CHAPTER 113: AUNT’S SELF-ABASEMENT

Mrs. Jing furrowed her brows. Jing Shu was overwhelmed. Even though doors had been installed in the kitchen and other areas of the villa, and the dining room was a converted reception hall, completely separate so nothing else could be seen, wouldn’t the chickens, ducks, pigs, rabbits, and even the cow in the yard be exposed? Not to mention the pond full of fish and all that water.

For an outsider to see these things... Even though my sister-in-law’s elder brother has shown himself to be a decent man, money is a powerful temptation. It’s best not to test human nature or let people covet what we have.

"Mom," Jing Shu suddenly exclaimed, "why is that cow mooing so loudly every day? Aren’t you afraid the neighbors will hear? We really should slaughter it for meat!"

Then she added, "And these fish are so annoying, always jumping out and splashing water everywhere. If our water supply runs low, we’ll just have to use the pond water."

Initially, Mrs. Jing was still wondering how to refuse politely. But after Jing Shu’s outburst, a shiver ran down her spine. With so many valuable things in the house, and my sister-in-law’s elder brother being an official... what if he finds out? A single meal is a small matter, but the secrets of this villa are huge. No, I must have a serious talk with your father and get him to make sure his younger brother keeps Aunt Wang Fang in line.

"Give the phone to my sister-in-law; I’ll talk to her," Mrs. Jing said.

Mr. Jing handed her the phone. "Lan Zhi..."

"Sister-in-law," Mrs. Jing said into the phone, "the house is too crowded today, so we can’t accommodate your brother’s family. Please tell your elder brother that we’ll definitely visit another day to apologize."

She heard a long pause on the other end before a hesitant "Okay" was uttered, and the call ended. Mrs. Jing took a couple of deep breaths. This feeling... why is it so exhilarating!

Jing Shu gave her mother a thumbs-up. Finally, she didn’t just awkwardly give in like in my past life, where she’d think that since everyone was family, it was alright for us to suffer a little loss. It seems my guidance in this life is starting to pay off, but I still need to keep at it.

Jing Shu’s principle for dealing with people was simple: show me an inch of respect, and I’ll show you a yard. Try to take advantage of me, and I’ll make sure you lose everything. Of course, Aunt Wang Fang might not have intentionally tried to take advantage, especially since she conveyed her brother’s family’s sincerity when she called.

Before they entered, the villa looked like an unremarkable dark mass from the outside. But once inside, even though the lights were off, Uncle’s family was stunned by the scene.

"Wow, it’s so cool in here! And there’s a scent of floral water," Su Long exclaimed, breathing out. The villa’s courtyard was much cooler than outside; it was like stepping from a steam sauna into an air-conditioned room.

"What is this house for? Why do I hear a cow mooing?"

"And look, cucumbers! Oh my gosh, cucumbers! Dad, Dad, I really want some cucumbers!"

"Huh? Why is that area over there covered with a cloth? What’s underneath?" Su Long felt like Grandma Liu entering the Grand View Garden. As he wandered, he suddenly saw a huge, green-eyed creature rushing towards him. It flew up and pecked at his head, then all over his body.

Su Long let out a WAH! and burst into tears, hiding behind Aunt Wang Fang. What on earth are these things in this villa! he wondered.

"Fat chicken, get back here!" Jing Shu called from a distance. The fat chicken proudly strutted back to its coop. Jing Shu explained, "This chicken eats any insect it sees. Su Long probably had some insects on him. It’s good to get rid of them."

"I won’t let this little rascal run around anymore!" Aunt Wang Fang said, checking Su Long. Finding him unharmed, she calmed down, though she was still shaken. What was that thing? A chicken? Could something that big really be a chicken?

Finally, the family entered the brightly lit villa.

The entrance had a foyer for changing shoes, leading to a separate, remodeled dining room. The table was laden with various dishes. Su Long, who had just stopped crying, started drooling again.

"Not only is there electricity, but also air conditioning! This temperature is so comfortable," Aunt Wang Fang said, exhaling slowly. Then, she immediately felt self-conscious. The floor is cleaner than our clothes. Changing shoes, huh? After taking off our shoes, our dirty, smelly feet are probably filthier than the shoes themselves.

"Wash your hands and let’s eat," Mrs. Jing said kindly, ushering them to wash up before they all sat at the large round table, which perfectly accommodated everyone. Aunt Wang Fang still felt a sense of inferiority; the three of them had just washed their hands, turning the water in the basin black with grime, yet their hands still weren’t truly clean.

Mrs. Jing made the introductions. "These are Jing Shu’s grandparents, and this is Jing Shu’s Third Aunt. Jing Shu’s cousin is busy with a research project and hasn’t returned yet."

Aunt Wang Fang then presented a gift box of zongzi. "I’m sorry for not thinking things through. My elder brother had an urgent matter at work today and couldn’t come. He asked me to bring these zongzi for everyone. These are genuine meat zongzi, requisitioned by the government from cold storage right when the Dark Day began." At least we didn’t come empty-handed, she thought.

Under the light, the rims of Aunt Wang Fang’s fingernails were caked with black dirt that wouldn’t wash off.

Mrs. Jing accepted the gift with both hands, thanking her and promising to pay a return visit another day. "We’ve made zongzi at home today as well, so let’s eat our homemade ones first."

Aunt Wang Fang looked at their hands, the contrast stark. Su Lanzi’s hands were fair and delicate; she looked prettier even without makeup. In contrast, Wang Fang felt she had aged considerably in the past six months. Before the Dark Day, her family’s circumstances had been much better than Su Lanzi’s, who were crammed into an 80-square-meter, two-bedroom apartment. But now... the change is drastic.

Back home, they couldn’t afford electricity for lights or air conditioning. Yet, Jing Shu’s family had both. They could cook a full meal even without gas. And during this time of water scarcity, their floors were spotless, and no one in their family had stained hands.

Jing Shu’s family has really made it, Aunt Wang Fang observed silently. They were living countless times better than even her own elder brother’s family. She’d heard it was all thanks to Jing Shu raising pigs and frogs, which she traded for various supplies, and that Jing Shu had also stockpiled a lot of food from her time as a food vlogger before the Dark Day.

"The vegetables are all grown in our yard, so please eat without worry!" Jing Shu announced. She had done the cooking today, mostly by bringing out dishes she had prepared and stored in her space.

"Ah, Jing Shu is becoming so capable! Her cooking is delicious too," Aunt Wang Fang praised continuously. If only my daughter were like her.

Everyone raised their glasses of milk, officially starting the meal. Though there weren’t many different dishes, the portions were generous, and everything tasted wonderful. The staple food was their homemade zongzi, individually wrapped in lotus leaves, incredibly fragrant and available in all sorts of flavors.

As she ate, Aunt Wang Fang felt increasingly ashamed. The twelve zongzi she had brought were probably not even enough for a mere snack for Jing Shu. Wang Fang herself ate more than twenty large zongzi. We simply couldn’t afford to keep up with such an appetite.

Initially, Uncle’s family had been reserved. But Jing Shu’s side of the family ate so quickly that a whole platter of food vanished in the blink of an eye. Wang Fang cast aside her reservations and dug in heartily. In any case, the meal was a joyous occasion for both hosts and guests. Su Long also finally got to drink several bowls of milk to his heart’s content.

After the meal, Wang Fang wanted to tour the villa, but all the surrounding doors were closed, and she couldn’t get a glimpse of any other areas. Until they left, Wang Fang never got the chance to see more of the villa. This became a great regret for Wang Fang.