"What?" Erhua's mother was a little confused. Director Song was a high-ranking official from the capital. How could he possibly be interested in this poor, remote village's pickled vegetable dumpling?
"Auntie, come and help me cut the radish. This radish needs to be cut into long, thin strips..." He Tiantian took Erhua's hand and demonstrated for herself.
Erhua's mother was also very perceptive and immediately got to work.
At lunchtime, in addition to cooking a large pot of rice, He Tiantian also prepared a separate lunch for Director Song and had Mozhu deliver it to him.
A plate of hot and sour shredded potatoes, a plate of stir-fried green peppers and eggs, and a bowl of white rice. The ingredients were all delivered by Mo Zhu, who said that Director Song wanted to have his meals prepared separately from now on.
He Tiantian agreed without hesitation.
The two children had been busy all day and were starving. They ate the food from the mine's communal pot with great relish. They both looked completely satisfied with their meal.
When it was time to finish work, before leaving, Erhua's mother said to He Tiantian with a sour tone, "You found a good job. You don't have to worry about the children's meals anymore."
These words clearly expressed dissatisfaction with He Tiantian bringing her child to dinner.
Erhua's mother was a narrow-minded and thin-skinned person. She felt that He Tiantian had gained an advantage over her in this matter, and she was unhappy about it.
He Tiantian's face was ashen. She threw the rag in her hand onto the stove in a huff. She was getting angrier the more she thought about it.
Ever since she came to work as a cook at the mine, Erhua's mother has ostracized her from day one, and she's tolerated it all. Does she think she's a pushover just because the tiger isn't roaring?
He Tiantian narrowed her eyes, looked at Erhua Niang, and pressed her, word by word: "Erhua Niang, I didn't have any problems with you before. But from day one, you've been tripping me up and trying to sow discord between me. If you have any complaints, just say them to me. Come on, let's have a good talk today."
As she spoke, He Tiantian casually sat down on the stool next to her, looking like she was determined to stick with Erhua's mother to the very end.
"I... what could I possibly have to argue with you about?" Erhua's mother was clearly intimidated by He Tiantian's imposing manner, and her eyes darted away as she tried to leave.
He Tiantian was a step ahead of her, moving her stool to block the doorway.
"Second sister-in-law, you've been working in this mine longer than I have. Over the years, you've made quite a bit of money. I'm just having a meal with my two daughters. Why are you being so mean and cold?"
He Tiantian snorted coldly; she wasn't one to be fooled. Having worked in this mine for so long, she had seen Erhua's mother secretly stuffing some food into her clothes to take back home from time to time.
These were all years of famine; it was difficult for any family to survive. He Tiantian turned a blind eye to this situation; frankly, Changfeng Village was just too poor, there was nothing that could be done.
Erhua's mother's secret was exposed; she had always thought she had kept it very discreet. Her husband worked in the mine, earning a low wage, and they had three young sons and three daughters at home.
They say a half-grown boy can eat his father alive, and every day when she opened her eyes, there were eight people in her family waiting to be fed. If she hadn't secretly brought food back from the mine, they would have been unable to make ends meet long ago.
"I won't make things difficult for my second sister-in-law. My meaning is very clear. Since we're both working in this mine, let's get along peacefully from now on, okay?" He Tiantian sighed inwardly, knowing that some things were best left unsaid.
Aside from being a little petty, a bit gossipy, and having a few unpleasant words, Erhua's mother didn't have any other bad habits.
As long as she's not inherently bad, she doesn't want to escalate the conflict.
Having said all that, Erhua's mother understood perfectly. She herself felt a little guilty and didn't want to lose such a lucrative job.
"Sure, sure. Oh, Wanzi's mother, look, it was all my fault for being so quick to speak. Oh, my mouth just wouldn't cooperate. Please forgive me!" As she spoke, Erhua's mother affectionately took He Tiantian's hand, acting as if they were very close.
"Second sister-in-law, what are you saying? The snow is heavy and the roads are slippery, please drive carefully." He Tiantian also stood up, and began to act with a smile on her face.
"Alright, alright, you too, Maruko's mom, head back early." Erhua's mom quickly walked out the door, her back view showing a hint of fleeing in panic.
He Tiantian withdrew her gaze, the smile on her face gradually fading. She touched her face, which was almost stiff from smiling. Sigh, it hadn't been long since she came to this world, and she had already learned to act hypocritically.
On her way home from work, He Tiantian secretly bought an oil-paper umbrella from the mall. It was the most ordinary kind, grayish-brown, and it cost twenty coins.
In those days, umbrellas didn't exist. Villagers would drape tattered clothes over their heads or use straw hats to shield themselves from the snow. No one even knew how to make the kind of raincoats you see in TV dramas.
The one or two taels of silver she earned from collecting agate stones on the mountain had dwindled to almost five hundred coins. He Tiantian thought that once the heavy snow stopped, she would go back to the back mountain to take another look.
I always feel uneasy when I don't have money in my pocket.
He Tiantian held up an oil-paper umbrella, with Zhao Denglong and Zhao Wanzi clinging tightly to her on either side. The snow fell heavily, the knee-deep snow making it difficult to walk quickly.
When they got home, the mother and her two daughters were all exhausted, panting heavily as they sat on the floor.
Zhao Denglong was the first to recover, and she conscientiously started a fire in the stove. She had been walking for a long time and was covered in sweat. Stopping suddenly would cause her body temperature to drop sharply, and if she didn't warm up in time, she could easily catch a cold.
"Is Maruko's mother here?" Granny Wang's voice rang out from outside.
Upon hearing this, He Tiantian quickly got up, guessing that Granny Wang had come to return the fishing net, and wondered if she had caught any fish.
"Grandma Wang, with this heavy snow, it might not be so easy to catch fish. I wonder if you have any..." He Tiantian swallowed the rest of her words.
Because behind Granny Wang stood a child of about ten years old, who was carrying two large fish.
"Maruko's mother, this old woman doesn't know how to thank you. My son caught five big fish, these two are a return gift. And please keep this fishing net safe."
Feeling a little embarrassed by such politeness, He Tiantian declined, saying, "I still have fish at home. You should take them back for your grandchildren to enjoy."
"Please accept this, Maruko's mother. If it weren't for your fishing net, our family wouldn't be able to eat any meat during the New Year," Granny Wang insisted.
After much back and forth, He Tiantian had no choice but to accept the two fish.
Before leaving, He Tiantian suggested going with Granny Wang, as she was going to Zhao Tingzhang's house anyway, and part of the way was on her way.
There wasn't much to do in the village at this time of year, so the women sat inside their houses with their doors open, mending and sewing.
The mundane days seemed to become less mundane after seeing that Granny Wang's family had also caught a big fish.
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