Chapter 211: Chapter 211: Cold and Hungry Chapter 211: Chapter 211: Cold and Hungry The Old Residence
Thinking of her two little grandchildren’s plight, Madam Xie felt terribly upset. After a hasty wash following dinner, she retired to her room to rest along with Chuner.
Big Bull and Xuexue were left practicing martial arts in the courtyard.
Ever since Big Bull came to their home, Xuexue, paving the way for her future revenge, did not fear hardship. Every night, in the deep silence, she would have him teach her martial arts to enhance her own strength.
As she was energetically training in the courtyard, a rustling sound from outside the door caught her attention.
“Big Bull,” Xuexue pursed her lips at him and glanced toward the door.
Big Bull got the hint and with a swift leap, he was out of the courtyard, standing by the door. He yelled at several shadowy figures, “Who’s there, skulking around?!”
“It’s… it’s… us,” came the trembling reply, clearly someone who had been freezing in the cold wind for too long, their speech somewhat slurred.
“What are you doing here in the middle of the night without sleeping, showing up at our place?” Big Bull asked, sounding like a complete fool.
“We… we’ve been… driven out, with nowhere to go.” Li Feng was both cold and hungry. They hadn’t even eaten at the Mo family’s place before Old Lady Mo chased them out.
Inside the courtyard, Xuexue was waiting for news from Big Bull about capturing the intruders when she faintly heard Li Feng’s frozen voice, which startled her. She hurriedly opened the courtyard gate…
She saw her eldest sister’s family of four, huddled together and shivering against the wall.
“Aiyo! How long have you been out here? Why didn’t you come in and warm up if you were so cold? Come on in,” Xuexue said as she picked up Yuan Yuan from Mo Yaner’s arms and hurried inside.
“Mother, Mother, get up quickly, Elder Sister is back!” Xuexue shouted in the direction of Madam Xie’s room.
Before long, Madam Xie, hastily dressed, came out. Seeing their miserable state, her eyes reddened. She scolded Mo Yaner, “Yaner, you are such a fool, letting Tuantuan and Yuanyuan freeze out there without coming inside. Are you out of your mind? Your grandmother has been worried about you all night.”
“Grandmother, I’m hungry,” Tuantuan said, blinking up at Madam Xie with pitiful eyes.
“Right! We haven’t eaten all evening!” added Yuanyuan, her little belly rumbling all night long. Outside in the cold, she had held back from speaking, not wanting to sadden her mother. Now inside, with her grandmother being so kind and affectionate, she could no longer keep it in.
“Alright, alright! Grandmother will make something right now. You just wait,” said Madam Xie, turning to run to the kitchen.
In this moment of destitution, their mother was still willing to welcome them. Mo Yaner felt a complex mix of emotions seeing her mother’s and sister’s sincere care, and her eyes filled with tears. She realized how blind she had been before, helping those ungrateful people to bully her own kin.
However, Mo Yaner was a person who cared about face, and found it difficult to apologize just yet.
Madam Xie, a homemaker for over a decade, was no slouch. She quickly and deftly steamed some rice, and since there was still half of the braised pork left from dinner, it was conveniently ready to be reheated rather than prepared anew.
Ever since they moved to the Mo family, they had never enjoyed a decent meal. The people of the Mo family treated them no better than servants, not even allowing them to share the dinner table, making them wait to eat until after the others had finished.
Old Lady Mo was a miser. Whenever Mo Yaner would scoop rice into the pot, Old Lady Mo would watch like a hawk, allowing no extra grains. It goes without saying that there would be no leftovers; at best, there might be some rice crusts. The family of four led a life of deep hardship.