Chapter 9: You thought you could come in empty-handed?

“Grandma, you are the great contributor to our family; you must eat this rabbit leg first!” Sheng Wanqiu picked up a rabbit leg with her chopsticks and placed it in Grandma Sheng’s bowl.

“Hmph!” Grandma Sheng let out a cold snort, but looking at her expression, there was a hint of happiness hidden within her feigned arrogance.

After one bite of the rabbit leg, Grandma Sheng’s eyes immediately lit up. It was numb, spicy, and carried the rich aroma of soy sauce; the rabbit meat was tender, soft, and chewy. Her granddaughter’s cooking skills were quite good!

Delicious!

“Sister, this is so delicious! I never expected your cooking to be this good!” Sheng Huaian said excitedly, smacking his lips.

“Sister, it’s really so fragrant!” Sheng Huaimu also lifted her little face, her mouth stuffed full, her eyes squinting into slits of happiness.

“If you like it, eat more. As long as you two follow my lead and behave, I guarantee you’ll have meat to eat every single day, until you’re sick of it!”

After Sheng Wanqiu finished speaking, she placed a few more pieces of rabbit meat into her two younger brothers’ bowls, and of course, she didn’t forget Grandma Sheng.

Grandma Sheng looked at this granddaughter of hers who was making such big claims. She really dared to say anything—eating meat until they were sick of it?

She was starting to talk in her sleep before it was even dark.

The four of them ate until they were stuffed, eventually collapsing onto their stools, unable to move. “Sister, this is the most delicious meal I’ve ever had!” Sheng Huaimu whispered, smiling as she leaned against Sheng Wanqiu’s shoulder.

“Little Huaimu, remember this: people live just to get a bite to eat. If you can’t even eat well, then you basically don’t have much ability!”

Before Sheng Wanqiu could finish her sentence, Grandma Sheng tapped her on the head.

“Stop corrupting the children. What do you mean ‘just to get a bite to eat’? I think you’re just a glutton! Stop leading your brothers astray!”

Sheng Wanqiu rubbed her sore head and looked at Grandma Sheng with a grievance. When would her grandma ever stop catching her off guard with a hit?

Seeing their sister’s aggrieved expression, Sheng Huaian and Sheng Huaimu burst into laughter. Grandma Sheng couldn’t help but laugh as she looked at her granddaughter clutching her forehead. For a moment, the small courtyard felt very warm, as if it had chased away the gloom left by the father’s passing and the mother’s remarriage.

Sheng Zhaodi, on the other hand, was miserable. She had been kicked out by Liu Juan, who told her not to bother coming home if she didn’t catch a wild rabbit.

This was all that little bitch Sheng Wanqiu’s fault. If it weren’t for her stirring up trouble, her mother definitely wouldn’t have suspected her. Seeing the sky gradually darkening, where was she supposed to catch a rabbit now?

It was dinner time in the village, and the fragrance of food wafted from every household. Sheng Zhaodi only felt hungrier, and her stomach began to growl loudly.

Bai Haoyu’s family was eating stir-fried bamboo shoots with cured meat, their mouths glistening with oil. Things that didn’t cost money always tasted better.

“Mother, this trick of yours is really effective. Look, just because I said a few words, people are bringing over cured meat, bamboo shoots, and even eggs!”

Bai Xiaolian ate the cured meat happily, praising her mother’s clever method.

“Mother, what did you have Little Sister do?” Bai Haoyu had no idea what his sister and mother had been up to. After he was angered by Sheng Wanqiu and returned home, he had gone straight into his room to study and hadn’t come out at all.

“That’s none of your concern. Finish eating and go study. You have the exams next year, and Mother is counting on you to come back a *xiucai*!”

“Leave the household chores to me and your sister; you don’t need to worry about them!” Madam Bai Jiang glanced at Bai Haoyu and gave Bai Xiaolian a look.

“That’s right! Big Brother, your only task is to pass the *xiucai* exam early, and then the *juren* exam. Mother, Little Brother, and I are all counting on following you to eat well and live the good life!”

After Bai Xiaolian finished speaking, she placed a piece of cured meat into Bai Haoyu’s bowl and looked at him with a beaming smile.

“Alright, I will definitely work hard and not let Mother and Sister down!” Bai Haoyu nodded firmly, affirming his promise.

In truth, Madam Bai Jiang had simply told Bai Xiaolian to pretend to let things slip among the girls she was close with, saying that she was looking for a match for Bai Haoyu. Her requirements weren’t high—she just wanted a girl who would be good to their family.

Scholars were rare in the village, and since Bai Haoyu was a *tongsheng* and quite handsome, there were many young girls who had a crush on him. Once they heard the news, they couldn’t sit still. One by one, they went home to see what good things they had and brought them to Madam Bai Jiang, thinking that currying favor with a future mother-in-law was definitely the right move.

Little did they know, this was all a scheme by the mother and daughter. The feeling of getting things for free was great; they didn’t have to pay a cent and accepted everything that came their way.

Anyway, she didn’t actually intend for her eldest son to find a wife in the village. Once her son passed the *juren* exam, he could marry the daughter of an official; she wouldn’t let him marry these village girls!

Just then, Sheng Zhaodi walked to the entrance of Bai Haoyu’s house without realizing it. She hesitated, wondering whether to knock. Her mother, Liu Juan, was technically Bai Haoyu’s cousin, so the two families were considered relatives.

After a moment of hesitation, she knocked on the Bai family’s gate.

“Who is it? It’s already dark; who would be coming over?”

Madam Bai Jiang grumbled as she went to open the door, only to see Sheng Zhaodi standing at the entrance, looking timid and shrinking back.

“Oh, it’s Zhaodi. What brings you to my house at this hour?”

At first, Madam Bai Jiang thought Sheng Zhaodi was like the other village girls, coming to bring her family gifts.

When she saw that Sheng Zhaodi’s hands were empty, a flash of displeasure crossed Madam Bai Jiang’s eyes. She didn’t say anything, but she stood in the doorway, showing no intention of letting her in.

“Auntie, could you let me come in first before we talk?” Sheng Zhaodi felt a bit awkward. Standing at the entrance, villagers were passing by from time to time. After all, this was Bai Haoyu’s house, and she had to be mindful of her reputation.

“Zhaodi! My Xiaolian isn’t home, and there’s only Haoyu and Haowu inside. It’s not convenient for you to come in. If you have something to say, just say it now!”

Madam Bai Jiang blocked the doorway, completely ignoring the awkwardness on Sheng Zhaodi’s face.

Coming to her house empty-handed and still expecting to be let in? What a pipe dream. Don’t think she didn’t know this little girl had designs on her Haoyu, always following Xiaolian around and trying to curry favor.

Pah! Any old thing wanting to get their hands on her scholar son—she should go find a puddle and look at her own reflection to see if she’s worthy!

“It’s nothing, Auntie. I’ll just be going then!” Even as slow as Sheng Zhaodi was, she knew that this Auntie Bai had no intention of letting her in, so she could only leave in low spirits.

Madam Bai Jiang slammed the courtyard gate shut with a *bang* and returned to the house, grumbling.

In the village, she usually maintained a persona of being refined, quiet, and generous, but in reality, she was a snob, and at her core, she was mean-spirited.

“Mother, who was that?” Bai Xiaolian was already clearing the bowls and chopsticks. Seeing Madam Bai Jiang return, she asked.

In truth, she was mostly looking to see if her mother had returned empty-handed—wasn’t it supposed to be one of the village girls bringing gifts?

“Sheng Zhaodi. She wanted to come in empty-handed, so I made up an excuse and chased her away,” Madam Bai Jiang said, curling her lips in disdain.