Su Xueli was taken aback and said to her, "Sister-in-law, why are you saying that? The child's hands are so frozen, yet you're so stingy with a little ointment."
Du Mei's eyes immediately reddened. "Sister-in-law, listen to me, these two children's hands and feet are so frozen because they're wearing thin cotton clothes. Even if you put medicine on them, it won't help."
Su Xueli understood.
She touched the tattered cotton-padded clothes on the two children; they were stiff and thin, offering no protection against the cold, especially since winters in those days were truly bitterly cold.
Su Xueli carefully said to Du Mei, "Sister-in-law, I know you don't manage the household, but you make all the cotton-padded clothes and shoes for the whole family. You should at least make the cotton-padded clothes and shoes for the two children thicker."
The child's cotton-padded clothes were thin, and his cotton shoes were so thick that his toes were exposed, and his toes were frostbitten.
Hearing this, Du Mei desperately held back her tears and sobbed, "Sister-in-law, we're still busy steaming buns at home, so I'll take the two children back with me. Thank you, sister-in-law."
Watching her walk away, holding a child in each hand, Su Xueli realized that she had said the wrong thing. Although she had made the cotton-padded clothes, she had no say in the matter. She just did whatever the old woman told her to do.
It's obvious at a glance that the child's cotton-padded clothes were made from dead cotton that adults had washed and disassembled many times.
"Forget it, you're not Guanyin Bodhisattva who can save you from suffering, you can't help with this." Wei Mingshen could tell that she was very uncomfortable, and he advised her in her ear.
Su Xueli sighed and said, "That's true. When the child comes, just give the child something to eat."
"Shenzi, Xueli, come and eat some fried dough sticks. I just prayed to the gods!" Cao Maizi called from outside.
Wei Mingshen laughed, "Let's go eat some fried dough sticks. Dad's fried dough sticks are the best. He kneads the dough so well that his fried dough sticks are fluffy and crispy."
Su Xueli was also hungry, so the two of them washed their hands and happily ran into the kitchen.
"Here, take it inside to eat, this room is too smoky." Cao Maizi handed them a small steamed bun basket.
Wei Mingshen took the food and carried it inside. Su Xueli asked, "Father, Mother, Mingyue, have you eaten?"
Cao Maizi and Wei Tiezhu answered happily in unison, "We ate, we ate."
Wei Mingyue said, "Where did you eat? Our mother told you to eat the freshly fried dough after she finished worshipping the gods."
The elderly couple, embarrassed after being exposed by their daughter, said, "Your father and I both tasted it. If we tasted it, we ate it."
Su Xueli said, "Dad, Mom, it's not true that those who do the work don't eat, and those who eat don't do the work. I'll only dare to eat if you eat too."
She walked over, pinched two fried dough sticks out of the large steamed bun basket, and handed one to each of the elderly couple, saying, "Dad, Mom, you can eat too. It won't be difficult to eat with one hand."
The elderly couple ate the fried dough sticks handed to them by their daughter-in-law with great relish, their smiles stretching from ear to ear.
Wei Mingyue was so angry she could have teeth itch.
"How is it? Isn't the noodles Dad made delicious?" Wei Mingshen asked Su Xueli while chewing.
Su Xueli nodded repeatedly as she chewed, "Mmm-hmm-hmm."
"Crunch, crunch." The room was filled with the sound of the two of them biting into fried dough sticks.
"Don't eat too much, there'll be other good fried food later," Cao Maizi called to the young couple inside the house.
But the two of them were almost full, and Wei Mingshen called out to the outside, "Mother, you're too late, I'm almost full!"
Cao Maizi chuckled and said, "Are you full or not? You can still eat some more. Bring me the small steamed bun basket, and I'll serve you more later."
Wei Mingshen carried the small basket of fried dough to the kitchen. Su Xueli swallowed the last bite of the fried dough, washed her hands, and started making straw weaving again.
Suddenly she felt a warmth beneath her, and her heart sank. She thought to herself, "Oh no!"
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