NOVPUBChapter 152: Chapter 152: The Moth
Chapter 152 -152: The Moth
Steaming hot dumplings were taken out of the pot, a large plate of white, plump dumplings was served, with vinegar poured into minced garlic and topped with chili oil.
All the guests were seated at the two tables.
Liu Baoguo raised his glass, as he was the most senior among those present.
“Bai Song is not often back home, and Bai Xiao is going to university in the provincial city in a few days, so this can be considered a farewell drink. Come on, men will drink, and ladies, just enjoy the dishes and the dumplings,” he said.
Everyone happily began to eat.
An Zhiyuan swallowed a dumpling, and the taste was simply divine. The filling was a perfect blend of fat and lean meat, juicy and bursting with the aroma of chives. He took another bite, savoring the delicious broth, then had a fennel-filled dumpling.
The taste of this dumpling was different from the chive one, carrying a light and refreshing fragrance.
He took a sip of liquor, followed by a bite of stuffed tripe.
The flavors were indeed delightful.
As everyone ate and talked, they soon became full and content.
Liu Baoguo, An Zhiyuan, and Bai Song, as the ones who could hold their liquor, drank for a long while. In the end, Liu Baoguo, quite drunk, was escorted home by Li Chunmei and Liu Hong.
Bai Song and An Zhiyuan were somewhat drunk as well.
Bai Yue had the three boys help the two men to their room to rest.
She and Bai Xiao cleaned up everything in the yard.
Worried there might not be enough dumplings with everyone around, they had made plenty, but now two plates remained uncooked, and since raw dumplings wouldn’t keep well, they boiled them all. Once cooked, they rinsed them in cold water, so they wouldn’t stick together when eaten at the next meal.
“Xiao, I honestly think Instructor An is a good man; you’re going to be lucky to have him,” Bai Yue couldn’t help but say what was on her mind. She could tell that Bai Xiao didn’t seem too invested in Instructor An. Considering how good a person he was, Bai Yue really didn’t want her sister to miss out.
Bai Xiao almost rolled her eyes—An Zhiyuan sure had everyone’s favor.
“I got it, Sis!” she replied.
“With that attitude, I’m just worried about your temperament. It’s becoming more apparent, and you can’t always be like this in the future. You might easily be disliked by Instructor An,” Bai Yue was concerned that her sister was being heedless.
“Sis, I’ve always been this way. If Instructor An doesn’t like it, then that’s too bad. I won’t change my temperament just for someone else. It’s exhausting for me and for him. Sooner or later, my true nature will show through. It’s better to be genuine from the start. If he can accept me for who I am, then we can truly make it work. If he can’t, even if I pretend, can I pretend for a lifetime?” Bai Xiao wasn’t pleased with this conversation. She hadn’t planned to be a virtuous wife and mother in this life, had she not already had enough of that in her last life? Dealing with that beast Fang Xiaoshan, she had been a tolerant, dutiful wife and mother for so many years, causing herself to lose her unborn children. She wasn’t prepared to suffer indignities for anyone else in this life.
“I’m afraid of you,” Bai Yue said, though she was scolding her sister. “For every word I say, you have ten waiting for me!” She knew Bai Xiao was right, and besides, Bai Xiao was now a university student and had her own opinions. It was inappropriate to force her sister to be subservient, especially since she wasn’t any less capable than Captain An.
Bai Yue herself had spent her life tiptoeing around the Li Family, only to end up in such a state. It seemed wrong to expect her sister to follow the same path.
An Zhiyuan woke up in the afternoon to find himself alone in the room. Bai Song was nowhere to be seen. He hadn’t drunk much, just enough to feel a bit dizzy. Since he had nothing to do that afternoon, he had dared to rest at Bai Xiao’s house.
He got up and walked out into the courtyard, which was silent. Stretching his limbs, he noticed his clothes had been washed and were now blowing slightly in the wind on the clothesline.
Bai Xiao was just coming back from outside. Earlier, Li Chunhua had sent Bai Shan to call both Bai Song and Bai Yue over to her place.
Bai Xiao had thought the old lady was up to her usual tricks, but she soon found out the truth.
Li Chunhua was now behaving completely differently. When she saw Bai Song, she took his hands and made him sit beside her on the kang bed, her eyes brimming with tears.
This left Bai Song at a loss for words, unsure what to say or do to comfort her. After all, she was his grandmother. He could be tough with Bai Jianguo and Hao Fang, but he couldn’t display that same fierce demeanor towards Li Chunhua. In his heart, he and his siblings followed the norms, unlike those shameless ones who would do anything. They just could not bring themselves to act that way.
“Grandma, don’t cry,” Bai Song said as he wiped her eyes, “You should be careful with your eyes.”
“Xiaosong, grandma knows she has done many bad things in the past, things that were not right. But you shouldn’t blame grandma for that,” Li Chunhua said, now a changed woman. She had called the three children over because she had made up her mind. Bai Jianguo was an ingrate, and she feared Bai Shan and Bai Zhuang wouldn’t be much better.
After this latest incident, she no longer wanted to rely on Bai Jianguo. The old lady had carefully thought it over for days. Bai Song, Bai Yue, Bai Xiao, Bai Ju—they may have been neglected by her over the years, but she could see they were not cruel-hearted or heartlessly ambitious. Her control over them had been due to their strong familial bonds. People who value relationships are easily entangled by them.
Li Chunhua had realized that Bai Xiao was a tough and strong-willed girl. Being tough had its advantages. People said she was a jinx, blaming her for the death of her elder brother and his wife, but recent events had shown her to be capable and promising, and even ruthless.
The girl had now gotten into university and the sky was the limit for her. Just the way she treated her siblings indicated that she was a good person; being strong-willed was necessary to achieve great things, and she knew gratitude. Bai Xiao would not let her siblings down and in the future, they might even depend on her.
She knew Bai Xiao might not treat her well, and not hating her would already be an act of kindness. But her biggest comfort was the knowledge that Bai Song and her other grandchildren were her flesh and blood. She had decided that in her old age, she would rely on these grandchildren, and it was imperative to mend their relationship now, as much as possible.
She did not expect Bai Xiao to forgive her, but as long as Bai Song and the others remained close to her, Bai Xiao would not go against her older brother and sister.
“Xiaosong, you are not getting any younger. It’s time to consider marriage,” she said. “I know I’ve done many wrong things in the past, but after this illness, I’ve realized who truly cares for me and who does not. It’s not much money, but I’ve been saving what you’ve given for Xiao’s living expenses, which I had previously given to your second uncle. But that ungrateful wretch has lost all conscience.
“This is the money I retrieved from your second uncle. Keep it and use it when you get married.”
Bai Song was taken aback. He hadn’t expected the old lady to say something like this today.
“Grandma, you keep it! You should have some money on hand. I will save up for my own marriage,” Bai Song said, refusing to take it.
Li Chunhua forcefully stuffed the money into his hands, “Take it. I’ve still got a few tens of yuan left for myself.”
