CHAPTER 38: CHAPTER 37: WILD BOARS CAN’T EAT FINE BRAN

Today, many people are helping out, no one left, some are slaughtering rabbits, some are picking vegetables, and some are stewing meat.

Everyone is busy with their tasks, and in no time, the courtyard is filled with the aroma of meat, making everyone mouth water.

Wen Wan sits by the small stove frying meatballs, facing the kitchen door, just able to see her father-in-law, after changing clothes, standing under the east room eaves talking to Uncle Xie.

She curled her lips, finally understanding why she couldn’t foresee her father-in-law’s situation at the mine before, because both her father-in-law and father turned out to be fine.

If she had known earlier that she couldn’t foresee the safety of people, she could have stopped her husband and mother-in-law from planning a funeral for her father-in-law in advance.

But this is good, she will remember it well this time, so she won’t panic when encountering the same thing next time.

Xie Zheng was the last to arrive, carrying a jar of wine, a tribute from his students, with Wen Shun, who studies in his private school, following behind him.

Wen Shun was still carrying his backpack, at first shyly refusing to go in, until Mrs. Zhou came out and told him there would be stewed rabbit and braised pork later on, making him drool and walk inside.

Xie Zheng, being a big man, naturally wouldn’t bicker with women over such matters, besides, he also has children and knows that adults coax kids in such ways.

But to the ears of others, it was a different story.

There were many people eating today, and there weren’t enough bowls and chopsticks, so Second Lang’s wife went home to get some. She put them in a basket, had Da Ya carry Sanyang, brought Er Ya along, and the four of them came over here, coincidentally hearing what Mrs. Zhou said.

Second Lang’s wife has always looked down on her third sister-in-law, Wen Wan, and by extension, Wen Wan’s family.

Knowing that the Wen family is a poor peasant family that hardly eats meat even a few times a year, she snickered and looked at Wen Shun, "Has the little relative brother ever seen braised pork and rabbit meat? Couldn’t be like a mountain pig not knowing fine bran, spoiling it once it gets in the mouth."

Wen Shun couldn’t understand the sarcastic undertones in Second Lang’s wife’s words, just grinning.

Mrs. Zhou’s face turned dark and unsightly, glaring at Second Lang’s wife, "What do you mean?"

The Wen family was invited by the Third Lang’s family, not the second house, were they eating her family’s meat or drinking her family’s water?

"Disgraceful!"

Second Lang’s wife left behind these four words and went through the courtyard gate with her three daughters.

Mrs. Zhou stood there, trembling with anger.

Wen Shun, seeing that his mother wasn’t moving, tugged at her sleeve and asked what was wrong.

Mrs. Zhou gritted her teeth, clenched her fists, and said they weren’t eating here and should go home!

Wen Shun, having been tempted by the aroma of meat coming from the kitchen all along, wasn’t willing at all hearing they weren’t eating here, stomping his feet and about to cry.

Granny Song came out and saw this mother and son standing outside, asked, "Why aren’t you coming in?"

Mrs. Zhou was originally planning to just walk away, but thinking that her stepdaughter still had to be a daughter-in-law in the Song family, and would need filial respect from Song Sanlang every year, now wasn’t the time to fall out with her in-law, so she reluctantly smiled and said, "Your Second Lang’s wife said there weren’t enough benches inside, so we mother and son won’t go in to take up space."

Granny Song, upon hearing this, didn’t look well.

She knew best her troublesome daughter-in-law, fearing she said something even worse.

Although she didn’t particularly like the Wen family’s young stepmother, after all, they were still relatives, and for future events where they’d have to interact on some level, this couldn’t be the time for someone to stir up trouble with just one mouthful of reckless words.

Granny Song put on a smile and said there were seats, telling Mrs. Zhou and her son to sit on the bench outside for a while, and they’d soon be eating.

Once the mother and son sat down, she rushed angrily into the kitchen, seeing Second Lang’s wife helping Wen Wan fry meatballs, with Da Ya and Er Ya each holding a meatball happily eating, while Sanyang, being small, couldn’t eat, but was drooling.

Granny Song frowned, "Why do you bring those three here, like guests haven’t seen a monkey, bringing them for fun?"

"Mother," Second Lang’s wife said bitterly, "Isn’t it because their father has come back? Our family is supposed to have a reunion meal, and besides, the three girls haven’t seen their grandfather for over two months. I thought it would be nice for them to have a good time with him. Anyway, Yuanbao isn’t here, and the third sister-in-law’s belly isn’t showing any movement, who else would their father think of but our three girls?"

Dragging someone else down while saving herself?

Before Granny Song could get angry, Wen Wan tossed a few raw meatballs into the hot oil, dragging her stool back a bit.

Second Lang’s wife, not being careful, got splattered with hot oil, screaming in pain, and reluctantly went back home to apply medicine with her three daughters.