Admiration and Delight
Shao Yunduan could not help but nod in agreement. They were indeed very lucky…
As the four of them returned home, Ms. Fang and Ms. Xu did not suspect the safety of mushrooms as they already witnessed what happened the day before. So they got the dustpans to hold the mushrooms and dried them out on high places.
When it came to brackens, they cut off the head and bottom, put them in boiling water before placing them into the clear water, after the brackens were taken home.
Those coin-size and finger-size bamboos needed to be peeled. So the women sat together to peel off the shells…
As they were busy with all of these, Ms. Niu came to visit them with a look of smile. She was thinking of some plans the moment she walked in. Seeing that Ms. Fang and Qiao Xuan were peeling the bamboo, she instantly lost interest and said with a smile, “Oh, these bamboos are too thin to have their shells peeled off. It is so exhausting to do this work, are you tired?”
When she heard that some people of the family came home from the mountains with large bags of things, she just came to see what they had got.
But the things in front of her were beyond her anticipation.
Ms. Fang threw a look at her and said casually, “That is true, children are just having fun with it.”
Ms. Niu sounded as if she did not like any of these, but as she saw those peeled, white and tender-looking bamboos lying in the basket, she smiled and said, “Qi and Taotao are so diligent. I will have some to take home for a taste.”
But suddenly, a pair of hands stretched out and took away the whole basket instantly.
Qiao Xuan stood up with a basket and smiled. “Mom, should we also boil bamboo in the water?”
Ms. Niu failed to get the basket and turned a bit dumbfounded. She looked so silly as she was frozen in her posture.
Ms. Fang laughed and nodded at her. “Yes, but don’t do that, you will burn your hands, Ms. Xu, you go and do it instead.”
Ms. Xu nodded and took over the basket.
She had also been a bit anxious seeing that Second Sister-in-law was trying to get the basket. That woman was never going to spare any courtesy and would have taken the whole thing away.
Those bamboos were very tasty, even though they were covered with thick shells. They had spent so much time peeling them and she would feel so bad, if Second Sister-in-law took them away for free.
But she did not dare to stop that woman. Luckily, her sister-in-law took action.
Ms. Xu could not help but admire and feel happy.
Ms. Niu got so annoyed that she snorted. “Ms. Qiao, you are so stingy! We are a family, why are you defending your bamboos ?”
Qiao Xuan showed an awkward smile and said, “It is so exhausting to peel these bamboos, I am not that generous to share them. Second Sister-in-law, if you want to eat them, you can go to the mountains to pick them yourself, it is not that difficult.”
Qiao Xuan was not a stingy person, but she did not want to share her spoils with Ms. Niu, who was snapping at them, simply trying to take advantage of them.
Ms. Fang chuckled. “Yes, that is true. They are not expensive things. They are available everywhere in the mountains. Just go and pick them if you want to. There are so many of us in the family. These are only enough for two meals. We can’t share them, okay?”
Ms. Niu snorted. Stingy people! She did not care about these no-taste bamboos!
She just wanted to take advantage of them!
She did not want to continue to care about these bamboos. But she had stepped into the family, and she believed that she needed to say something.
Ms. Niu rolled her eyes and suddenly smiled. “Ms. Qiao, tomorrow is your ‘return-to-bride’s home’ day. Have you got your presents ready? Tell me what you are going to take home? I can help you with some ideas.”