Chapter 60:
“Daqiang!”
Zhou Shi turned around and saw Li Daqiang still standing in the backyard behind her.
His eyes were bulging like copper bells, staring blankly at her money bag, which scared her so much that she shrank back holding the money bag.
She was a bit regretful that she had been too excited earlier and took out the silver in front of Li Daqiang.
She blamed Luo Zhi’er, this fool, for tossing out so much silver without any prior notice.
Li Daqiang didn’t even react to mosquito bites, and there were several big bumps on his legs from bites.
There were also bumps on his forehead. He couldn’t come back to his senses, using the hand that had been digging out pig large intestines to rub his eyes, confirming that he wasn’t dreaming…
That stinky smell woke him up. His sister-in-law earned fifteen taels of silver? Mother apologized to Miaomiao?
He couldn’t believe it. He, a grown man, couldn’t earn fifteen taels. Facing the yellow earth with his back to the sky was too hard.
San Mao and his wife had only gone out for one day today and brought back fifteen taels. Would Mother have such a day, to apologize to a little girl of a few years old?
In his impression, Mother had always been a very dominant person at home, speaking with absolute authority, or else one cry, two tantrums, three hangings—how could she possibly apologize?
This was all achieved by his sister-in-law with her thinking and ability. If it were him, wouldn’t Liuliu getting a beating be normal?
Wrong is wrong; a little girl crying for a while is all. No need to rack one’s brains over it.
He wouldn’t possibly slaughter that pig in the middle of the night to find a little bit of evidence for her. As for his wife, she wouldn’t join in the beating would already be good enough…
He might even blame Liuliu, this girl, for not doing even this little thing well, so grown up yet not thinking for him, causing him this father to have to labor more to earn silver…
As for making Mother apologize and admit she was wrong—not to mention them adults, even for Miaomiao this little girl—that was even more impossible.
Earlier, he had even somewhat disapproved of his sister-in-law’s actions and wanted to stop her. Where would Mother’s face be put…
How does that saying go? No matter how unreasonable what parents do, they are still the parents who gave birth to and raised you, they are elders—you must be filial and respect them…
But seeing the confidence and relief in Miaomiao’s eyes, and her intimacy toward her…
He suddenly wondered if he had been wrong before? Liuliu’s tiny figure with dry, hollow eyes gazing at him flashed before his eyes.
When she was little and beaten by her mother, she had hugged his leg and called him Father!
Now why was there a barrier between them? Seeing him she ran away, not close to her mother either. He had said she was cold by nature—suddenly he understood something?
It seemed he had never paid much attention to her…
“Daqiang! What are you doing?”
“Eh… Father?”
Old Man Li narrowed his turbid eyes, looking at him acting foolish, and said,
“Daqiang, what were you spacing out about just now!”
Zhou Shi also said: “Exactly! How are you, kid, standing there dumbly? Learn from Oldest Brother Third Child! Casually earned fifteen taels of silver!”
“Old Woman, shut your mouth. Daqiang, Father wants you to call your Third Brother and Third Sister-in-law over. Father has something to ask him.”
If Second Wife Chen Shi were here, she would surely say that all day long Old Fifth is worn on the belt, and now Third Child is the hot cake again.
“Got it, Father!”
Old Li Tou turned his head again to instruct Zhou Shi,
“Old Woman, go fry a few eggs, boil some noodles. Third Child and his wife ran around all day, they must be hungry!”
“What? It’s the middle of the night, and you’re still making food?”
“Are you going or not? If not, give the silver back!”
“Going, going, going! Really, my life is so bitter! At this age, serving this one and that one!”
Zhou Shi tucked the silver money bag into her bosom like a treasure and went to the back kitchen to get busy, muttering as she walked,
“Not giving it to you even if you take it away. This is Gui’er’s tuition! My Gui’er, now no worries!”
Her eyes couldn’t hold back the joy.
“Daqiang, wait till your mother boils the noodles, you eat a bowl too.”
“Eh, Father.”
Old Li Tou smiled contentedly: “Hehe!”
Li Daqiang felt that, on the contrary, Father seemed to look at Third Sister-in-law with new eyes.
Mother didn’t care about that matter anymore; it seemed the silver was more important!
Luo Zhi’er pulled Miaomiao into the room. Li Sanmao followed mother and daughter into the room.
Closing the door, Luo Zhi’er quickly took out the hair clip she bought for Miaomiao to show her. “Miaomiao, look what this is?”
Miaomiao saw a pair of pink and super cute little flowers in her mother’s hand.
Her eyes sparkled, she stepped forward and grabbed them, unable to put them down: “Wow! Mother, did you buy this for me? Such a pretty hair clip!”
“Of course, because you were very good at home today. This is the gift Mother is rewarding you with!”
“Mother, you’re so good. Miaomiao loves it so much.”
This was the first time Mother bought her a hair clip. Today Mother also helped her find the reason the pig died and made Grandmother apologize to her.
She felt she was valued too; Father and Mother loved her!
Miaomiao fiddled with the hair clip for a long time, forgetting the pain on her body…
Seeing her loving it like she received some treasure and unwilling to put it away, Luo Zhi’er smiled and took out the meat bun she had hidden in her bosom.
Hehe, she hadn’t finished eating this one; she deliberately saved it for Miaomiao.
Miaomiao took the meat bun and sensibly said: “Mother, this bun we three share! You half, Father half, Miaomiao half.”
“Hehe, Miaomiao eat. Father and Mother have already eaten. This was saved for Miaomiao…”
Li Sanmao smiled in his eyes, standing by watching them: “Miaomiao eat. Your mother is right, Father and Mother have eaten.”
He thought Zhi’er had finished it, but unexpectedly she saved one for Miaomiao. It was his failing as a father.
Getting affirmation, Miaomiao couldn’t hold back anymore and wolfed down several big bites: “Mother, it’s really delicious. Miaomiao has never eaten such a tasty meat bun.”
This meat bun warmed in her bosom was still a bit warm.
Sure enough, Miaomiao hadn’t eaten much today. She said before gathering pig feed it was just overnight leftover corn paste, and she only ate a small half bowl.
When she came back she hadn’t eaten yet and the pig died, got a vicious beating. Poor girl also blamed herself, was scared, wounds hurt—must have cried for a long, long time…
“If Miaomiao likes it, Mother will bring you more next time.”
Miaomiao nodded like a little chick pecking rice. She felt these past few days like she was dreaming, so afraid Mother would suddenly turn back to her previous cold self…
Luo Zhi’er had just changed clothes and washed up, coaxed Miaomiao into bed to sleep first.
Luo Zhi’er touched her cheek and got some ointment to apply…
Luckily, she was at the apothecary today and asked the waiter to get some commonly used ointment for bruises before leaving.
It was because she saw Liuliu often getting beaten, afraid in the rural area if she got bumps and scrapes it wouldn’t be timely to come to town…
Before sleeping, Miaomiao kept holding her hand, as if afraid she’d be gone. Luo Zhi’er stared dazedly at her sleeping face.
Looking at the bloody wound on her face, she ached: “Don’t leave a scar on Miaomiao’s face. Our family’s Miaomiao is so pretty.”
“It won’t. Miaomiao’s Mother.”
Li Sanmao comforted.
At this time, Li Daqiang shouted a few times outside the door. Li Sanmao went out…
Not long after, he came back in and called her,
“Wife, Big Brother is calling us over. Father has something for us.”
Luo Zhi’er said “Mm.”
She hadn’t slept because she knew they couldn’t wait and would come ask her clearly.
