The three little ones will be a year and a half old soon. In order to avoid Liu Yun and her husband having to run back and forth, they leave the triplets with Cheng Ke after breakfast, and Yu's mother comes over to take care of the children after breakfast.
The courtyard is bustling with activity every day now. Yu's mother, bored at home, comes here to eat melons and has a great time.
The three Wang brothers are getting into trouble every day, and thanks to Cheng Ke's secret help, they've become a nuisance to everyone.
Yesterday morning, Cheng Ke bought a piece of pork belly to improve her daughter's diet. She had just put it in the kitchen outside and turned around to go inside to talk to her mother when Wang Laoda sneaked in to steal the meat and was caught red-handed.
These days, it's not easy to eat meat. Not only do you need money and meat coupons, but if there's no supply, nothing works.
Unlike her, who had the space, Kejia's family was only slightly above average. As far as she knew, working-class families in the city were considered lucky if they could eat meat two or three times a month.
She never expected that someone would sneak into her house so soon after she put the items down. It seems someone had been watching her house all along. To be honest, he really doesn't learn his lesson. Maybe because Cheng Ke always acts behind the scenes, he hasn't realized that Cheng Ke is the one plotting against him.
So, after being pushed by him, Cheng Ke simply pretended to faint.
"Aunt Yu, I came to check on Fu Yao's wife. She only bumped into something, she should be alright now, right?"
Mother Yu raised an eyebrow. "Look at what she's saying! It's so suggestive! Is she implying that Cheng Ke's injury isn't serious and she's just faking it? This is way more interesting than a TV drama, a real-life power struggle within the family."
If I'm not mistaken, this must be the woman my daughter-in-law was talking about who always flirts with men! Why would an old woman like me flirt with her like that?
Unaware of Yu's mother's inner turmoil, Widow Wang appeared quite apologetic. "Fu Yao's wife, are you alright? I was so worried when you fainted yesterday, thankfully nothing serious happened. And let me tell you, my children are always eating wild vegetable porridge and haven't had a bite of meat in years. This time, we just couldn't resist..."
Unfortunately, Cheng was not Qin Fen. He didn't react much to the question. Instead, he asked with curiosity, "Sister-in-law, didn't your eldest son steal meat from my family last time? And it hasn't been that long, yet I caught him four or five times. You said the same thing last time, right?" It's been years since he's tasted meat. It's true that as long as you have a thick skin, you can make up any lie.
Widow Wang stiffened, wiping her eyes with her hand. "It's all my fault. I'm incompetent at earning money. My meager salary is enough to feed our family of four. We can't afford meat, which is why the children are so greedy. I'm at work and don't have time to watch the children. They wander around everywhere, which is why you got hurt. The eldest is still so young and doesn't understand. Anyway, you're not seriously injured, so can you please not hold it against them?" She trailed off, her eyes slightly reddening, looking like a pitiful wife. It's a pity Qin Fen was at work; otherwise, he would have stood up for her. He's such a troublemaker.
The mother inwardly praised the masterful tactics. First, she expressed concern and played the victim; then, she blurred the lines between the theft and the assault; finally, she claimed the injury wasn't serious and that if the other person held a grudge, they would be narrow-minded and arguing with an immature child. This series of moves left the child in a dilemma—whether to argue or not. And then, at the very end, she played the victim again. A master, a master, truly a master.
"This is indeed your fault. If your eldest son hadn't stolen meat from our house, I wouldn't have caught him, and he wouldn't have pushed me down. Sister-in-law Wang, in the end, it's your fault for not raising your children well. Who else is to blame but you? After all, the eldest is only a little over ten years old, an immature child. It's my one-year-old who's immature, always thinking about eating at home, and now he's tempted the other teenagers. It's really not right. You need to keep a close eye on the other two! I've caught the eldest four or five times already. They say things shouldn't happen more than three times; a small theft can lead to a big one later. Don't let him corrupt the other two. As the saying goes, 'One who stays near vermilion gets stained red, and one who stays near ink gets stained black.' I don't want all three of my sons to end up in jail."
Widow Wang: "..."
That damned woman says the most awful things imaginable. Isn't she cursing her three precious children to go to jail? Damn it, how can this country bumpkin have such a vicious mouth?
"No way, it's just that the child was greedy and took a piece of meat. We're all neighbors, it's not that serious. We all have children, so we can't be too harsh with our words, or we'll bring bad luck."
Cheng Keke was already superstitious in ancient times, and now that she's transmigrated to the modern era, she's become even more superstitious. It's one thing to talk about her, but it's another to talk about her children.
“Sister-in-law, it seems you don’t realize the seriousness of the problem. This isn’t just about a piece of meat. I don’t need to tell you how precious meat is these days, do I? So many people get sick because they lack nutrition and are weak from not eating meat for years, and some even have their lifespans shortened. I’ve been depleted of health since I was a child, and after having a child, I wanted to replenish my body, and I also want to make it as baby food for my daughter. Is your eldest son stealing meat? No, no, he’s stealing the nutrition from me and my daughter, he’s stealing my lifespan! This is murder! And what about good fortune? You can’t be superstitious about this. Don’t get me into trouble.”
Upon hearing about feudal superstition, Widow Wang's legs went weak. She knew what the situation was like outside these past two years, but she dared not say anything more.
"If the school finds out, will they still tolerate a thief, a murderer like this?"
That little brat is trying to extort money from her, or else she'll go to the school and cause trouble so her eldest son can't continue his studies.
She gritted her teeth and said, "Fu Yao's wife, you're right. It's my child who caused you to suffer like this, so of course we have to pay for the medical expenses. Don't worry, I'll go and give you the medical expenses right now." You little hussy, just you wait, I don't believe I can't find fault with you! Don't let it fall into my hands.
Cheng saw that he had achieved his goal and didn't say anything for the time being, but whether he held a grudge or not is unknown.
Yu's mother watched the scene with great interest; it was truly wonderful.
"Auntie, you've made a fool of yourself again." Cheng Ke felt a little awkward that her mother had seen her being so aggressive just now.
"What joke do you have? The joke is over there!"
Cheng Ke smiled upon hearing this.
Liu Yun also saw some scenes on the street that she found uncomfortable.
Once again, I felt incredibly fortunate that the identity I had transmigrated into was legitimate and upright. I pedaled my bicycle home as fast as I could.
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