CHAPTER 38: CHAPTER 38 EATING AND DRINKING

Gao Chunfang had also left, and Gao Yongfang looked at the attitudes of her two older sisters, kicking the stove in anger, muttering, "Everyone looks at the benefits and isn’t tempted, such stubbornness. No wonder they will always be just peasants, deservedly poor for their whole lives."

At that moment, Zheng Xianghong walked in and overheard Gao Yongfang’s words, saying discontentedly, "If you look down on your family home so much, just hurry and leave with your husband and kids. It seems I raised you for nothing."

"Mom," Gao Yongfang, realizing she had been heard by Zheng Xianghong, quickly changed her tone and called out, "Mom, I mean it for the good of the family."

"Don’t talk anymore. It’s New Year’s Day today. You came back, and mom happily hosted you. After eating, just take your husband and kids back to the city." Zheng Xianghong was becoming more and more disappointed with this daughter. She had never realized before that this daughter had such a nature. It seemed that her daughter’s family had a significant influence on her.

"Mom loves me less and less. Every time I come back, you just want to chase me away," complained Gao Yongfang, pouting.

"I don’t love you? Out of all my children, I loved you the most. It’s just that I spoiled you," said Zheng Xianghong.

"Not at all, you love my older and younger brothers the most. Whatever good food there is at home, it always goes to them first," said Gao Yongfang.

Zheng Xianghong was speechless, "Shouldn’t mom act this way? I’m still counting on your two brothers to support me in old age. Isn’t it right for me to favor them a bit? Have I ever shortchanged you in food? Have I let you go hungry? Look at how many people have starved to death outside over these years. What do you think I work so hard in the fields for every day? It’s all for you kids. Now you’re blaming your mom for not providing better conditions. You shouldn’t have been born to me."

"Mom, I’m not saying you’re bad." Gao Yongfang, hearing Zheng Xianghong was bringing up old grievances, hurriedly tried to stop her, sighing in her heart. It seemed it would be difficult to get through to her family today.

Gao Yongfang gave up and decided to first persuade Gao Jiazhi.

Xia Xiao had originally come to wash her hands, not expecting to overhear the conversation among the sisters and between the mother and daughter.

Xia Xiao had just learned about this, and was at a loss for words about Gao Yongfang. How could you trap your own brother like this, letting your brother marry into his wife’s family? Could the brother still hold his head high in front of his wife?

And could the deputy factory director be so foolish as to hand over his family property to a son-in-law, without taking any precautions?

Although there are many successful cases of men marrying into their wives’ families, those men were scheming, some even coaxing and deceiving their wives, then taking complete control of the finances, and often, once these men gained power, the first one they get rid of is their own wife.

Of course, those are the successful cases. There are also cases where, after marrying in, they can’t raise their heads in their wife’s family for a lifetime, they live off their wives, and even their own children look down on them.

Back at the dining table, Xia Xiao saw He Hongjun and his two sons, but Li Shengmei and Dong Meihua were not there. Xia Xiao glanced at He Hongbing before quickly averting her eyes. Such a man was toxic; it was better not to look.

The meal at the Gao family, in general, could be said to have pleased both host and guests.

Once the Red Star Production Team had left, Xia Xiao and the others also left. Xia Xiao hadn’t yet returned the dagger to Gao Jiaxing. There were too many people at the Gao family today and, with Ge Lai and others in Gao Jiaxing’s room, Xia Xiao had no choice but to keep it for now.

Xia Xiao and her group returned to the dorm, seeing Dong Meihua having a meal. Wang Aihua asked, "Meihua, didn’t you have your meal at the He family?"

Dong Meihua stiffened for a moment before saying, "No, Director Li went to her mother’s house."

Li Shengmei’s mother had married Gao Guoqiang’s cousin, and Li Shengmei’s trip to her mother’s house took only a few minutes as they were all in the same village.

"Feng Ying mentioned that Aunt Hong invited us for a meal, but you weren’t around. He Hongbing and the others were at the Gao family’s place eating," Feng Ying said purposely looking at Dong Meihua.

Dong Meihua forced a smile, "It’s fine, eating at the production team was the same."

Originally, the He family father and sons were invited to the Gao family’s place, and Dong Meihua wanted to go, but since Li Shengmei wasn’t going, Dong Meihua didn’t follow. Unexpectedly, Li Shengmei didn’t invite her to stay for the meal but instead went to her mother’s home. Dong Meihua couldn’t stay at the He family any longer and left feeling very hungry, too embarrassed to go to the Gao family’s place, she had to settle for the common meal at the production team.

"I didn’t expect Aunt Hong’s cooking to be so good," said Wang Aihua.

Yang Xuehua, Sun Yuhua, and Feng Ying all nodded in agreement. Xia Xiao had also tasted Zheng Xianghong’s cooking, and she very much agreed with this point. Zheng Xianghong’s cooking was indeed impeccable, the dishes were simple, but she made them exceptionally delicious.

"Usually Aunt Hong should be the one cooking in the cafeteria," said Sun Yuhua rarely. "The cafeteria food is terribly bad."

As soon as these words fell, everyone except Dong Meihua, who was still eating, fell silent. It was not good to agree on this; they couldn’t offend the cafeteria’s staff, and Gao Jiaxing’s second aunt, Lin Xuebi, was exactly from the cafeteria’s kitchen. It was probably related to Old Lady Gao that Zheng Xianghong wasn’t working there.

Xia Xiao also saw how fierce Old Lady Gao was, and though Zheng Xianghong appeared fierce, she was like a meek daughter-in-law in front of Old Lady Gao.

Wang Aihua knew this too, so she shifted the conversation to Zheng Xianghong’s cooking, discussing the dishes they had eaten today. At this, everyone joined in the conversation, and Xia Xiao also liked the dishes made by Zheng Xianghong.

The dishes were simple and the preparation straightforward, but what Zheng Xianghong made was very tasty.

Listening to Wang Aihua and the others’ discussion, Dong Meihua found the food in her lunchbox hard to swallow. And although she had heard that the team leader had given the production team half of a pig’s meat, she could only see tiny bits of meat and not a single whole piece in her share. But with the production team being so large and so many people, this small amount of meat was hardly enough.

She felt a bit resentful toward Li Shengmei at this point, thinking that Li Shengmei was just too calculating. There was meat at the Gao family, and yet she was unwilling to go.

Xia Xiao had plenty of meat in her space, but she wasn’t foolish enough to share it now. It wasn’t that she was selfish, but she couldn’t explain where it came from, and it might bring trouble to her later, so Xia Xiao could only secretly eat it alone.

At this point, Sun Yuhua said, "I hope this year passes quickly."

"Why are you so eager for the year to pass? Isn’t it good to rest for a few days? Once the year is over, we have to start working again. We only get to relax these few days in the whole year," Feng Ying said.

Sun Yuhua glanced at everyone before saying, "Once the year is over, those who went home for the New Year will come back."

Everyone fell silent, knowing what Sun Yuhua was referring to.

Some people went home for the New Year, trying to see if they could manage to move back to the city. Sun Yuhua and the others had been keeping an eye on this. Of course, they themselves had also written home, but they hadn’t received a reply so soon.