Jian Shuangshuang wanted to say no, but her stomach inconveniently grumbled; she truly was hungry.
Her stomach felt like it was being scorched, unbelievably hot, with waves of sourness.
Accompanied by the unique stench of the original mouth, the nausea rose to her chest and she almost couldn't hold back.
Seeing her daughter hungry, Yu Si Niang naturally had to go get some food.
She ran a hand through Jian Shuangshuang's hair, then got up and walked out of the room.
By the time she reached the kitchen, most people had already returned.
Only Mu the Third hadn't come back; he's the sturdiest man in the family.
Moreover, he's quite sympathetic towards Old Mr. Mu and Old Mrs. Mu, always being the first to go out for work and the last to return.
Usually at this time, no one waits for him to eat.
Old Mrs. Mu, although harsh, is still good to her sons, and would set aside a bowl of food for him.
The moment Yu Si Niang appeared, Old Mrs. Mu's eyes lit up like a wolf spotting prey.
"Didn't we agree no one eats lunch today? Are you just disregarding the old lady or do you need a broom to chase you out?"
Old Mrs. Mu sat in the upper right corner; even in the presence of the family head, Mr. Mu, she had authority over the main room.
"Dad, Mom, Shuangshuang woke up and I want to get her something to eat. It's okay if I don't eat."
"Bah, that stinky thing wants to eat too? Leave her hungry; if she doesn't get up herself, no one is to bring food, or I'll break their legs."
As she spoke, Old Mrs. Mu spat like a fountain, and her saliva splashed into the bowl of meat-fried cucumbers nearby.
Nearby, Liu Jinhua, the wife of Mu Family's Fourth, stared at that bowl—the only meat dish in the family.
Though scant in meat, it's far better than some fermented beans and dried wild veggies.
Before Yu Si Niang entered, everyone was fixated on that plate of fried cucumbers and meat.
Even Mu Jingui, the six-year-old son of Mu Family's Second House, stared at the meat slices while drooling on his collar.
"Mom, can I just scoop a bowl of porridge for Shuangshuang? I won't eat dinner tonight either."
Yu Si Niang peacefully negotiated with Old Mrs. Mu, hoping her daughter could have some hot porridge.
"Yu Si Niang, are you deaf or looking for trouble here?
What I say goes. If you don't leave, when the Third comes back, I'll make him divorce you."
Seeing she couldn't get food for her daughter, Yu Si Niang was still reluctant to give up.
She glanced at Mr. Mu, hoping he would speak for her daughter.
"Third daughter-in-law, Shuangshuang's hands and feet aren't broken; why can't she get out of bed to eat?
She's not some precious lady needing the whole family's service. When Dad and Mom are ill, they still get up to eat.
If we set this precedent, eventually that girl would have Dad and Mom under her thumb."
The eldest sister-in-law, Mrs. Jin, known as the fairest in the family, interjected.
Mu Family's eldest, Mu Dade, was Er Gui Village's only scholar, and because of this, five years ago when conscripting soldiers, each household had to send two men but their family only one.
Yet after several years, Mu Dade remained merely a scholar.
Countless attempts at becoming a scholar, spending a lot yet never succeeding.
"Dad!" Yu Si Niang called out to Mr. Mu again.
Mr. Mu registered Yu Si Niang's plea for help, but he couldn't intervene.
This elder third daughter had already disgraced the Mu Family in the village.
If the third daughter stirred things up again, the Mu Family would be in chaos.
Mrs. Lin had been waiting for Mr. Mu to speak. Noticing his silence, she slammed her chopsticks down and stood up.
"Out, out, out! No meals, what are you staring at? Don't block our light.
Your smelly girl just causes trouble, does nothing but eat; keeping her is worse than keeping a pig."
As she spoke, Mrs. Lin started pushing Yu Si Niang toward the door.
As soon as she touched Yu Si Niang's hand, Yu Si Niang swiftly slapped Mrs. Lin's wrist, causing her to wail.
"Mom, that little brat hit me." Mrs. Lin raised her hand to show Old Mrs. Mu.
Seeing that, Old Mrs. Mu widened her eyes, her sparse eyebrows forming a straight line, ready to stand up and hit someone when Mr. Mu finally spoke.
"One meal won't starve anyone; Shuang made a mistake, and she should learn from it. Go back and talk to her properly; after acknowledging elders, this incident will be over."
With Mr. Mu's words, Yu Si Niang couldn't stay in the main room. She glanced longingly at the warm food on the table before heading back to her own room.
Once Yu Si Niang left, everyone's gaze returned to the bowl of meat-fried cucumbers.
The cured meat, red and white, gleamed with a layer of delicate lard, resembling a large agate under the daylight and refusing to let the eyes wander.
Standing nearby, Mu Jingui licked the snot already flowing into his mouth.
After leaving a mark with his tongue, he reached with his greasy, dark hand, aiming directly for the meat slices in the fried cucumber.
But before he touched the meat, Old Mrs. Mu's chopsticks struck his wrist where the veins bulged.
Mu Jingui immediately writhed in pain on the muddy ground, raising a cloud of dust.
Just as the dust was about to fly toward the dish bowl, Old Mrs. Mu roared.
"Bah, you rascal, daring to steal food! If you fuss again, you'll sleep in the pigsty from tonight."
Mu Jingui finally calmed down; as he stood up, his eyes remained fixed on those pieces of cured meat.
Nearby, at the small Eight Immortals table, Mu Xiaozhi, Mu the Third's youngest daughter, stood.
"Grandpa, Grandma, I'm full, I'll go back to my room."
Old Mrs. Mu glanced over and saw not a grain of rice left in the earthenware bowl in front of her.
The bowl seemed freshly washed, clean and tidy, so she nodded.
Once Mu Xiaozhi left the main room, she pulled from her oversized sleeves a yellowish fist-sized bun and headed straight to her room.
Upon opening her room's door, she rushed to Yu Si Niang and handed her the bun.
Yu Si Niang's vision blurred, her eyes immediately filling with tears.
She had been blaming herself for not having anything for her elder daughter to eat, but now the younger one brought a bun, so Shuangshuang wouldn't have to go hungry.
"Here, Shuangshuang, eat this bun quickly before Grandma notices."