Seeing that her mother-in-law was no longer going to keep them, Guo Ailian angrily pulled Xu Yunyun aside and said, "Let's go. They don't welcome us, and we won't come back again."
Guo Ailian said this on purpose, secretly glancing at Xue Ping and Xu Nuo. To her surprise, the two of them didn't even care about saving face and just stared at her coldly. Xu Nuo even opened the lunchbox lid on the spot and handed it to Xue Ping: "Mom, go and fry it."
Seeing such a large box made Guo Ailian and Xu Yunyun both swallow hard.
Xu Yunyun seemed to smell the aroma of meat frying in the oil pan, and her mouth watered.
He stammered, "Sister, I... can I..."
Xu Nuo slowly turned around, looking surprised, and said, "Hey, why haven't you left yet? Can't find the door? Come on, I'll take you there, this way."
Xu Nuo smiled gently and politely, leading them along the way. Guo Ailian had no choice but to leave, and her plan to take the food from the coffee table failed. She had no choice but to put on her shoes and go out, so angry that she wanted to grind her teeth to powder.
How could this vixen-like niece so naturally utter such difficult words?
She wanted to have an attack but didn't know how.
Xu Nuo smiled and said, "Take care."
No sooner had she finished speaking than the iron gate in front of Guo Ailian slammed shut with a bang.
Guo Ailian spat angrily, "Pah! What a load of rubbish!"
…
Xu Nuo turned around and saw Xu Jin'an standing behind her.
He looked a bit like a defeated rooster, head drooping, face gloomy, eyes full of unspeakable apology.
Xu Nuo felt a warmth in her heart. Although Xu Jin'an was soft-hearted, he was not without principles and only knew how to favor his own family.
She called out, "Dad."
Xu Jinan said, "Nuonuo, come here, come here for a moment."
Xu Nuo followed him into the room.
This room is where Xu Yan lives. It was originally a storage room. It was very small, with no windows. After putting a bed in it, there was only room for a table.
Xu Jinan and Xue Ping had nowhere to put their clothes, so they were piled up on the table.
Xu Nuo frowned: "Dad, why don't you and Mom stay in my room? This one is too small."
Xu Jin'an had expected his daughter to fly into a rage, but she said something unexpected, which moved him deeply. He rubbed his hands nervously and said ingratiatingly, "No need, your parents can stay here. Your grandma and the others... you've been wronged."
Xu Nuo sat down on the edge of the bed and shook her head softly, "Dad, none of us have suffered as much as you have."
These words brought tears to Xu Jin'an's eyes on the spot, even though he was a grown man.
From the time he was old enough to understand, Xu Guihua always doted on her eldest son. Later, when his father was transferred to Luxian County for work, he was brought along with him. For several years, he did not see Xu Guihua. When he was twelve years old, Xu Guihua brought his eldest brother to Luxian County, and the family finally lived together.
However, Xu Guihua only had eyes for her eldest son, Xu Jinhong, and she became increasingly neglectful and indifferent to him.
Xu Yan's birth mother died in childbirth, and Xu Guihua wanted him to marry the daughter of her maternal uncle. Xu Jin'an refused, so Xu Guihua kicked him out.
Although they managed to kick him out, Xu Jinan would still bring money home every month, and Xu Jinhong would often come to borrow money.
At first, Xu Jinan would empty his pockets without saying a word, but later he gradually lost heart and learned to make excuses once or twice.
In Xu Guihua's mouth, it became unfilial.
“Dad, it’s right to be filial to our elders, but everything should be done in moderation. We should do what we’re supposed to do, but we shouldn’t take on things that aren’t our responsibility. We can’t be taken advantage of. Otherwise, we’ll not only suffer losses ourselves, but we’ll also make others more greedy and take advantage of us.”
Seeing that Xu Jin'an showed no displeasure, Xu Nuo continued, "Dad, it's not that I'm saying anything bad about Uncle and the others, but what they did was really unfair. He made you pay off his debts so naturally. To be honest, if I were an older brother like that, I wouldn't want one."
In her last sentence, Xu Nuo spoke with a coquettish tone, half-pouting and half-complaining, but in reality, it was all her heartfelt advice to remind Xu Jin'an.
Xu Jin'an was well aware that these people were bullying him, but no matter how bad they were, they were still his blood relatives. Sometimes, when he couldn't stand it, he would just tell himself that they were all family and he should just bear with it.
“But your uncle’s family has people coming to their door every day to collect debts, and I heard they’ve even beaten people up several times. Your grandmother is old, and your father can’t…”
Xu Nuo wasn't trying to persuade Xu Jin'an to kick Xu Guihua out. She said, "Grandma is your mother, so it's only right that you be filial. She can stay at our house for now. As long as Grandma is doing well, we won't mistreat her."
Xu Jinan was both surprised and delighted, and deeply moved by Xu Nuo's understanding: "Yes, Dad knows."
"Okay, then I'll go see Mom."
Xu Jinan tugged at Xu Nuo: "Talk to your mother and tell her not to be angry."
"Okay." Xu Nuo nodded.
Xue Ping was frying meat in the kitchen.
It was freshly packaged, and after being heated up slightly, the aroma burst forth.
It is said that good food can heal the soul. Xue Ping's grievances and frustrations dissipated considerably upon smelling the delicious aroma of meat.
Xu Nuo walked into the small room, closed the door, went to the kitchen, saw Xue Ping in front of the stove, walked over and hugged her from the side, sweetly coaxing her, "Pingping."
Xue Ping couldn't stand this spoiled brat the most. She burst out laughing, glanced at the small room, saw that the door was closed, and couldn't help but snort.
Seeing that she was still angry, Xu Nuo lowered her head and rubbed her shoulder to coax her, "Okay, Pingping, don't be angry. Getting angry will cause wrinkles."
"How can I not be angry? I've never seen such a shameless person. Time and time again, they really think we're fools. And your grandma, she's been so biased since you were little. For over ten years, she only comes to us to borrow money. The rest of the time, she doesn't treat your father like a son at all. Well, now that we have nowhere to live, she finally remembers she has a son."
Xue Ping lowered her voice, her eyes drooping heavily: "She even dared to say that you should let your uncle's whole family move in, saying that you should let your uncle live in the room with your dad and me, and then she and your cousin should live in the same room with you."
Xu Nuo was a little surprised, not expecting Xu Guihua to be so outspoken. She was also unhappy, but seeing that Xue Ping was quite angry, she had no choice but to act as a caring little angel. She picked up a piece of meat with her chopsticks, blew on it, and stuffed it into Xue Ping's mouth: "Okay, let's not talk about these upsetting things anymore. Anyway, if she's doing well, we'll get along with her. But if she tries to bully people in my house, I won't allow it."
Xu Nuo's cheeks puffed out like a little frog's, and she raised her little hands: "Watch my little fists!"
Xue Ping chewed the meat, swallowed the salty and savory meat oil, squinted her eyes in enjoyment, and smiled, "Okay, okay, but she is still your grandmother, so don't talk back to her, it won't sound good if word gets out."
Xu Nuo's performance today surprised Xue Ping. It was like slapping someone with a smile without having to throw a tantrum or ruin her face.
The braised lion's head meatballs were deep-fried, making them look even more tempting. Xu Nuo tried to put one in front of Xue Ping's mouth, but Xue Ping dodged it, saying, "You eat it, you eat it. Mom won't eat it."
"Eat." Xu Nuo held her head and touched her lips directly: "I've already eaten dinner, I can't eat anything."
Xue Ping had no choice but to take a bite and asked her, "Who did you go with? And why did you order so much?"
This is already three meat dishes.
Xu Nuo's eyes were bright and sparkling, with a gentle smile: "With a friend."
Xue Ping was about to ask more when Xu Nuo started rambling on about what they would have for dinner, and Xue Ping's attention was indeed diverted.
After a busy afternoon of moving rooms, Xue Ping didn't cook any rice, so Xu Nuo helped her boil water and cook some noodles.
All of these are refined grains, and Xue Ping felt more and more distressed the more she thought about it. She remembered how Xu Guihua had come to the kitchen without any politeness during the day and ate all the mangoes that she hadn't had time to put away, and hadn't even cooked any vegetables.
Anyway, having such a big bowl of meat is already considered a feast.
Xue Ping placed the noodles on the table and said, "Call your dad for dinner."
Xu Nuo said "Hey" and knocked on Xu Jin'an's door. Xu Jin'an immediately opened the door and came out. He saw that three bowls of noodles had been laid out on the table, with the meat that Xu Nuo had brought back evenly distributed on them.
It looks delicious. He didn't eat much at noon, and now he's really hungry.
Xu Nuo nudged Xu Jin'an to sit down: "Dad, let's eat."
Xu Jinan said softly, "I... I'll go call your grandma."
Xu Nuo pressed him down firmly, making him stay in his seat: "I'll go."
She ran to Xu Guihua's door in her slippers and banged on the door twice.
No one opened the door, so Xu Nuo shouted loudly from the entrance, "Dinner's ready!"
Still no one came to open the door, so Xu Nuo deliberately said, "It seems like she's asleep? That's a pity, the meat will get cold and we won't be able to eat it. Why don't you two eat it, Mom and Dad, and then cook noodles for Grandma when she wakes up?"
As soon as he said that...
The door behind her opened with a whoosh, and Xu Guihua came out with a sour face. She didn't say a word to Xu Nuo and walked to the dining table like an emperor emeritus.
Xu Jinan called out, "Mom, time to eat."
Xue Ping was already seated, and though reluctantly, she said, "Dinner's ready."
Xu Guihua looked at the meat in her bowl, then at Xue Ping's bowl, and felt that it looked like Xue Ping had more meat than hers.
Xu Guihua felt heartbroken thinking about her poor grandson who had no meat to eat.
Xu Guihua glanced at Xu Jinan and started putting on airs again, saying, "You still consider me your mother? You live a life of luxury, while your older brother is starving and can't even afford coarse grains. When he asked you for a loan to get by, you refused. I don't think you care about me as your mother at all."
Normally, as long as Xu Guihua grumbled about these things and put on a sour face, Xu Jin'an would definitely try to soften her up and coax her. But this time, Xu Jin'an sat quietly, as if he hadn't heard her at all. Xu Guihua didn't give up on getting Xu Jin'an to lend money to Xu Jinhong. She felt that as long as she persisted, Xu Jin'an would definitely give in.
Xue Ping and Xu Jin'an both fell silent, while Xu Guihua continued to nag, "If you still consider me your mother and your older brother your brother, don't be so heartless. You're making a lot of money in your current job, so why can't you..."
Before she could finish speaking, someone grabbed her shoulder and pulled her into a chair. A sweet, coquettish voice came from behind her: "What are you standing there for? Hurry up and eat it while it's hot, it won't taste good when it gets cold."
Xu Nuo had just returned to her room and tied her hair up, a round little bun at the back of her head, revealing a fair little face with a bright smile. Xu Guihua was interrupted by Xu Nuo and glared at Xu Jin'an angrily, as if to say how he raised his child. But Xu Jin'an actually said to Xu Nuo, "Nuonuo, sit down and eat."
Then he picked up his chopsticks and slurped down the noodles in his bowl.
Xu Guihua also craved meat, swallowed hard, and decided to finish eating first.
Xu Nuo was already full, but Xue Ping, being a doting mother, insisted on giving her a portion, which she put on a small plate, and also made her a cup of malted milk powder.
Looking at the plate of meat Xu Nuo had, Xu Guihua felt that she should bring Jiang Jiang over today so that he could eat the meat.
They slurped down their noodles, while Xu Nuo leisurely ate her meat and drank her milk, praising herself for wisely dividing up all the meat.
Otherwise, look at Xu Guihua's eating habits. She smacks her lips while eating, sucks on her chopsticks after every bite, and then stirs and rummages through her bowl like she's picking beans.
Xu Guihua picked up a piece of meat, stuffed it into her mouth, and chewed it heartily. Normally, she wouldn't eat meat like this; she was already lucky to taste the meat, and she wouldn't be willing to put in so much seasoning. After taking a bite, her mouth watered from the delicious aroma.
Xu Guihua was actually drooling; she slurped it up, wiped it with her hand, and almost buried her face in her rice bowl.
Xu Jin'an ate the fastest. After finishing, he went to get another bowl of noodles, slurped down a few mouthfuls, and then looked at Xu Guihua, who had almost finished eating, and said, "Mom, there are still noodles in the pot. If you're not full, you can get some more."
Xu Guihua ate with great relish, thoroughly enjoying the delicious meat, but she didn't miss any opportunity to cause trouble. With her greasy mouth, she said, "Eat, eat, eat! I asked you to invite your older brother to stay for dinner, but you wouldn't. You're eating well here by yourself, while your older brother goes home hungry."
Here we go again. Xu Jinan was used to it, so he lowered his head and didn't argue.
Xu Nuo took a sip of malted milk powder, her big eyes sparkling, and asked innocently, "Huh? Isn't my dad my uncle's younger brother?"
Xu Guihua said irritably, "Of course it is, but look at how your father treats his younger brother."
Xu Nuo, with her pretty face and puzzled expression, seemed genuinely confused and asked earnestly, "Isn't it always the eldest brother who takes care of the younger ones? Why does my dad have to feed my uncle? Anyone who didn't know better would think my uncle was my dad's father!"
"You!" Xu Guihua slammed her chopsticks down in anger. "What kind of talk is this?!"
Xu Jinan frowned.
Xu Nuo shrank her neck but still managed a smile: "Grandma, why are you angry? I was just wondering, so I asked. Our teacher said that if you give and take, it's not hard to borrow again. If someone only knows how to take, then you should stay away from them as soon as possible. You become like those you associate with."
Finally, under Xu Guihua's murderous glare, Xu Nuo said with a grin, "Of course, I wasn't talking about Uncle, just some people, hehe, eat meat, it won't taste good if it gets cold."
She happily picked up a piece and put it in her mouth, savoring the delicious meaty flavor, and exclaimed, "So delicious!"
Xue Ping smiled and wiped her mouth, then held up the malted milk powder and reminded her, "Drink it quickly, or it will get cold."
Xu Guihua's chest heaved rapidly.
Is she stupid? Doesn't she know that Xu Nuo is trying to stab her with words? But Xu Nuo is pretending to be so stupid that she can't retaliate. What's most hateful is Xu Jin'an, who is standing to the side like a deaf person. He just keeps eating his noodles while his mother is being bullied.
This ungrateful wretch is impossible to raise.
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