Zhao Di was so frightened that she burst into tears.
Xia Chunmei was so angry that she almost died on the spot!
She angrily dragged Xia Qiumei out, picked up a branch from the ground and whipped her buttocks twice, making Xia Qiumei howl in pain.
Hearing the commotion, Xia Mingshi came out and advised, "Chunmei, stop hitting her, let it go."
"Grandma Ming, don't stop her! She won't learn her lesson until she's beaten to a pulp!" Xia Chunmei was truly furious. "Xia Qiumei, I'm telling you this now: if you don't apologize and admit your mistake, you won't get a single grain of rice in this house, and don't call me 'Big Sister' anymore! Go stand in the corner!"
Xia Chunmei pushed her to the corner and made her face the wall to reflect on her actions.
Xia Qiumei sat on the ground, crying uncontrollably, refusing to stand or face the wall.
Xia Chunmei held her up with one hand and used a tree branch to hit her bottom with the other.
Xia Mingshi quickly came over to break up the fight, and Aunt Lihua also came over to persuade them.
Xia Qiumei felt she had an ally and tearfully accused Xia Chunmei of not feeding her, cooking delicious food for outsiders but not giving her any, and even beating her.
"You show no remorse and dare to overturn the bowl! Beating you is too lenient; I'll make sure you starve every day, you believe me?"
“If your sister won’t give you any, your aunt will. Come on, let’s go to your aunt’s house to eat. After we eat, your aunt will help you scold your sister.” Aunt Pear Blossom coaxed Xia Qiumei to her house.
Xia Chunmei then turned and went back into the house. Xiang Nan and Duo Yu continued to eat with relish, while Tian Cuiya and Zhao Di were a little hesitant and embarrassed to continue eating.
"Zhaodi, are you burned? Come here, let Auntie take a look." Xia Chunmei held her hands and checked them repeatedly. Fortunately, she wasn't burned.
If someone gets burned or disfigured, it can ruin their entire life!
"Aunt Chunmei, can I...can I really go with you to the banquet?" Zhaodi asked cautiously.
"Auntie keeps her word, but preparing a banquet is hard work; you have to get up very early. Can you manage?"
“Auntie, I’m not afraid of hard work, really!” Zhao Di’s eyes were firm.
"That's good. You'll have to get up early tomorrow, as we need to leave at 1:15 AM."
Tian Cuiya was so excited that tears welled up in her eyes. She quickly said, "Chunmei, thank you. Don't worry, I will definitely teach Dongmei well."
Xia Chunmei is no longer worried about this. After all, her daughter works with her. Although she is weak and cowardly, she is not stupid and knows what is in the best interest of her child.
Xia Qiumei had breakfast at Aunt Lihua's house. Xia Qiumei had become quite picky about food lately, and she found Aunt Lihua's breakfast hard to swallow.
Xia Qiang and Aunt Lihua saw Xia Qiumei's expression and sighed inwardly. They thought to themselves, "We've only had a few good days, and she's already complaining that the sorghum porridge doesn't taste good anymore."
After Xia Qiumei finished eating, Aunt Lihua said earnestly, "Qiumei, you need to be more understanding of your older sister. If it weren't for her ability, you wouldn't even be able to afford sorghum porridge. Go back and apologize to your older sister later, okay?"
Xia Qiumei, her eyes red, pleaded, "Auntie, I want to go with my older sister to the banquet. Please, please ask her for me."
She went along to the banquet, where there were delicious dishes and food. Countless friends in the village envied her.
If she can't go now, who will envy her? Others will envy Zhao Di and laugh at her.
How can she possibly show her face in public?
Aunt Lihua felt that Xia Qiumei had basically no chance of going to the banquet again, so she patiently advised her: "Your eldest sister is a reasonable and sensible person. You should go back and apologize to your eldest sister. Talk to her properly. It's okay if you can't go to the banquet. Just take good care of your two younger sisters at home, and your eldest sister can go out and earn money with peace of mind."
Upon hearing Aunt Lihua's words, Xia Qiumei felt that Aunt Lihua was not willing to plead for her, and tears streamed down her face.
At noon, Xia Chunmei made a delicious meal, the aroma of which wafted far and wide. However, Xia Qiumei did not admit her mistake or apologize, so Xia Chunmei refused to give her any. Xia Mingshi and Aunt Lihua both tried to persuade Xia Chunmei to let it go, but Xia Chunmei did not agree.
She had to teach Xia Qiumei a lesson!
Seeing that her second sister hadn't gotten any food, Xia Dongmei secretly hid a few pieces of pork ribs while Xia Chunmei wasn't looking.
Xia Chunmei has such sharp eyes; how could she not see through Dongmei's little scheme? She just didn't expose her, wanting to fulfill Dongmei's wishes.
"Second sister, this is something I secretly hid. You should eat it quickly, but don't let eldest sister see it." Xia Dongmei quietly stuffed the ribs into Xia Qiumei's hands.
Xia Qiumei couldn't help but wolf down her food: "Dongmei, you're still the best."
Xia Dongmei thought for a moment and said, "Second sister, I think eldest sister is right. Why don't you go and apologize?"
"But Zhao Di stole my job," Xia Qiumei couldn't help but shed tears. "People will definitely laugh at me now..."
"My older sister said this is the price for making a mistake and not repenting. She also said she would make me braised pork ribs next time. If you don't apologize, you won't get to eat them. My older sister is so capable, she can't be wrong. When you're not home, Zhao Di and Xiang Nan often help me dig earthworms to feed the chickens."
Xia Qiumei's expression changed drastically, and she said angrily, "They did it on purpose, deliberately trying to please us, then eating our food and taking advantage of us. Now they're even stealing my work. Dongmei, if you're still my sister, you're not allowed to talk to Zhaodi Xiangnan, and you're not allowed to play with them."
Dongmei hesitated for a moment, then said, "Second sister, I'll go in first, otherwise eldest sister will get suspicious."
As soon as Xia Dongmei left, Lin Xiaojuan appeared in front of Xia Qiumei: "Qiumei, I heard your sister isn't feeding you. Chunmei is really something, eating and drinking well at home while leaving you out here. It's so unfair. Are you hungry? Why don't you come to my house for a bite to eat?"
After saying that, Lin Xiaojuan pulled Xia Qiumei towards her home.
Xia Qiumei was very hungry, and Lin Xiaojuan was very enthusiastic, so she reluctantly went with her.
Lin Xiaojuan took out the steamed egg custard and pushed it in front of Xia Qiumei: "But my family's meals can't compare to yours. After all, none of us in the family earn as much money as your eldest sister. Your eldest sister must have made a lot of money running a kitchen."
Knowing the principle of not flaunting one's wealth, Xia Qiumei vaguely replied, "I haven't made much money."
Lin Xiaojuan laughed and said, "You're not telling your aunt the truth! Your aunt doesn't want to borrow money from you, but... Qiumei, if you had your own skills and could earn money, would you need to put up with your older sister's attitude?"
Hearing this, Xia Qiumei was greatly encouraged.
Seeing her reaction, Lin Xiaojuan was secretly pleased and continued, "I heard your eldest sister's cooking skills were taught by your father, but you haven't learned a single thing."
If you have a skill, you won't need your sister to take you, and you can even take others to host banquets.
Back then, you were the leader, just as prestigious as your eldest sister is now. You could bring whoever you wanted to the banquet.
After you get married, your in-laws won't dare to give you a hard time; they'll be the ones fawning over you and trying to please you. Then you won't have to hide away to eat ribs anymore; you can eat whatever you want now that you're earning your own money.
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