Chapter 82:
Luo Zhi’er left some pine nuts outside to eat and put away the rest of the fried pine nuts.
Entering the room, Miaomiao rubbed her sleepy eyes and called for mother.
Luo Zhi’er chuckled lightly, “Our little lazybug finally willing to wake up?”
“Mother, has father already left? Why didn’t you call Miaomiao to get up early this morning to collect mushrooms on the mountain?”
Afraid she got up late and delayed mother’s mushroom collecting!
That little appearance was just like a bewildered and obedient kitten!
“Your grandmother went to town, mother will let you sleep more today, how about that? Have you slept enough?”
Miaomiao sat up, and Luo Zhi’er helped smooth the messy hair strands on her face behind her ears.
“Mm-hmm!”
Miaomiao nodded.
Found clean clothes to put on Miaomiao, helped comb her hair well, and tied on a small flower bag.
Took her to the kitchen, washed up, and ate breakfast.
Stuffed her clothes pocket full, two pockets of fried pine nuts!
She felt that if she didn’t pack them for her in advance, she wouldn’t get any in her mouth.
After Luo Zhi’er got her ready, she went back to the room to change clothes and found that she had split her clothes earlier when squatting.
“Miaomiao, eat by yourself, mother will be right back!”
“Okay, mother!”
Miaomiao was eating the cake when suddenly Zhenzhu came back.
Locked up for several days, Zhenzhu was like a hungry wolf pouncing on food!
As soon as she got back, she rushed into the main hall first and called for mother several times with no response.
Then she rushed into the kitchen to find food, unexpectedly seeing Miaomiao clean and proper, sitting obediently on the little stool eating something.
Golden corn cake placed in front of her, her eyes lit up, and she grabbed it and stuffed it into her mouth!
“Aunt, you…”
Miaomiao was so angry her eyes flashed with tears, bit her lip, and held it back!
This was made by her mother for her, she had been reluctant to eat it earlier and ate slowly!
Wanted to save it to take to the mountain later for mother to eat, unexpectedly the remaining one was snatched by aunt.
“What are you looking at?”
“Miaomiao, good for you, you dare steal food when my mother isn’t home?”
“You wait, I’ll definitely tell grandma and have her deal with you!”
An adult quibbling with a child over food, crumbs leaking from her mouth as she spoke…
Zhenzhu had been disheveled and dirty these past few days, her hair matted from staying in that room.
Knowing she could go home today, she had been eagerly waiting since before dawn, unable to stay a moment longer!
She waited and waited, but the old woman guard wouldn’t get up.
Finally, when she grumpily opened the door, lectured her, and handed over the copied repentance text, she ran back like smoke!
Just now on the road, she ran into the third child of Li Zhengxin’s family, Chongwen.
Nearly collided full-on, she was about to curse, but saw it was the person she was thinking of, overjoyed; locked up for days, she hadn’t seen him, and he hadn’t come to see her.
Hurriedly called to him: “Third brother, so early, where are you going?”
Chongwen recoiled several steps as if seeing something scary that would stick to him, keeping far away, his face polite and mild as he exchanged a few courteous words with her.
But a flash of disgust in his eyes didn’t escape her, her heart ached terribly; it must be because she hadn’t combed and dressed up, letting him see her worst side.
Also, the village rumors, no need to think, her reputation must be somewhat tarnished…
“Aunt, Miaomiao didn’t steal food, this is cake mother made from the corn flour grandmother left, grandpa, eldest uncle and them ate some this morning too!”
Li Zhenzhu’s eyes darted around, displeased; while she wasn’t home these few days, the food had gotten better, egg pancakes the day before yesterday, and such tasty cake this morning.
Extremely unbalanced in her heart!
What kind of life was she living, while they ate the good stuff and drank the spicy!
“Still daring to lie!”
“Miaomiao didn’t lie!”
“Still being stubborn?”
As she spoke, about to grab her hair, suddenly attracted by the two hair clips on her head!
So pretty, who knows where they came from? If she wore them, would brother Chongwen like her?
She would definitely look pretty wearing them!
Miaomiao quickly protected them, “Aunt, don’t, this is the hair clip mother bought for Miaomiao!”
“Hmph! Still daring to dodge? Hand it over!”
“No!”
Miaomiao was so anxious she was about to cry, this was her favorite hair clip, a gift from mother!
“Stop it!”
Luo Zhi’er thought she seemed to hear Miaomiao crying, thought it unlikely, but still ran over to check.
Furious!
“Ha! Have some shame! A seventeen- or eighteen-year-old aunt bullying someone, actually robbing a little child’s hair clip! I’ve never seen the likes of it, I Luo Zhi’er!”
Zhenzhu had never worn such a nice hair clip in her life; with Zhou Shi’s taste and stingy nature, things like hair clips were superfluous, mere external objects.
Food and silver were the top priorities!
“You ugly monster, what did you say?”
Li Zhenzhu found it unbelievable; after just a few days, this Luo Zhi’er dared to stand up to her and even speak against her?
“What did I say? Didn’t you hear? This hair clip is a small accessory I as a mother bought for my daughter; if you want one, thinking you’re still a little baby, then go have your mother buy you one!”
“You…, Luo Zhi’er, she’s just a servant girl con artist, a money-losing good-for-nothing! When you’re old you might have no one to rely on! Worth spending silver to buy her hair clips? Make cakes for her to eat? Treasure her so much?”
“Simply a waste!”
“Shut your mouth! Hmph! Miaomiao is my heart and soul baby; as long as I’m here one day, I’ll protect her one day. Little girl? Aren’t you one too, Li Zhenzhu?”
“Don’t tell me your mother never gave you any!” Li Zhenzhu was rendered speechless… her mother was good to her, but that was based on what that traveling Taoist said about her marrying into a good family!
“You… do you think that after being locked up a few days, you can just badmouth me at will?”
“I never thought that; who in this home dares to badmouth you!”
“What do you mean!”
“What I mean, think about it yourself!”
“Stop right there! Tell me, where did the silver for the hair clip come from?”
Luo Zhi’er sneered coldly, “None of your business!” Walked over, pulled up Miaomiao, and ignored her.
Leaving this contentious place where even the air was infuriating!
Went out, shouldered the back basket, and headed up the mountain…
With Luo Zhi’er gone, Zhenzhu had come back at the right time this time; food in the kitchen, corn cakes, shredded radish cakes, soup, she drank it all…
And the fried pine nuts left outside, which were for Xiao Zhou Shi and the others.
When they got up, the kitchen looked ransacked, leaving a pile of bowls and plates to wash; especially Xiao Zhou Shi, everything had been eaten clean!
She seemed to hear Li Sanmao calling Li Daqiang to eat breakfast; before leaving, he even came in to say there were cakes and for her to eat some when she got up!
Her room was in the back, she seemed to hear Zhenzhu’s voice, hurried to get up but was still one step late!
