Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Pushing open the door, Bai Xiuxiu saw her two darlings crouched by the window, looking outside.

Seeing her enter, they both jumped off the bed and ran towards her.

"Mom!"

"Mommy, today Yueyue was super well-behaved, didn’t cause any trouble at all!" The little girl, with her hair in two buns, looked up at her with an expectant face. Her fair complexion made her look incredibly adorable.

"Mommy, Mingming was also super well-behaved!"

The child beside her didn’t want to be outdone and started to act coquettishly as well.

Looking at her two darlings, Bai Xiuxiu felt her heart, which had been wandering for decades, fill up instantly.

She scooped both children into her arms, carrying them over to sit on the bed. She kissed each of them, then went to a locked box on the bed and took out a candy box.

This was something she had asked her sister to send over for her.

They couldn’t buy White Rabbit milk candies here, but her sister could find some way to get some.

It had taken a lot of effort to get these, all for the autumn harvest when no one would be watching the kids, so that they would behave.

These two were only two years old. Although they could speak, they still didn’t understand much.

She had never been at ease with the people in the family.

She could only coax them with sweets.

"One each, and you have to behave tomorrow." After saying this, Bai Xiuxiu couldn’t resist kissing the two children again.

It had been far too long since she had been able to touch her two children.

After her death, her husband hadn’t cared much about these two children, as if he was afraid that seeing them would remind him that she was dead.

She could only float around him.

Only heaven knew how much she wanted to strangle her unlucky husband back then!

Inside the room, the three of them were enjoying a harmonious moment.

However, things weren’t going well at the dinner table in the main room.

Zhao Guifen’s face darkened as she blocked her eldest son. "What? You really dare to take it? Let me tell you, if you dare bring the food into the room, I’ll die right in front of you."

"Brother, no matter how uncomfortable Sister-in-law is, your whole family can’t just not come to the table to eat. What would people say if they heard about this? Are you really going to split the household?" Wang Qingfu, the second son, disapproved and tried to persuade him.

He was jealous of his taciturn older brother, yet also felt somewhat superior to him.

His older brother’s looks had attracted every young woman in the village back then, but he was stubborn and didn’t talk to anyone until he saw his sister-in-law. He fell for her at first sight and insisted on marrying her.

Although his sister-in-law was beautiful, her family wasn’t from around here, so there was no maternal family support.

Moreover, Mother hadn’t been as good to his older brother and sister-in-law as she had been to him.

Mother hadn’t let his older brother go to junior high school, but she had let him!

He was able to work as a warehouse manager in the village because he had gone to school!

Looks didn’t put food on the table!

Hearing her second son’s words, Zhao Guifen felt much better. "Listen to your younger brother! That’s what you call human speech!"

"Brother, why do you want to make Mom angry? We still have work to do this afternoon. No matter how much Sister-in-law throws a tantrum, it’s not like she won’t come out to eat." Old Fifth, Wang Qingqi, chimed in.

He had just gotten married, but he knew that he had to please his mother in this family!

They all took turns speaking, and after listening to them, Wang Qinghe calmly looked at them. "Mom, our family of four will eat in the room. Just divide it evenly. Otherwise, Xiuxiu won’t be happy…"

Zhao Guifen: …

Was she talking to a wall?

Didn’t he hear a single word?

"Brother, although I’ve just married into the family, I have to say something. If Sister-in-law acts like this, people will laugh at us. They might think she’s giving Mom a hard time. Who has a sister-in-law like her?" Zhou Jiaojiao spoke up unhappily.

She had just married in, and Sister-in-law was causing a scene. Who was she trying to impress?

Moreover, if Sister-in-law didn’t come out, how could Mom bring up the topic of switching rooms?

She and her husband had only just gotten married, and they shared a wall with their in-laws, making it difficult for them to be intimate.

Furthermore, she had seen the western room, and it was quite nice.

At home, she had always lived in a good room, and her husband had promised her that he wouldn’t let her suffer.

"Jiaojiao is right! What? Do you really want your old mother to die in front of you?" Zhao Guifen felt even more justified hearing her family’s support.

Wang Qinghe’s expression didn’t change at all. "Mom, even if I took all the food away from this table, you wouldn’t die in front of me. But if I don’t bring the food back, Xiuxiu will be upset, and if she gets upset, her illness will worsen.

She’s sick, and if she doesn’t let me bring the food back, I won’t do any work for the family this winter."

He was strong and had learned hunting skills from an old hunter in earlier years. In winter, only he and a few other families could secretly hunt in the mountains.

If he didn’t go to the mountains, the family wouldn’t have enough meat to eat during the winter.

Zhao Guifen’s vision went black with anger. "You, you ungrateful son!"

"Mom, get us some food." Wang Qinghe didn't lift a finger himself, and he also ignored the others in the house.

He disliked speaking with this family; each of them was calculating, for food, for their own benefits.

He only wanted to live well with Xiuxiu, to see her happy.

As for other matters, he didn't care much about them.

"Old woman, it's not easy for our eldest daughter-in-law; she's sick, and our son is worried about her. Let them eat in their room, and when she feels better, they can join us at the table." Old Man Wang finally spoke up.

He never got involved in the trivial matters of the household.

However... if the eldest didn't go hunting in winter, that would be a significant issue for the family.

The second son had a job as a warehouse manager, but it was just in the village.

The commune was hiring this year, Little Wu had finished junior high school, was smart, and now married. The winter hunt would provide gifts for Little Wu's new job.

When Little Wu and his wife started working at the commune, wouldn't life be better for the whole family?

For the long-term good, there couldn't be any conflicts now.

Zhao Guifen reluctantly agreed, though she didn't want to. Despite her unruly behavior, she listened to her husband.

She quickly prepared the meal for the four people in the west room, then pushed the basin towards him with an annoyed look: "Get out!"

Task completed, Wang Qinghe turned and left.

The others in the house felt uneasy.

Who wouldn't want to eat in their rooms, where they could enjoy their lives in peace?

Bai Xiuxiu didn't know or care about the messy affairs in the main room. Whatever she needed, her man provided. It was like that when she was alive, and he hadn't sought another partner after her death.

Soon, Wang Qinghe entered the room.

Upon entering, he saw his wife telling stories to their two children.

His usually calm heart warmed.

He placed the small table on the heated brick bed: "Xiuxiu, I've brought the food back. Shall we eat first?"