Chapter 24: Chapter 24: Golden Finger? (8)_1 Chapter 24: Chapter 24: Golden Finger? (8)_1 “You really are…” Ruan Jianguo looked at him with amusement, shook his head helplessly, and everyone else started to laugh as well.
Ruan Jiaojiao also felt very satisfied with this meal, but while eating, she was pondering. This incident had been abrupt, and perhaps those who saw it would find it strange, but it wasn’t enough to attract significant attention. However, if it happened a few more times, it might catch their notice.
Yet, she wanted to verify it again and thought about making another quiet trip to the back mountain next time.
After the meal was finished, everyone went back to their homes.
Ruan Jiaojiao had lost the ability to move, and Ruan Jianguo, fearing that her leg was seriously injured, carried her from start to finish. His build was large, and holding Ruan Jiaojiao was like holding a toy; after protesting a few times to no avail, she let him be.
As night fell, the Ruanlin Family finished up kitchen work and prepared Ruan Jiaojiao for bed.
After washing her tiny feet and rolling up her trousers to apply medicine, a burst of clamor suddenly came from outside, as if someone was yelling at the doorway.
“Mom, what’s going on, who’s out there swearing?” Ruan Jianguo, barefoot, emerged from the next room, still holding a foot towel, and asked Ruanlin Family’s matriarch with confusion.
The Ruanlin Family matriarch shook her head: “I don’t know, go out and take a look. I’ll finish applying the medicine on Jiaojiao first.”
Ruan Jianguo nodded, and Ruan Jie followed him out. Ruan Feng and the others from the neighboring quarters also came out, and they all went to the doorway to find that it was already surrounded by a crowd of villagers.
Ruan Jianguo frowned and cleared his throat as he stepped out.
The crowd of villagers turned to look and ceased their chatter, parting to reveal the person at the center of the ring.
“Wa Family, what are you doing in front of my house?” Ruan Jianguo frowned at the middle-aged woman standing in the middle. She was clad in coarse clothes that wrapped around her plump body, seeming like an easy person to deal with, but her eyes held too much scheming.
Wa Yiting, head lowered, stood beside the middle-aged woman.
“Auntie, let’s go back,” Wa Yiting begged, about to cry with embarrassment as the Ruan Family members came out. Her face turned bright red with shame, regretting her earlier decision.
It turned out that after everyone returned home from the back mountain, Wa Yiting brought two quails back to her home, making her aunt immediately delighted. The aunt took them without letting Wa Yiting even touch them, quickly prepared the birds, and stir-fried them. The family of five enjoyed the feast, leaving Wa Yiting out of it.
Wa Yiting knew she wouldn’t get to taste any of the quail meat and had planned to sneak a taste while it was being cooked. But she didn’t anticipate her aunt guarding against her so closely, not even allowing her to participate in the cooking.
She felt rather indignant.
Pondering why she couldn’t even sip the broth while Ruan Jiaojiao’s family got two chickens for free, she knew her aunt’s character well enough to know that she would never miss an opportunity for free chicken. Thus, she exaggeratedly recounted the events at the back mountain to her aunt.
As expected, upon hearing it, her aunt instantly wiped her mouth and shamelessly dragged Wa Yiting toward the Ruan Family’s house, demanding justice.
She had thought they would quietly enter the Ruan Family’s door to ask for their share, but she hadn’t expected her aunt to behave so shamelessly, causing a scene right at the main entrance.
As for how the chicken really came into possession—other than the Ruan Family, many other villagers had seen the event. If she could tell her family, those villagers would surely share the story as well, and then everyone would know the truth.
If they had come to ask the Ruan Family quietly and were refused, there would be no loss, but now that they caused a commotion, wasn’t this just a public embarrassment?