Chapter 88 Thick-skinned
Li Fangfang cooked another pot of porridge at noon.
She ladled out a bowl, ate a few bites, and found it tasteless.
After finishing her meal, she sat down under the eaves again.
While sewing a straw pot lid, she waited for Lu Jianguo and Lu Shuixian to return.
As dusk fell, the two still hadn't returned.
Li Fangfang's heart sank little by little.
He muttered to himself, "Where has this child gone? Why hasn't he come back yet?"
She grew increasingly impatient as she waited, and even the straw pot lid at her feet was deformed from her gripping.
On the contrary, Shen Cuifen sat to the side and finished sewing her new shoes.
A slight smile lingered at the corners of his mouth.
Mulan put away her needle and thread and put on the new shoes in front of Li Fangfang.
Li Fangfang felt angry and breathless.
Shen Cuifen deliberately wore her new shoes and walked back and forth in front of Li Fangfang several times.
Feeling that it was about time, he slung the bamboo basket over his shoulder and picked up the kitchen knife.
The blade flashed in the sunlight, its cold light dazzling.
Before leaving, Shen Cuifen gestured with a knife at Li Fangfang.
This really scared Li Fangfang.
She recoiled abruptly, cried out "Ah!" and clutched her chest, her breath catching in her throat. She almost thought the woman was really going to attack.
Seeing that Li Fangfang was so frightened that her face turned pale and her lips trembled.
Shen Cuifen then smiled with satisfaction.
She didn't say anything more, and turned to leave.
With light steps, she walked along the village road, her red shoes leaving a clear trail of footprints in the mud.
Only after Shen Cuifen had walked far away did Li Fangfang dare to breathe heavily.
She slumped onto the doorstep and it took her a while to recover.
"Has this woman gone mad! Threatening people with a knife, does she even want to live in the village anymore?!"
The more Li Fangfang thought about it, the more she felt something was wrong.
That day, she witnessed Lu Jianguo grab a carrying pole, rush up, and smash it on Shen Cuifen's head.
Shen Cuifen collapsed to the ground on the spot, blood flowing down her forehead.
Logically, she should be bedridden for a few days due to this kind of injury.
They should even become mentally impaired.
Unexpectedly, she got up the next day.
Not only was he full of energy, but his temperament had also become ten times more ruthless than before.
Something's wrong, something's really wrong, it's like I'm possessed by something!
When the thought popped into Li Fangfang's head, she was startled.
She didn't believe in ghosts or gods, but the facts before her eyes were too bizarre.
Li Fangfang swallowed hard, pulled herself out of her thoughts, and decided to go find Lu Shuixian and the other person first.
Li Fangfang dragged her heavy steps, asking from house to house, her voice filled with anxiety.
"Have you seen my old road? And the daffodils? Where did they go?"
But after asking around, everyone said they hadn't seen Lu Jianguo.
Unable to find anyone, Li Fangfang's heart sank deeper and deeper.
She stood under the big locust tree at the village entrance, wondering what would happen if they didn't return before dark.
He went to the village chief for help.
The village chief is a government official, so his words carry weight and he might be able to keep Shen Cuifen in check.
If you still can't find it, then you'll have to report it to the police station.
And so we waited and waited, and a whole day passed.
But Lu Jianguo still didn't return, and Lu Shuixian was nowhere to be found either.
At this moment, Shen Cuifen also returned carrying a large basket of pig feed.
She put the basket in the yard and went into the kitchen to prepare dinner.
Li Fangfang twitched her nose and smelled the rich aroma of meat.
"Aren't you afraid of getting your intestines clogged with fat and dying from overeating if you eat meat every day?!"
She was cursing under her breath, but she couldn't help but swallow hard.
After a while, Lu Zhongshun's clear voice came from the doorway.
Grandma! My mom wants you to come eat!
"I'm not going!"
Li Fangfang suddenly turned her head, her tone stiff.
"Hmph, who knows what she's up to? Maybe she's already poisoned my food, waiting for me to eat it!"
As she spoke, she spat fiercely onto the ground.
Although he spoke with great conviction.
But her eyes involuntarily drifted towards the kitchen.
What's gotten into Shen Cuifen today?
The grain was just distributed yesterday, so why are you calling for us to eat together again today?
Li Fangfang frowned, sensing that something was amiss.
Lu Zhongshun pursed his lips as he listened to Li Fangfang's harsh words, but he didn't take them seriously.
If you don't want to eat it, fine, the money saved is perfect for me to eat!
He was about to go back and tell Shen Cuifen when Li Fangfang said she wouldn't eat it.
But at that moment, Lu Guilin and Lu Fuquan suddenly rushed out of the house.
Then they went straight to the kitchen, one after the other.
They figured that since even Li Fangfang had been invited, it shouldn't be a problem for them, as her own sons, to go back and have a meal with her, right?
The first few meals were bland and pitiful.
Now, as soon as I smell the aroma of meat coming from the kitchen, I don't care about anything else.
All grudges and affections were thrown to the back of their minds.
When Lu Zhongshun saw his two older brothers rushing into the kitchen like mad dogs, his heart sank and he felt extremely distressed.
The big bone he'd been dreaming of gnawing on was about to be gone!
"Waaaaah!"
Lu Zhongshun groaned inwardly, wishing he could rush forward and stop them.
But they dared not actually make a move, and could only watch helplessly as the two figures disappeared at the kitchen door.
As soon as Lu Guilin and Lu Fuquan stepped across the threshold, they smelled a mouthwatering aroma of meat.
Hearing the noise, Shen Cuifen looked up at them.
She didn't get angry, nor did she stop her.
He simply said, "Wash your hands and come eat quickly."
The two brothers glanced at Shen Cuifen, their eyes full of disdain and mockery.
If I had known I would have to admit my mistake today, why was I so arrogant in the first place!
After washing their hands, the two sat down at the table.
The two of them looked at the steaming pot of large bones, their mouths practically watering.
Li Fangfang, standing under the eaves, kept her ears perked up, paying close attention to the sounds coming from the kitchen.
After listening for a while, I found that there was no noise or disturbance inside.
There was no sound of Lu Guilin and Lu Zhongshun being kicked out.
That made me feel much more at ease.
"Why not eat it if it's free! Only a fool would refuse to eat meat!"
Li Fangfang muttered to herself as she headed straight for the kitchen.
Anyway, Shen Cuifen asked Lu Zhongshun to invite her; it wasn't like she insisted on coming on her own!
She only came because of her grandson!
This thought swirled in her mind several times, becoming the biggest reason why she felt justified in entering the kitchen.
As soon as she entered, everyone glanced at Shen Cuifen.
His eyes held a hint of probing, and a touch of unease.
After all, Shen Cuifen had been in a bad mood lately.
Nobody knows if she'll flip the table any second now.
But Chen Cuifen remained expressionless and only served the last bowl of vegetables.
Then, she plopped down, not even glancing at Li Fangfang.
Li Fangfang glanced at the table; six sets of bowls and chopsticks were neatly arranged.
Her seat was still empty, right next to Lu Zhongshun.
Looking at the pot of steaming, oily bone broth.
Li Fangfang didn't have time to think much and walked over.
After Li Fangfang sat down, Shen Cuifen didn't even lift her eyelids, her expression remaining calm.
Now, Li Fangfang was completely relieved.
Since Shen Cuifen remained silent, it meant she tacitly approved of her existence.
She didn't stand on ceremony and picked up her chopsticks to start eating.
Seeing this, the others also started eating.
As long as no one causes trouble, this meal can be finished peacefully.
But since Shen Cuifen didn't go to ladle out the soup, no one else dared to make a move first.
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