Chapter 87 I'm waiting for you
"Mom! Don't worry! I'll definitely be good! Starting today, I'll never be lazy again!"
He then turned to look at his eldest sister, Lu Guizhen.
"You and your older sister eat first. I'll finish eating and wash the dishes, then I'll go to school! It won't be a problem!"
Seeing his anxious look, Shen Cuifen smiled and nodded.
Her tone softened a bit.
"Eat this whole chicken at noon today, don't waste it. I'll cook a nice meal tonight, some stewed ribs and stir-fried vegetables. But neither of you are allowed to eat any meat, consider this the last meal before we separate!"
"Huh? Why?!"
Lu Zhongshun's eyes widened in surprise.
Why can't we eat it!
"Why all this nonsense?"
Shen Cuifen slammed her hand on the table, her face immediately darkening.
"Didn't you just say you'd listen? Now you're starting to talk back?"
Lu Zhongshun shrank back when his mother glared at him like that.
He could only nod reluctantly.
"...I didn't say I didn't want to eat, I was just asking..."
"Alright!"
Shen Cuifen raised her voice.
"Don't make that sour face. After today, whatever you want to eat, Mom will buy it. Braised pork, fried chicken legs, you can choose!"
Upon hearing this, the gloom on Lu Zhongshun's face instantly dissipated, and he smiled broadly, his eyes crinkling.
The three people sat around the table and ate the whole chicken clean.
After the meal, Lu Zhongshun sighed contentedly.
"It smells so good! I haven't had such a satisfying meal in ages."
"Zhongshun! Let's go, off to school!"
"Wait a minute, I'll be right there after I finish washing the dishes!"
Lu Zhongshun poked his head out of the house and shouted loudly into the yard.
Then he turned and ran back into the house.
"Big sister, you've been busy all morning, your back must be aching! Let me take care of these dishes!"
He walked quickly to Lu Guizhen, his tone filled with concern and anxiety.
He immediately snatched the bowls and plates from her hands, afraid that she would refuse again.
Lu Guizhen wanted to say a few words of advice to him.
But as she was about to speak, she glanced up and saw Shen Cuifen standing not far away giving her a wink.
Lu Guizhen's heart skipped a beat, and she immediately understood what was going on, so she said no more.
Lu Zhongshun was responsible for washing the dishes and chopsticks.
Shen Cuifen and Lu Guizhen then turned and walked towards the backyard to feed the chickens and pigs.
The two had just stepped into the backyard and hadn't even gotten close to the chicken coop when they realized something was wrong.
Shen Cuifen paused, her gaze quickly sweeping over—
Yang Juanhua was seen crouching furtively by the chicken coop.
He crouched low, as if he were stealing something.
What are you doing?!
Shen Cuifen called out.
Yang Juanhua was quietly taking the eggs out of the grass nest.
I was so startled by the sudden sound that I trembled all over.
She instinctively hid her hand behind her back, her eyes filled with panic.
What I do is none of your business!
Yang Juanhua retorted, her neck stiff, but her voice trembled uncontrollably.
Shen Cuifen's eyes turned cold.
Without saying a word, she rushed forward.
Then he grabbed Yang Juanhua's hand, which was hidden behind her back.
Then, without any mercy, he pried her fingers apart.
In my palm lay two eggs, still warm to the touch.
Shen Cuifen reacted quickly and snatched the two eggs away.
"Those are my eggs! Shen Cuifen, give them back to me!"
Yang Juanhua immediately jumped up and down, her voice shrill.
She harbored a deep resentment—
Shen Cuifen secretly hid all the dozen or so eggs that she had painstakingly saved, saying it was for "unified management".
Those were money she had been saving up secretly, intending to exchange them for money in town!
What angered her even more was that now the salt and oil had also been locked away in the cupboard by Shen Cuifen.
Now, she's counting on these two eggs to cook some rice porridge.
At least it gives your mouth some flavor, so it doesn't feel bland all day!
"Did you feed the chickens? Did you pay to raise the pigs? You didn't contribute a single bit of effort, yet you keep saying 'mine'?"
Shen Cuifen coldly retorted, her tone laced with sarcasm.
"As long as it's in the Lu family, it's mine!"
Yang Juanhua shouted, her neck stiff.
Shen Cuifen sneered, a sarcastic smile curving her lips.
She stared into Yang Juanhua's eyes and said, word by word, "Don't forget, your surname is Yang!"
Yang Juanhua was furious; the veins on her forehead were throbbing.
"I gave birth to a son for the Lu family!"
She shouted those words through gritted teeth.
Shen Cuifen shrugged and clicked her tongue.
"Didn't I give birth? Stop trying to pull this on! If I catch you stealing eggs again, I'll smear chicken poop in your mouth! I'll show you what happens when you're foul-mouthed!"
Yang Juanhua felt a surge of anger in her heart.
She didn't expect Shen Cuifen to show her no respect at all.
And they said it in such an unpleasant way.
It was a public slap in the face for her.
Yang Juanhua gritted her teeth, her fingers trembling slightly.
"You just wait! You'll be crying sooner or later! I won't let this go!"
Shen Cuifen grinned, completely unconcerned.
“I’m waiting. If you’re really capable, come on then. I, Shen Cuifen, never hide from anyone.”
Upon seeing this, Yang Juanhua turned and left while muttering curses under her breath.
Shen Cuifen watched her retreating figure, snorted, and ignored her.
She placed the eggs she had just collected in a bamboo basket beside her.
Then, she and Lu Guizhen picked up the feeding troughs and began feeding the chickens and pigs.
While she was busy working, Lu Guizhen suddenly stopped what she was doing.
She looked up at Shen Cuifen, and spoke cautiously, her voice low.
"Mom, do you know where Dad went?"
Last night's scene flashed before my eyes again—
She heard Shen Cuifen sharpening a knife in the courtyard.
I also remember the sounds of Yang Juanhua dragging things around the house; the wooden planks creaked as if she were moving something heavy.
She felt uneasy, as if something bad was about to happen again.
She quietly lifted a corner of the curtain and peeked out the window for a while.
Unexpectedly, Shen Cuifen actually took the knife and went to the backyard.
At first, she thought her mother had gone to the outhouse, but after waiting for a long time, she still hadn't returned.
The more she thought about it, the more uneasy she felt.
Finally, unable to sit still any longer, he quickly put on his coat and went to the outhouse in the backyard to look for someone.
There was no one in the latrine, not even a shadow.
Lu Guizhen looked around and found that even the small cart in the backyard was gone.
She panicked and quickly turned around to go to the village to look for someone.
But after asking around, no one had seen Lu Jianguo or heard where he had gone.
In the end, he had no choice but to go home.
Unexpectedly, when she returned to the backyard, the cart had been pulled back by someone.
Lu Guizhen quietly walked to the door of Shen Cuifen's room.
Hearing soft snoring coming from inside the house, I finally felt a little relieved.
I thought to myself that maybe I was just overthinking it.
But now...
Lu Jianguo has not returned yet.
Upon hearing Lu Guizhen's words, Shen Cuifen slowly raised her head, her eyes filled with complex emotions.
But she immediately lowered her head and continued working, speaking calmly.
"How would I know where he went?"
Lu Guizhen could tell that she didn't want to mention Lu Jianguo, and her words were tinged with avoidance.
So they didn't ask any further questions.
He simply lowered his head silently and continued with his work.
But the question in her heart lingered like the cold wind of that night.
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