Just as Zhang Xiaohua had predicted, seeing her son's unpleasant expression, Old Lady Li indeed couldn't bring herself to refuse.
"When my sister comes, I'll have her bring all the clothes out of our room to wash and put them on the stool," Li Fuyou told Old Lady Li as he left.
Grandma Li nodded with a gloomy face, "Alright, keep a close eye on Xiaobao, don't let the child lose weight."
These past two days, Grandma Li has been buying him plenty of good food, which has helped him regain the little bit of weight he lost.
Because she couldn't bear to part with her grandson, Grandma Li accompanied Li Baolai all the way to the crossroads.
On her way back, she ran into her neighbor's daughter and son-in-law returning home. Thinking of Li Qiuju, who hadn't come back yet, she felt a surge of anger rising within her.
"Sister-in-law Li, why haven't we seen your Qiuju come back?" The neighbors kept asking her this question.
Before Old Lady Li could finish speaking, a quick-witted old woman chimed in, "Didn't you hear how she scolded Qiu Ju last time? She said she'd break her legs if she dared to go back to her parents' home. I guess she's too scared to come back now."
“Oh dear, since ancient times, the second day of the Lunar New Year is the day for women to return to their parents’ home. If Qiuju doesn’t come back, where else can she go? Her in-laws will surely criticize her.”
These people chattered amongst themselves, but not a single word Li Laotai wanted to hear. With a dark face, she cursed.
"You guys really have nothing better to do than pry into my family's affairs."
"She can come back or not, I don't care. She thinks I'm just joking. If she dares to come back, I'll break her legs."
Even at this point, Old Lady Li still couldn't resist making some harsh remarks. The people on the roadside covered their mouths and laughed, but after Old Lady Li left, they started discussing it amongst themselves.
"She even broke someone's leg. I heard that last time she went to Qiu Ju's shop, they didn't give her a friendly look."
"Really? Qiu Ju's personality is as sullen as a steamed bun, how dare she give me attitude?"
"It must be true. How could Zhao Xiaohua lie?"
"Even a cornered dog will jump over the wall, and a cornered rabbit will bite. This old Li is too much. After all these years, she won't even let Qiuju stand up to her once or twice."
“It should have been done a long time ago. Did you see how she looked just now? She was so ashamed. All the daughters and sons-in-law from other families came back, but not hers. I don’t know if she feels embarrassed.”
"She's the kind of person who wouldn't show her shame in public. I saw that her daughter-in-law and son went back to her parents' home. If Qiuju hadn't come back today, she would have been all alone during the New Year, which would have been pitiful."
"Poor thing? If you feel sorry for her, then take her to your home. It'll make things more lively."
"Get out of here, we should be picking up your family."
As soon as Grandma Li entered the courtyard, she heard bursts of laughter and a cacophony of voices coming from outside.
In comparison, her place was indeed desolate and bleak.
Once inside, she realized she hadn't eaten lunch yet. "That damned woman, she uses all her skills on my son, and she can't even cook. She really doesn't respect her old mother."
The kitchen was cold and empty, and Old Lady Li was scolding Zhao Xiaohua while starting a fire.
"Shameless, at your age you still want to stay in bed."
Today's lunch was supposed to be prepared by Li Qiuju, who would bring the dishes over. So there weren't many dishes in the kitchen. Old Mrs. Li searched for a long time but couldn't find any leftovers. In the end, she just cooked a bowl of noodles.
After finishing her meal, she sat upright on a chair in the main room, with a wooden stick beside her legs, ready to give Li Qiuju a few whacks as soon as she came in.
Not only did I embarrass myself today, but I also couldn't even get a hot meal.
She sat there until dark, her eyes fixed on the courtyard gate, but it hadn't been opened since noon.
After dark, it's dinner time. In the village, people set off firecrackers before the third day of the Lunar New Year.
The sound of firecrackers rose and fell, one after another, as if it would never end.
Once the firecrackers had completely stopped, Old Lady Li finally realized the truth: Li Qiuju was really not coming back.
Her chest heaved violently; she wanted to curse, but her mouth was dry and her stomach was rumbling.
Grandma Li was so angry that she couldn't eat dinner, but she drank two large bowls of the water from the noodles she cooked at noon.
Then I got up to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night. I don't know if it was because my eyes were blurry or I didn't step properly, but I twisted my ankle. It was swollen and painful.
After struggling to get into the house, Old Mrs. Li realized she hadn't gone to the toilet yet.
At this moment, she thought of Li Qiuju again, and she had to have Li Qiuju serve her every need, even if it was the middle of the night.
But no one answered the phone at the Zhou family's place, despite countless calls.
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