Chapter 57: Who Can’t Afford Sauce?

Chapter 57: Who Can't Afford Sauce?

A flash of irritation went through Zhuang Liuhong. She wasn't about to be a chump and buy such expensive sauce. Wouldn't it be better to just use someone else's for free?

Basically, she just wanted to freeload.

"Why are you being so stingy? I just wanted to try it first! If it doesn't taste good, buying it would be a waste. That's a full 200 yuan we're talking about! I'm not like you, spending money without even blinking!" Zhuang Liuhong was taken aback by the refusal. She felt a surge of anger and resentment. It was just a bottle of sauce; did she have to be so petty?

Well, if she wouldn't lend it, she'd just go in and take it herself.

With that, she brushed past Yuan Yali and headed straight for her kitchen.

Yuan Yali quickly followed, reaching out to stop Zhuang Liuhong, but Zhuang Liuhong pushed her hand aside. "Liuhong, what are you doing? I already said no. Can't you hear me?"

Zhuang Liuhong ignored her, and sure enough, she managed to grab the Spirit Chili Bean Sauce from the kitchen.

Just as Zhuang Liuhong was feeling smug, Luo Zi'an brought his "Golden Cudgel" down hard on the hand holding the sauce, shouting angrily, "You nasty old woman, don't you dare take my bean sauce!"

This "Golden Cudgel" was a sturdy wooden stick. Last month, while fishing in the wild with his father, he found a straight, long branch. His father then fashioned it into a stick of suitable size and even painted it to resemble the "Golden Cudgel."

"Ouch!" Zhuang Liuhong cried out in pain, her grip loosening. Yuan Yali seized the chance to snatch the Spirit Chili Bean Sauce back.

Not trusting his grandmother to keep hold of the sauce, Luo Zi'an took it, clutching it to his chest with one hand while pointing the "Golden Cudgel" at Zhuang Liuhong with the other. "You're nothing but a thief! You're not welcome in my house. Get out!"

Furious, Zhuang Liuhong's face twisted with rage. "You little brat, you hit me?"

With that, she raised her hand to strike Luo Zi'an.

Yuan Yali hurriedly reached out to block her. "Don't take it out on a child. It's because you tried to take his sauce first."

But Luo Zi'an had the "Golden Cudgel," and children don't know their own strength. Every swing from Luo Zi'an was with all his might. After being hit twice, Zhuang Liuhong didn't dare get any closer and could only glare at him with a ferocious expression.

She turned to Yuan Yali. "Yuan Yali, look at the grandson you've raised! He'll get himself killed sooner or later!"

Hearing her grandson threatened, Yuan Yali was infuriated by Zhuang Liuhong's words. Before, she had thought Zhuang Liuhong was just blunt but not a bad person. Now she saw that Zhuang Liuhong was simply rotten to the core, malicious and venomous.

Yuan Yali forcefully pushed Zhuang Liuhong out of the house. Hearing the foul language spewing from her mouth, Yuan Yali was so angry she spat at her, retorting, "Pah! My grandson is perfectly fine! It's your child who's just like you—vicious and rude. He'll be the one getting killed sooner or later! Get out of here! Don't ever come back!"

Zhuang Liuhong's eyebrows furrowed. She hadn't expected the usually mild-tempered Yuan Yali to lose her temper, let alone throw her out. She was stunned for a second, and by the time she reacted, she was already outside the door.

She immediately started cursing, "How dare you, Yuan Yali, I think you've lost your mind..."

*Slam!* The door was shut hard, cutting off Zhuang Liuhong's angry shouts.

Their relationship was completely shattered. Yuan Yali was furious. What kind of person was this? Coming to her house to steal the Spirit Chili Bean Sauce was bad enough, but to curse her grandson too? Truly malicious. She was cutting ties with her for good!

After checking that the door was securely closed, Luo Zi'an put away his "Golden Cudgel." "Grandma, I hate Wang Yichen's grandma. Don't let them in next time." If he hadn't acted fast, the Spirit Chili Sauce would have been snatched away by that shameless Zhuang Liuhong.

"We won't let them in. You stay away from their family too from now on." Yuan Yali nodded, realizing they could no longer associate with that family.

Before, she thought since they were neighbors, seeing each other all the time, they should maintain good relations. Now she thought better of it. They couldn't let them influence her grandson's upbringing.

"I know. They're always acting crazy, especially Wang Yichen's grandma, like a rabid dog. Staying away is the right thing to do. Grandma, I want to get a dog." If any more bad guys came to the door, he could just shut the door and release the dog to bite them to death.

"You'll have to talk to your dad about that. Grandma agrees, but your father needs to agree too." They lived in a townhouse now, which was different from a house in the village. It wasn't a standalone property with its own yard. Dozens of households lived in one large compound, making it far less convenient to keep a dog than in the countryside.

"Okay!" Luo Zi'an took his grandmother's phone and called his mother. If he could convince his mom, she would handle his dad. He vividly described over the phone how Zhuang Liuhong came to steal the Spirit Chili Sauce and cursed him and his grandma. Then he talked about how protective dogs were and how safe it would be to have one at home. Finally, his mother agreed.

Luo Zi'an cheered happily, "Yay! Grandma, Mom agreed!"

*

For several days in a row, at mealtimes, Zhuang Liuhong could smell the delicious aromas wafting from the Luo family's cooking. She was extremely envious, but having fallen out with Yuan Yali, she couldn't "borrow" any to cook herself. Because of this, she felt irritable every mealtime and would curse the Luo family for being stingy and miserly.

At that moment, Zhuang Liuhong, her husband, and her grandson Wang Yichen sat at the dining table. Her son and daughter-in-law worked in another city, only coming home once every month or two. Usually, it was just the three of them at home.

Smelling the Luo family's cooking, their own meal became utterly bland and unappetizing.

Her husband, Wang Shaobo, had also been salivating over the Luo family's food these past few days. "Liuhong, let's go buy a bottle of that sauce tomorrow too, the one from the stall at the middle school gate."

Zhuang Liuhong wasn't very willing. "200 yuan! For such a tiny bit. Do you have money to burn?"

Wang Shaobo glanced in the direction of Yuan Yali's house. "Can you stand smelling other people's delicious food every day? Xiao Chen has mentioned several times that he wants to go play at the Luo's."

Zhuang Liuhong's eyes lit up. "Did you go?" she asked urgently. It wouldn't be bad if her grandson went to play at the Luo's and happened to stay for a meal.

Wang Shaobo's expression dimmed. "They probably didn't hear the knocking. They didn't open the door."

*Smack!* Zhuang Liuhong angrily slammed the table. "Hmph! As if they didn't hear! They're deliberately not opening the door. They're so cunning!"

"Grandma, Luo Zi'an hasn't been talking to me these past few days. He doesn't open the door even when I go to find him to play," Wang Yichen said, feeling wronged. Although he never used to think about going to Luo Zi'an's house to play, these past few days, the food from Luo Zi'an's house smelled so good. He really wanted to go eat there.

"We won't play with him either!" Zhuang Liuhong grew angrier the more she thought about it. "Who can't afford 200 yuan? Don't be sad, Xiao Chen. Grandma will buy it for you tomorrow!"

"Okay!" Wang Yichen's eyes filled with anticipation and a smug look.

Just wait. It wasn't like only their family could have good food. Tomorrow he'd go to school and show off to Luo Zi'an.