Chapter 325: Ganging Up on Her
Chapter 325: Ganging Up on Her
Wen Wan had been hesitant about having this child, especially over the past few days.
She was also afraid.
Because, a couple of days ago, she had a very strange dream where she gave birth in the delivery room.
Zhou Chenglei anxiously waited outside the delivery room.
She also heard the doctor say something about the mother having a hemorrhage.
She thought she had dreamed of herself bleeding heavily while giving birth to Zhou Chenglei's child.
Was it not her?
Was it Jiang Xia who was bleeding heavily during childbirth?
Then she felt relieved!
Thankfully, it wasn't her!
Although she didn't wish for Jiang Xia to hemorrhage either, she had a kind heart and wasn't that malicious, but this wasn't a matter of her wishes.
However, would she and Jiang Xia give birth on the same day?
She really didn't want that! What bad luck!
Wen Wan watched as Zhou Chenglei carefully embraced Jiang Xia into the courtyard, shielding her so gently that she feared she might be pregnant.
As Jiang Xia entered the room, she saw the bowl of nourishing pregnancy soup that Zhou Mu had mentioned on the desk.
Zhou Chenglei smelled a faint, pleasant fragrance, "It's nourishing pregnancy soup. Big Sis and Second Sis have both had it before."
He took a sip and found it not unpleasant, "It's still a bit hot."
He held the bowl and gently blew on it.
After changing into her sleepwear, Jiang Xia found the soup ready to drink. She held the bowl and slowly finished it, feeling warm and cozy after drinking it. She rested for a moment before going for an afternoon nap.
Zhou Chenglei accompanied her for a while, mainly to warm the bed so that Jiang Xia could sleep more comfortably.
Once the bed was warm and Jiang Xia was asleep, he got up and went to the new house to paste the exterior walls.
He aimed to finish pasting by the afternoon, so that tomorrow, after removing the scaffolding, Jiang Xia could see the entire house.
Jiang Xia woke up at 4 pm.
Zhou Chenglei wasn't in the room, and Jiang Xia saw a pile of snacks on the desk.
There were candies, sunflower seeds, sour plum powder, red ginger strips, dried Yangmei, and small twisted dough sticks...
It was clear that these were snacks bought by the children from the small shop and shared with her.
Jiang Xia smiled, got out of bed, and picked up a piece of candy wrapped in semi-transparent paper, with the words 'Lard Candy' written in red on top.
Jiang Xia had never tried it before, so she put it in her mouth and took a bite.
It was smooth, refreshing, soft, fragrant, sweet without being cloying, and had a unique aroma of lard without being greasy. It was quite delicious.
There were four pieces in total, and Jiang Xia couldn't resist eating another one.
Lard was indeed a wonderful ingredient.
When used in cooking, it enhanced the flavor of the dish.
When used in baking, it added a delightful aroma to the pastry.
When used in candy-making, it sweetened the treat.
Even in soap-making, it infused a pleasant scent.
Jiang Xia tried each one before going out.
As Jiang Xia walked out, she saw Tian Caixia and Li Xiuxian in the courtyard, peeling sweet potatoes with their children.
There were two large basins of sweet potatoes steaming hot in the courtyard.
And four more basins filled with sweet potatoes already peeled.
Li Xiuxian deeply regretted her decision!
If she had known they would be drying sweet potato chips in the afternoon, she would have returned to town.
Tian Caixia smiled at Jiang Xia, "Is Xiao Xia awake?"
The children eagerly asked if she had seen the snacks they had bought for her.
Jiang Xia smiled and nodded, thanking the children and praising the snacks as delicious.
The children were delighted and promised to buy more for her next time.
Jiang Xia smiled and agreed, then asked, "Big Sis, is Second Sis preparing to dry sweet potato chips? Is she drying so many?"
Tian Caixia replied, "This year's sweet potato harvest is good. Mom said we can't eat so many, so we're drying more sweet potato chips and sweet potato flour. I've already dried the flour, and I'll bring it to you tomorrow."
Freshly harvested sweet potatoes could be used to make sweet potato flour, but not for drying chips; they needed to be stored for a while.
For the best sweet potato chips, it's ideal to let the sweet potatoes soften a bit, so the skin becomes slightly wrinkled, and the moisture content reduces. This way, the dried sweet potato chips will be sweet, soft, and attractive, with a surface that looks like it's been brushed with oil.
These sweet potato chips are delicious, but their only drawback is that they don't keep for very long.
After all, with their high sugar content on the surface, they are prone to molding during the rainy spring season.
Freshly dried sweet potato chips have less sugar, are less sweet, and harder, but they have a drier surface and can be stored for a longer period.
The Zhou family has many children, and every year, Zhou Mu would dry a large batch of sweet potato chips, some soft and some hard, hoping they would last longer.
However, with so many children, the food didn't last long. Soft or hard, they were quickly devoured! So, she decided to dry them a little softer and sweeter, at least making them tastier.
The sweet potatoes had been harvested several days ago, and it was only today that Tian Caihua began to cook and dry them.
Initially, Tian Caihua didn't plan to dry them today.
But now, someone who only eats, takes, and doesn't work has returned!
She felt uncomfortable not letting Li Xiuxian do some work! Every time, she only returned after the crops were harvested, eating and taking things!
She thinks she's Jiang Xia? Able to attract wealth and loved by all!
Tian Caihua didn't want to indulge her, so she picked out some smaller sweet potatoes that had already softened and started cooking them.
The rest needed to be left for a couple more days before they could be cooked the day after tomorrow.
Jiang Xia brought over a bamboo chair and joined them in peeling the potatoes.
Tian Caihua quickly stopped her: "You don't need to do this. Go and lie down on the recliner! Don't tire yourself out!"
Li Xiuxian rolled her eyes.
These were the sweet potatoes from the fourth brother's family, and they asked her for help, but told Jiang Xia not to work! What kind of logic was this?
Jiang Xia picked up a sweet potato and started peeling: "It's fine, sitting isn't tiring."
Tian Caihua spoke again: "I've already harvested the sweet potatoes and rice from your field without hiring anyone. Why would you hire people? It's a waste of money. I have time at home, and with Ah Guang and the others on harvest leave, they can help too. I can finish the work in a few days, so there's no need to hire anyone."
Jiang Xia: "Thank you, Big Sister-in-Law. I was thinking that with so many fields, and with Ah Lei and I going to the Canton Fair, only Mom is at home. I was worried she might not manage it all."
Tian Caihua: "Where are there so many fields? It's just two or three fields combined. The others aren't even yours. But you're filial, going out to work and still thinking of the elders at home toiling in the fields. People in the village don't think like this. Everyone thinks that working outside is great, leaving the field work to the elders without any concern!"
Li Xiuxian finally understood! These two sisters-in-law were ganging up on her!
She hadn't returned during the harvest season, but their family of three couldn't possibly finish all the produce from the fields, and their units provided welfare.
Every year, the harvest only yielded a few hundred pounds of rice, thirty to forty pounds of oil, one or two bags of sweet potatoes and peanuts, twenty to thirty pounds of sweet potato chips, and a few pounds of sesame seeds to send to town! It wasn't enough for her to give as gifts and favors! Did they think all the remaining produce would go into their stomachs?
After receiving so much food from them, they still weren't satisfied and wanted her to come back to work? Li Xiuxian really wanted to throw the sweet potatoes at Tian Caihua's face and smash this greedy person! She regretted not returning to town after lunch today.
Jiang Xia also sensed the tension and, seeing Li Xiuxian on the verge of an outburst, quickly changed the topic: "The weather has gotten colder recently. Are there more fish when you go fishing at sea?"
Zhou Chenglei had told her during his afternoon nap that Zhou Fu had been fishing for over twenty days and earned ninety-eight thousand seven hundred. He said that their boat earned more than all the other boats he encountered, and that her unborn child would bring good fortune.
Tian Caihua's spirits lifted at the mention: "Don't mention it. There's only fifty to sixty yuan per day, at most a hundred, not even two hundred. Xiao Xia, are you and Ah Lei going out to sea tomorrow?"
Thanks to all the readers who voted and rewarded!
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
