"Eh, you havenât arrived yet, I thought you hadnât come back from the county town today," said Ms. Wang, looking at the family of three as they came in.
"Granny, did you personally make dinner tonight?" As Yangyang entered the dining room, his nose sniffed around like a little dog before he asked.
Ms. Wang lovingly replied, "Not all of it was made by Granny, but knowing that you would come for dinner, I did make your favorite duck soup."
"Really? Thank you, Granny!" Yangyang bounced up and down with excitement.
However, when he got to the dining table, his big eyes scanned it several times, but he still couldnât find the duck soup.
"Granny, adults are not supposed to lie to children," Yangyang said, looking at Ms. Wang woefully. He thought she had tricked him.
"You child, would Granny lie to you?" Ms. Wang walked over to the table and also couldnât find the duck soup she had stewed until the meat fell off the bones.
"Didnât you bring it over?" Ms. Wang then asked the maids.
Upon hearing this, Yang Xiayun glanced indifferently at Ms. Qian of Wang Family and Qian Xiaoqing, who had already started eating, "Looking for what? The soup isnât here. Isnât this the duck soup? Look, a big bowl of duck stew soup, all there."
Ms. Wang looked over and saw it was indeed the duck soup she had made, with not a piece of meat to be seen, just a picked-clean bone floating on top.
Looking at her sister-in-lawâs place, Ms. Wangâs mood immediately soured. How had her sister-in-law become like this over the years? It was so lacking in class.
"Yangyang, how about Granny makes you duck soup again tomorrow, okay?"
"Itâs okay, Granny, I donât have to drink duck soup," Yangyang said, understanding that his duck soup had been finished by others. "My mom said that I should eat whatever we have at home and not be picky."
"Sigh, such a good boy."
"Yangyang, come sit with your auntie, whatever you want to eat, auntie will help you get it," Yang Xiayun called.
Hearing this, Yangyang hopped over to Yang Xiayunâs side, "I want to sit with the two beauties." Okay then, Luo Linyu was sitting on the other side; ever since coming back to Yangshu Village, she mostly spent her time with the Yang Family and Yang Xiayun. "Auntie, I want to eat that fish."
"Just wait a sec," said Yang Xiayun as she reached for the fish, but Ms. Qian of Wang Family also stretched out her chopsticks, knocking Yang Xiayunâs chopsticks aside, "Scrambling for food with guests, what would people think?" Under Yang Xiayunâs glare, she gave the best part of the fish, the back meat, to Qian Xiaoqing.
"Auntie, I wonât eat the fish," Yangyang said after witnessing the scene. "Iâll have that braised pork instead."
"Eat what meat? You need to eat more vegetables," said Yang Chuxia when she heard him, "Careful or youâll become a fatty from eating meat every day."
"Whatâs this about being fat? Whatâs wrong with eating a bit of meat?" Ms. Wang bristled. Her grandson couldnât even get a proper meal tonight; with the duck soup in that state, how could he eat it? The fish didnât have any good meat, and now he couldnât even have some braised pork?
Ms. Qian of Wang Family wanted to reach for the braised pork, but Ms. Wang beat her to it and brought the whole dish over.
Yang Chuxia looked on, baffled as to why her aunt seemed to be competing with Yangyang for food.
She wasnât wrongâMs. Qian of Wang Family really was intentionally competing with Yangyang for the food. She didnât care for a bit of meat and fish. But how could she be okay with Yangyang, Yang Chuxiaâs child? She didnât like the sight of him, and she was in a bad mood because her suggestion that afternoon had been rejected.
She had graciously proposed a marriage for her nephew Qingrui, only to be told that Qingruiâs nuptials required the approval of his sister-in-law Ye Ziâan, who was a Prefectâs wife, and his sister Yang Chuxia. What kind of family rule was that, saying a brother-in-law had to agree to his sister-in-lawâs matters?