Chapter 101 Finding Fault
The oven was ready. Lu Mingyue sprinkled white sugar on the cut pieces of meat, spread a layer of honey on them, and put them inside to bake.
Place the kneaded chestnut cake dough into a steamer and steam over low heat for half an hour.
Three children were playing hopscotch in the yard, while two parents acted as scorekeepers, helping to keep track of the scores.
Soon, a sweet and glutinous aroma wafted from the steamer, while the oven emitted the popping sounds of chestnut shells exploding.
The three children had no interest in playing games; all they wanted was to eat the delicious chestnuts as soon as possible.
They didn't get enough of the chestnuts last time; the soft, sweet, and fragrant taste remains in their memory.
The chestnuts were finally ready, much to their anticipation.
Zheng Xiuhua carried a steamer basket and quickly walked out of the kitchen. The rising steam and the sweet and glutinous aroma wafted towards her.
She placed the steamer steadily on the table, and the moment she lifted the lid, golden and glistening chestnut cakes came into view.
On the other side, Lu Mingyue also opened the oven. The freshly baked chestnuts still smelled of char, and the brownish-red shells had cracked open with a few fine lines, revealing the plump flesh inside. They could be easily peeled off.
She filled a bamboo basket with chestnuts and placed it on the table. As soon as she did, the three children eagerly surrounded her, their little hands clenched at their sides, their eyes fixed on the chestnuts, and even their breathing became slightly softer.
Zheng Xiuhua smiled, picked up a small knife, cut the chestnut cake into small pieces, put them in a bowl, and handed it to Yao Yao next to her: "Be careful, it's hot, eat slowly."
Yao Yao held the warm pastry, took a small bite, and the sweet and sticky taste spread on her tongue. She immediately squinted her eyes and laughed.
Lu Mingyue also picked up a roasted chestnut, peeled it, and handed it to Niu Niu. Watching the children eat with beaming smiles, she and Zheng Xiuhua exchanged a glance, their eyes filled with satisfaction.
Lu Mingyue was peeling roasted chestnuts for Leilei, completely unaware that someone outside the door was watching this scene and gritted their teeth in anger.
In the shadows at the courtyard gate, Zhang Haihua stood for a long time with an empty vegetable basket slung over her shoulder, her eyes fixed on the chestnut cakes and roasted chestnuts on the stone table.
He caught a glimpse of Lu Mingyue's composed smile, and unconsciously tightened his grip on the basket rope, his teeth clenching tightly.
As she passed by, she clearly heard laughter and chatter in the courtyard. Thinking about her own family's simple meals and how they were reluctant to add even a little sugar, her resentment grew stronger and stronger. When she turned around, her eyes still held a lingering resentment.
Zhang Haihua finally couldn't suppress her unease and turned around to go to Director Wang's house.
As soon as she entered the door, her eyes reddened as she began to complain, saying that Lu Mingyue's family was extravagant and wasteful, using refined flour and white sugar to make pastries, which was clearly a capitalist remnant.
Recently, it's autumn harvest season, and many wild fruits on the mountain are ripe. Many military wives in the family compound have gone up the mountain to find some things.
The military spouses in their family compound are not strictly managed. Everyone here has come from a poor background, so it's not a waste to leave things on the mountain there; it's not a problem to take them home.
Everyone knows the truth, and no one will report it for this.
Therefore, when Zhang Haihua mentioned this matter, a hint of impatience flashed in Director Wang's eyes.
This person is really something. What others eat or do is none of her business. Her husband and Huo Zheng are on the same level. Her family only has one more child than the Huo family. How could they not afford to raise him?
In her opinion, it was most likely Zhang Haihua who was still holding a grudge because of the children's matter.
However, before things have settled down, he shouldn't make any rash judgments; this was just her inner thought.
Since Zhang Haihua has already come to report this, it is both reasonable and morally right for Director Wang to go to the Lu family's house with her; otherwise, he cannot give her an explanation.
She immediately agreed and followed Zhang Haihua to Lu Mingyue's house.
In fact, Director Wang had already shown her bias. She knew that Lu Mingyue was an honest person, and Huo Zheng was a comrade in the army. Their family had always been well-behaved, and they would never make such a foolish mistake.
This trip was more of a formality, to help resolve misunderstandings between neighbors.
On the way, Zhang Haihua continued to ramble on about the details of the Lu family's extravagance, but Director Wang didn't respond much, only nodding occasionally. He had already planned in his mind how to handle things properly when they arrived at the Lu family's residence, giving Zhang Haihua a way out while also ensuring that Lu Mingyue wouldn't be wronged.
As soon as they stepped into the Lu family courtyard, before Zhang Haihua could point at the stone table and call out, Director Wang stepped forward first and looked at Lu Mingyue in a calm tone.
"Mingyue, I heard you made some snacks for the children at home? I just happened to be passing by, so I came to see your skills."
These words instantly disrupted Zhang Haihua's rhythm. She opened her mouth, but the prepared statement for the report got stuck in her throat.
Lu Mingyue understood Director Wang's intention and quickly replied with a smile, "I just picked some wild chestnuts from the back slope and made some with the leftover ingredients from home so the children could have a treat."
Director Wang walked over to the table, picked up a piece of chestnut cake, and smelled it: "This chestnut aroma is really strong. It's obviously homemade."
She turned to Zhang Haihua and added meaningfully, "These days, every family is struggling financially. If a mother can save up some food to improve her child's diet, it's a mother's heartfelt wish. How can that be considered extravagant?"
Zhang Haihua's face flushed red and then turned pale. Seeing Director Wang's obvious bias towards Lu Mingyue, and then looking at the simple snacks on the table, the anger she had been holding back slowly dissipated, and she could no longer muster the energy to report him.
Zheng Xiuhua also stood up to defend herself: "Director Wang, this is all a misunderstanding! The chestnuts were wild chestnuts picked from the back slope, and the flour and sugar were saved up by our own family. It was just to treat the children to a little treat, not an extravagance at all!"
"In my opinion, it's probably some people with ill intentions who deliberately found an excuse to come and cause trouble."
Her words were veiled, and Zhang Haihua's expression turned even more unpleasant.
Just as Director Wang was about to take his leave, Zhang Haihua suddenly stepped forward, her tone indignant: "Director Wang, you handled this matter unfairly today! It was clearly Lu Mingyue who used fine grains to make the pastries, yet you insisted on protecting her!"
These words silenced the courtyard instantly. Zheng Xiuhua was about to speak when Lu Mingyue spoke up first, saying loudly, "Sister-in-law Zhang, you can't say that! Last time you went to the back slope and picked a basket of wild dates. You also picked things from the mountain to make food. Isn't that considered extravagance and waste?"
Lei Lei chimed in, "I even saw Cui Xiaojun showing off his sour jujube cake in class."
When Cui Xiaojun was in school, he would deliberately hang around in front of him, but Leilei didn't bother with him. He knew that Cui Xiaojun's mother's cooking was definitely not as good as his own.
These words, spoken in public, made Zhang Haihua's face turn bright red, and she froze, speechless.
Director Wang was also taken aback for a moment, then smiled and patted Leilei's head: "This child is honest. Haihua, what's wrong with us picking some mountain produce and saving some fabric to satisfy the child's cravings?"
Everyone has their difficult times, and money doesn't grow on trees. Heaven has given us such a wonderful island and such beautiful forests; we should make the most of it.
Zhang Haihua gripped the cloth bag tightly in her hand, her fingertips turning white. She had lost the confidence she had when she made the report, and could only stand there silently.
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