Zhao Guihua and her family didn't just return ho; they ca back amidst the joyous ruckus earlier.
However, she wasn't foolish enough to enter the courtyard at this ti. Wouldn't that be like an old man courting death? They had caught so many fish; if soone saw them, it might stir up trouble. So, Zhao Guihua was very cautious.
She was the first to enter the house, but as soon as she did, she heard the two, one big and one small, gossiping about her.
She glanced at Hutou, who had retreated behind Ming i. Just now, he claid to be a man, but now he was a timid little ghost, unreliable. Ming i's eyes were evasive, chuckling incessantly.
Zhao Guihua shot her a look, saying, "You've got so nerve, talking about behind my back."
Ming i jumped, imdiately saying, "Mom, you misunderstood . I didn't an it that way. I respect you the most. I said you seed tough, but I didn't an it in a bad way. I'm also not easy to ss with, which is a good thing."
She patted her chest, saying, "I think, sotis being tough is a strength. It keeps trouble at bay."
Zhao Guihua: "You..."
Ming i observed her mother-in-law's expression, seeing that she didn't seem angry, she quickly moved closer, asking, "Mom, what were you up to?"
She curiously looked and imdiately her eyes lit up with surprise, exclaiming, "So many fish!"
The big fish looked so appealing, they seed delicious at first glance. Ming i: "So plump and juicy!"
Zhao Guihua: "Enough, stop chattering and help out."
Her gaze fell on the two children, saying, "You both go back to your rooms, don't all crowd here."
"Okay~" Hutou led his younger sister, Xiao Yanzi, to retreat quickly. Before leaving, he bravely said, "Grandma, there's an egg in the noodle soup. Don't scold Aunt i. I was the one who craved it!"
After saying it, fearing a beating, he quickly pulled his sister towards their room. Zhao Guihua glanced at Ming i again, asking, "Did you add an egg?"
Ming i imdiately nodded, smiling sheepishly, saying, "I thought you guys would be doing sothing big today, so I thought a bit of soup would warm you up. An egg adds flavor."
Zhao Guihua: "You only added one?"
Ming i: "Huh? What?"
She was stunned!
She looked at her mother-in-law in surprise. Zhao Guihua glared at her, saying, "What? In your mind, am I that stingy? I can't even afford to eat an egg? One egg in this big pot of noodle soup, you can't even see it. We have eight mouths to feed in our family. At least two eggs should be added!"
Ming i imdiately smiled, saying, "I knew mom wasn't like ordinary people."
Zhao Guihua: "Stop flattering ."
Ming i seriously: "I'm not. You're the most capable old lady. There's no doubt about that. Which ordinary family could catch so many big fish? Oh, where's my husband?"
Only then did she realize that she hadn't seen Zhuang Zhixi. Where was Zhuang Zhixi?
Zhao Guihua: "I asked them to wait a mont. I ca back first to check the situation. We can't let anyone see this."
Ming i gave her a thumbs up, saying, "Mom, you're always so strategic."
Zhao Guihua laughed a little. She thought that although her daughter-in-law was not very good at work and was always craving for sothing, she was quite straightforward! She always spoke the truth and was a reliable person.
"What happened in the courtyard today? Why is it so noisy? They're so idle every day." Zhao Guihua asked.
Ming i, who had just enjoyed so gossip, was more than happy to share what she knew. She gestured and acted out the whole scene in a flurry of excitent, and finally said with enthusiasm, "So, that's what happened!"
Zhao Guihua: "...."
You're really excited.
However, she still calmly said, "None of them are good, Madam Zhou Li is just trying to take advantage of Su Jinlai's children. She knew that the Su boys were not very honest, so she deliberately put out peanuts that were not edible to be stolen, so she could get compensation. The Su boys are indeed dishonest, but I guess the top layer of peanuts must be good. If they were all moldy and inedible, they wouldn't take them. They are greedy, not stupid. If they were all like that, the children wouldn't take them. Madam Zhou Li must have put a good layer on top to trick them into stealing. They must have benefited too, no one is innocent here. Madam Zhou Li's plan backfired, and it's normal for the little brats to get beaten for stealing."
Ming i gave another thumbs up: "You're really smart, I didn't figure it out. It's true what they say, old ginger is hotter. Mom, you're really amazing."
Zhao Guihua laughed proudly and said, "How could I not know them? I can tell what they're up to just by the way they act."
Speaking of this, Ming i rembered sothing and curiously said, "Mom. Isn't Madam Zhou Li's surna Li? Why do they all call her Aunt Zhou? It's not like she doesn't have her own surna, it's really strange."
Zhao Guihua sneered, full of disdain, and said, "Who else could it be? It's all because of that Aunt Su. Back then, when old Su and old Zhou both had an accident at the workshop, they both beca widows. Aunt Su had three children and life must have been harder for her than for the Zhou family. She went to the factory to cry and swear that she would never remarry in this life, and just wanted to raise her children well. She said that she was born a Su and would die a Su, and from then on there was no Zhao Erya, only Aunt Su. She was more pitiful, and people tend to sympathize with the weak, so she got more than the Zhou family. Madam Zhou Li has a bad mouth and is not kind-hearted, and she shows it all on her face. Naturally, she is not liked by others. She learned from Aunt Su and also claid that she would only use the surna Zhou from then on. So, when she was young, she was Aunt Zhou, and now she is Old Aunt Zhou."
Ming i: "...."
For a mont, she didn't know what to say.
Zhao Guihua: "Back then, the Su family got more than the Zhou family. Madam Zhou Li resented Aunt Su for this. Plus, Aunt Su started working in the factory and outperford Madam Zhou Li in every aspect. Both were widows, but the contrast was stark. As the children of the Su family and Zhou Qun grew up, they were also compared. The Su family's son had three children, while Zhou Qun had none. Can you imagine how Madam Zhou Li felt? The day sothing happened to the Su family's son, Madam Zhou Li was so happy that she bought a roast duck to celebrate. You can imagine how much hatred there is between the two families."
Ming i: "Oh my, that's too much! Celebrating soone's death?"
Zhao Guihua: "That's why the relationship between the two families is terrible. But our relationship with them isn't much better."
Ming i: "!!!"
Zhao Guihua laughed, but her smile was a bit mocking. "So, I'm telling you, there's no one in this courtyard who's easy to deal with. The Bai's Two Bachelors have no won, Li the Cook's family has no sons, the Su and Zhou families have lost their n, and the Su family has also lost their son. All things considered, our family is the most complete. Sotis, others are jealous just because your family is doing well."
Ming i was silent for a while, then mustered up the courage to say: "So what! The more they envy us, the better we will live!"
Zhao Guihua: "Right, we will live well."
Hearing the echo of her words, Ming i laughed. Just then, the door creaked open and the rest of the Ming family mbers quietly hurried in.
Old Man Zhuang looked at his wife with a wronged expression, complaining, "Weren't you supposed to give us a signal once you saw there was no problem? We've been waiting forever. Luckily, our third son was cunning enough to sneak into the courtyard to check. Otherwise, we would have been waiting forever!"
Zhao Guihua blushed, not knowing what to say for a mont. She had indeed forgotten about this. But was it her fault? Was it her fault?!
Of course not!
She firmly said, "Ming i kept talking, that's why we were delayed."
Ming i's eyes widened. How did she end up being the scapegoat for no reason? Such a big bla to bear!
Zhao Guihua's embarrassnt lasted only a mont. She quickly regained her composure and said, "What's the big deal about waiting a bit longer? Isn't it safer to co back later? If soone saw us, we would have been robbed again, with that little thief next door on the prowl."
"Oh, so that's what all the commotion in the courtyard was about earlier?"
"Of course."
Zhao Guihua quickly changed the subject, "Alright, I'll clean up the fish and make so salted fish. We'll have an extra dish for later."
At the ntion of this, the Zhuang family was overjoyed. They had caught forty or fifty fish that afternoon. They planned to give these as gifts for the New Year. It was a dignified gift and saved them the money they would have spent on other things.
Zhuang Zhiyuan: "Mom, save four for . I'm going to visit our boss during the New Year."
After all, giving gifts during the New Year is essential for a smooth career.
His job was nothing like working in a machine factory. For riveters like Old Man Zhuang, as long as they worked hard, no one would bother them. But for soone like Zhuang Zhiyuan, who had to run long-distance trains, if he wanted a better schedule, or better vacation days, he had to grease so palms.
Otherwise, he'd still be on the train during New Year's Eve and New Year's Day.
He didn't understand this when he first started working and suffered quite a bit. Now, he's beco much more "worldly".
Zhao Guihua said, "I know this. I'll prepare it for you. Ming i, when you go ho tomorrow, also take two..." She paused, then said, "No, take four, and a chicken. Go to the grocery store and buy a pound of pastries, a pound of sugar cubes. Make it presentable."
Ming i nodded in agreent, "Okay."
Such a hocoming gift was considered quite good.
Aliali: 67358284d72ede93494505f5Sure enough, she quickly received a look from her sister-in-law, Liang ifen, filled with sorrow and jealousy. Ming i puffed up her chest proudly: Go ahead and be jealous!
"Mom, I knew you loved the most." Ming i sweetly cooed at Zhao Guihua, "I really like you."
Zhao Guihua shivered, "Speak properly to ."
Ming i's smile was radiant, "Even when I speak properly, I still like you. You're the best mother-in-law."
Zhao Guihua's lips curled up...
Liang ifen: Brown-noser, big brown-noser!!! One day, I will let the whole world know that you're a brown-noser! I'll expose your true brown-nosing nature!
******
In the main room, Wang Xiangxiu lay on the bed, contemplating the grievances she experienced today, quietly shedding tears. Sohow, she seed to sll a fishy odor...
Was it fish?
Whose house was cooking fish?
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