Su Qingzhi raised her hand and gently grasped her mother's hand, her voice soft yet firm, "I know how much you've worried about me. But I can't just stand by and watch you suffer. We're family, we share the hardships and the joys, that's what family is all about."
Zhu Xiuqin quickly put some vegetables into her bowl. They were freshly stir-fried greens, tender and bright green. She said softly, "Eat more to nourish your body. You can't neglect yourself now. You're carrying a little life inside you. You have to let him grow up healthy."
"Yes, don't just focus on me, eat some too."
Su Qingzhi smiled and nodded, then picked up another piece of shredded potato and put it into her mother's bowl. "There's still plenty of food, enough for two meals. Don't just focus on me, you've all been hungry all day."
Xie Daping stared at the bowl of mushy vegetables on the table. The leaves had long since turned yellow from overcooking, the broth was murky, and a few wilted vegetable stalks floated on the surface, making it look completely unappetizing.
He was clutching a dark, rough-looking cornbread in his hand, with bits of ash still clinging to its edges, as if it had just been pulled from the stove.
But just then, a rich and tempting aroma of meat kept wafting into his nose. The aroma, which carried the smoky scent of oil and the unique freshness of wild game, was coming from next door and stimulating his sense of smell.
His face darkened instantly, his brows furrowed, and his lips pressed into a thin line, as if he had been slapped in the face.
Wang Chunhua and her family members also gave her a cold shoulder.
She sat on a bench, holding a rough bowl that was equally hard to swallow, her gaze sweeping over the food on the table, her eyes filled with suppressed anger.
The other relatives also remained silent, the atmosphere heavy as if a stone were pressing down on them.
The village distributed pheasant meat today, and every household received a small portion. The meat was glistening with oil and firm, and even the children got a bite to satisfy their cravings.
But this family was the only one left out; no one got anything.
Even the team leader's wife, who is usually the most accurate in remembering things, said, "Oh dear, I forgot about their family."
This may sound like an oversight, but everyone knows in their hearts that it was intentional.
This feeling of suffocation made my heart ache.
It felt like a wad of wet cotton was stuck in my chest, I couldn't exhale or swallow it, and the more I thought about it, the angrier I got.
They're from the same village, so why can others eat meat while they can't even smell it?
This isn't just about dividing the meat; it's about being stepped on in public and having to laugh and say you tripped over it.
"It's all your fault, you and your mother! Why did you provoke them? What good will it do you to get Su Qianfan and the others injured?"
Xie Daping suddenly erupted, his voice hoarse and his eyes bloodshot, "If you hadn't meddled and brought them home, would this mess have happened? Now look what's happened, we can't even get a bite of meat. You guys are really something!"
He flung his chopsticks away, the wooden chopsticks hitting the muddy ground with a crisp sound, scattering rice grains all over the ground.
He could have eaten meat today too.
He was a work recorder, and the team leader had initially agreed to give him an extra piece of work, saying that he worked hard every day.
But because he didn't stop Su Yueyue and Wang Chunhua from taking in the injured Su Qianfan brothers that day, rumors spread, and the captain lost face, so he simply pretended to have forgotten about their family.
"What did we do? How dare you blame us?"
Wang Chunhua suddenly looked up, her voice booming like thunder in the room, "The pork Yueyue brought back the other day, did she feed it to the dogs or the pigs? That time she bought two whole pieces of pork belly from town, all juicy and oily, and stewed it with cabbage and vermicelli. You all fought over it, gnawing on every bone! It's just a few pieces of pheasant meat, why are you all making such a fuss? Who cares?"
She grew angrier as she spoke, her chest heaving violently—when they ate the meat Yueyue bought, why didn't they say a single sweet word to her?
Why didn't they say "thanks to Yueyue"?
Instead, they ate with gusto, their mouths greasy, and praised her for being "ambitious."
Now that the tide has turned, they immediately turn their backs on them, blaming all the mistakes on the mother and daughter, as if they were the root of all evil.
Now that they haven't received any meat, they're bringing up old grievances?
This is so shameless it's chilling!
"Mom, please don't be angry."
Su Yueyue quickly reached out and gently rubbed her back, afraid that she would get sick from getting upset.
Her fingertips were slightly cool, but her strength was firm as she gently stroked Wang Chunhua's tense back.
Her gaze swept coldly over Xie Daping and the others, her eyes like icicles, piercing straight at those who were watching coldly and kicking them when they were down. "Once I've saved up 120 work points, I'll earn more money and I'll definitely buy you pig's trotters, stew them until they're tender, and you can have as much as you want. I'll even let you drink your fill of soup."
She had been holding back a thought for a long time: if her mother didn't have nowhere else to live, she would really want her mother to just leave this mess.
This home is no longer a home, but a quagmire that sucks blood.
Every time she tries to gain a little light, someone desperately pulls her down.
None of her family members could help her; they were all holding her back and complaining that she wasn't moving slowly enough.
"My daughter is so sensible."
Upon hearing this, Wang Chunhua felt much of the pent-up anger dissipate.
Her eyes were slightly red, and her voice softened.
She reached out and took Su Yueyue's hand in hers. The hand was rough and calloused, but warm and strong. "Mom believes in you. Mom knows you care about me."
Yes, this girl is like her father—kind-hearted and affectionate.
When her father was alive, he was the same way, preferring to go hungry himself rather than let his wife and daughter suffer.
If he hadn't left so early...
A high fever, with no medicine in the village and the town too far away, dragged on and on until it was gone.
How could she stand such humiliation?
They should have taken their daughter and left this poor mountain village long ago to find a quiet place to live.
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