strictlysupreme Chapter 278 The Tragic Story of Zhang Chunhua
Chapter 278 The Tragic Story of Zhang Chunhua
She was very careful, as if she was afraid of accidentally upsetting the people in the house.
Lin Huaizhi turned over in bed. He hadn't groomed himself for several days, so his chin had some dark stubble, his face was sallow, and he looked listless.
Upon hearing Zhang Chunhua's voice, a hint of impatience flashed across his face. He then said towards the door, "I'm going to sleep a little longer. Don't worry about me."
After saying that, he pulled the thin blanket over his head.
The blanket smelled musty and damp, so he threw it off, hugged his arms, and shrank back into the bed.
Zhang Chunhua, standing outside the door, looked at the two brown sugar eggs she was holding, unsure whether to leave or stay.
Although she was saddened that her son hadn't passed the imperial examination, she understood, but food still had to be eaten.
If you don't pass this time, you can just take it again next time, right? How can you take the exam if you get so angry that you ruin your health?
After thinking for a moment and struggling a bit, she gently knocked on the door a few times and coaxed softly, "Son, Mommy has cooked you two brown sugar eggs. Why don't you get up, eat them, and then go back to sleep?"
Lin Huaizhi was pretending to be asleep, but when he heard that there was brown sugar and eggs to eat, he couldn't help but lick his lips.
On the way back from the prefectural city, he didn't eat anything good, just a few dark flour buns to fill his stomach.
I've been home for a few days and the only meat dish I've had is a river fish. I don't know how his mother made it; it smelled so bad and fishy.
He pinched his nose, took two sips, and then couldn't drink any more.
He got up and opened the door with a calm expression, but Zhang Chunhua looked on with heartache.
Before she could speak, Lin Huaizhi took the bowl from her and wolfed it down, leaving not a single crumb.
After finishing his meal, he casually wiped his mouth with his arm and said, "I'm going to rest now."
He slammed the door shut, and Zhang Chunhua outside opened her mouth but then closed it again in disappointment.
Never mind, my son is already annoyed.
She must need several days to rest after such a long journey, so she shouldn't bother her.
Recalling Lin Huaizhi's sallow complexion, Zhang Chunhua touched the last string of cash she had left after selling the land.
She steeled herself and walked toward the house that raised the most chickens in the village.
Before dawn, the new house was already bustling with activity. Fortunately, Wen Luozhi brought out a lot of lamps in the yard, otherwise everyone would have had to work in the dark.
The chickens, ducks, and rabbits were all processed and placed in a large basin, while the men outside were processing the freshly slaughtered pig.
In the kitchen, Wen Luozhi and a group of young girls and housewives who came to help were busy preparing breakfast. They must all be hungry since they came so early to help.
Xie He and Yang Guilan kneaded a large basin of dough, while Mo Niang rolled out several dumpling wrappers in one go.
Yang Guilan couldn't help but praise her, "Mo Niang is really capable; we can't even make several at once."
Mo Niang raised her head and smiled at her, her hands moving with practiced ease.
She learns things quite quickly; she figured out how to roll out dumpling wrappers in her spare time.
Thinking that making only one dumpling seemed too simple, Wen Luozhi told them to save half of the dough to make braised noodles.
The dumplings were steamed, and on the other side of the house, a large iron pot on the first floor was simmering with pumpkin and millet porridge.
Thinking of the many young girls still there today, she sprinkled two bowls of chopped red dates into the porridge.
The last thing we have at home is vegetables. People from Zhangjia Village sent us a lot of vegetables, and people from the village also sent us a lot.
Some are grown on their own land, while others are pickled vegetables.
She casually grabbed two handfuls of pickled vegetables, washed them several times in a basin to remove excess salt, squeezed out the water, and then chopped them up.
Stir-fry the minced meat in hot oil until fragrant, then sprinkle with wild scallions. The aroma fills the entire kitchen.
I made a green pepper and egg sauce and a fried sauce for the braised noodles. By the time they were all done, everything in the pot was cooked.
It was already daylight, and the tables outside were set up. Wen Muchuan invited everyone to sit down and eat together.
Because of the dessert shops Miaomiao House and Baiweizhai in town, most families have one or two people working there.
Their lives are much better than before, but they are not as generous and particular about food as other people.
Lift up a noodle with your chopsticks; it's covered in a sauce saturated with minced meat.
After taking a bite, Aunt Zhao squinted her eyes happily.
It smells amazing! It smells so good!
Seeing her blissful expression, Wen Luozhi handed her a clove of garlic, which Aunt Zhao accepted with a smile.
She took a bite of noodles and then a bite of garlic, enjoying it so much that others couldn't resist trying some too.
Finally, Wen Luozhi and the others finished all the breakfast they had prepared. They were very considerate and wiped the large bowl containing the gravy clean with steamed dumplings.
Today, the village children were given a day off. Their parents sent them over to see Wen Zijin, telling them to study hard at the school so that they could become scholars and bring glory to their families.
Today, Wen Zijin wore the crescent-white robe that Wen Luozhi had prepared for him, exuding a strong scholarly air.
He was surrounded by a group of little children, all of whom looked on with admiration.
Wen Zijin wore a gentle smile, which made the girls who came to help blush and quickly lower their heads.
Wen Luozhi tugged at Xie He's sleeve and whispered, "Mother, do you know what it means to have too many wolves and not enough meat?"
Xie He knew what she meant and gave her a reproachful look. "Little girl, aren't you ashamed! Don't talk nonsense with your little mouth!"
She probably knew something about Wen Zijin and Su Ranzhi's affair; how could she not understand her own son?
If you don't like it, you just don't like it; there's no point in saying more.
Her son was focused on his career, so all she could do as his mother was support him.
After a busy morning, the place became even more lively at lunchtime.
The courtyard was decorated in a very festive manner. After Wen Zijin toasted everyone, they ate and drank to their hearts' content.
The village hadn't had a big celebration or been this lively for a long time. Wen Dazhuang, who lived in the old house, couldn't help but crane his neck to look over when he heard the noise.
Before he could even see how lively it was over there, a silly voice reached his ears, "Dad, Dad, it smells good!"
"I want to eat meat too!"
Wen Youcai tugged at his sleeve, but when he saw Wen Dazhuang turn around, he let go in fear and shrank back.
Wen Dazhuang sighed softly and coaxed, "Go inside and stay here obediently, Dad will cook you some meat."
He saw Wen Youcai skipping and jumping into the house, and his face fell with worry.
She managed to snatch her son back from Qian Zhaodi, but the doctor said he was beyond saving and would probably be like this for the rest of his life.
Can he still expect to retire comfortably? Of course not.
He could only work harder to save more money.
As for this foolish son, if Qian Zhaodi comes looking for him again, he can be returned.
Wen Zijin is so much younger than his foolish son, yet he has achieved so much. The more he thinks about it, the more he feels that God is biased.
Zhang Chunhua's mood was no better than his at this moment.
She bought a chicken yesterday and stewed it early this morning, then brought it to Lin Huaizhi.
She thought her son would definitely eat such a big chicken with her, but Lin Huaizhi took it and simply said, "Don't bother me," before closing the door.
Feeling sad for her son, she didn't knock on the door. She just stood at the door, smelled the aroma, and left.
She thought her son would leave her a chicken leg, but in the end, all that was left was a pile of chicken bones and not a drop of soup.
She tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep, licking her lips as she recalled the aroma of that old hen.