Chapter 161 Sui Sui stood up straight
Sui Sui remained calm, seemingly already accustomed to her mother's sarcastic remarks.
She put the cabbage in the kitchen, turned around and waved to Xiaobao, "Come on, Xiaobao, have some meat rolls, see if they're delicious."
"It's been so long! Little Bao, I've missed you so much! Little Bao's here!"
Little Bao, with his chubby body, took the large steamed bun. The meat filling was wrapped in layers of rolls, and the aroma was irresistible.
He was just about to start taking a bite, but before he could even get a bite, Fengmei, feeling resentful, raised her hand and knocked the steamed bun away.
"Eat, eat, eat! What are you eating! Aren't you afraid it's poisonous?"
Xiao Bao froze for a second, then burst into tears.
Sui Sui finally lost her temper and slammed the bowl she was holding onto the table. "Enough!"
She stared intently at her mother, "Why do you have to spoil the children's fun when they're happiest? Can't you stand to see your children doing well? Xiao Bao just wants to eat steamed buns, what right do you have to impose your emotions on us?"
She knew that her mother was causing trouble because her father had been taking out his anger on her after being punished recently, and she was taking it out on the children.
Previously, she was weak and could only passively bear the negative emotions of her parents.
But now she doesn't want to do that anymore.
"Are you criticizing me? I'm your mother, what right do you have to criticize me?"
Hearing such a blunt accusation, Fengmei's eyes were filled with disbelief, and her tone instantly became distorted and sharp, "It's always parents who criticize their children, never children who criticize their parents! Who am I working so hard for? Isn't it all for you and your brother? How dare you say such things to me?!"
Sui Sui's words brutally tore away her dignity, instantly stripping away any semblance of authority she held as a parent.
This is something she absolutely cannot tolerate.
"Do you like eating other people's food and acting as a lapdog begging for food?"
Fengmei grabbed the meat roll and threw it at her feet like a madwoman. She stomped on it relentlessly until it was completely mangled, then she revealed a ferocious smile. "I'll let you eat it! I'll let you eat it! Let's see if you still want to eat it!"
Han Xiaobao had never seen his mother so crazy.
In an instant, he was so frightened that he burst into tears and dared not move an inch.
Sui Sui stood up and pushed her mother away forcefully, "Mom, what are you trying to do?!"
Her eyes reddened, and large tears fell.
"Wasting food is wrong! Xiao Bao did nothing wrong! Why are you throwing and hitting him like this!"
Fengmei's hair was spread out loose, making her look like a madwoman.
She pointed at Sui Sui fiercely, "You! You've been corrupted by that brat Jiang Zhizhi! Don't think I don't know. Once you're involved with that Jiang family, nothing good ever comes of it! Look at your father now, he goes out to train before dawn and doesn't come back until evening. His salary is decreasing every day. And me? I work three shifts a day and then the night. The factory hasn't paid me for three months, and I could be laid off at any time. We, as your parents, work so hard to earn money to support you two! And yet you two are such good-for-nothings!"
She had long disliked the Jiang couple; they were all from the military region and were all military dependents.
In their homes, soap is practically reduced to crumbs, but they still have to rub it and keep using it. Toothpaste even needs to be squeezed out completely with a rolling pin, pressing out the last bit to use.
She herself didn't know how many years it had been since she had changed her clothes and pants.
Both of them came from the military, so why is it that their family eats nothing but tofu and cabbage every day, while the Jiang family can eat fish and meat every day, and even the Yuan family, who are on good terms with them, also enjoy a life of luxury every day?
It's understandable that there's nothing wrong with a regimental commander and a political commissar hanging out together.
But Li Zhengyang, of all people, was eager to join in the fun and married a divorced woman. He was so happy for her that he wanted to take her everywhere he went.
Grandma Li's family was already struggling to make ends meet, and now?
Do Zhizhi and Yuanhui come to visit Cuiping every few days? They bring candied hawthorns and baskets of strawberries.
Strawberries are more expensive than pork in winter outside, and I've never seen such fresh fruit before.
Grandma Li's family's life also started to improve. In other words, among all the military dependents' homes, those who knew the Jiang family were the worst off.
I've never seen Jiang Zhizhi bring food and come to visit my home.
They gave us these two big steamed buns, worthless junk. Who are they trying to fool?
"Was that the hot pot they ate ten days ago? The spicy and fragrant aroma is wafting all over our yard. Why don't you go and eat some?"
"Oh~" Fengmei said sourly, her eyes sharp, "Because they didn't invite you. If they were really close to you, they should have come to your house to invite you over for dinner, and invited our family to visit, so we could have tasted what mutton and beef taste like! Your mother has only ever heard of Sichuan hot pot in her life, but she has never actually tasted it!"
"Life is tough these days. Go out and ask around, and you'll find that everyone is tightening their belts and splitting every penny in half."
Sui Sui couldn't stand it anymore, "But what does this have to do with Zhi Zhi's family? They're not part of the targeted poverty alleviation program, so why should we resent them just because they don't give us money or food?"
"You're a treacherous, ungrateful wretch! What did I teach you to play along with her for? You didn't actually think I wanted you to fall for her, did you? Are you out of your mind? I wanted you to figure out where she got her money so we could use it!"
Fengmei, as if she were disappointed in Sui Sui, reached out and jabbed her hard on the forehead.
Sui Sui's delicate skin was immediately scratched and bled by her mother's fingernails. Her eyes were filled with tears, but her face still wore a mocking smile.
That laugh seemed to be the greatest irony directed at the mother.
It's like watching a clown, quietly observing her break down.
"Mom, you don't care about me at all, and you don't treat me like a human being. You just want a sensible daughter, and I have already given you what you wanted."
Sui Sui pointed to the cabbage on the ground, "This is what I earned from working today."
Fengmei rolled her eyes. "It's just some rotten cabbage."
As she spoke, she glanced at the dish several times.
Sui Sui calmly wiped away her tears, sat back down at the table, and took out some money from the inside pocket of her cotton-padded jacket.
"I'm on winter break from kindergarten, and staying home with you is just causing you trouble, so I went to help out at Zhizhi's house. This is hard-earned money, you see..."
The moment the money was taken out.
Fengmei's eyes lit up instantly, and she could hardly move her feet.
She reached out to snatch it, but Sui Sui seemed to have anticipated her thoughts and withdrew her hand the instant she tried to grab it.
Fengmei missed her target and was about to fly into a rage again.
"Don't rush. I'm still so young. Aren't all the money I earn going back to my family?"
Sui Sui spoke these words expressionlessly, but her eyes were clear, showing no genuine intention of compliance whatsoever.
“She gives me a dime a day as wages, and at the end of the year she will also give me two ounces of pork, all of which I will hand over to my family.”
She stiffly turned her head to look at her mother, and slowly forced a smile.
"So, can I go back to helping Zhizhi's family now?"
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