Chapter 5: Limited Space

Siwen didn't believe it. She turned around and tried again, but still couldn't grab anything. What on earth? Was it for looking but not for taking, or was there a daily limit on how many times she could take things?

She turned and ran to other sections of the deli, reaching out to grab a roast duck that had caught her eye. The moment her fingers touched it, before she could even get a grip, she felt a jolt.

She tried a few more times in succession, only to find she still couldn't take it. She would have to wait until tomorrow; it seemed the items inside could only be taken three times a day.

Unable to take anything else, Siwen cast a few greedy glances at the food before leaving the space in disappointment. Then, a thought occurred to her and she cheered up—being able to take things three times was better than nothing at all!

Holding the peanuts, Siwen rummaged around her room. She found a box and poured all the peanuts into it. It was a good thing she had scooped them up; otherwise, she would have ended up with a pocket full of oil.

Looking at the box full of peanuts, Siwen took a few and popped them into her mouth, crunching away. They were fragrant and delicious.

"Big sister, big sister, can I come in?" Li Siyu called out from the doorway. Her brothers had all run off, and she was bored to death at home. Thinking of her eldest sister, she decided to come find her.

Hearing the voice, Siwen walked to the door and removed the wooden bar. Seeing who it was, she asked with a smile, "Why did you come looking for me? Where are your brothers?"

"I don't know. They snuck out without me. Hmph, when Mom gets back, I'm going to tell her that my brothers wouldn't let me play with them." Siyu pouted, looking aggrieved.

Noticing that her sister had locked the door in the middle of the day, Siyu sniffed hard. "Big sister, why are you locking the door in broad daylight? Did you sneak some good food?"

"You, your nose is really sharp!" Siwen pinched her little cheek. This girl had the nose of a hound!

Siyu giggled after being pinched. Her brothers also thought her nose was sharp; she could always smell where the food was hidden.

"Wait here, I'll get you some, but you aren't allowed to tell anyone else, or I won't give you any more," Siwen warned her.

Siyu nodded quickly. She wouldn't tell, she definitely wouldn't! If she told, she wouldn't get to eat any.

Seeing her promise, Siwen took out a handful of peanuts and gave them to her.

"Peanuts!" Siyu exclaimed in surprise, looking at the peanuts in her sister's hand. All the peanuts at home were saved for pressing oil; she hadn't expected her sister to have some left.

"Big sister, did you hide these peanuts secretly and fry them?" Siyu asked, shocked.

Well, Siwen chuckled to herself. She didn't even need to make up an excuse; this little girl had already found one for her.

"Mm-hmm, so don't go blabbing about this, or I don't know how Grandma and Grandpa will punish me!" Siwen threatened Siyu.

Li Siyu nodded hurriedly, not forgetting to peek outside the door. Seeing no one was there, she quickly bolted the door.

"Sister, don't worry, I definitely won't let you get scolded."

Taking the peanuts, Siyu popped a few into her mouth. They were delicious—fragrant, crunchy, and with a hint of spice.

After eating a few, Li Siyu put the rest into her pocket. Such tasty peanuts had to be saved and eaten slowly.

Li Siwen didn't quite understand her actions, but she didn't say anything.

On the other side, at the Shao family home, Mother Shao looked at the bowl of meat her daughter brought back, feeling very curious. "Where did this come from? And where did your brother take the meat?"

Shao Qiaoying placed the meat on the table and looked at Mother Shao with a smile. "Mom, guess where my brother took the meat and eggs?"

"Where?" Mother Shao rolled her eyes. Who else would he give it to? That boy only had that vixen on his mind.

"He gave them to my sister Siwen," Shao Qiaoying said with a grin.

At these words, Mother Shao's eyes widened in disbelief. Had the boy finally come to his senses and realized how good Siwen was?

"Qixuan, tell Mom, are you really going to be with that vixen?" Mother Shao asked, probing. If he really ended up with that girl Yang Min, she would act as if she didn't have this son. There wasn't a single good person in that girl's family; they were trouble.

Shao Qiaoying also looked at her third brother, eager to know his choice.

"Mom, I suddenly realized that Yang Min isn't all that great. As for Siwen, you know I've always treated her like a younger sister, just like Qiaoying. I'll try to persuade Siwen, and if she insists on marrying me, we'll see then," Shao Qixuan said in a heavy tone. He had seen Yang Min for who she really was, and he was deeply disappointed in her.

"Really? You're not fooling Mom?" Mother Shao was skeptical and reached out to touch her son's forehead. He didn't have a fever; he was fine!

Shao Qiaoying, however, was overjoyed. "Mom, Big Brother must not like Yang Min anymore. Otherwise, why would he take good things and not give them to her? This isn't his style. He must really know he was wrong."

Mother Shao nodded, half-believing. She hoped he really didn't like Yang Min anymore. As for Siwen, feelings could be cultivated over time!

"Alright, tidy up and call your grandma for dinner." Mother Shao didn't want to speculate anymore. If her son had truly repented, that was good. If he was just fooling her, she would give him a good thrashing.

Shao Qixuan looked at his mother helplessly. Whatever he said now, she wouldn't believe him, so he would just show them. He had plenty of time.

Wang Zhengli, on the other hand, pinched her husband and whispered, "Look at how biased Mom is. She gave away so much meat just like that, and when a little bit comes back, she's happy as can be. That was so much meat—it took us ages to save up the meat coupons to buy it."

Shao Qiyuan felt a pain in his waist and quickly grabbed his wife's hand. "What are you saying? Siwen is sick, and besides, our family is in the wrong here, so what's the harm in eating a little meat? Before we got married, didn't I take good things to your house whenever I got them? I helped improve your family's meals plenty back then."

Wang Zhengli hadn't expected her husband to say that and, in a fit of anger, pinched him again.

Mother Shao ignored her eldest daughter-in-law's petty actions. She was so narrow-minded; she didn't know what her eldest son saw in her, always scheming against the family.

Chen Jinghua went to the kitchen to start serving the food, and Shao Qiaoying went to help. Seeing her sister-in-law and sister-in-law-to-be busy, Wang Zhengli felt embarrassed and followed them to the kitchen.

Before she even reached the kitchen, she caught a glimpse of a slender figure at the gate. With a look of anticipation for a show, she said, "Oh, isn't that the Yang girl? What is she doing standing at our gate?"

Hou Yuexia quickly craned her neck to look at the gate. Seeing who it was, she became annoyed and glared at her third son. "Qixuan, what is she here for? Hurry up and chase her away. I get annoyed just looking at her."

Shao Guoyi, the father, also frowned, watching his son to see how he would handle it. If he really didn't like Yang Min anymore, he should make a clean break.

Shao Qixuan nodded. He had intended to find Yang Min and clear things up anyway. He hadn't expected her to come to him, which was perfect.

Yang Min stood at the gate, not daring to enter. Hou Yuexia was extremely hostile toward her; the last time she came to find Qixuan, Hou Yuexia had chased her out with a broom, leaving her traumatized.

She stood outside the gate, staring intently at the courtyard. When she saw Shao Qixuan walking over, she was instantly delighted.

"Brother Qixuan, you're out. I have something urgent to talk to you about today."

After saying this, Yang Min lowered her head nervously, waiting for Shao Qixuan to speak. But after a long silence, she looked up, only to find that Shao Qixuan wasn't even looking at her; he seemed to be lost in thought.

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(End of chapter)