NOVPUBChapter 56: Chapter 56: Cleaning
Chapter 56 -56: Cleaning
Bai Xiao led Xiaocui into the house, her heart filled with a pang of sourness.
This is Second Sister’s home.
The exterior might look presentable, but the furniture inside is all old and chipped from years of use without any replacement, which is quite surprising considering her brother-in-law is a carpenter! He doesn’t even make furniture for his own home.
Not to mention the musty smell in the house, coupled with a foul and murky odor. Plus, there are clothes piled up on the floor and a basin, clearly, Bai Ju was just about to do the laundry.
Bai Ju saw them and, feeling a bit embarrassed, pushed the items aside and hastily ushered Bai Xiao further inside.
“Come, into the back room, this is my brother-in-law He Weng, and this is my little sister Bai Xiao! Bai Mei from my brother-in-law’s family.”
In the dimly lit middle room, a youth in tattered clothes sat propped up on the bed, his face a pale color not from sunlight but an unhealthy pallor. His eyes were filled with gloom and shrinkage, and he awkwardly pulled the blanket over his legs, gesturing towards the inner room without saying a word.
He Weng probably didn’t interact with people often and didn’t even know the basics of socializing, likely a very self-conscious person.
“Hello,” greeted Bai Xiao lightly, not wanting to make He Weng feel uneasy, and then she followed Bai Ju into the inner room.
Bai Mei simply walked away with a look of disdain on her face.
Only then did Bai Xiao see that the inner room, in contrast, was bright, with a large window, and beneath it, against the wall, was a large bed along with two smaller beds close together. There was also a large wardrobe against the wall, which, upon closer inspection, also revealed its age with its mottled appearance.
The once pinkish walls were now covered with stains and blackened by soot and grime from the chimney.
Bai Ju invited Bai Xiao and Bai Mei to sit down, “Take a seat, it’s right around noon, I’ll go prepare lunch! Since you all are here today, I’m going to cut some meat! We’ll make dumplings for us to eat. I can’t neglect our family’s girls.” Bai Ju was delighted in her heart; her little sister had never visited before, and this was her first time coming over.
Bai Mei finally breathed a sigh of relief and sat on Bai Ju’s bed. Although the house looked rundown, Bai Ju had cleaned it thoroughly, which made it quite comfortable.
“Sis, I’m starving to death!” Bai Mei whined, finally able to relax.
Bai Ju fumbled in the cupboard for a while before managing to find two dollars which she then prepared to tuck into her bosom and leave.
But Bai Xiao caught her arm, “Second Sister, there’s no need to go out. Whatever we have at home is fine to eat. We are sisters, and if you treat me like a guest, I will be upset!” Just now, Bai Xiao had seen that the handkerchief Second Sister was carrying only had a few scattered bills in it! Most of them were small notes and coins. Looking at those worn bills, she knew her sister must have been saving them for who knows how long, yet because of her visit, she was ready to generously buy meat to treat her.
With a push, Bai Ju brushed off her hand and said with a smile, “You’re my sister, and it’s rare for you to visit. If I don’t buy some meat, I won’t feel right about it. If you want your sister to feel bad her whole life, then stop me. Besides, our family needs to eat too. Let’s treat it like New Year’s.”
She took off her apron, dusted the dirt from her clothes, and then stepped out.
Xiaocui instantly bit her fingernail, a smile blooming on her little face. She must have heard about the meat and felt happy. She quietly tugged on Bai Xiao’s hand and asked, “Auntie, can you come to visit us more often next time?”
Her eager expression amused Bai Xiao.
She touched Xiaocui’s slightly yellowed hair and asked, “Why?”
Leaning against Bai Xiao’s legs, Xiaocui replied, “There’s meat to eat!”
Bai Xiao was amused and saddened at the same time, finding it both distressing and funny.
Bai Mei had already slumped onto the bed, almost falling asleep, when Bai Xiao came over and kicked her.
Bai Mei nearly exploded with anger, but seeing it was Bai Xiao, she didn’t dare to act out and was visibly furious, “What are you doing?”
“Go fetch water!”
Bai Mei glared, “Why should I?”
“If you don’t go, you can leave right now. This place doesn’t feed freeloaders. You want free meals, there’s none here!” Bai Xiao rolled up her sleeves, put on an apron, and headed straight to the room outside. She opened the window, lifted the door curtain, and the room was immediately flooded with light.
“We’re here as guests!” Bai Mei didn’t want to get out of bed since she was dead tired from the journey.
Bai Xiao glared back, “You really think of yourself as a guest! Have some shame. Get moving and fetch the water, or do you think I won’t throw you out right now? Don’t even dream of getting a bite to eat!” She had no intention of indulging Bai Mei, especially with Bai Mei’s ulterior motives so apparent—who did she think she was fooling?
Had it not been for the tiny bit of scheming from Bai Mei, she wouldn’t have bothered with her at all.
“So what will you do?” grumbled Bai Mei as she reluctantly climbed out of bed.
Bai Xiao had already filled the basin on the ground with water and sat down with the washing board and a small stool, pointing at the clothes, “Why don’t you wash these then? I’ll fetch the water!”
Bai Mei looked at the pile, weighing her options. There were quite a few clothes on the ground, including the bed sheets and quilts that had just been stripped and needed washing. It was no small task, and Bai Mei glared with frustration. Bai Xiao just couldn’t sit still even when she came here.
“I don’t know the way. Who knows where to fetch water? Maybe when Bai Ju sister comes back, I’ll ask her first, then I’ll go!” Bai Mei had a nice plan. Once Bai Ju was back, she would ask her, and surely Bai Ju wouldn’t let her fetch water. Just like that, she’d have avoided the task.
“Xiaocui! Come here, your aunt has a task for you!”
The moment Xiaocui heard her aunt calling, she immediately ran out. Today, in Xiaocui’s eyes, her aunt was the most formidable person.
“Can you take this aunt to fetch water? You know where to do it, right?” Bai Xiao figured that despite Xiaocui being only six or seven years old, a poor person’s child grows up fast and couldn’t possibly be unaware of such things.
Xiaocui nodded her head, “I know! I will take Auntie there!”
Bai Mei knew that there was no way out. Bai Xiao would not let her off the hook, so she hung her head in defeat and followed Xiaocui, bucket in hand, to fetch water.
Bai Xiao worked efficiently and soon had all the clothes, including the quilt covers and linings, washed out of the large basin. Compared to the work she did in her past life, this was a piece of cake. She rinsed everything thoroughly with water, much to Bai Mei’s annoyance, who watched the water she just fetched quickly drain away.
But she couldn’t argue with Bai Xiao and could only stomp off with her bucket.
Bai Xiao took the clothes outside to hang up. She had noticed that every household had a clothesline set up next to their small kitchen entryway, making it obvious that the clothesline outside a door belonged to that house.
After hanging up all the clothes, Bai Ju was seen returning with a piece of meat and a bunch of chives. Seeing Bai Xiao hanging clothes, she couldn’t help but complain, “You come to your sister’s house and still do these chores? At home, grandma and your uncle must have never let you rest. Over here at my place, you rest well. I won’t let you work anymore, did you hear me?” She felt sorry for her little sister.
She was well aware of the adage, “one must bow to the roof over their head,” and she knew all too well how her sister fared at her uncle and grandmother’s house.
