Zhong Chengyi also looked towards the kitchen: "Yes, Mom, I'm starving."
Zhang Chunxue came out of the kitchen slowly, wiped his hands, and his face showed no emotion.
"Oh, Mingli's life-saving fish soup was drunk up by your eldest brother, his wife, and his son. I thought she was sick and couldn't go without food, so I made her another pot. It took a while, didn't it?"
When Zhong Chengren heard this, his face turned dark.
He didn't feel sorry for the sickly Zhou Mingli, but what his elder brother Zhong Chengfa did was too outrageous!
Even if the fish soup was for Zhou Mingli, it belonged to the family. Why did he drink it secretly? And he even made the whole family hungry!
"Brother is such a bastard! How could he do such a thing?" Zhong Chengren said angrily, feeling that he had lost face as well.
Zhang Chunxue raised the corner of her mouth slightly and said calmly, "Maybe...your eldest brother doesn't even take you, his younger brother, seriously."
These words were like a needle that pierced Zhong Chengren's heart.
He suddenly felt upset. It was obvious that his elder brother was not giving him face!
Zhong Chengyi, who was listening nearby, felt that the words were not right and quickly tugged at Zhang Chunxue's sleeve: "Mom, if my eldest and second brothers hear what you said, how can they not feel uncomfortable in the future?"
Zhang Chunxue glanced at him and feigned surprise: "Oh? Really? That's really bad."
She said this, but she was very happy in her heart.
She hoped that these troublesome sons would cause trouble, and even better, become enemies. None of them were good people!
As he was speaking, footsteps were heard outside the courtyard gate.
Zhong Chengfa came back carrying a bamboo basket. His trouser legs were covered with mud and beads of sweat hung on his face. He looked in a miserable state.
In the bamboo basket, two palm-sized crucian carps were still flapping their arms.
When Zhong Chengren saw his cowardly look, he rolled his eyes and turned his head to the side, but did not get angry on the spot.
Zhang Chunxue took the fish and put it in a basin of water on the side, preparing to continue cooking for Zhou Mingli tomorrow.
After a while, the food was served on the table and everyone was called out to eat.
Zhang Chunxue scooped a large bowl full of fish and thick soup and carefully placed it in front of Zhou Mingli.
"Mingli, this bowl is all yours. Drink it while it's hot and it will nourish your body."
Zhou Mingli leaned sickly on the quilt, looking at the big bowl of fish soup, feeling a little flattered and a little uneasy.
"Mom... this is too much. How about... sharing some with everyone else?" she whispered, glancing timidly at the others at the table.
Zhang Chunxue's face turned serious and she interrupted her directly: "What's the point of dividing it! This was made just for you! They're all big and strong, in good health, they don't need to drink this!"
Zhong Chengren watched from the side. The snow-white and thick fish soup exuded an alluring aroma, which made his Adam's apple roll up and down and his saliva almost flow from the corners of his mouth.
His eyes rolled around, and he said with a smile, "Mom, look, there's so much soup. Mingli is weak, and I'm afraid she can't finish it all by herself. How about... I help share some?"
Zhang Chunxue glanced over and said, "Oh? You want to drink too? Why, do you want to be like your big brother, squatting on the cold riverbank all night and catching fish for Mingli again?"
Zhong Chengren's neck shrank suddenly when he heard this. The greedy look on his face froze instantly, and he shook his head like a rattle: "No, no, no! Mom, that's not what I meant! Mingli should drink this soup alone to nourish her body! I don't even want to eat a single bite!"
Zhang Chunxue finally turned her gaze away from him and turned to Zhou Mingli, who was lying on the kang. Her voice softened, a rare occurrence. "Mingli, don't listen to them. This soup is made just for you. You must drink every last drop. Only when you're well will you have the strength. Yuanyuan is still waiting for you to nurse her."
When Zhou Mingli heard this and looked at the full bowl of fish soup in front of her that was emitting a rich aroma, her nose suddenly felt sore and her eyes instantly became hot.
Mother-in-law... Mother-in-law really feels sorry for her, feels sorry for Yuanyuan.
She choked, nodded, picked up the spoon, and drank it in small sips. The warm fish soup slid into her throat, warming her stomach and heart.
The room suddenly became quiet, with only the slight sound of Zhou Mingli drinking soup.
Zhong Chengyi took a couple of bites of his rice before realizing someone was missing. He looked up and asked in confusion, "Mom, where are my sister-in-law and Hongqing? Why didn't they come out to eat?"
Zhang Chunxue picked up a piece of greens with chopsticks and chewed slowly, as if she was talking about something very ordinary: "Oh, Li Hongjuan."
Without even raising her eyelids, she said calmly, "She was greedy and, along with Zhong Hongqing, she secretly drank up your sister-in-law's bowl of nourishing fish soup. I found her annoying, so I kicked her out. Tomorrow, I'll have Chengfa take her to town to get the divorce papers done."
"Bang!" The chopsticks in Zhong Chengren's hand fell on the table.
Zhong Chengyi was so shocked that his mouth opened wide enough to fit an egg.
Zhou Mingli was so frightened that she stopped drinking her soup and looked at Zhang Chunxue in disbelief.
Divorce?!
Just because of... a bowl of fish soup?
The room was dead silent, and you could hear a pin drop.
Zhong Chengren and Zhong Chengyi looked at each other, and saw deep shock and confusion in each other's eyes.
This is too much anger!
It took Zhong Chengyi a long time to find his voice. He spoke hesitantly, his tone somewhat cautious.
"Mom... no, not really?"
"This... for a bowl of fish soup, you're asking my brother and sister-in-law to divorce? This is too... ahem!"
"You worked so hard to find wives for my eldest brother and his family. If they get divorced, wouldn't all the money you gave to the Li family as a betrothal gift be wasted? If you find another one for my eldest brother in the future, it will cost you a lot of money all over again!"
Zhang Chunxue put down her chopsticks with a cold expression and glanced at Zhong Chengyi. "We, the Zhong family, really can't afford someone like Li Hongjuan! She knew my sister-in-law was so seriously ill, yet she still ate up the entire pot of fish soup. What's the point of having such a selfish person? Should she continue to cause trouble for our family?"
Zhong Chengyi shrank his neck and muttered softly, "But...if we get divorced, won't Big Brother be left without a wife..."
Zhang Chunxue snorted, her eyebrows raised. "If he really can't bear to leave his wife, I won't stop him. He can just pack up and marry into his father-in-law's family! I'd love that!"
As soon as the words fell, no one dared to say a word.
Even Zhong Chengren, who usually loves to talk back, just lowered his head and ate his food, not daring to say a word.
After all, everyone knew that what their mother said was what she would do. Which man in the village hadn't been scolded and cried by her before?
(End of this chapter)
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