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The sight of a child shedding tears was the last thing Xiao Lihua wanted to see. However, witnessing Dog Egg's unreasonable crying and his stubborn attitude made it impossible for her to feel sorry for him. She couldn't help but wonder how Yang Shuitao had raised him this way. Even if Dog Egg was the only grandson of the Li Family, he shouldn't be spoiled like this. Looking at Dog Egg, Xiao Lihua felt that her own two children were much more well-behaved, and she resolved to cherish them even more in the future, but she also didn't want them to turn out like Dog Egg.
While Xiao Lihua was lost in thought, Yang Cao furrowed her brows and said, "Just wait; Zhang Shuitao will come over soon."
"Yes, Zhang Shuitao dotes on her son. No matter whose fault it is, she always believes her child is innocent. It's normal for kids to play rough, yet she always scolds other people's children. But since she's the village chief's daughter-in-law, no one really argues with her."
Zhang Lianxiang chimed in, saying that his Copper Coin had fought with Dog Egg before, and Zhang Shuitao had scolded Copper Coin for it. She had even argued with him, but in the end, it was the village chief who intervened. She simply didn't like Zhang Shuitao; although they didn't fight or argue when they met, neither of them gave the other a pleasant face.
Yang Cao frowned and said, "Let her protect him; she's spoiling a good child."
Yang Cao was the village chief's eldest daughter-in-law, but she had not given birth to a son. In all these years of marriage, she only had one daughter, while Yang Shuitao had immediately given birth to a healthy baby boy upon entering the family. Being the niece of the village chief's daughter-in-law naturally made her more assertive. Moreover, Yang Shuitao's husband, Yang Long, was articulate and capable—much more so than Yang Xingxian, the eldest brother—leading everyone to believe that Yang Long would take over as the next village chief. Even when the brothers eventually split their families, it was likely that the eldest would move out while the village chief and his youngest son would continue living together.
Over the years, Yang Cao had felt quite stifled and had suffered many grievances at the hands of Yang Shuitao; their sister-in-law relationship was not particularly good.
Xiao Lihua sorted through these thoughts in her mind and realized that every family has its own difficulties; the Xie Family wasn't the only one with troublesome members. Now that she could separate from her family, she felt fortunate.
Yumiang worriedly asked, "Sister Four's child, what should we say if Zhang Shuitao comes?"
Xiao Lihua smiled and replied, "Just be straightforward. We didn't let Dog Egg reach into the basin to grab meat because we were afraid he would burn himself. If he calls for someone, we'll give it to him; if he doesn't call and just tries to complain outside like he did earlier, then he won't get anything. It's that simple."
"Exactly! It's just like that! If she comes over, we should have a good talk with her about how she's raising her son."
Yang Cao thought that Xiao Lihua's words clearly indicated they were in the right and felt more relaxed.
Xiao Lihua smiled at the group of children outside and said, "Do you want something delicious? Come over and call for someone; whoever calls will get something to eat. Those who don't call—like Dog Egg just now trying to snatch food—won't get anything. Good children should know their manners."
The wooden boy ran over, lifted his little head, called out "Mom," and then said "eat." Xiao Lihua patted his head and took a piece of Egg Pancake from the side. Yumiang had brought some white flour in the morning for Xiao Lihua to make Egg Pancakes, just a small amount, specifically made for the visiting children. Xiao Lihua added two slices of meat into the Egg Pancake and handed it to the wooden boy. He immediately took a bite, his eyes turning into crescent moons with joy.
Copper Coin quickly ran over, called out "Aunt Xie," and Xiao Lihua gave him a piece as well. Then Shitou Xiao Yue came over and also received one. When the other children saw this, they all rushed in, including Shackles and several other children from nearby villages. Xiao Lihua didn’t care whether their parents were coming today or not; she gave each child a piece. Watching these kids devour their food, she felt very happy inside.
Zhang Lianxiang and the others watched, thinking that Xiao Lihua looked really good when she smiled like this.
Before long, Zhang Shuitao came running in. Seeing a room full of happy children eating, she held back her anger and questioned Xiao Lihua about why she didn’t give Dog Egg anything to eat but was feeding these children instead.
Xiao Lihua quickly silenced her with just a few words.
Since her arrival had attracted quite a few people, everyone followed into the courtyard to see what was happening. Upon hearing and seeing the children eating Egg Pancakes, they all understood that what Xiao Lihua said was true, especially considering Dog Egg's usual rude behavior. Among those families whose children were eating pancakes, many expressed their satisfaction with Xiao Lihua. Although they didn’t want to directly offend Zhang Shuitao, they still spoke a few fair words in the crowd.
Zhang Shuitao didn’t want to create a scene because her husband was going to take over as village chief after Father-in-law, so she could only drag Dog Egg away.
However, Dog Egg was reluctant to leave the Egg Pancake behind; seeing others enjoy it made him want some too.
Under Dog Egg's loud cries, Zhang Shuitao had no choice but to return and demand an Egg Pancake. Xiao Lihua ignored her and looked at Dog Egg saying, "If you want to eat an Egg Pancake, you have to ask nicely and say what you want; otherwise, I won’t give you any. I like polite children."
Dog Egg looked at the Egg Pancake and shyly said, "Aunt Xie, I want to eat an Egg Pancake."
Xiao Lihua gave him a piece and added some liver slices inside. Dog Egg exclaimed how delicious it was; all his previous displeasure vanished as he ran away happily from Zhang Shuitao to find his friends.
Everyone standing inside the house and at the door laughed. They began praising the food that Xiao Lihua had prepared; smelling the aroma made even the adults unable to resist swallowing hard. They thought that Xiao Lihua had really changed her ways and was willing to make such good food for guests. When they heard that it was made by Xiao Lihua, they all realized that she had such skills after all.
When someone saw Xiao Lihua smiling, they boldly suggested that she should be invited to prepare meals for future family events. Xiao Lihua happily agreed; such tasks were honorable, and since people were willing to invite her, she was also willing to go. It would be beneficial for her, allowing her to maintain good relationships while also gaining something in return—a win-win situation.
As one person started, others quickly joined in. While there were women in the village who could cook well, none could make dishes as fragrant and visually appealing as those prepared by Xiao Lihua. Therefore, inviting Xiao Lihua was the best choice for a beautiful meal. Seeing that Xiao Lihua accepted all the invitations, they all left with smiles.
Zhang Shuitao felt frustrated. She thought about how Xiao Lihua had fallen so gracefully, yet it was she who had pushed Xiao Lihua down. Now, watching Xiao Lihua being praised by others made her regret that push even more.
Zhang Shuitao wanted to see just how delicious the food was, so she lingered around, thinking that they had already invited her whole family.
As noon approached, it seemed like everyone arrived at once. First came Xie Youshun and the village chief's family, followed by the Xie Family. Wang Dashan and Xie Qingfeng also showed up.
There were quite a few guests, filling three tables: one for children, one for women, and one for men.
The three helpers did not sit at the tables; instead, they helped serve the guests.
Zi Clan took a moment to speak with Xiao Lihua. Feeling embarrassed, she quietly said, "Sister Four, I'm really sorry I couldn't help you."
"Second Sister, you don't need to say that; I understand! You've been very good to us, and I remember it all. Once you all settle down later, we can get closer."
Xiao Lihua noticed Wang Clan glaring at Zi Clan earlier and realized that Wang Clan resented them for not allowing their family members to help. However, she was unaware that Zi Clan had already sent gifts earlier. Xiao Lihua thought that Wang Clan was becoming increasingly unreasonable; how could a brother's family host a banquet while their own relatives sat idly eating and drinking? It would only make them a laughingstock. It was clear what position Wang Clan held in relation to Xie Family; otherwise, they wouldn't be sitting so comfortably.
Everyone was very satisfied with the meal, especially when enjoying the fatty intestines and liver slices. They all remarked that Xiao Lihua's cooking was even better than that of the chef.
Wang Clan, Fang Family, and Li Family were all quite displeased. They thought about how this wretched Xiao Lihua had such great skills but had made their meals so unappetizing over the years—was it intentional? The three of them exchanged remarks that openly praised while subtly belittling her cooking skills. They wanted the village chief and Xie Qingfeng and Wang Dashan to realize just how lazy Xiao Lihua truly was. As they talked on, they suggested that her actions were deliberately aimed at wanting to split from the family. They also speculated about how much private savings she must have accumulated to buy this house and host such a lavish banquet. The more they spoke, the more agitated they became until they convinced themselves of their own fabrications.
Zhang Shuitao chimed in, realizing that the dishes she made were also quite good in the village. However, just now, Father-in-law praised Xiao Lihua's cooking, clearly implying that it was better than hers, which made her feel dissatisfied.
"Fourth Brother doesn't have any private money. He earns the most in our family every year and gives all the Silver to the household; he can't possibly keep any for himself. Mother, Sister-in-law, Third Sister-in-law, you all should eat."
At this moment, Xie Youtai spoke up. He usually didn't talk much but wasn't afraid to speak when necessary.
Zhang Lianxiang added, "That Silver is borrowed from us. As for this banquet spread, aside from the meat and eggs, what else is valuable? Thank Sister Four for her good skills in making such a fine banquet."
The village chief nodded in agreement and added a few words of support.
With the village chief speaking up, Xie Shengcai couldn't just sit quietly anymore and said a few words as well. The Wang Clan members could only eat quietly with their heads down, devouring the dishes as if they wanted to clear the entire table, almost as if they intended to eat Xie Youshun's family into poverty. Xiao Lihua shook her head at this sight, thinking that it was finally time to split up; otherwise, living like this every day would take ten years off her life. With all this tension, how could one even think about making money?
"Is anyone home?"
At that moment, someone called from outside. Xiao Lihua hurried to open the door and saw a man who looked to be under thirty. A memory of this person flashed through her mind, causing her heart to skip a beat because this man was Xiao Lihua's brother.
Xiao Lihua did not have a good relationship with her maternal family; aside from holidays, there was hardly any contact. Even when she did go back, it always ended in some sort of quarrel. Whenever the Xiao Family came over, there would be another scene. Over time, while Xiao Lihua would still visit her maternal home, visits from the Xiao Family became less frequent.
Xiao Lihua thought that the original owner was truly foolish; what benefit did causing such scenes bring her? Moreover, in her memories, she held no resentment towards her maternal family because having a daughter like Xiao Lihua was indeed unfortunate for them. They managed to find her a suitable In-law to marry, which was already quite good; at least they didn't sell her off or let her become a concubine. They believed that Xiao Lihua was simply young and ignorant; if they had indulged her desires, it would have harmed her instead. Thus, they resolutely married her off, leaving her with a bad reputation.
With such a maternal family, Xiao Lihua truly couldn't bring herself to resent them; she just suddenly felt unsure how to approach them and found herself momentarily speechless in front of the man before her.
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