Chapter 21: Sour Grapes

At dinner, the third son and his wife, as expected, did not show up. With only four people sitting around the table, the atmosphere was much more relaxed. Li Xiangqin looked at the fifth and sixth children and gave them direct instructions.

"Even though summer vacation has started, don't let your studies slip. If your grades drop when school starts, watch out, or I'll serve you with the soles of my shoes. Especially you, Sixth. You're taking the high school entrance exam next year. If you fail, you're going straight to the countryside for re-education."

"Mom, I know," the sixth child nodded, surprisingly not arguing.

This prompted Li Xiangqin to give him a pointed look. "I'm warning you, don't try any funny business, or you'll get a slap across the face."

The sixth child stared at Li Xiangqin with a face that hadn't fully matured yet, his eyes filled with struggle.

"...Mom, next time you hit someone, can you not hit them in the face?"

"What's wrong? Do you feel wronged on their behalf?" Li Xiangqin was surprised; she hadn't seen this boy being particularly close to his older brothers.

"Ahem... no, it's just a bit embarrassing. I'm already a grown man, and I'm still getting slapped in the face. It's humiliating."

"Tch. If you dare play tricks, don't blame me for being ruthless. I've already given you face by not dragging you into the courtyard to be shamed in public. That includes all of you. If you dare do anything out of line, watch out, or I'll rush in front of the entire school faculty and students to make you lose all face."

Li Xiangqin snorted. The eldest was a university student and particularly concerned with his reputation; even if she forced him to sign an unequal treaty, he would have to grit his teeth and endure it.

The second son might be shameless, but Wang Yulan was full of pride. Especially in front of poor people like them, she considered herself superior and had no intention of lowering herself.

As for the third son and his wife, one lacked intelligence and the other was a "green tea" manipulator; the two of them clashing was nothing to fear.

The remaining ones were not yet fully grown and were even easier to handle.

Little Sixth: "..."

Fine, he'll keep his mouth shut.

Since they had to wake up early tomorrow, Li Xiangqin told everyone to rest early after the meal.

In a daze, Li Xiangqin heard rustling sounds. Thinking it was the third son and his wife, she ignored it, turned over, and continued sleeping.

"Shh... keep it down, don't wake Mom up, or we'll get scolded."

"Give me more noodles... Your mother is really something. Knowing we were coming, she should have made more food. I didn't even get full."

"Are you a pig? Two steamed buns in one meal isn't enough? My brother and the others only eat one per meal."

Zhao Meijuan rolled her eyes at him. No wonder her mother-in-law always called him a brainless glutton with no situational awareness. When he reached for a second bun, even his mother was unhappy, yet he just stood there with a silly grin.

Furthermore, they had only brought a pound of apples when they visited today, which even her sister-in-law looked down upon.

"Third Brother, Sister-in-law, weren't you supposed to be at your maternal home?"

Little Fifth rubbed her eyes and stood at the kitchen doorway. Seeing the two of them acting sneakily, she asked curiously.

The two were startled by Little Fifth. Seeing her half-asleep expression, the third son hissed, "What are you doing wandering around in the middle of the night? Go back to sleep, quickly."

Zhao Meijuan's expression stiffened. She lowered her eyes and said nothing. Watching Little Fifth turn and leave, she reached out and pinched the third son's arm.

"I told you to endure it, but you refused. Now look, Mom is definitely going to scold me later."

"It's fine. Mom has always known I eat a lot. Besides, I can't sleep on an empty stomach." The third son offered a forced smile, standing aside waiting for the pot to boil.

The next day, Li Xiangqin got up to wash up, and the fourth child was already busy in the kitchen.

It had to be said, the fourth child was truly the most hardworking in the family.

"Mom, you can eat after you wash your face."

Breakfast consisted of pumpkin porridge, a basket of freshly made steamed buns, a plate of pickled radish strips, and a small dish of homemade fermented tofu.

After washing up, Li Xiangqin had just taken a sip of water to moisten her throat when she saw the third son sit down heavily on a stool and bite half a bun in one go. Li Xiangqin frowned.

"Looking for trouble first thing in the morning? Are you a starving ghost reincarnated?"

"Mom, Third Brother was sneaking food in the kitchen last night," Little Fifth said, poking her head out from the bathroom while brushing her teeth.

With a mouth full of bun, the third son couldn't find the words to argue; he could only let out a muffled roar at Little Fifth while holding the bun.

Little Fifth spat out her rinse water and made a face at him. "Coming back from visiting relatives on an empty stomach... how embarrassing."

Li Xiangqin glanced at the couple. Seeing Zhao Meijuan's insulted expression, she could figure out what had happened with a little thought.

Given the Zhao family's ways, their meal preparations were always one portion short. It would be a miracle if a glutton like the third son ever got full.

However, this was their business, and she didn't intend to get involved. It wasn't her who was hungry.

"Stop the nonsense and eat quickly."

At Li Xiangqin's command, the bickering ended.

This actually surprised Zhao Meijuan, who stole a glance at her mother-in-law.

*That old woman actually didn't use this as an excuse to lecture us. How strange.*

Li Xiangqin finished her meal in a few bites and went straight to her room to pack the prepared documents into a cloth bag. When she came out, the fourth child had also changed into new clothes and was pushing a bicycle out the door.

Once the two had left, Zhao Meijuan spoke up sourly.

"Mom is so good to Fourth Sister, giving her a bicycle and new clothes. Even you, as her brother, can't compare."

Before the third son could speak, Little Fifth gave her a triumphant look. "My mom just dotes on us. You can ask your mom to dote on you too; nobody's stopping you."

Zhao Meijuan choked on her words, her half-eaten bun crushed in her hand.

"I envy Fourth Sister, but don't you envy her, Fifth Sister? That's polyester fabric; it's five yuan a foot at the department store!"

"I have some too, what's there to envy?"

Little Fifth tilted her head back and gave her a smug look, nearly making Zhao Meijuan choke with anger.

"That's enough, Fifth. You looking for a beating?" The third son glared at her, then turned to his wife with a conciliatory smile. "When I earn more money, I'll buy you one too."

"Hmph. If I rely on you, I might as well give up on this life." He only earned twenty-one yuan a month, and fifteen of it was taken by his mother. Buy what?

The more she thought about it, the angrier she got. Zhao Meijuan slammed the bun onto the table and stormed back to her room to sulk.

The third son turned and glared at Little Fifth. "Are you satisfied now?"

"Is it my fault?" Little Fifth rolled her eyes, stood up, and went to her room to change into new clothes to go find her friends.

"Hey, Fifth, I have to go to work. Why don't you go wash the dishes?"

"Why should I? Why don't you ask your wife to do it?" Little Fifth bared her teeth at him and walked out the door without a second thought.

The third son turned to look at the sixth child. Before he could speak, the sixth child tilted his head back to gulp down the last bit of soup, wiped his mouth, and said

"Mom told me to study hard, otherwise she'll slap me in the face."

The third son: "..."

Looking at the empty living room, the third son felt helpless. After he hurriedly finished the dishes and rushed out to work, he almost arrived late, and his team leader caught him clocking in right at the deadline.

Li Xiangqin rode her bicycle, bringing her daughter all the way to the gates of the machinery factory. Holding the old man's entry permit, she went straight through the gates.

"Mom, I'm a little nervous."

"Don't be afraid. With your father's relationship with the factory director, they will surely arrange everything properly for you."

Relationships are like tea—once the person is gone, the tea grows cold. This would be the last time.