded, but dared not eat it.
"I misspoke; this isn’t like with your grandma, Yeye. You have nothing to fear, just eat," Lady Zhang hastily corrected herself.
"Yeye, buns taste good dipped in meat sauce," Lian Manman said while demonstrating for Lian Yeye. She broke open one end of the bun, spread meat sauce inside with a spoon, and then stuffed a couple of green onion leaves into it.
Xiao Qi sat next to Lian Manman with a steamed bun in hand but didn’t make a move, just watched what Lian Manman was doing.
"Xiao Qi, what are you doing? Haven’t we eaten like this before?"
Xiao Qi pouted and moved closer to Lian Manman, but remained silent.
This little rascal, he must be feeling jealous.
"Well, I’ll give this one to you. Let Yeye see how it’s done."
"Okay." Xiao Qi immediately brightened up, taking the bun from Lian Manman and biting into it eagerly. "Sister Yeye, look, this is how you eat it, it’s so yummy."
Lian Manman chuckled inwardly; Xiao Qi, that little imp, was actually feeling jealous.
Lian Manman and the others ate their steamed buns cheerfully. Lian Yeye was very reserved at first, not daring to scoop up any meat sauce until Lady Zhang did so for her. After finishing one bun, she stopped eating, claiming she was full.
"This child is shy and too honest," Lady Zhang said, and stuffed another bun into Lian Yeye’s hands.
Lady Zhang, basing it on Lian Manman’s appetite, insisted that Lian Yeye eat three buns. The dough of the buns was very soft and fluffy, with each bun weighing only an ounce. Village children rarely ate white flour, so their appetite increased whenever they did eat it, similar to the times before the family had split, when pancakes were made based on a half-pound portion of flour for each person to ensure everyone was full.
After the meal, Lian Yeye hurried to help Lian Manman and Lian Zhizhi clean up the table and wash the dishes.
"Yeye, go take a rest, you must be tired today," Lian Manman said. Lady Zhao had taken Lian Yeye with them to look for Lian Duoduo outside, and after coming home, she helped Lady Zhang steam the buns, cook soup, and make meals in the Upper Room, which certainly must have been exhausting. 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺
"Sister Manman, I’m not tired at all by helping you," Lian Yeye said.
"Yeye sure knows what to say," Lian Manman responded with a laugh.
"Sister Manman, I’m serious," Lian Yeye quickly said.
Seeing Lian Yeye’s eyes becoming red in her hurry, Lian Manman thought to herself what a sincere child she was, and quickly tried to soothe her.
"I believe you; don’t worry, Yeye."
"Sister Manman," Lian Yeye said, head lowered as she helped Lian Manman wash the dishes, "I, I want to learn from you."
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Children like Lian Yeye are now a rarity, which is a good thing. I write it here to record and commemorate as a specimen.
Ruoyan is rolling around, acting cute for votes, lots of pink, and there will be extra updates! While the end of the month countdown has not yet begun and Ruoyan is not yet physically drained, dear readers who are showering pink votes, hurry and cast your votes, no need to hesitate. If there are 50 pink votes today, Ruoyan will update four times, fist clenched. (To be continued... If you like this work, you are welcome to come to Qidian (qidian.com) to cast your recommendation votes and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)
