CHAPTER 189: CHAPTER 189: REACHING A BOILING POINT

"I still can’t change how I call you, let me call you ’mom’! Mom, sit down!" Gangzi eagerly helped Bai Xianglan sit down.

"Wife, this is my mom, also my aunt! I’ve told you about them!" Gangzi introduced to the bride who was still crying on the kang.

But the bride ignored everyone, continuing to cry.

"Mom, please don’t mind, she’s just in a bad mood today because of the bedding issue. She’s crying about it!" Gangzi explained awkwardly.

Bai Xianglan just nodded and said no more.

Lin Xue stood beside her and quietly slipped five yuan into her hand.

At first, Bai Xianglan didn’t want it, but when someone noticed, she took it.

Lin Xue gave her a look, signaling her to give it to Uncle Gangzi.

Bai Xianglan, strangely obedient to her granddaughter, followed her lead and gave the five yuan to Gangzi.

"Mom, keep the money for yourself! I don’t want it!" Gangzi refused money from Bai Xianglan for the first time.

In the past, he would always scramble to take it and would even throw a fit if he didn’t get any.

But upon hearing Gangzi say he didn’t want the money, the bride’s crying grew louder. Lin Xue clearly saw her eyes never leaving the five yuan.

"Take it! I need to go back to look after your sister-in-law’s children, so I won’t stay for dinner! Aunt doesn’t have any other means, so this five yuan is the most I can offer! You have to live well in the future!"

After speaking, she stood up. Since the bride didn’t plan on talking with her, she didn’t push further. Holding her granddaughter’s hand, she walked out.

Inside, the bride’s cries grew louder, while outside Grandma Bai’s shouting reached a fever pitch.

"You bunch of ingrates! What’s the use of raising you all these years? In the end, it’s all for nothing? Get out, all of you get out!"

In the end, even the two daughters who brought things over were kicked out.

"Mom, it’s Big Brother’s wedding today, could you not stir things up! Eldest sister and second sister also brought things over according to your demands, didn’t they? If you chase them away like this, they can’t even hold their heads up back at their in-laws’!" Bai Dahe couldn’t stand it anymore and came out to mediate.

Years of affection weren’t for nothing; Bai Dahe often managed to get through to Grandma Bai.

Grandpa Bai was just in the west wing and didn’t come out to stop it. With Bai Dahe’s intervention, it worked, and Grandma Bai stopped scolding.

"Hmph, those who brought nothing have no face to stay for dinner!" After saying this, she went back inside.

Soon, the crying inside also stopped.

Because as soon as Grandma Bai entered, she shouted.

"Stop bawling! The bedding should have been brought as dowry by the bride, you second-timer, took twenty yuan for dowry and brought nothing, and still have the face to cry!"

With this, Bai Xianglan and Lin Xue left, the noise also ceased, and Li Guihua started organizing the meal prep.

Lin Xue came out and saw Bai Xiaomei and her husband standing outside. Xiangyang Commune is quite far, they both set off before dawn, and haven’t even had breakfast. Walking back would take another three hours, which would be exhausting.

The family doesn’t get much dry food usually, so they lack strength, and now, without breakfast, going back could make them faint on the road.

"Auntie! Come home with me!" Lin Xue approached, pulling her along without giving her a chance to react.

Bai Xiaomei only realized after walking a distance.

"Xiao Xue, where are we going?" She hurriedly asked, then looked back to see her husband following and felt relieved.

"To my house! Staying here to get yelled at? Didn’t you hear they’re not going to feed you?" Lin Xue said, exasperated.

This aunt is too timid, doesn’t know how to adapt, doesn’t know how to win over her mother, and ends up getting bullied by her mother and two sisters without saying a word.

"But..." Bai Xiaomei hesitated, not knowing how to start.

"Don’t worry! Our house doesn’t lack food for you to eat! Follow me without worry!"

Bai Xiaomei said no more and followed Lin Xue, not forgetting to look back at her husband to see if he was coming along.

"Uncle! Hurry up! Auntie is worried you can’t keep up!" Lin Xue joked to lighten the mood a bit.

The four returned home, Wang Cuihua saw her mother-in-law and daughter back so soon, also spotted her former sister-in-law, still really a sister-in-law perhaps, with her husband following, and quickly greeted them.

"You guys sit down! I’ll go make some sugar water for you!" She said, leaving quickly without waiting for Bai Xiaomei to refuse.

Wang Cuihua acted more and more like her daughter, becoming quick and decisive.

Soon, two bowls of sugar water were brought over.

The two who hadn’t eaten since morning were starving and no longer polite, picking up the bowls to drink.

Sweet enough to squint.

This was unthinkable at home, let alone sugar water, even a thick cornmeal mush was a treat.

"Mom, uncle and aunt haven’t eaten yet, let’s go outside and make some food!" Lin Xue suggested.

"Xiao Xue, it’s no trouble, we’ve had sugar water, we’re not hungry anymore!" Bai Xiaomei stood up, "We still have to travel, need to go back!"

"It’s still early, it doesn’t make a difference for a meal time to go back now. Sit down, it won’t take long!" Wang Cuihua pushed them back onto the seats.

"Yes! Xiaomei! Auntie hasn’t seen you in ages, after those few childhood visits, haven’t seen you married! Chat with Auntie for a bit!" Seeing her granddaughter and daughter-in-law treating her little niece so well, Bai Xianglan spoke up to keep them.

Finally, the two sat down, chatting with Bai Xianglan, Bai Xiaomei never let go of the child in her arms, holding on dearly.

Lin Xue went out to briefly tell her mother about the Bai Family’s situation.

Wang Cuihua felt even more sorry for this sister-in-law.

"Xiao Xue, your aunt treated us well, remember? When you were little, she secretly gave us quite a bit of food! She respected mom, never crossed mom! Always helped when she could! Now our days are better, we should help your aunt!" Wang Cuihua repeatedly praised Bai Xiaomei.

"Mom, I remember! Don’t worry! When they leave, I’ll prepare some food for Aunt to take back, just now Second Aunt also said, Aunt’s days are tough, every day they don’t get enough to eat!" Lin Xue said.

"What a tragedy! Her daughter’s life is already like this, and she still dares to demand bedding, is that easy to make? Both fabric and cotton need tickets! They’re not cheap!" Wang Cuihua was extremely upset, this Grandma Bai really went too far, harassing the daughter-in-law and the birth daughter alike.

As they talked, a fragrant meal was prepared.

Lin Xue didn’t make crude food, instead cooked rice, stewed chicken with potatoes, fried pork belly with wood ear mushrooms and napa cabbage, also steamed egg custard with small pickles totaling four dishes.

The meal was really fragrant, with ample portions, the two, who initially were embarrassed to eat, soon had their bowls piled high with meat. Being hungry, they ended up stuffed.

Before leaving, Lin Xue packed ten jin of cornmeal, five jin of rice, plus two jin of pork belly for them!

Bai Xiaomei didn’t want to receive it, in the end Wang Cuihua coaxed her into taking it.

Lin Xue secretly slipped ten yuan into the rice bag.