"Don't accuse me wrongly! I didn't see you, how can I divide it? Besides, this belongs to Yao Yao, not mine."
Upon seeing Zhao Honghui's dark expression, Zhao Chunling quickly went out to explain herself.
Xie Yuyao followed him out, and saw the man's expression change in a second, then soften instantly.
She chuckled. "You two take it and share it with the children."
Zhao Chunling reluctantly handed a piece to Zhao Hongqin, then went to call Daya to eat some pastries.
That evening, Xie Yuyao joined them at the dinner table, which made Zhao Laoda and his sons much more refined. Even Zhao Chunling and Zhao Hongqin, who often fought over food, became ladylike.
Yang Chunhua pushed a bowl of egg drop soup, which she had specially cooked for Xie Yuyao, in front of her and said warmly, "Yaoyao, don't be shy, make yourself at home, and take whatever you want to eat."
Xie Yuyao returned a sincere smile: "Auntie, you all eat too, everyone eat."
After saying that, she tried to move the egg drop soup to the middle of the table.
"I'll do it!"
Zhao Honghui, who was sitting on the left, picked up Xie Yuyao's empty bowl, scooped a bowlful for her, and then had Yang Chunhua distribute it to everyone.
Xie Yuyao took a sip, and found it so salty that she quickly ate several mouthfuls of brown rice to relieve the strange taste in her mouth.
Zhao Honghui, who was secretly watching her, immediately got up and poured her a glass of water, saying softly, "Is it too salty? Drink some water."
Xie Yuyao had just finished drinking a glass of water when Yang Chunhua finished serving the egg drop soup and started serving the stir-fried green beans with shredded pork.
She put a large chopstickful into Xie Yuyao's bowl, then divided the rest among the old lady, the men, the children, and finally her two daughters-in-law.
Xie Yuyao took another bite, and unsurprisingly, it was terribly salty again.
If it weren't for the fact that everyone else was eating without any problems, she would have almost suspected that the person who cooked the meal was deliberately messing with her.
Hearing the loud smacking sounds of food being eaten all around her, Xie Yuyao was utterly shocked: How long had they been subjected to such torment that this family had become so accustomed to such unpalatable food!
Zhao Honghui got up again and poured her a glass of water.
Those in the family know their own situation best. His younger brother's wife, Wen Xiumei, who is in charge of cooking, is indeed a terrible cook; she just boils everything until it's cooked through. As for the meat and eggs that are eaten infrequently, she makes them excessively salty, believing that only this way will everyone have enough to eat.
We've been eating this for years and are used to it.
He himself had eaten grass roots and tree bark when he was on arduous missions, so he was not picky about food and did not expect that Yao Yao would not be used to it.
He watched as Xie Yuyao struggled to swallow a mouthful of brown rice, then leaned close to her ear and whispered, "How about I make you some noodles?"
"Need not."
Farmers who work hard all day tend to eat quickly. In just a few minutes, only a few vegetable leaves and some soup remain in the bowls and plates on the table.
The people at the table put down their chopsticks one after another, announcing that they had finished eating.
Xie Yuyao had only eaten a few bites when she stared blankly at the people who put down their bowls and chopsticks and left the table. Apart from Zhao Honghui, who was sitting with her, only Er Ya, who was not yet two years old and was being fed egg custard by Wen Xiumei, remained at the table.
"Um, how about I cook something else?" Yang Chunhua looked at the empty plates on the table, feeling a little embarrassed.
Upon seeing this, Xie Yuyao immediately declined, saying, "No..."
However, before she could finish speaking, Zhao Honghui interrupted her with his loud male voice, "Mom, let's do it ourselves."
What if Yao Yao doesn't like what Mom makes? It would be better to let Yao Yao watch him cook.
Yang Chunhua and Wen Xiumei: ......
Is this because they're being rejected?
Xie Yuyao: ......
This meal was so awkward on my first visit!
Even more embarrassingly, Zhao Honghui, adhering to the principle of not wasting food, quickly ate all of Xie Yuyao's leftovers.
Seeing the man wolfing down his food beside her, Xie Yuyao was so shocked that she forgot to move.
Her face flushed instantly, and her heart pounded as if a flame was burning within it, a mixture of heat and sweetness.
*
In the end, this extra meal was not made.
Xie Yuyao firmly stated that she was full and did not need any more help.
If she gets hungry, she can easily sneak into her private space at night when no one is around and have a delicious meal.
Zhao Honghui, unaware that she had prepared her own supplies, felt guilty. He rummaged through Zhao Chunling's belongings and found a lot of pastries and snacks. "You can make do with these. We'll go to the commune for breakfast together tomorrow morning."
Xie Yuyao wanted to take a shower and go to sleep more than eat. She hadn't had a proper rest since 3 a.m.
She listlessly placed the pastries and snacks on the table, saying, "I wanted to take a bath, but my bathtub broke."
Zhao Honghui immediately said, "I'll go to the carpenter's house now and see if he has any. Wait for me to come back."
"Do you have a bathroom at home? I can take a shower if I want." Xie Yuyao grabbed him.
"Yes, but it's cold now, and showering is too cold."
"Don't worry, it'll be over soon." She didn't want him to go through any more trouble. He had been with her since dawn, and his pain had flared up again this morning.
Thinking of this, she immediately opened the water bottle that was originally in the box, poured a cup of spiritual spring water and handed it to him. "Your food is so salty, you should drink more water."
Zhao Honghui smiled, took the cup, and drank it all in one gulp.
He now finally understood why Yao Yao insisted on living a secluded life behind closed doors. With such a large family, she couldn't even eat properly; how could she possibly survive?
"I'll go to the kitchen to get some hot water."
Zhao Honghui went to the kitchen, filled a bucket with hot water, and carried it to the bathroom for Xie Yuyao to take a shower.
After she finished washing and returned to the house, Zhao Honghui found a dry towel, closed the door to block the cold wind, and went to the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed) to dry her wet hair.
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