Chapter 26: Chapter 26 Dead Girl
“It’s cured meat and egg custard, so fragrant, Mother, you should get up and eat some too,”
Xuexue knew that Chuner had not had meat for a long time, so she smiled and brought out a big bowl of egg custard and a small plate of cured meat from the basket, placing it on the shabby table in the room.
“Wow, it really is cured meat, and there’s egg custard too! Sister, where did you get all these delicious things?”
Chuner’s eyes sparkled as she licked her lips, clearly drooling with desire but also fearful to eat, showing just how harsh Old Lady Mo usually was with them.
Madam Xie, lying in bed, was startled by the conversation between the two sisters and hurriedly sat up slowly from the bed.
“Xuexue, tell Mother, where did these things come from?” Madam Xie’s tone was severe with a hint of panic.
“Mother, don’t be angry.” Xuexue walked over, sat on the edge of the bed, and patted Madam Xie’s back to help her relax.
“I asked you, where did these things come from?” Madam Xie stared at Xuexue’s face with tense eyes.
“I got them from the kitchen.” Knowing she couldn’t deceive Madam Xie, Xuexue simply confessed.
“You reckless girl, how could you be so bold?” Madam Xie looked at the small plate of cured meat and egg custard, feeling inexplicably panicked.
Tonight, Old Lady Mo noticed just a few small pieces of missing cured meat and beat her badly; now, there was an entire small plate, more than double what Old Lady Mo usually ate. If she found out that Xuexue had stolen so much cured meat and eggs, could Xuexue’s life still be spared?
“Mother, don’t be afraid, it’s okay, Grandmother won’t know.”
Xuexue then recounted the process of opening the cabinet, and at the end, reassured Madam Xie, saying, “I locked the cabinet up tight, they won’t notice it.”
“Your Grandmother counts the cured meat and eggs every day after unlocking the cabinet, how could she not know?”
Xuexue was taken aback too; that nasty old woman had such a hobby, truly a miser.
Madam Xie sat on the bed, wrapped in a tattered cotton blanket, looking sadly at Chuner, who was hungry but too scared to eat, and felt very distressed. Her two daughters hadn’t had meat in almost half a year.
“Sigh! Forget it, you two sisters are hungry, eat up. But if your Grandmother asks tomorrow, Xuexue, you must never admit it, say it was Mother who stole, understand?” Knowing there was no point in returning the food once it was cooked, Madam Xie wanted her daughters to have a full meal and sighed as she spoke.
“Mother, you mustn’t admit it either.” Fearing that Madam Xie would do something foolish, Xuexue quickly cautioned her.
“But if your Grandmother asks, what do we do? Someone has to confess.”
“Are you silly? The Mo family isn’t just us. Tonight, Mo Xiuzhi stole the cured meat, and Grandmother saw it with her own eyes. When the time comes, the three of us can stick to the same story and say it was them who stole it,” Xuexue said calmly.
“Is that really okay?” The simple and honest Madam Xie felt a bit uneasy about it.
“What’s wrong with that? You took a beating for them tonight. A few pieces of cured meat and some eggs are letting them off easy if you ask me.”
Xuexue was still angry about the matter; Madam Ruan and her daughter were no pushovers; they had caused their family trouble time and again, and she vowed to deal with them sooner or later.
Chuner too nodded in agreement: “Right, Mother, Sister is right. Sister Xiuzhi and Auntie are too wicked. Every time they steal, they blame it on you and make you suffer Grandmother’s beatings.”