"It's time for dinner." She called softly and brought breakfast to the table one by one.
Zhang Shuo was already sitting in his seat, looking down at his phone. Feng Yulan noticed that he also had dark circles under his eyes, and there was a faint scent of perfume on him, which didn't smell like home.
She didn't dare ask, but just silently placed the runny egg in front of him.
"Why is this porridge so watery?" Zhang Shumin stirred the porridge in the bowl with a spoon. "Did you add too much water?"
Feng Yulan twisted her fingers together. "I...I'll take the two cups of rice you asked..."
"Didn't I teach you how much water to put in two cups of rice?" Zhang Shumin's voice rose an octave. "How is this any different from drinking rice soup?"
Zhang Shuo said without raising his head, "Mom, don't be angry, just eat it."
"Make do?" Zhang Shumin slammed the spoon down on the table. "My son works so hard every day, and when he comes home he can't even have a decent breakfast? How can you be a daughter-in-law?"
Feng Yulan stood there, feeling the dull pain in her knees return. Her vision blurred, and she had to hold onto the back of her chair to steady herself. She hadn't slept well for several days, and having skipped dinner, she felt dizzy.
"What are you still standing there for?" Zhang Shumin snapped. "Cook a new pot!"
Feng Yulan opened her mouth to say something, but her vision suddenly went dark. She felt herself falling forward and subconsciously grabbed the edge of the table.
"Why are you pretending?" Zhang Shumin's voice seemed to come from far away. "I'm telling you, this trick won't work on me!"
Feng Yulan felt someone roughly pull her, probably Zhang Shuo. Her vision slowly returned to her, and she saw Zhang Shumin looking at her with disgust.
"If you want to faint, go back to your room and don't be an eyesore here," the mother-in-law said coldly. "Go lie down. It's annoying just to look at you."
Feng Yulan, as if she had been pardoned, dragged her heavy steps back to the bedroom and fell on the bed without even taking off her shoes.
The sun had risen, and the sunlight shone through the gaps in the curtains onto the bed, forming a bright line. She stared at the light, her eyelids growing heavier...
The slam of the door startled her awake. Feng Yulan sat up abruptly, her back injured and she gasped in pain. The bedside clock read 7:45. She was going to be late for work!
She stumbled out of the bedroom and found that no one was home. There were empty bowls and plates on the dining table, and only a little porridge had been drunk. It seemed that Zhang Shumin had not asked her to cook it again.
The kitchen was a mess, the frying pan was soaking in the sink, and the bottom of the soy milk pot was covered with burnt water.
Feng Yulan cleaned up the kitchen as quickly as possible and rushed to the bathroom to wash up. The mirror showed her pale face and chapped lips.
She took some tap water and drank it. The cool water slid down her throat, temporarily relieving the discomfort in her stomach.
At 7:55, Feng Yulan rushed out of the house. As she ran down the stairs, she felt a sharp pain in her right knee, and she almost fell to her knees. After holding onto the wall for a few seconds, she continued running.
The supermarket opens at 8:30 AM, but their supervisor, Sister Chen, requires them to arrive fifteen minutes early to prepare for work. Being late once results in a half-day's pay deduction, and being late three times results in immediate dismissal.
At 8:20, Feng Yulan rushed into the supermarket employee passage, breathless, her uniform soaked with sweat, her hair plastered to her face.
"Yulan?" Sister Chen stood by the time clock, frowning. "You look terrible."
Feng Yulan forced a smile and said, "It's okay, Sister Chen, I just ran a little too fast."
Sister Chen, a veteran supermarket employee in her early forties, had always been very caring towards Feng Yulan. She took a few steps closer and suddenly lowered her voice: "Are those bruises on your neck?"
Feng Yulan hurriedly tugged at her collar and said, "I accidentally bumped into the door."
Sister Chen hesitated to speak, and finally just sighed: "Go change your clothes, you are in the daily necessities section today."
In the staff locker room, Feng Yulan examined her neck in the mirror. Sure enough, a small bruise appeared where her collar wasn't covering it, likely from the rolling pin. She carefully covered it with foundation and then tied a silk scarf around it, making sure it was completely covered.
"Yulan!" a colleague called out from outside, "Sister Chen is looking for you!"
Feng Yulan quickly stuffed her work ID back into her pocket, composed herself, and walked out. Sister Chen was standing at the entrance to the daily necessities section, a list in her hand.
"We need to inventory the shelves today," Sister Chen said. "You're responsible for areas A through D. Give me the data before noon."
Feng Yulan nodded and took the list. While the inventory work was tedious, it at least allowed her to temporarily forget the troubles at home. She pushed the shopping cart and began to check each item on the shelf against the inventory records.
Around ten o'clock, the supermarket began to bustle. Feng Yulan mechanically repeated the actions of scanning codes, counting, and recording. Her back injury prevented her from bending over for long periods of time, so she could only squat and stand up repeatedly to change her posture.
Feng Yulan felt dizzy.
She was tiptoeing, trying to place the last bottle of olive oil on the top shelf. Suddenly, the world began to warp, and the shelves stretched out in both directions as if pulled by invisible hands. The glass bottle between her fingers felt incredibly heavy, threatening to slip from her sweaty palms.
"Be careful!" a colleague exclaimed from behind.
Feng Yulan bit her lower lip, using all her strength to steady her swaying body. She couldn't fall, absolutely not. If she broke anything, not only would she have to pay compensation, she would also be punished.
Last month, Sister Li accidentally broke a bottle of red wine. Not only did she lose half a month's salary, but when Zhang Shumin found out, she called her a "spendthrift."
"Are you okay? You look so pale." Colleague Xiao Li held her shoulders and asked worriedly.
Feng Yulan shook her head and forced a smile. "Maybe I have low blood sugar. I'll just need to rest for a while."
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