She hadn't known the situation before, so eating inside the house was fine, but now, eating alone in front of everyone, she really couldn't eat anymore.
"Mother, I don't have much of an appetite. I won't eat the eggs. Let Qingze and Qingyu eat them." Shen Qingze and Shen Qingyu were the twins on the table.
In modern times, Meng Zhao had seen some thin children, but most of them looked healthy. However, the two children in front of him had large heads and small bodies, and their eye sockets were somewhat sunken, making their eyes look frighteningly large, like matchsticks. They were obviously malnourished, and Meng Zhao couldn't bear to look at them.
"How can this be? This was specially cooked for you. You should eat it. You haven't been feeling well these past few days, so you should nourish yourself."
"It's alright, Mother. I'm all better now, no need for any more tonics. Give it to the child." Meng Zhao said as she skillfully rolled the egg a few times on the table, then picked it up and easily peeled off the shell.
The two children were still young and couldn't hide their emotions. Even Shen Qingze, who had been glaring at her just moments before, couldn't help but stare at the egg in Meng Zhao's hand.
Meng Zhao broke the eggs open with her fingers, holding half in each hand in front of the two children. The two children looked at the eggs, then at Meng Zhao, then at their mother, but dared not take them.
As Madam Gu was still making excuses, the man in front of her spoke up.
"Take it if you want to eat." After saying that, he looked up at Meng Zhao with a hint of doubt in his eyes. His voice was clear and gentle with a touch of youthful spirit. This was the first time Meng Zhao had heard him speak. His voice was a perfect match for his face.
The two children only dared to take the eggs after they heard their older brother speak.
Shen Qingyu took the egg and ate it in small bites, as if it were a delicacy. She chewed the egg carefully, her face beaming with satisfaction.
These past two days, every time I brought eggs to my sister-in-law, she was incredibly tempted. She smelled the eggs several times, but she didn't dare to eat them, afraid that her sister-in-law would get angry again. Unexpectedly, today her sister-in-law actually gave the eggs to her and her brother.
Shen Qingze took the egg and swallowed it in one gulp, trying to swallow it down. Gu Shi was afraid he would choke, so she patted his back to help him catch his breath.
He finally managed to swallow the egg, only to realize that he hadn't tasted anything at all. Looking at his younger sister who was eating the remaining half of the egg, he immediately felt regretful. He should have eaten more slowly.
After the two younger children finished eating their eggs, the three adults began to eat.
Meng Zhao looked at today's meal. The bowl contained rice porridge, with more water than rice, making it look a bit thin. There was a plate of stir-fried wild vegetables, but it didn't look like it was stir-fried; rather, it looked like it was boiled, with no oil at all. There was also a dish of pickled radish. Meng Zhao tasted a piece and found it quite refreshing. With the pickled radish, Meng Zhao finished the rice porridge.
Breakfast was a bit too bland. Looking at the four people in front of me, all of them were thin and didn't look very healthy. I guess they didn't eat much for lunch or dinner either. No wonder the two little ones ate an egg so heartily.
When Meng Zhao read the novel before, she only knew that the male protagonist had a poor childhood, but she did not expect that he had such a miserable life.
After finishing the meal, Meng Zhao subconsciously wanted to clean up the dishes, but Gu Shi stopped her.
"Zhaozhao, let me pack up. You don't look well. Why don't you go back to your room and rest some more?"
"No need, Mother, I'm all better now, I can handle it." Meng Zhao always does things herself, and after being served meals for two days, she felt a little embarrassed to neither cook nor wash the dishes today.
"Mother, let me clean up. Don't delay your trip to town." Shen Qinghe took the bowls and chopsticks from Gu Shi and started cleaning up by himself. He seemed quite adept at it, unlike a scholar who had never done housework before.
"Well... alright, then you pack up, I'll hurry to town. Don't keep your Aunt Feng'e waiting. Qingze and Qingyu, you two don't quarrel at home, so as not to interfere with your brother's studies." Madam Gu instructed the two children as she packed up to leave.
"Mother, are you going to town? I'll go with you. I also want to visit Father and Mother."
Upon hearing that Gu was going to town, Meng Zhao quickly followed. Since they were already here and couldn't go back, they needed to familiarize themselves with the environment as soon as possible, and also find a way to make money.
Gu hesitated slightly at Meng Zhao's words. She had heard about Meng Zhao's temper before the engagement and had always felt uneasy. After the marriage, she saw it for herself. When she was happy, she could hold Meng Zhao's arm and call her "Mother." When she was unhappy, she would smash pots and pans and no one could persuade her.
Upon hearing the news of her eldest son's death, Gu felt as if her heart had shattered and she fainted. When she woke up, she heard that Meng Zhao had returned to town. Although it was improper for a married woman to still live in her parents' home, she was actually relieved. Meng Zhao's temper was something that most people couldn't tolerate.
Less than a month later, Meng Zhao returned, calling her "Mother" affectionately. She was so frightened that she didn't know what to do. Her intuition told her that Meng Zhao had ill intentions, so she could only serve her with trepidation.
Surprisingly, starting the next day, Meng Zhao locked herself in her room and rarely went out, staying in bed the whole time. Gu Shi felt that she was holding back some bad ideas and waiting to be used, so she didn't dare to agree directly.
Noticing Gu Shi's hesitation, Meng Zhao softened her voice and continued, "Mother, please take me with you. I'll go to town to buy some things while I'm at it."
She wanted to go by herself, but as a newcomer, although she knew some of the plot of the book, she didn't know the way at all.
Gu had no choice but to agree. In the months following the wedding, Meng Zhao often went to town and would bring back some food for himself each time. However, he never went with her. Today, for some reason, he insisted on going with her. Although she was unwilling, she was afraid that Meng Zhao would get angry, so she had no choice but to agree.
"Okay, let's go together, but it's almost time, we need to leave now."
"Okay, I'll go get something. Mom, wait for me a moment, I'll be right there."
Meng Zhao quickly ran into the room and opened the box in the corner. Inside the box was a red cloth bag containing the original owner's money. She couldn't tell the exact value of the silver, only that there were more than 200 copper coins and eight pieces of silver of different sizes. Naturally, Meng Zhao didn't take it all with her. After counting out fifty copper coins, she quickly ran out.
"Mother, I'm ready, let's go." At this moment, Madam Gu had already tidied up and was standing at the door waiting.
Shen Qinghe was squatting by the well, sleeves rolled up, washing dishes. The two children were working together to draw water from the well. When they saw Meng Zhao run out, only the little girl, Shen Qingyu, looked up at her. The other two, one big and one small, acted as if she didn't exist.
Meng Zhao walked to the door and obediently followed behind Madam Gu, letting Madam Gu go first.
Gu seemed a little anxious, her pace quickening. Meng Zhao hurried to keep up. As soon as they started walking, Gu was filled with unease, unsure of what Meng Zhao wanted to do. When villagers greeted her, she could only give perfunctory responses.
Meng Zhao felt more at ease walking behind. The original owner clearly didn't get along well with the villagers. Few people even glanced at her as she walked by, and after she passed, she could hear people whispering behind her.
Fortunately, no one greeted her, otherwise she wouldn't know how to respond since she doesn't recognize anyone.
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