Joyful Motherhood in a Rural Family

Chapter 81 - 81: 78: Not Even Letting You Get Extra Soup and Water!

Coming back to the old house again, she saw from afar that the main entrance was wide open.

As she walked in, she found the whole family crowded outside the wing room door, craning their necks to look inside.

Di Yelei, a towering figure, was standing under the eaves, behind several children, peeping through the window.

Perhaps the sound of Liu Sisi’s footsteps startled him, and he quickly turned his head. His eyes lit up immediately, and he hurriedly strode towards her, “Sisi, did you bring me some food? How did you know I haven’t eaten yet?”

As he spoke, he hurriedly took the bamboo basket from her, with a smile on his face, trying to please her.

“What happened? Did everyone else eat already?”

Liu Sisi peeked over there before turning back to ask Di Yelei.

He had already sat down on a stone stool under the eaves, removed the cloth cover from the basket, took out the big sea bowl, and gave Liu Sisi a simple smile as he held the bowl and picked up the chopsticks, “I was taking care of Dad earlier, and by the time I came out, they had already finished eating.”

After saying that, he buried his head and began to drink the porridge.

A big sea bowl of coarse grain porridge mixed with wild vegetables and natto was consumed in just a few bites, showing how hungry he was!

It seemed like the old house hadn’t prepared a portion for him at all!

During his quick meal, Ms. Wang even deliberately passed by the couple.

She stretched her neck to look into the big bowl and only when she saw that it was coarse grain porridge with wild vegetables, did she curl her lips and snort before briskly walking into the room.

“Why don’t you go back to freshen up and then come back? I’ll be here watching anyway. If there’s anything you need to do, I’ll send someone to call you?”

His entangled wet hair, still soaked in sweat, and his clothes, which she hadn’t noticed were creased and stained with a mix of dried and wet sweat last night, made Liu Sisi’s heart ache and she let out a silent sigh.

“No, if I leave, who knows what tricks they might pull.”

After a slight consideration, he declined Liu Sisi’s suggestion. He went to the corner of the courtyard to draw some well water and washed the bowl, and also splashed some water on his face before wiping it with his hand. He then carefully placed the big sea bowl and bamboo chopsticks back in the bamboo basket, covered it with the cloth, and with a goofy smile, handed it back to Liu Sisi.

Liu Sisi took it and let out a long sigh, “Is the whole family just going to guard like this? Life has to go on, you know. You’re not even leaving to change your clothes, let alone going inside the room. What’s the use?”

Di Yelei’s face flushed with embarrassment, his tone heavy, “You…noticed?”

“Noticed that they kicked you out? Hah! It’s obvious. When I left, you were in the wing room; now you’re outside and won’t leave. There’s only one possibility.”

Liu Sisi sighed quietly, feeling at a loss for words and not knowing how to advise him.

“They are them, and I don’t care what they think of me. But the one lying inside is my dad!”

That’s right!

No matter how the outsiders treated him, his real family was still sick!

Di Yelei clenched his fists and then laughed, “It’s only three days anyway— I can grit my teeth and endure it. You should be more careful when I’m not home. Be alert when Ah-Huang and Ah-Hua are barking.”

The more he talked, the more worried he became.

Leaving his delicate wife at home seemed really unsafe!

“I’m going back first. I’ll go up to the mountain later to see if there’s anything to eat.”

Since Di Yelei couldn’t go hunting for silver, she had to think about how to make ends meet for the family and find a way to have enough food and eat well!

Otherwise, once the patient recovered, the one taking care of the patient might break down instead.

“That’s fine, Sisi, thank you for your hard work. I know… I know what I say will make you angry, but… besides that, I really don’t have anything else to say.”

Di Yelei’s eyes also turned red as he spoke.

“Don’t think too much about it. Everything will be fine!”

Tears in Liu Sisi’s eyes also began to swell.

“That’s right, it will be fine! Sisi.”

Di Yelei looked serious in his reassurance!

“Oh! This is such deep love between husband and wife.”

As the two were talking, Ms. Wang came over with a scornful glance at them: “I say, Third Brother, Third Sister-in-law, what time is it now, and you still haven’t gone hunting in the mountains to nourish our father? Are you planning to starve your whole family to death?”

“Has Second Sister-in-law forgotten? Dad is lying ill in bed. If he has a good appetite, even if Sisi doesn’t eat, she will definitely catch a wild animal for him.”

Liu Sisi coldly smiled and said.

Ms. Wang put her hands on her hips: “So what? Today is your turn to cook, but you’ve been lazy and just showed up now! You’ve made all these people wait with empty stomachs. I even had to help you light the fire and cook. How are you still in the right?”

“What empty stomach, waiting for me?” Liu Sisi was confused!

Di Yelei felt embarrassed and quickly pulled Liu Sisi to the side: “It was Mom who suggested it yesterday. Dr. He and the medicine boy are staying at home for three days, so each of the three brothers should cook one day’s worth of food. I thought Mom would cook today, so…”

“So you didn’t have time to tell me yet, did you?”

Liu Sisi suddenly understood!

Based on Ms. Zhao and Ms. Wang’s habits of loving cheap things, they might be waiting for Di Yelei to go hunting today so they wouldn’t have to spend a penny on meat and vegetables for the next two days!

They had calculated this quite smartly, all for their own gain!

“Third Sister-in-law, aren’t you trying to shirk cooking?” Ms. Wang’s sharp words came from behind them.

Liu Sisi suddenly smiled: “Second Sister-in-law, where did you get that idea? Didn’t Sisi just arrive and not know about this? Don’t worry! Since you cooked breakfast today, Sisi will cook today’s lunch, dinner, and tomorrow’s breakfast. How about that?”

Nobody will take advantage of even a drop of soup on my watch!

“As long as you know! Now hurry up and go to the mountain! Humph!”

Ms. Wang spat and turned around to enter the room.

Looking at Di Yelei, who was visibly awkward and honest, Liu Sisi sighed quietly: “You stay here! From what I know of Second Sister-in-law and Mom’s stinginess, you should keep an eye on them while Dad takes his medicine. Don’t let them tamper with anything.”

With such expensive medicinal materials, she wouldn’t believe that Ms. Zhang and Ms. Wang had no ulterior motives.

“I’ll be careful!”

Di Yelei nodded repeatedly.

Liu Sisi turned around, loaded up the large basket on her back, and went up the mountain.

At the moment, in July, although there were many edible things on the mountain, they could only fill their stomachs. Wild vegetables weren’t tender enough to be satisfying, and wild game was hard to find, let alone catch with her skill.

With Dr. He’s experience of seeing all sorts of delicacies in town, it was really difficult for Liu Sisi to make a satisfying meal for them.