Chapter 11
◎ Wei Bili did not choose to be the bullied sister with Bei Bitang as she did before.
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Wei Bili did not choose to be the bullied sister with Bei Bitang as she did before.
She directly confronted Huang Dashan, who was happily drinking white wine, and stared at him, "Brother-in-law, you are a brother-in-law, how dare you snatch a little food from your younger sister? Isn't it the responsibility of a brother-in-law to protect his younger siblings? What do you think, brother-in-law?"
Huang Dashan, who was always so carefree, felt uncomfortable when he saw Wei Bili's eyes. He quickly said, "Yes, it's my duty. Eat more, little sister."
He said this, but did nothing.
Wei Bili said nothing and continued to look at him with a half-smile.
Huang Dashan put down his wine glass and placed the plate of fried fish in front of Wei Bili with a frustrated look on his face. He said angrily, "Is this okay? My little sister can't reach it?"
Wei Bili was reluctantly satisfied and withdrew her gaze from Huang Dashan, but ignored his words.
Miao Xiuxiu didn't say anything, but Lin Bilan chimed in. "Bili, why are you so sarcastic and mean? You usually talk to your brother-in-law like that too. How can he stand you?"
Wei Bili didn't look at her. She picked up some food for Bei Bitang and said nonchalantly, "Can you bear it? Can't you? We're already married. What should I be afraid of?"
After a pause, she looked up at Lin Bilan and said, "If you ask me, Big Sister should learn from me and speak more firmly."
Now she wasn't relying on her parents for food; her husband earned everything she ate and drank. She could speak her mind freely, at least feeling at ease. She didn't want to be the soft-hearted person she was before, where anyone could lecture her and tell her what to do, yet she had to endure the injustice. If she continued to endure, what was the point of getting married?
Lin Bilan choked and looked embarrassed.
Bei Bitang lowered her head and ate the food that her second sister picked for her with a bitter taste.
For a moment, the people at the table were clearly divided, like the boundary between Chu and Han.
Miao Xiuxiu got up and went to the kitchen, bringing back a pressure cooker. She placed the pressure cooker in the middle of the table and opened the lid.
White mist rose from the pot, and a strong and delicious aroma filled the whole house.
Miao Xiuxiu stirred the food with a long-handled spoon and fished out two large, uncut chicken legs. She put one in Xiao Maotou's bowl and the other in Huang Dashan's bowl. She said, "What a pity! I had originally reserved one chicken leg for my second uncle, but he didn't come."
Wei Bili asked with a smile: "Mom, if the golden dragon comes, one will be given to him and who will get the other one?"
Miao Xiuxiu blurted out: "Of course the other one is for my son-in-law!"
Wei Bili's smile turned sarcastic, and she said in a cold tone, "So the son-in-law is fighting with his own son for the chicken leg."
Lin Bilan defended Huang Dashan, saying, "If Mommy gave the chicken leg to Dashan, he would definitely give it to Xiaokang."
Wei Bili smiled and said nothing more, thinking to herself, that's not necessarily true. Before she got married, she and her mother took care of the little boy. Lin Bilan and Huang Dashan only had to go to work and didn't do anything else. After she got married, the little boy was taken care of by her mother and Lin Bilan, and Huang Dashan, as the father, didn't care either.
Since the birth of Xiao Maotou, what has Huang Dashan done for him? Nothing more than pinching Xiao Maotou's face and hugging him when he's happy. Don't even mention that all the money Huang Dashan earns will belong to Xiao Maotou in the future. If he smokes and drinks all the time, how much money will he have left?
Don't look at how Huang Dashan seemed anxious about not having a child before Lin Bilan got pregnant. He was simply trying to control his mother and eldest sister. He didn't seem to care much after they had a son. He just talked about it, and he didn't have to put in any effort. He just felt good. He didn't put in any effort. How much could he care? Could he care without putting in any effort?
It’s not like Miao Xiuxiu and Lin Bilan didn’t ask him to take care of the little brat, but he turned a deaf ear to them.
Bei Bitang suddenly said, "Mom, since my second brother-in-law isn't coming, you can add some chicken legs and chicken broth to my second sister's meal. These are good old hens raised in the countryside, fed with rice bran. I simmered them for over two hours and they're delicious."
Bei Bitang also spoke more firmly. No matter what, she was the source of the matter, and Second Sister was standing up for her. She couldn't just stand by and watch.
Miao Xiuxiu put a chicken wing into Bei Bitang's bowl and said unhappily, "Just eat it. Why are you talking so much?"
Wei Bili's return this time has caused Bei Bitang to act abnormal, so she usually wants Wei Bili to come back to her parents' home, but she also doesn't want her to come back, which is very contradictory.
At this time, the little boy pointed at the chicken drumstick in the bowl in front of him and said in a childish voice, "Auntie, eat."
It was obvious that Wei Bili, as his aunt, loved him very much. Wei Bili was very pleased to hear this. Before she could say anything, Miao Xiuxiu said, "Auntie has eaten. Your auntie usually eats spicy food, so you don't need to eat. Be good, little brat, eat by yourself. Eat the big chicken drumstick and you will grow up taller, go to college and have an office job, and your grandma, mom and dad will enjoy the good life too."
While speaking, Miao Xiuxiu secretly glanced at Huang Dashan's expression. Huang Dashan, who had a sullen face, smiled, and Miao Xiuxiu felt relieved.
Miao Xiuxiu didn't understand why Wei Bili was so stubborn. She would confront everyone as soon as she returned to her parents' home, as if everyone was against her.
Huang Dashan looked at Bei Bitang, thinking of the phone call, and asked, "Does my little sister have a boyfriend in the northwest?"
Bei Bitang didn't look at him and said, "No, thank you for your concern, brother-in-law."
Huang Dashan drank his wine and said sincerely: "Your eldest sister-in-law is popular and has many brothers, many of whom are unmarried. I will introduce one to you."
Huang Dashan was speaking from the heart. He truly felt that his so-called good brothers were worthy of Bei Bitang, and he was not saying this out of jealousy over Bei Bitang's success.
This made Huang Dashan's words even more infuriating.
Bei Bitang said coldly, "Don't bother my brother-in-law with an introduction. I don't want to find one yet. I want to wait until after my twentieth birthday."
Let’s delay it as long as possible, Bei Bitang thought sadly.
Wei Bili was annoyed. Was there no room for her younger sister again?
She said, "Brother-in-law, don't worry about my affairs. A grown man should shoulder more responsibilities and earn more money. I will introduce someone to my sister."
Miao Xiuxiu interrupted and said, "If you don't look for one now, you'll end up finding someone who's already been picked over by others, and there won't be much good left. And then you'll look down on them and become an old maid. How will that sound good to others?"
Wei Bili glared angrily and objected, "Mom, how can you be considered old at 20?"
Miao Xiuxiu was unconvinced and wanted to argue back, but Bei Bitang interrupted their argument and said vaguely, "A year at most. I just got back."
Miao Xiuxiu and Wei Bili, mother and daughter, glared at each other, then picked up their bowls and started eating at the same time, as if they were competing.
Huang Dashan didn't want to let Bei Bitang go. He said again, "Little sister, you saved some money in the northwest, right? Educated youth get subsidies, and it's not impossible to make money in the countryside. Otherwise, how would those country people live?"
Bei Bitang had calmed down. She said decisively, "Without money, we're going to starve. I'll go to the neighborhood office in a few days to ask about my job."
Wei Bili comforted her, saying, "There's no rush. You just returned to Shanghai, so take a good rest, go shopping, and meet up with old classmates."
She lowered her eyes and continued, "Little sister, how much can a little girl eat? I live in my own home, with my mother, my older sister, and my older brother-in-law. I'm not an orphan. How could I possibly starve?"
Huang Dashan and Lin Bilan looked at each other, and Lin Bilan muttered, "Bili is really protective of her little sister."
But he didn't say anything unpleasant afterwards.
The dishes on the plates, dishes and bowls gradually became less and less, and the meal lasted for more than two hours.
After dinner, Bei Bitang volunteered, "I'll take Second Sister down to the alley entrance."
Lin Bilan said as she cleared the table, "Let's stop chatting. It's just the three of us sisters."
It's not like the three sisters didn't have a good time together. They slept together, talked about everything, and shared the same popsicle and the same apple... But that happened so long ago that they almost forgot about it.
Bei Bitang looked at Wei Bili.
Wei Bili bent down and touched the little boy's head, saying softly, "You can only eat half a banana later. If you eat too much, your stomach will hurt. You have to be obedient. Next time, I will bring you White Rabbit milk candy."
The little brat nodded repeatedly.
Wei Bili stood up and said, "No, it's too late today. Let's talk next time."
Bei Bitang held Wei Bili's arm and walked slowly, and Wei Bili also deliberately slowed down her pace.
The grandparents who were lying on chairs in the alley, gently waving palm-leaf fans and swatting mosquitoes, saw this and sighed that the two sisters had such a good relationship.
Hearing this, Bei Bitang and Wei Bili looked at each other and smiled.
The moon is bright, the stars are sparse, the breeze is gentle, and the insects are chirping.
Bei Bitang looked at Wei Bili several times, observing the expression on her face, and then hesitantly asked, "Second sister, are you and your brother-in-law on good terms?"
While she was in the northwest, Second Sister sent her a few intermittent letters, simply saying she was doing well and everything was fine at home, interspersed with a few anecdotes about her childhood. As for her own marriage, Second Sister only briefly mentioned that she was getting married, and her wife's name was Chen Jinlong. The last letter was a thank you for the wedding gift.
Wei Bili laughed and said leisurely, "Of course it's okay. If it's not okay, I can marry him."
Bei Bitang didn't understand the hidden meaning of this sentence. Even though she was very smart, she didn't understand the complicated emotions between husband and wife at this moment.
Bei Bitang breathed a sigh of relief and said happily, "Second sister, I have always hoped that you could be happy and not end up like the eldest sister."
Wei Bili smiled even more broadly and said, "Don't worry, what I like is different from what my eldest sister likes. Besides, my eldest sister doesn't feel unhappy. She thinks she is very happy and is the one who has the best life among the three of us. And it's not just my eldest sister who thinks so. From the perspective of the world, it's the same. My eldest sister's life is happy and fulfilling."
After a pause, Wei Bili turned around and looked at Bei Bitang's fair and delicate face. She sighed and said earnestly, "Little sister, don't worry about the eldest and second sisters. You are nineteen years old. This age is extremely important for a girl. You can't make a mistake easily. Think about your own affairs carefully."
Bei Bitang said dejectedly, "Now I just want to find a job to support myself."
Wei Bili thought to herself that her younger sister was taking work too lightly. However, she was in no hurry to enlighten her and ruin the warm conversation between the sisters.
When they reached the bus stop, the two of them stopped talking about heavy topics like family matters and future plans. They only talked about things that made the atmosphere light and cheerful.
Bei Bitang talked about the scenery of the northwest and the customs of the desert, while Wei Bili talked about the changes in Shanghai over the years and the gossip that happened in the alley when Bei Bitang was away.
Bei Bitang did not go back immediately, but accompanied Wei Bili to wait for the bus to arrive.
Wei Bili estimated that the bus she was going to take would soon arrive.
Still unable to resist, he said, "Little sister, please don't think I'm controlling you too much. I still have something in my heart that I want to tell you."
Bei Bitang immediately said, "Second sister, we are sisters and good friends. There is nothing we can't say. Just say whatever you want to say."
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