Seeing Aunt Li’s daughter-in-law with her swollen belly, Nan Sheng quickly interrupted Liu Dahua, “Auntie, you must have misunderstood. It’s normal to scold a child when they’re misbehaving. I’m in a hurry to get home, so I’ll be on my way now!”
The young woman didn’t seem like someone to trifle with, especially since she was heavily pregnant. Nan Sheng had no intention of stirring up trouble, but the moment she took a step forward, Liu Dahua yanked her back.
Nan Sheng was exasperated—she had never met someone so determined to court disaster.
“Lin Han’s wife, do you not enjoy chatting with me? Why are you always in such a rush to go home?” Liu Dahua frowned, then immediately resumed her gossip. “You’re new here, so you don’t know what kind of person she is. If you ask me, with a heart that black, she’s delusional if she thinks she’ll give birth to a son!”
Oh no. Aunt Li’s daughter-in-law’s face darkened.
Nan Sheng swiftly freed her arm from Liu Dahua’s grip and forced a smile at the woman behind them. “Sister-in-law, you’re out? I just took the kids to pick wild vegetables, so I won’t keep you. I’ll be going now!”
Shen Cui couldn’t be bothered with Nan Sheng—what kind of decent young woman marries a divorced man? She couldn’t fathom the appeal. Right now, she only wanted to settle the score with Liu Dahua. This wasn’t the first time the woman had badmouthed her in public.
Liu Dahua was still wondering who this “sister-in-law” was when she turned around and nearly had a heart attack. But she was no stranger to being caught red-handed and brushed it off without a care.
“Oh, it’s you, Cuicui! Why didn’t you say anything?”
Shen Cui sneered. If she had announced herself, she wouldn’t have heard such an enlightening conversation. She could tolerate being accused of hitting her child, but cursing her unborn son? That was worth fighting over.
Nan Sheng hurried home with her daughter in tow, both of them panting from the sprint. At least they had dodged the brewing storm.
After changing out of their dirty clothes, Nan Sheng washed them right away, then set about cooking. She steamed the leftover marinated pork ribs and rinsed the rice for the pot.
Siqi carefully collected the duck eggs into a small basket and brought them to the kitchen. Nan Sheng washed them, dipped each one in a bowl of liquor, then placed them into a clean lard jar.
All that was left was to pour in the saturated saltwater. With the sweltering weather, the eggs would likely be rich and oily in less than a month.
When Sizhe returned from school, he found only his little sister in the kitchen. “You’re here alone?”
Siqi swallowed hard at the aroma wafting from the pot. “Mom went to weed the vegetable garden. She said the grass was too tall and might attract pests. Brother, we’re having ribs tonight!”
Sizhe soaked his stepmother’s coat in water before joining her in the garden. Nan Sheng looked up at the sound of footsteps and smiled when she saw her eldest.
“You’re back, Da Wa? Don’t worry about helping—go finish your homework. Dinner will be ready soon.”
Sizhe ignored her and crouched down to pull weeds. “I don’t have much homework today. I can write it after we eat.”
His grandmother once said that admitting one’s mistakes was the greatest virtue.
While chewing on steamed buns at lunch, Sizhe had decided to give his stepmother a chance to change. If she could be a good mother, he would be a dutiful son in return.
When the food was nearly done, Nan Sheng called her son back inside. She served the steamed ribs first, then dished out the vegetables. Sizhe wasn’t idle either—he scooped out the rice from the other pot.
A couple of days ago, he wouldn’t have cared what was on the table as long as he got an extra bite. But now, with meals alternating between steamed buns and rice, he was starting to worry about their food supply.
He glanced at his stepmother and swallowed his words. Arguing now would only ruin their appetites. He’d bring it up after dinner.
At the table, Nan Sheng poured the meat juices from the ribs over the vegetables, infusing the potatoes with a savory richness that made them even more delicious.
A pound of ribs yielded only about a dozen pieces, but the three of them shared them happily, their faces glowing with contentment.
Watching her daughter sprawl lazily on the kang after eating, Nan Sheng couldn’t resist teasing. “Da Wa, today Qiqi took me to the spot where you found the duck eggs. We got lucky and found over twenty! In less than a month, you’ll have salted duck eggs to eat.”
Sizhe, busy with his meal, showed no visible reaction. “I know a few other places where wild ducks nest. When I’m on break, I’ll go collect more to pickle.”
Disappointed that the siblings didn’t start bickering, Nan Sheng mimicked her daughter and flopped onto the kang. She had worked hard all day, and her body ached everywhere.
Just as she was appreciating how perceptive her son was—he had gone to wash the dishes without being asked—someone knocked at the door. It was Feng Yueyue, the youngest daughter of Village Chief Feng Wuquan.
“Sister-in-law, are you home? It’s me, Yueyue!”
Hearing the voice, Nan Sheng rushed out to greet her. “Yueyue! Come in. Have you eaten?”
Feng Yueyue had no time for small talk. “Sister-in-law, come with me to the village office! Something’s happened to the Li family’s daughter-in-law!”
Nan Sheng’s heart sank. If they were coming to fetch her, it had to be Aunt Li’s pregnant daughter-in-law.
“Da Wa, stay home and watch your sister while you do your homework. I’ll be back soon.”
Once the children were settled, Nan Sheng followed Feng Yueyue at a brisk pace toward the village office.
“Yueyue, what happened? Is it really Aunt Li’s daughter-in-law? Is the baby alright?”
Feng Yueyue didn’t know the details. “She was taken to the town clinic. We don’t know if the baby will make it. She got into a fight with Aunt Liu, and my father wants to ask you what really happened.”
Apparently, Liu Dahua was pleading innocence, claiming Shen Cui had tripped while trying to hit her and that she hadn’t laid a finger on her. She insisted Nan Sheng had been there and could vouch for her.
Nan Sheng sighed. Shen Cui looked to be six or seven months along—losing the baby would be tragic. She prayed both mother and child would pull through.
When they arrived at the village office, her father-in-law Lin Guozheng was already there, along with members of the Li family and Liu Dahua’s relatives.
Liu Dahua had lost her earlier bravado. Her face was swollen, as if she’d been beaten, and she burst into tears the moment she saw Nan Sheng.
“Lin Han’s wife, you’re finally here! You have to back me up—the Li family is trying to ruin me!”
Aunt Li’s eyes were red from crying as she grasped Nan Sheng’s hand. “Child, Liu Dahua says you know what happened. Can you tell me how the fight started?”
Suddenly, Nan Sheng felt like she was being roasted over a fire. Whatever she said would inevitably anger one side.
Lin Guozheng’s expression darkened, and he signaled for the village chief to intervene. This chaos was no way to get answers.
Taking the hint, Feng Wuquan raised his voice. “Enough! Are we going to listen to you or to Lin Han’s wife? Everyone, step back.”
Nan Sheng seized the chance to stand beside her father-in-law. His stern, square-jawed face was at least a small comfort…
