Chapter 429: Peacemaking
So Manbao reached out and took Third Uncle Qian's hand, and when he squeezed it, it just showed the missing little finger on his left hand. Manbao couldn't help but turn the words of comfort on his lips, "Third Uncle, even for your other little finger, you can't go to the gambling house anymore."
Uncle Qian: ...
He gritted his teeth and whispered, "I didn't go to the gambling house. I just went shopping in the county town and wandered there. If I knew who was gossiping about me in the village..."
"Even if you want to hang out, you can't hang around near a gambling house," Manbao said, "You should learn from my fourth brother. He has been to the county town quite often in the past two years, but he never goes near a gambling house."
Manbao sighed like a grown-up, "Uncle, what's the fun in gambling? Meat is still delicious. If you have money, go buy some meat. The braised pork I had in the county town last time was really delicious."
Manbao felt even hungrier, so she simply left Uncle Qian and ran to the kitchen.
Uncle Qian San, who wanted to whisper something to her, only had time to see her back, and his outstretched hand didn't even catch her sleeve.
Manbao ran into the kitchen. Feng, He and Mrs. Qian were washing vegetables not far from the kitchen door, while Qian and her aunt were helping little Qian in the kitchen.
When Manbao ran in, Xiao Qian had just put a large pot of eggs and tofu into the pot. The tofu was left over from yesterday and had been soaked in well water, so it still had some flavor.
But as soon as she cooked it, all the smells disappeared.
Seeing Manbao, Xiao Qian put two eggs and a few pieces of tofu in a bowl and asked her to sit aside and eat.
Aunt Qian looked at her and laughed, saying to Qian: "This child's cooking skills are getting better and better."
The child was naturally talking about Xiao Qian.
Qian nodded and smiled, "The food she cooks is the best at home. Her sisters-in-law would rather cook everything inside and out than take turns cooking with her. They've all learned how to cook, and even taught her step by step, but for some reason, even though they use the same oil and salt, the food just comes out different."
Aunt Qian's eyes narrowed with laughter as she said, "This child has had this skill since she was little. When she was even shorter than the stove, she could already cook by standing on a stool. I was really scared the first time she cooked. I don't know how she got so bold. When the adults were not at home and she was hungry, she just lit a fire and cooked for herself. She used up half a can of my oil, and her three brothers kept saying it was delicious. Oh, how could it not be delicious? I used half a can of lard."
Manbao listened with great interest. She loved listening to these stories the most, especially the stories about the adults in the family when they were young.
Little Qian was a little embarrassed. When she looked down and saw Manbao's sparkling eyes, she tapped her forehead and said, "Hurry up and eat your food. What are you listening to?"
Manbao nodded immediately.
Qian smiled and said, "Our Manbao is far inferior to her sister-in-law. If she's hungry, she can even chew on the table legs. She just can't cook. Don't you think she's worried?"
"Why worry? Manbao is so talented. Even if she can't cook, there will always be people who can bring her food." Aunt Qian's heart moved when she said this, and she whispered, "I think this is a sign of her extraordinary destiny. Think about it, how can fairies cook for themselves? Isn't it just like having food and clothes provided for them?"
Qian's eyes lit up, and she clasped her hands together and said with a smile, "Sister-in-law is right. I wouldn't have thought of this if you hadn't mentioned it."
Manbao was stunned listening to this. She remembered that earlier, her mother asked her to learn more about cooking from her eldest sister-in-law, and said that with this skill, she would never have to worry about food and clothing no matter where she went. Because she only loved to eat, her mother was worried about not being able to eat.
How come everything has changed here?
Feng and others brought the washed vegetables into the kitchen.
There was no room for so many people to stand in the kitchen, so Qian simply asked them to clean up the tables, chairs and benches. She and her aunt Qian continued to help cut vegetables and light the fire in the kitchen.
Xiao Qian was only responsible for cooking.
Aunt Qian glanced outside and brought the topic back to Qian. "I see that your health has improved, and your family is becoming more harmonious. You should also be more patient with your brother-in-law and stop arguing with him all the time."
Qian agreed with a smile on her face, but she was feeling a little resentful towards Old Zhou in her heart.
Manbao spoke up for her mother, "Aunt, my mother didn't quarrel with my father. They are very good friends."
Aunt Qian smiled and tapped her forehead. "You're so clever. Okay, I won't say anything about your mother."
But when he turned around, he couldn't help but say something to her, but this time he lowered his voice, "Even if you quarrel, it's a private matter between husband and wife. You can just quarrel in the room. You really shouldn't quarrel outside. Otherwise, it will make your brother-in-law lose face."
She whispered, "He's already a grandfather, and the older he gets, the more respectable he becomes. If he goes out and the villagers see him and ask him questions, or tease him mischievously, won't he be annoyed? If he gets annoyed, he'll definitely come back to argue with you, and in the end, you'll be the one who gets pissed off."
Manbao moved a small stool and sat not far from their feet to eat, and was stunned by what he heard.
Could it be that without her knowing, her father and her mother had a falling out? Did they even fight?
Qian responded in a low voice, occasionally glancing at the little girl in a warning. Manbao knew what to do and kept quiet, not daring to ask any questions at this time.
It was not until the afternoon, when everyone had finished lunch and sent the Qian family away, that Qian glanced at Old Zhou and turned back to the house.
Old Zhou pondered the meaning of this look for a moment, then asked the little girl uncertainly, "Is your mother happy or unhappy?"
Manbao said with a stiff upper lip: "Are you happy?"
"That's right," Old Zhou also became happy. "I've earned so much money, how can I not be happy?"
He decided to go back and count the silver.
There were still 122 taels of silver in the box. In the first half of his life, Old Zhou had never seen so much silver.
Qian had never seen it either, but she knew in her heart that at least Manbao's share of the money must be more than this, so she only took a glance and then looked at Old Zhou and asked, "Did you go out and say bad things about me?"
Old Zhou asked casually, "What bad things did I say about you?"
Qian couldn't help but slam the bed, and Manbao ran in. Her anger paused, but then she remembered that she hadn't had an argument with Old Zhou in years, so she suppressed her anger and said, "Didn't you say that? We were at Dayuan's house this afternoon, and some people also visited there. They said you were angry about the wheat seed change, so you even asked my family to come and help you..."
Qian paused, feeling something was amiss, but continued, "Then you kicked me out, and my family all sided with you. You even spread the word that you didn't argue with me before because I wasn't feeling well, but now that I'm well, you'll have to beat me every three days..."
Old Zhou looked bewildered. "No, when did I say that? I, am I wronged? Others don't know why Big Brother and the others came, but don't you know?"
(End of this chapter)
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