CHAPTER 66: CHAPTER 66: BLACK AND BLUE

"Okay, Grandma, don’t cry, don’t cry!" Li Xiuying used her calloused hands to wipe Bai Ruxue’s tears. "Xiao Xue, you don’t cry either!"

"Grandma, it’s such a big holiday, where have my little uncle and grandpa gone?" Bai Ruxue wanted to put things down and leave, but seeing her grandma’s hesitant expression, she worried that something might have happened.

"They went to your big uncle’s house!" Li Xiuying finally revealed. "Your cousin ran over early this morning and said... said your big uncle and big aunt got into a fight. They didn’t even have time to eat and went over there! And they still haven’t returned all morning!"

Even though she said it, her face was filled with embarrassment. After all, the granddaughter hadn’t been here for years, and now she ran into such a situation.

Bai Ruxue was extremely surprised because her big uncle usually listened to his wife. Even if his wife bullied his sister or parents, he never stood up to stop it. How could he have gotten into a fight with his wife? Especially during this big holiday.

"Grandma, does that mean you haven’t eaten yet?" Bai Ruxue asked, seeing Li Xiuying’s worried face when talking about her eldest son’s family.

"Grandma has cooked, waiting for your grandpa and little uncle to come back and eat together! Once winter started, grandma caught a cold and hasn’t recovered. Now, when I start coughing, it doesn’t stop. I couldn’t go see them; I don’t know why they started fighting again!"

"I brought some food over for you, so I’ll put it in the kitchen!" Bai Ruxue said, ready to lift the sack out.

Zhang Yuan quickly helped lift it, and the two of them went out of the room.

Once in the kitchen, Bai Ruxue lifted the lid of the big iron pot, seeing the pickled cabbage and corn cakes. Her nose tingled with emotion. Families with slightly better living conditions at this time could manage a decent meal, at the very least kill a chicken to stew. But at Grandma’s house, this pot of pickled cabbage seemed to have little oil. It shouldn’t be like this!

Little uncle is twenty-two now and can earn ten work points a day. Adding to that, both Grandma and Grandpa can work. There’s nobody in the family who just sits around, so how could their lifestyle become like this?

"Xiao Xue, what are you doing?" Zhang Yuan asked when he saw Bai Ruxue staring blankly at the food in the pot.

"I want to get some snow pears and rock sugar for Grandma. Rock sugar stewed with snow pears can help suppress the cough!" Bai Ruxue closed the pot lid, and as she spoke, she took seven snow pears and a pound of rock sugar from the supermarket.

"You know quite a bit. Put them in the sack quickly! Otherwise, Grandma might get suspicious!" Zhang Yuan reminded.

Bai Ruxue quickly put the items into the sack and then tied up the bag again.

They returned to the west room and found Grandma putting on her shoes to head out.

"What’s the matter, Grandma?" Bai Ruxue asked as she went up.

"Xiao Xue! Sit and chat with Xiao Yuan for a bit. Grandma’s going to fetch some firewood to warm up your food!" Li Xiuying lovingly touched Bai Ruxue’s cheek. "My precious granddaughter hasn’t visited Grandma’s house for years. You must eat something!"

"Grandma! We just came over after having New Year’s dinner. You don’t need to fuss. But you should take the dumplings I brought and freeze them, otherwise they’ll thaw soon." Bai Ruxue reminded her.

"Ah... you brought dumplings? You kids have the good stuff, let your mom eat more! Why give them to Grandma? Take them back when you leave!" Li Xiuying hadn’t noticed that Zhang Yuan seemed so relaxed carrying the sack. She thought it just contained dried vegetables or something. She never expected it to be dumplings.

"Grandma, there’s still more at home. These are for you and Grandpa; it’s my mom’s gesture. You can’t refuse! Otherwise, my mom would think you still haven’t forgiven her for not contacting you all these years!"

"This child, such a sweet talker..."

"Grandma, I also brought some snow pears and rock sugar. You’re coughing right now, so stew some rock sugar and snow pears to drink; it’s very helpful for a cough! After the New Year, I’ll bring you to the health clinic!" Bai Ruxue knew it seemed too much of a coincidence to take out the snow pears and rock sugar now, but she couldn’t wait any longer. Her grandma’s cough was severe.

"Child, is your family really doing so well now? Or is your mom deliberately..." Li Xiuying was a bit skeptical. She hadn’t heard of her daughter’s family doing so well.

"Grandma, to be honest, I found a job in Pingyang Town. I can earn ten yuan a month, and I accidentally got a small yellow fish and sold it, so the family’s situation improved. But grandma, you have to keep it a secret!" Bai Ruxue knew that if she didn’t say this, her grandma wouldn’t accept the things she brought. And always concerned about her grandparents, this excuse was okay to use, so she repeated her made-up story.

"Ah... child, is this true?" Li Xiuying asked, not without astonishment.

"Of course, it is! Grandma, quickly take the dumplings and meat outside to freeze! If the dumplings thaw, it won’t be good!" Bai Ruxue pushed her out.

Li Xiuying saw the items in the sack and started nagging again, insisting that Bai Ruxue should take half back. It took a lot of talking to make her accept everything.

"Grandma, I’ll head back first, and I’ll come visit you again in a few days!" Bai Ruxue said goodbye after helping pack the things away.

She wasn’t able to see Grandpa this time, but it was okay. Her mom had already relented, so there would be plenty of opportunities to come over, and it’s not far from home.

"Sure! Ride slowly on the road!" Li Xiuying saw them off.

Just as Bai Ruxue and Zhang Yuan were about to ride off, a woman with disheveled hair, full of tears and a bruised face, ran in.

Bai Ruxue didn’t recognize her for a moment and turned to look at her grandmother, who hadn’t managed to enter the house yet.

"Mom... help! Your son is going to kill me!" The woman, seeing the old lady at the door, shouted out loud, ignoring the presence of Bai Ruxue and Zhang Yuan in the yard.

"Oh my, Minghua! Why are you two fighting again? Where are your dad and Yongsheng? How come they didn’t stop Junsheng?" Li Xiuying anxiously asked.

Only then did Bai Ruxue recognize her. It turned out to be her big aunt, because her big uncle is named Wang Junsheng, and her big aunt is named Feng Minghua, she remembered.

"Isn’t it because Junsheng is stingy? He couldn’t stand my brother coming over for a meal and ended up arguing with me..." Big aunt Feng Minghua rolled her eyes as she spoke. "Mom, you have to stand up for me, otherwise, I can’t live like this anymore, can’t live anymore!"

Bai Ruxue looked at her grandma. Now she didn’t know whether to leave or stay.

Li Xiuying glanced at Bai Ruxue and waved her hand, indicating she should go and not worry about it.

But it seemed Feng Minghua only then noticed them and turned to Bai Ruxue.

"Who are you?" She asked, wiping her tears.

"Big Aunt, I’m Bai Ruxue!" Bai Ruxue couldn’t avoid answering.

"Bai Ruxue? Wang Cuihua’s eldest daughter? Mom... wasn’t Second Sister’s family already not in contact with us for a long time? What is she doing coming over during the big holiday? Is she struggling and came to take something?" Feng Minghua, hearing it was Wang Cuihua’s eldest daughter, immediately forgot about the previous matter and sharply questioned Li Xiuying.

"The child came over just to see me, the old woman. What could she possibly take? As her big aunt, it’s a big holiday, and not a single kind word to the child. What kind of talk is this?" Li Xiuying’s face fell as she spoke.

"Isn’t it because every time Cuihua’s family comes over, they ask for this and that. I’ve been asked by them so much I’ve become wary. Mom, your grandchildren are hungry too! Even during the big New Year, they can’t eat anything good. You can’t just care about the grandchildren from the daughter’s side! They are, after all, from another family!"