Chapter 14: The Expertise of a Top-notch Villain

Chapter 14: The Expertise of a Top-notch Villain

When Grandma Lin saw the basket Lin Nan returned with, she pushed aside the layer of weeds covering it and found it filled with rice stalks. Hearing Lin Nan say that it was Xixi who found them, she recalled how the little girl had been chattering about finding field mouse burrows a couple of days ago. She hadn’t paid much attention at the time, but now she realized the little girl was quite capable.

Seeing that his grandma was in a good mood, Lin Nan took the chance to ask for white rice.

Grandma Lin took the basket of rice stalks and combined them with the ones the little girl had collected earlier. She handed the empty basket back to him and, upon hearing her grandson's request, neither agreed nor refused, simply saying they would talk about it later.

"Grandma, I want some rock sugar (a type of crystallized sugar)," Lin Nan said with a cheeky smile.

He had experience in this matter. His grandma seemed to be in a good mood now, and while the request for rice was a bit far-fetched, he decided to aim for something more practical.

When it came to food, Lin Nan had a bit of cunning.

Grandma Lin hurried into the house and brought out two pieces of rock sugar, instructing him, "One for you and one for your sister. Don’t you dare take any extra."

"Grandma, don’t worry. I wouldn’t steal from Xixi. You’re the best, Grandma. When I grow up, I’ll make sure you eat white rice every day, no mixed grains, and I’ll buy you lots and lots of rock sugar. You can eat whatever you want."

Lin Nan took the sugar, his eyes narrowing into slits as he grinned. He made promises effortlessly, endless and exaggerated.

She had heard similar promises from her youngest son when he was young, and now she was hearing them from her grandson. But who doesn’t like hearing sweet words? Grandma Lin’s stern expression softened slightly, and she let him go.

By the time he returned, half the morning was gone. Lin Nan shared the rock sugar with his sister, and after collecting another half basket of rice stalks, they decided to head home.

The village pig had been slaughtered, and when Lin Nan and Lin Xixi arrived home, Grandma Lin had just returned with a basket.

Seeing the meat and a marrow bone in the basket, Lin Nan eagerly approached and asked, "Grandma, are we having meat for lunch today?"

Having just received the meat, Grandma Lin, in a rare moment, smiled and scolded, "Eat, eat, eat. That’s all you think about. You’re older than your sister, but you’re not as mature as her."

It was the first time Lin Xixi had seen her grandma smile since arriving here. Normally, the old lady always wore a stern expression.

At lunch, they didn’t get the meat Lin Nan had been longing for, but Grandma Lin did simmer the bone with plenty of winter melon, which was still quite fragrant.

The adults working in the fields didn’t come back for lunch.

As usual, the girls from the first and second branches of the family came back to get the meals. Seeing the food today, their tired faces lit up with smiles.

Grandma Lin distributed the food, and when Lin Lidong noticed there was none for her sister Lin Dongzhi, she gathered the courage to say, "Grandma, Dongzhi hasn’t recovered yet. I’ll take the food to her room."

"As long as she’s still breathing, she’d better crawl out here to eat. What, is she a pampered young lady now? Bringing food to her room? She doesn’t do any work, and she didn’t even come to help with lunch. It’s just a little dip in the river—what’s the big deal? She’s acting like she’s some fragile treasure. The water in the river isn’t even cold. She just swallowed a bit of water, and she didn’t even catch a cold or get a fever. She had the strength to go to the outhouse earlier, but not to come out and eat? This family doesn’t tolerate lazy people," Grandma Lin ranted.

Lin Lidong, seeing her grandma’s furious glare, shrank back and didn’t dare say another word.

The old lady was fully embracing the role of a wicked grandmother, showcasing her top-notch villainous expertise. She began to target the protagonist, but for now, the old lady wouldn’t suffer any losses. Lin Xixi, while thinking this, buried her face in her bowl, enjoying the delicious meal. The winter melon soup with the bone was so tasty, with a layer of oil floating on top, much better than the usual stir-fried wild greens they had to eat every day.

Her standards had dropped so low that even a simple winter melon soup felt like a feast. She nearly licked the bowl clean.

Lin Nan and his sisters didn’t lick their bowls, but they did rinse their bowls with water to drink every last drop of the soup.

By the time everyone finished eating, Lin Dongzhi finally showed up. Grandma Lin, displeased, served her a portion.

Lin Dongzhi acted as if nothing was wrong, completely unfazed by Grandma Lin’s cold demeanor and calmly eating her meal.

From the moment Lin Dongzhi entered the room, Lin Xixi felt like she was being watched. She knew it was Lin Dongzhi’s gaze, and there was something unsettling about her. Lin Dongzhi’s demeanor didn’t match her age. While a ten-year-old girl should be lively and childish, Lin Dongzhi’s gaze felt like that of an old woman, which was quite eerie.

Whether it was because Lin Dongzhi’s gaze was too obvious or something else, even Grandma Lin noticed something off about her. But just as Grandma Lin was about to take a closer look, Lin Dongzhi calmly averted her eyes.

Grandma Lin thought she must have imagined it. "After you finish eating, clean up the dishes. This family doesn’t tolerate freeloaders. Considering you fell into the river, I didn’t make you work today, but you’ll have to do the housework. You’ll cook dinner tonight."

"Grandma, you're wrong about that. What are you talking about, freeloading? I'm not freeloading. My father earns the maximum work points every day, my mother earns eight work points a day, and my sister works non-stop every day. Can't the three of them take care of just me? Plus, I don't eat that much, and you haven't even given me eggs or anything fancy." Lin Dongzhi only cleared her own dishes and left the rest.

Grandma Lin was so furious she nearly toppled over. No one in this family had ever dared to talk back to her before.

Lin Lidong was on her way to feed the chickens when she suddenly heard her sister arguing with their grandma in the yard. She was so startled she nearly dropped the ladle she was holding. Was her sister trying to get herself in trouble?

She jumped in quickly, "Grandma, grandma, what needs to be done? I'll take care of it. Dongzhi fell into the river yesterday and must have waterlogged her brain. Don't take it seriously."

Lin Lidong quickly dragged Lin Dongzhi away.

Lin Dong had noticed something off about the way Lin Dongzhi looked at people ever since she woke up by the river last night. Sensing trouble, he worried his younger siblings might get bullied if he wasn't there, so he had already whisked Lin Nan and Lin Xixi away. Because of that, Lin Xixi missed the argument between Lin Dongzhi and Grandma Lin.