Tonight is the last night here. Yun Huaying doesn’t plan to go home to cook. Instead, she takes a detour to the state-owned restaurant and plans to order some noodles for a casual meal.
When passing by the county hospital, Yun Huaying entered directly from the side door. As soon as she walked into the corridor, she heard the familiar roar of Old Lady Fang.
"I broke a bone, so I asked you to cook something good to nourish me. You just made me a bowl of porridge. I think you'll be so tired if you don't do it for three days. When Zilin comes, I'll let him break your legs."
"Mom, I bought some meat and cooked braised pork for you. I just turned around to fetch water, and when I came back, Xiaojun and Shuang'er had eaten up the whole bowl of braised pork, leaving no soup at all for you." He answered her in a timid voice.
When Mrs. Fang heard that all the delicious food was eaten by her grandchildren, she became even more unhappy and asked, "Why didn't you tell them before you left?"
"Mom, when I went out to fetch water, they weren't home. They'd gone to see my sister-in-law and Xue'er. When I came back, they'd already finished the whole bowl of meat. I didn't expect Shuang'er and Xiaojun to be so ignorant. They didn't even say a word, and they didn't even leave a portion for the elders. They knew you were injured and hospitalized here, but they didn't leave any. They ate it all, leaving not even a drop of soup."
"It's all because of Hongxia." Old Lady Fang was displeased and her attitude towards her was still very bad: "You've been drinking porridge all day, and your mouth is very bland. Go to the state-owned restaurant and buy me a meat dish."
"Mom, I don't have any money. When Zilin left this morning, he only gave me money to buy half a pound of meat."
Seeing that she couldn't keep the meat she bought and asked her to buy something else but had no money, Old Lady Fang was furious on the spot, "Li Qiaoling, you did it on purpose. I was so blind to let you into the Fang family. Get out of here! I don't care what you do to sleep with a wild man, but get me a bowl of meat."
"Mom, what are you talking about?"
"Your injury was caused by Yun Huaying. It was the trouble brought to my eldest brother's family. He should pay to take care of you."
"Since you are dissatisfied with my care, I will call Shuang'er over and ask her to buy you some meat and keep you company tonight."
The angry person was Fang Zilin's wife Li Qiaoling. In Yun Huaying's memory, she was an honest and cowardly woman, but now her impression of her has changed.
When Li Qiaoling came out of the ward with a grim look on her face, Yun Huaying dodged and hid in the dark, then quietly followed her.
We followed all the way to Fang Zilin's house in the south. They lived in ordinary bungalows. Fang Zilin's house was not big. The couple had two sons and one daughter, plus their wife, a total of six people living in three rooms, which was very crowded.
Fang Zilin had just returned home from get off work and found the stove in the house was cold and there was not even a sip of water to drink. Li Qiaoling was greeted with his scolding and complaints as soon as she returned home.
Li Qiaoling was already in a bad mood. She looked at the pot and then at the teapot, seeing that they were both empty. She, who usually pretended to be honest and weak, also shouted in dissatisfaction, "Fang Shuang, Fang Jun, how could you be so ignorant? I went to bring food to your grandma, and you ate all the steamed buns in the pot and drank all the water. Are you asking our family to starve tonight?"
Fang Shuang walked out of grandma's room, covering her arm with her hands, with a pitiful look on her face: "Second Aunt, I didn't eat it. It was Pingdi and the others who ate it."
Fang Zilin's two sons are named Fang Fangan and his daughter Fang Juan. They are all unruly under the guidance of the old lady.
Fang Fangan was in her room, but when she heard her complaining, she rushed out and pointed at her, saying, "Mom cooked a bowl of meat for Grandma, but you two siblings ate it all. We didn't get any soup at all. The three of us siblings did have steamed buns, but we only had one each. Fang Jun ate the rest. You also drank up all the water in the teapot. There wasn't a drop left when we first came back. Juanzi and I only had cold water."
"I ate the meat, I ate the buns, and I drank all the water. The food and drinks I ate were from my grandmother, and my father gave her money. I ate and drank from my own family."
Fang Jun was even more confused than them. He lay on the old woman's bed without moving, but his voice could be heard.
Seeing him so confused, Fang Ping, who was two years older than him, curled his lips and said loudly, "Your father is my uncle. You are just his adopted children. You are not related by blood, and he is not your biological father."
Fang Shuang, who was standing at the door, looked even more aggrieved. She turned around and saw her brother trying to stop her, sobbing, "Xiaojun, stop talking. Brother Ping is right."
"Hmph." Fang Jun was very unhappy.
Li Qiaoling didn't like them, but who could blame them for being her eldest brother's children?
Seeing Fang Zilin standing in the room with a frown on his face, he put the bowl of porridge he brought back on the table. "I just brought food to Mom, but she didn't want the porridge and wanted meat. I used the money you gave me this morning to buy some meat and stew it, but Shuang'er and Xiaojun ate it all. Eat this bowl of porridge first, and I'll go make you two pancakes."
Fang Ziqiang knew her character, she wouldn't lie, and he looked at Fang Shuang with a bad look, "Shuang'er, Second Uncle always thought you were a well-behaved and sensible person. Your grandma is in the hospital, and you didn't go to take care of her. I paid for her to buy meat to nourish her body. How could you two siblings eat all the meat?"
"Uncle, we were out looking for mom and sister all day and we were so hungry when we got back." Fang Shuang lowered her head in grievance.
"Even if you're really hungry, leave some for the elders."
Li Qiaoling was unhappy to see her like this, and raised her voice a little, "Your second uncle works hard outside all day, and he always comes home with pickled vegetables, steamed buns and rice soup. We only have a little pork every ten days or half a month to satisfy our hunger, but your family eats meat and eggs every now and then. No matter how greedy you are, you should know your limits. If you don't care about others, you should at least consider your grandmother and second uncle."
"Aunt, I know I was wrong. When Dad comes over, I'll ask him for money and buy some meat tomorrow morning to make up for it." Fang Shuang was very unhappy when she said that, but she still apologized.
"Mom hasn't eaten yet, and she's clamoring for meat. Go find your eldest brother and ask him to go to the state-owned restaurant and buy her some meat."
Li Qiaoling didn't plan to go over. She walked to the shabby kitchen door, then thought about staying by the bedside tonight and said, "Your grandma will have to stay in the hospital for a few more days. We'll take turns staying by the bed and watching over the night. I was there last night, so you should arrange for someone to stay tonight. There's no room for so many people at home, so it's perfect for someone to stay in the hospital ward."
Her words were not excessive, Fang Zilin agreed: "Shuang'er, you can go over and keep him company tonight. Big brother and Xiaojun will sleep at home."
"Okay." Fang Shuang still lowered her head, feeling very unhappy.
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