Chapter 84 Self-Inflicted Slap in the Face

"Ignore her."

Bai Lu didn't even look up, continuing to slowly cut wild grass and feed the crucian carp swimming in the river.

Is Bailu at home?

Chen Chunli banged on the door for a long time, but there was no response.

I suspected that Bailu wasn't home, but then I remembered that I had just gone to buy fruit and passed by the market but hadn't seen Bailu there.

She instantly understood that Bai Lu was avoiding her, deliberately refusing to see her, and making her wait in vain.

Chen Chunli was furious. She put the fruit basket aside and pounded on the door with both hands.

The banging made the large wooden door shake violently, the sound like thunder, and it woke up all the neighbors.

One by one, curious heads peeked out, chattering and discussing amongst themselves.

"If you knock so hard, won't you break the door..." Xiao Wei, a student in the backyard, was a little worried about the door.

"Make her pay for it if she breaks it." After feeding the fish, Bai Lu went to the vegetable garden to pick the hearts of the vegetables, without any worry.

Xiao Wei agreed to this reasonable compensation method.

He stopped talking, continued cutting weeds, and threw them into the stream to feed the fish, completely ignoring what was happening outside the yard.

After picking the bok choy hearts during the White Dew season, I put them in a basket, hung it by the fence, and then used a long wooden ladle to water the bok choy.

The broccoli has already sprouted buds; once they're bigger, they'll be ready to eat. Stir-frying them with carrots and sliced ​​meat would be the most delicious thing to do.

The white radish is getting fatter and fatter. I'll pick one another day, slice it thinly, add some vinegar and chili peppers, marinate it for a few hours, and it'll be another sour and spicy appetizer.

While pouring the vegetables during the White Dew season, she happily arranged the menu, completely unaffected by the deafening thunder outside.

Xiao Wei remained calm. After cutting the grass, he went to check on the old hen, bringing along the two old vegetable leaves that Bai Lu had given him. The old hen was laying eggs, so he should eat something nice.

Eat more leafy greens, fill your belly with food, and keep your feathers warm so that the chicks can hatch faster.

According to what Bailu said, the chicks will hatch in less than a week.

Xiao Wei curiously reached out and touched the hen's head, and also wanted to touch the eggs in the nest.

Feel it, can you feel any chicks moving...?

"White Dew!"

"Someone has died!"

"Oh my god! She's pregnant!"

"Is anyone home? Is Bailu here? Someone has fainted at your doorstep!"

Anxious knocking and shouting could be heard from outside the courtyard.

Xiao Wei remembered the voice: "It's Aunt Zhang."

Aunt Zhang's family raises many chickens in the mountains of the countryside, and also quite a few in their backyard in town. Every time she sees Xiao Wei passing by, she is very enthusiastic about sharing her chicken-raising secrets with him.

Last year, Xiao Wei asked her how a hen hatches chicks...

When Bai Lu opened the door, she saw Chen Chunli sitting on the ground by the door with her eyes closed, being supported by Aunt Zhang.

Many neighbors were concerned and checked on her, asking if she should be taken to the health center. Of course, they weren't asking Chen Chunli, who was unconscious, but rather asking each other.

When the door finally opened, everyone looked at Bai Lu.

Aunt Zhang asked, "Bai Lu, she was banging on the door just now, and suddenly fainted and sat down on the ground. Should we take her to the clinic? We don't want her to die."

Bai Lu glanced at Chen Chunli on the ground, whose eyelids were twitching, and a cold smile appeared on her lips.

"Then let's take him to the hospital."

"Send her away right now. She's pregnant, we can't delay. What if something happens..."

Going to the hospital would ruin the plan!

Chen Chunli immediately opened her eyes: "I'm fine."

Aunt Zhang was shocked by her rejuvenated appearance. "Are you really alright? I saw you were pale and clutching your stomach earlier. Could it be that the baby is uncomfortable? You should go to the hospital for a checkup."

The neighbors were also shocked, puzzled, and suspicious of how quickly Chen Chunli recovered.

Chen Chunli gritted her teeth, hating these people for meddling in her affairs, but she had to pretend, wiping non-existent sweat from her forehead and drooping her eyelids as if they were heavy.

She looked weak and listless, as if she hadn't recovered: "I...I'm fine, my stomach is fine too."

"Just now, I was probably too tired from banging on the door for too long, and then everything went black and I didn't know anything anymore."

"I feel much better now. My stomach doesn't hurt anywhere. I don't need to go to the hospital. It's too much trouble to run around like that. I'm just a little thirsty. I'll just go in and have a glass of water..."

It means that we want to go to Bailu's house to drink water.

The neighbors understood; pregnant women do get thirsty easily and need to drink more water. As for the sudden fainting and then sudden recovery, everyone knew the truth.

The most important thing right now is that the pregnant woman is dehydrated.

Now that things have come to this, Bai Lu has no need to give anyone cause for gossip, so she simply turned her back and opened the door wide.

Aunt Zhang and her neighbors watched as Chen Chunli got up and went inside with her fruit basket.

After saying goodbye to Bailu, they dispersed and went home.

The gate was wide open, and no one gathered around anymore.

However, there were occasional footsteps passing by the wall.

Xiao Wei, his face tense, followed Bai Lu, keeping a distance from Chen Chunli.

As soon as Chen Chunli entered the main room, she placed the fruit basket on the octagonal table and pulled out a chair to sit down.

After waiting for a while, Bailu didn't pour her any water. Instead, she reached out and grabbed the biggest green jujube from the fruit basket and ate it while calling out to Bailu, "These are fresh fruits I bought on the street. They're sweet and crisp. You should try them."

“We have a sack of sacks.”

Bai Lu pointed to the open burlap sack in the corner, which contained not only large green dates, but also plums and oranges.

This is just the top layer; the rest is being pressed down and hidden, and who knows how much fresh fruit is underneath.

Chen Chunli's small "big fruit basket" is really not enough to look at; people would find it too bulky to give as a gift.

But she was shameless and said awkwardly, "Can you finish all this fruit? Fruit spoils easily, and it's such a waste of money if we can't finish it!"

Bai Lu took an orange, sat down at the table, and slowly peeled it: "These were all gifts from the villagers, they don't cost any money. I haven't paid for fruit in a long time."

Although Chen Chunli's fruit basket was small, it still cost money. Compared to it, the green dates in my mouth tasted bitter.

Even Xiao Wei grabbed several large fruits from the sack, sat down at the table, and ate them one by one for free.

That's right, it's free!

Chen Chunli's face was very unpleasant, and she couldn't help but retort, "Country folks are all mud-legged. They don't even know if the fruit they pick has been washed or clean. The fruit trees they grow are crooked and cracked, and the fruit is full of worms. Eating it will make you sick."

Xiao Wei and Bai Lu were completely unaffected, eating with great relish, finishing one dish after another.

Bai Lu spoke clearly and deliberately: "Fruit trees are all planted by people. What kind of fruit tree bears what kind of fruit, good or bad, they are all the same, there is no distinction between high and low, noble and lowly."

Chen Chunli was disdainful, but she couldn't argue with Bai Lu. Remembering the purpose of her visit today, she tried her best to control her temper.

He said in a friendly tone, "Bai Lu, I see that your family has a lot of chestnuts. More people selling them means more sales channels. We have many relatives in Qingshui Town, so business will definitely be better than before. How about we try cooperating again?"

(End of this chapter)