Ye Gaosheng felt sour as he watched this scene. He moved closer to Mother He, trying to be annoying on purpose, “Mom, you’re really playing favorites. We came back together, so how come you don’t show me the same affection?”
Mother He twisted her mouth and slapped Ye Gaosheng on the back, “Affection for a big-eared melon seed like you? You’re almost of marrying age, yet you’re competing with your sister for favoritism. Aren’t you ashamed? Besides, you stinker, what’s there to miss about you? You’re such a nuisance, nobody would want you even if we threw you out…”
Thoroughly scorned, luckily Ye Gaosheng was used to it by now, and given his easy-going nature, he wasn’t likely to hold a grudge against Ye Jiu.
Once inside the house, Ye Jiu took out the oil-paper wrapped buns from her basket, “Mom, I bought some buns for you, but they’ve gone cold on the way. We need to heat them up before eating.” As she spoke, Ye Jiu separated two of the oil-paper wraps and was about to hand them to Ye Wenqing, “Wenqing, you take this one to the second household, and then bring the rest back to have your sister-in-law heat them up for you.”
Before Ye Jiu could finish speaking, the oil-paper wrap was taken by Mother He, “It’s just after midday, why eat buns now? Just put them aside, we’ll heat them up and have them for dinner tonight.”
As she spoke, there was a look of distress on Mother He’s face. So many buns! How much money must that have cost?
This good-for-nothing fourth child, sent to sell chickens and eggs, probably didn’t save a coin, not to mention whether he’d bought the meat that his father asked for!
Thinking this, Mother He had already grabbed the broom from behind the door and swung it at Ye Gaosheng, “You good-for-nothing, I sent you to earn money, and look at you, spending it all, didn’t you?”
Ye Gaosheng, who had just been smiling at the sight of the bundles, suddenly felt the blow and jumped up in pain. Realizing what was happening, he started to run, “Mom, stop hitting me! I didn’t buy those things; wasn’t it the money you gave to little sis to buy them?”
Mother He stopped in her tracks, in disbelief, “What did you say?”
She herself was out of money, where would she get money to give to her daughter?
That’s right, she did give five coins this morning for her daughter to take the ox cart, but even if she didn’t take the cart, those five coins couldn’t possibly purchase so much stuff. So, what kind of lie was this fourth child trying to tell?
As she spoke, Mother He was about to raise her hand again, but thankfully Ye Jiu was quick to hold her back, “Fourth brother, Wenqing, you two go outside first, I’ll explain to mom.”
Both Ye Gaosheng and Ye Wenqing breathed a sigh of relief, especially Ye Gaosheng who threw the remaining money on the table and ran, “Mom, I’ve put all the remaining money there for you!”
After Ye Gaosheng ran out, Mother He counted the money on the table and, seeing there was no mistake, she hurriedly rifled through the basket and was shocked to see not only the meat that was asked for but also two pieces of cloth.
Mother He quickly brought the items over to where Ye Old Man lay, “Old Man, look quickly, fourth child didn’t spend that much money but he brought back so many things!”
Ye Old Man had been awake all along, and of course, he heard everything Ye Gaosheng said. Now seeing these goods, he immediately looked at Ye Jiu, “Girl, did you… did you really buy all this? Where… where did you get so much money?”
Neither the cotton cloth nor the buns were cheap. None of them was something a few coins could buy.
As Ye Old Man said this, Mother He also came to her senses, staring at Ye Jiu with a shocked and questioning gaze.