Chapter 8 Perhaps She’s Angry with Me

Chapter 8 Perhaps She's Angry with Me

This wasn't the end.

Su Rouer endured the humiliation and took the crying Ju Geer back to their room in the third house. Just as she had managed to calm him down, Wei Pozi arrived shortly after.

Before Su Rouer could think of how to handle Wei Pozi, she saw her mother-in-law's cold face as she said, "The other day, I brought back a piece of cloth from my natal home. I didn't give any to the other children; I only gave it to Ju Geer. I thought he was growing fast, so I wanted you to make him two new outfits—"

But Ju Geer was still angry about the wild fruit incident and stubbornly interrupted, "Grandma, I don't want your cloth! I don't want it!!!"

He turned his back and ran away, wanting to show Grandma that he was very upset and hoping she would come to comfort him!

Wei Pozi repeated slowly, "You don't want my cloth?"

Ju Geer, still facing away from Wei Pozi, replied firmly, "No, no, no!"

Wei Pozi, however, laughed.

Before Su Rouer could react, she saw Wei Pozi's eyes fall on the sewing basket on the bed. She said matter-of-factly, "Well then, since Ju Geer doesn't want it, I'll take the clothes cut from this cloth back."

She spoke calmly, but Su Rouer felt as if struck by lightning.

What? What does Mother mean!

Su Rouer watched in disbelief as Wei Pozi took the new clothes she had just started making from the bamboo basket, examined them, nodded unsatisfied, and walked away.

"Mother—" Su Rouer panicked, "No, you—"

Wei Pozi turned around, her gaze cold: "What? Do you mean I can't take it? Even if this cloth was yours, can't I, as your mother-in-law, take a piece of cloth from you?"

Su Rouer was intimidated by Wei Pozi's demeanor and stammered, "No, no, it's just that this cloth... I've already cut it according to Ju Geer's size—"

Wei Pozi laughed derisively, "You heard him say he doesn't want it. Besides, even if you cut it according to Ju Geer's size, I can modify it for Xingxing."

Su Rouer felt like she had been struck by lightning again!

How could she have imagined that her mother-in-law would take the cloth to make clothes for that little girl?!

Su Rouer trembled with anger, unable to speak.

Then Wei Pozi remembered something else and added casually, "By the way, the piece of cloth I gave you earlier was enough to make two outfits for Ju Geer. There should be some leftover material here. Look for it and bring it to me later."

Without waiting for Su Rouer's reaction, Wei Pozi left with the cloth, leaving behind a devastated look on Su Rouer's face.

As Wei Pozi walked along the pebbled path toward the main house, she heard the sound of a chair falling in the third house.

She ignored whether it was an accident or a deliberate act meant to annoy her. With a cold smile, she headed straight to the main house, picked up the obedient Xingxing who was eating wild fruits on the bed, and measured her dimensions.

Xingxing was confused but allowed Wei Pozi to measure her.

After finishing, Wei Pozi put away the measuring tape. Xingxing swallowed the wild fruit in her mouth and asked curiously, "Grandma, what are you doing?"

Wei Pozi continued cutting the cloth without looking up, "I'm making you another new outfit. The one you're wearing is made from Gui Geer's old clothes, which isn't quite fitting."

Xingxing was stunned.

When Wei Pozi noticed Xingxing's silence, she turned around and saw the little girl wiping her tears, her nose red.

Wei Pozi was startled, "What's wrong, Xingxing?"

Xingxing's almond-shaped eyes were filled with tears as she choked out, "Grandma, you're so good to Xingxing. Xingxing will definitely, definitely take good care of Grandma."

The little girl spoke with utmost sincerity and devotion, as if it were her lifelong mission.

"Good, then I'll wait," Wei Pozi said softly, her eyes gentle and loving.

...

Previously, the Yu family had three meals a day, but in recent years, due to famine, food had become scarce and they had to conserve it, reducing meals to two a day—morning and evening.

During busy farming seasons when more physical labor was required, Wei Pozi would still have the daughters-in-law prepare extra food to send to the fields at noon.

These days, it was Bai Xiaofeng's turn to cook in the kitchen.

Sending food to the fields was usually done by Su Rouer.

But today, after Wei Pozi had thoroughly reprimanded Su Rouer, the door to the third house remained tightly shut. Even Ju Geer did not come out.

As it was time to send food to the fields, the door to the third house remained closed.

Bai Xiaofeng was displeased. She had prepared the food early, fearing her husband would go hungry. But Su Rouer was sulking, showing no concern for her own husband.

Li Chunhua from the first house was also worried and knocked on the third house's door several times.

There was no response, and when Li Chunhua pressed her ear to the door, she could only hear muffled sounds of Ju Geer, as if someone was covering his mouth.

Clearly, they did not want Ju Geer to open the door.

Li Chunhua was about to scold them, but Bai Xiaofeng pulled her arm, "Elder Sister, perhaps Third Sister-in-Law is unwell. Let her rest. I'm covered in soot from cooking. Why don't you go send the food? It will save the men from going hungry."

Li Chunhua, concerned for her own husband, agreed immediately and left with the food box.

Bai Xiaofeng glanced at the third house's door and then secretly looked towards the main house before heading back to clean the kitchen.

Only the third house remained silent.

At dusk, Old Man Yu and his four sons returned home, carrying their farming tools.

They had just taken a refreshing bath in the nearby stream, feeling refreshed and invigorated.

The meal was already set on the table.

In the afternoon, Wei Pozi took five copper coins and bought a piece of pork fat. It had been a long time since they had any meat at home, so Bai Xiaofeng, excited, used all her skills to stir-fry a large pot of wild amaranth with the pork fat, making it incredibly fragrant.

The men of the Yu family could smell the unique aroma of lard as soon as they caught a whiff and were equally excited, quickly sitting down.

Yu Sanbao, the third son of the Yu family, then noticed that his eldest and second sisters-in-law were busy setting the table, but he did not see his own wife anywhere.

He remembered that it was his eldest sister-in-law who had brought lunch earlier, and she also had not seen his wife. When he asked his eldest sister-in-law, she only said she wasn't sure, perhaps his wife had something else to do.

No matter what else she might be doing, why wasn't she here for the meal?

"Mom, what's wrong with Rou'er? Why hasn't she come over yet?" Yu Sanbao casually asked Wei Pozi, but he did not expect this question to be like poking a hornet's nest. Wei Pozi's face immediately fell, and she slammed her chopsticks on the table, sneering, "Her? She didn't want to bring you lunch in the fields this noon, and now she's not coming out to eat. I think she might be angry with me!"

This nearly made Yu Sanbao jump off his stool!