Some people even joked and mocked: "The pigs are getting fat, but my daughter-in-law is as skinny as a monkey!"
"Aqi's mother, are you too partial? You can even raise pigs to be fat, but your daughter-in-law is so skinny. Are you doing this on purpose?"
Li Ying was a little embarrassed and said angrily: "She was born unlucky. I don't know where the food she eats goes. The whole family eats from the same pot, but she is so skinny. Who can she blame?"
"Really? Really? Did they eat from the same pot? That's weird! Your daughter-in-law is really thin!"
"She is so skinny! She can wear a big cotton-padded jacket in winter but you can't tell. In the summer, when she comes out to collect pig manure, she looks like she will be blown away by a strong wind!"
Gu Yi came home from time to time, so he naturally knew that usually his mother and sisters would have their fill before his sister-in-law could sit at the table and eat the leftovers.
Although the neighbors didn't say anything, they knew it in their hearts, otherwise they wouldn't take the opportunity to ridicule and mock.
He subconsciously smiled and secretly glared at his old mother.
I've told her about this before, but she just wouldn't listen. She's always been like a feudal mother-in-law, suppressing her sister-in-law. Look! She almost caused public outrage!
Li Ying has always been easily carried away by success. Once there was an abundance of pork, she became too carried away and did not notice the hint from her youngest son at all.
"I can tell at a glance that she is unlucky! I have never liked her skinny and shriveled appearance, like a sickly person!"
The neighbor couldn't stand it anymore and teased, "Ah! Don't be ungrateful! Your daughter-in-law is very hardworking and listens to you. As soon as she got married, she gave birth to a big fat grandson for you. You still say that you are not blessed enough? You are too greedy!"
"That's right! She works and cooks all day long, and has made you all plump. Even Little Tiger and Dahei from the front yard are plump, but she herself is so skinny! You don't feel sorry for her, but when Gu Qi comes back and sees you, he will definitely feel heartbroken!"
Li Ying's face darkened, and she said angrily: "She is good at acting! If Aqi hadn't come back to support her, she wouldn't dare to go against me now! I can crush her to death with just one finger!"
Gu Yi was so angry that he secretly rolled his eyes and urged: "Mom! Cut the pork!"
Li Ying came back to his senses with an "Oh oh" and began to prepare to sell the pork.
The neighbors looked at each other, with a playful smile on their faces.
They all knew that Li Ying had been treating his daughter-in-law harshly for a long time, but because it was someone else's family affair, they couldn't make any comments and just discussed it secretly.
In addition, Li Ying was not the kind of person who would listen to advice. She was bossy all day long and acted like she was very important. They did not dare to say anything to her in person to avoid a quarrel.
A neighbor came with a basket and asked hesitantly, "I just bought some dried fish for your daughter-in-law this morning. I wonder if you want to buy some pork... Ah Qi's mother, how much do you sell your pork for?"
Li Ying thought of the stack of money that Chen Xingling had collected in the morning, and immediately forgot about the "half-sale, half-gift" deal that they had discussed earlier.
"I sell meat at the same price as the non-staple food market and the vegetable market. I don't need meat coupons. I sell meat for one dollar at a time!"
When the neighbors heard this, their faces were filled with embarrassment, and some even quietly slipped away.
"Aqi's mother, can you give me a discount? Tomorrow is Chinese New Year and we have almost prepared all the New Year's goods. You killed the pig so late, many people have already bought the meat."
"Yes! It's a bit cheaper. We can buy one or two kilograms!"
Li Ying's face immediately darkened, and he said in a deep voice: "One yuan per pound is already cheap enough. It's the freshest when the oxen are killed there! You go to the market to buy them, and you need meat coupons and money. I don't even need meat coupons here!"
Everyone looked at each other, and then made excuses and ran away in a hurry.
There were only two people left whose families were really short of meat. They each bought two pounds, paid the money and left.
"Get lost!" Li Ying yelled angrily, "I worked so hard for half a day, and you only sell it for a few dollars! What should I do?! Just sell it for a few dollars!"
Gu Yi shrank his neck, pretending not to hear, and turned around to chop ribs.
"Mom, how about we make sweet and sour spareribs tonight? I haven't eaten meat in a while!"
Li Ying was stunned for a moment and looked around.
"Where's Chen? Where has she been slacking off again?! She hasn't been seen for most of the day, and she didn't even come to help wash the pig offal! We'll eat the pig offal first tonight! She has to give away the spareribs and save them for the New Year's Eve dinner!"
At this time, Gu Qi brought over a bucket of hot water.
"Xing'er is in the kitchen boiling water to cook. There's so much pig offal that it'll take a while to clean it all up. Xing'er's chilblains on her hands haven't healed yet, so Ayi and I will come and help."
Li Ying felt depressed and annoyed when she heard this: "How can you men clean these dirty things? Never mind, wait until she finishes cooking!"
Gu Qi ignored her, poured some hot water into a large wooden basin, and started washing.
Li Ying was reluctant to let her son work, frowned and whispered: "What are you doing? Your hands are used to draw blueprints, these jobs should be done by your daughter-in-law. She is busy now, so let her do it in the evening, she will be able to finish it."
Gu Qi looked at her coldly and asked, "There are so many people at home, why do you leave all the work to her alone? Mom, you always say that you can't eat if you don't work. How much have you done? How much have my elder sister and younger sister done?"
Li Ying was so ashamed that she was speechless and stammered, "I'll go find someone to buy pork." Then she ran out in a hurry.
Seeing that there was no one else in the backyard, Gu Yi lowered his voice and said, "Brother, even the neighbors know that it's not easy for my sister-in-law... To be honest, it's really our mother who is too much."
"I know." Gu Qi said firmly, "I will pick her up and take Xiao Hu back to Yucheng. The tickets have been bought, and we will leave on the morning of the fourth day of the Lunar New Year."
He originally planned to leave on the fifth day of the first lunar month, but he couldn't buy a ticket for that day. There were tickets available on the eighth day, but he chose the morning of the fourth day.
His wife hadn't been back to her parents' home for several years, and she was eager to go back home. He wanted to accompany her back to her parents' home for a few days, and then start preparing for work.
Besides, he had some important matters to attend to. She said she wanted to transfer to Chongyi Middle School, so he had to find out some information first.
I thought she was just saying it on a whim, but she was actually serious and even said she was going to take the college entrance examination next July!
Regardless of whether she was just talking big or not, if she was determined to continue studying, he would support her with all his strength.
In recent years, the school system in China has been different. Some places have a five-year high school system, while others have a three-year system. He still needs to inquire carefully about the specific situation in Yucheng.
Gu Yi was stunned for half a second, then he smiled happily.
"Okay! That's great! Big brother, I'll go to Yucheng to see you guys when I'm free. Yucheng is a big city in the south, and I've wanted to go there for a long time! By the way, can you guys come back during the Chinese New Year in the future? Remember to come back more often, otherwise I'll miss Xiaohu too much!"
Gu Qi looked up at him and suggested, "Ayi, why don't you go to Yucheng with us?"
Gu Yi: “…”!!!
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