Chapter 240 Women's Little Tricks

She rolled over, abruptly threw off the covers, her hair disheveled, and barefoot, rushed out of bed and ran straight to the kitchen.

Shen Cuifen didn't cook dinner at all last night. She ate half a cold sweet potato and drank two mouthfuls of cheap beer in the house to barely suppress her hunger.

After that night, she was so hungry that her vision blurred, her head was spinning, and she was even a little unsteady on her feet.

The kitchen was deserted. On the stove, there was only a pot of water without oil or salt. A few rotten vegetable leaves were at the bottom of the pot. There wasn't even a crumb of noodles to be found, let alone any leftovers.

Zhou Xiuli stood in front of the stove, looking around, and knew perfectly well that they were clearly trying to starve her.

She curled her lip and sneered, too lazy to shout or argue anymore. She started boiling water and making noodles herself. Before the water boiled, she turned her head and suddenly noticed several eggs lying quietly in the old bamboo basket on top of the cabinet, the eggshells still carrying a faint earthy smell.

Her eyes lit up, and without saying a word, she stepped onto a small stool, reached out and scooped all three eggs from the basket, smashed them into the pot, stirred them, and the egg flowers tumbled and took shape in the boiling water.

Zhao Lin, with his sharp ears, heard something amiss in the kitchen and immediately panicked. He sat up straight, propping himself up on the edge of the bed, and urged Chen Cuifen in a trembling voice, "Hurry! Stop her! Those eggs are for An Guo! We can't let her waste them!"

Shen Cuifen had just put down her empty bowl when she heard this, and immediately got up, carrying the bowl, and rushed out of the room.

She immediately spotted Zhou Xiuli holding a large bowl of steaming noodles. Three plump, round poached eggs floated on the surface of the soup, glistening with oil and emitting a wonderful aroma.

Her heart tightened, and her voice changed: "Those eggs were saved by Mother for Anguo! Didn't you know? He eats one every morning to boost his brainpower! If he finds there are fewer, he'll throw a tantrum! If you want some, go buy some yourself!"

Zhou Xiuli sneered, not even lifting her eyelids. She gently lifted the egg white with her chopsticks, causing it to crack tremblingly, and the yolk slowly flowed out: "It's just a few eggs. Who in the family can't eat them? I'm not an outsider, and it's none of your business to tell me what to do!"

As soon as she finished speaking, she turned around abruptly while holding the bowl, her shoulder shoving aside Shen Cuifen, who was blocking the doorway, the movement so rude that she almost stumbled.

She rushed back into the house and slammed the door shut with a bang, making the towel hanging behind the door shake three times.

Shen Cuifen was knocked back two steps, then steadied herself by holding onto the wall, still clutching the unwashed empty bowl in her hand.

She stood there for a while before slowly walking back to the kitchen, putting the bowl in the sink, washing it silently, wringing out the dishcloth, and then tiptoeing back to her room. She whispered to Zhao Lin, "Mom, I'm bad with words, I really can't control her. Whatever she says goes, and I can't stop her..."

When Zhao Lin heard her call him "Zhou Xiuli" instead of "Little Aunt" today, he couldn't help but laugh out loud: "You're just too easy to talk to. Don't panic, let Anguo make a scene on his own."

She gently shook her head, a faint smile still lingering on her lips, her tone carrying a mixture of relief and helplessness.

In her view, Shen Cuifen was mild-mannered and always accustomed to forbearance, but today's direct address of her name was quite a change.

Zhao Lin knew in his heart that this was a sign that the flames had already been quietly lit, and that they would burn brighter and brighter as soon as the wind blew.

She wasn't in a hurry to intervene; on the contrary, she was happy to see it happen, because she knew that some things only made Zhou Anguo truly understand the meaning of propriety when he personally hit a wall.

Zhou Anguo groggily got up around 10 a.m., and seeing the empty table, he yelled at the top of his lungs, "Mom! Shen Cuifen! I'm starving! Get me something to eat!"

He shouted as he rubbed his sleepy eyes, his hair sticking up in a mess, and his face still puffy from staying up all night.

The room was quiet, and no one responded.

He irritably rolled out of bed, shuffling along in his slippers towards the living room.

His stomach was growling, and he felt extremely hungry, which made him angry.

At this time of day, hot meals would usually be served, but today, not only was no one there to invite him to eat, but he also didn't see a soul in sight.

He immediately felt ignored, his self-esteem was severely damaged, and his voice became even sharper, carrying a hint of being unreasonable.

Shen Cuifen put down her book and glanced at Zhao Lin on the bed.

Zhao Lin nodded to her: "Just say it."

The book lingered in her hand for a few seconds, the pages slightly wrinkled. She took a deep breath, as if gathering her courage.

She knew that what she was about to do would not be easy, but she could not back down.

The mother-in-law's eyes were firm and calm, and her slight nod was like a silent command, as well as a heavy show of support.

She finally stood up and walked slowly toward the door.

Every step felt like stepping on my heartstrings, a mix of tension and a strange excitement.

She understood that from this moment on, the relationship between her, her son, and Zhou Anguo was destined to change.

She pushed open the door and went out, calling in a low voice, "Anguo, come to the kitchen, I need to talk to you about something."

The sound was soft, but clear enough to carry into the living room.

She didn't go far before standing by the door, her hand on the door frame, her eyes fixed on the back of the person sitting on the sofa.

Her tone was calm, yet it concealed a subtle sharpness, unlike her usual submissive manner.

A faint aroma of eggs still lingered in the kitchen; it was a clue she had deliberately left, waiting for Zhou Anguo to stumble upon it.

Zhou Anguo raised an eyebrow, looking disdainful: "Why can't we talk about this here? Why are you being so secretive?"

He glanced sideways at the doorway, his tone full of sarcasm.

He had always looked down on Shen Cuifen, thinking she was timid and weak, and even spoke in a soft voice, like a frightened little bird.

The fact that they were suddenly taking it so seriously made him suspicious.

He lazily crossed his legs, one hand resting on the sofa armrest, his fingertips tapping out a rhythm, looking completely unwilling to cooperate.

In his eyes, this was nothing more than a woman's little trick, simply an attempt to attract attention.

Shen Cuifen leaned closer, her voice barely audible: "Didn't Mother save up a basket of big eggs for you to nourish your body? I just saw..."

My aunt cooked four.

As she approached Zhou Anguo, she deliberately slowed her pace, as if afraid of disturbing something.

Once they were standing still, she leaned down slightly, her lips almost touching his ear, and whispered each word.

She spoke very slowly, as if she had thought each word through in her mind before uttering it.

The word "four" was emphasized in particular, like a secret accidentally revealed, or a carefully designed fuse.

Her eyes were lowered, seemingly timid, but actually observing—she was waiting for his reaction.

Zhou Anguo's pupils contracted, and he abruptly turned his head to glare at Zhou Xiuli's room.

His hand was already raised, but suddenly he froze in mid-air.

His face flushed instantly, a vein throbbed on his forehead, and a flash of anger crossed his eyes, but he forcibly suppressed it as soon as it ignited.

He wanted to rush over and question them, or even break down the door, but the moment he raised his hand, the image of his father, Zhou Jianguo, flashed through his mind.

He knew that his father doted on his younger sister, Zhou Xiuli, the most. If he made a scene, Zhou Xiuli would cry and complain, and he wouldn't get the better of her.