"Daliang! You ungrateful child, you actually want your parents, nephews and nieces to starve to death! You're heartless! I raised you since you were little, and now you want to take my life!" Ultimately, Grandma Bai resorted to her usual antics.
She sat on the ground, kicking her legs and wailing.
"Granduncle, I think we should just send her to the rectification class! Seeing how my grandma is acting, I'd hate for my dad to end up being the one in the wrong!" Bai Xue was speechless at the spectacle and spoke decisively.
"Liu Lanxiang, if you don't get up, I'm really sending you to the rectification class!" Wang Jianjun spoke up.
"Uncle, five yuan will do! No need for ten! The remaining five yuan can be my filial support for my parents!" At this moment, Daliang made his decision.
"Dad..." The four little ones, who had been silent until now, all turned their gazes towards him when they heard their father's words.
"You..." Grandma Bai was still not satisfied and was about to scold Daliang when someone walked in from outside.
"Enough! Just go with what Jianjun said! Ten yuan! Deduct it from my work points and give it to Daliang! Whatever needs to be deducted from Dahe's points will be deducted accordingly!" Grandpa Bai pushed the door open and came in.
Bai Rushan hadn't even had time to call Bai Dahe yet; he ran into his grandfather on the way and told him what was happening. Grandpa Bai had heard the gist of it outside, and Bai Xue had been aware of his presence but didn't point it out.
"Old man? Five yuan, not ten yuan!" Grandma Bai was somewhat intimidated by her husband's expression and didn't dare cause too much trouble, but still reminded him.
"Daliang's medical expenses amounted to ten yuan, how can five be enough? There are still seven children to feed! He's injured right now; how do you expect him to survive? Get back home immediately! You're making a fool of yourself!" Grandpa Bai scolded sharply, then turned to Wang Jianjun and said, "Jianjun, do as I say, deduct my points and give the money to Daliang!"
With that, he turned to leave, not forgetting to drag Grandma Bai along.
Seems like there's at least one good person left in that family.
"Alright, then I'll head off too! Make sure you send the kids to my place to fetch the money later!" Wang Jianjun stood up, said his part, and left.
Wang Cuihua finally breathed a sigh of relief, having been terrified by Grandma Bai's antics. She couldn't help but shiver all over just now.
Daliang was relieved too, but seeing the unhappy expressions of his children made him feel quite uncomfortable inside.
"Dad, Grandma had no hesitation when she came to snatch our food!" Bai Ruxia couldn't hold back any longer, her little face turning red with anger as she accused her father.
"She's your grandma!" Daliang could only come up with that response.
His mom never really did anything a grandma should, treating his children worse than enemies.
"What a joke! What kind of grandma wouldn't care if her grandchildren lived or died?" Bai Ruchuan interjected.
"She sure didn't think of being our grandma when she was snatching our food!" Bai Ruxia, still fuming, added.
Bai Ruxia and Bai Ruchuan had fiery tempers, always charging headlong into situations.
Bai Ruyun, taking after her mother, was timid and fearful of trouble, and liked to avoid problems.
And Bai Rushan was steady, able to think things through, and always pondered before he acted.
"Enough, you two. Dad's still injured; let him rest! Stop talking! I'll go get the money from the team leader's house! You should rekindle the fire for mom and dad's kang so Xiao Feng and Xiao Cai don't catch a cold!" Bai Xue spoke up to stop the brother and sister duo's attacks on Daliang.
The siblings immediately closed their mouths when the elder sister spoke.
Daliang looked at his eldest daughter with gratitude, but Bai Xue directly ignored him.
She was also angry with Daliang for his overly accommodating attitude towards his mother, thinking he deserved to be bullied for being such a pushover.
Feeling snubbed by his eldest daughter, Daliang rubbed his nose, realizing he was wrong in doing what he did. He found a pillow and lay down to rest, the long quarrel giving him a severe headache.
Bai Xue, still upset, didn't bother to bring him any food and went straight outside.
She got the money from the team leader's house and returned just in time to see Wang Cuihua breastfeeding.
"Mom, you have milk now?" she asked in surprise.
Breastfeeding is the most nutritious for a baby, after all, just rice soup every day isn't enough.
"Yes! I've had a good diet these past two days, so there's some milk!" Wang Cuihua responded happily.
"But it's still not enough for two kids; we have to give you more supplements! Here, mom, this is the ten yuan I just got back!" Bai Xue handed over the ten yuan she got from the team leader's house.
"You keep it for now, Xiao Xue; we still owe your second uncle's family anyway," Wang Cuihua didn't take the money.
"That's fine! I'll just hold onto it for now then!" She didn't even acknowledge Daliang who was lying on the side.
He lay there watching his eldest daughter, knowing she was upset and ignoring him. He realized he was wrong, but he had always been that way with his mother, and changing would take time.
"Mom, I'm heading out for a bit!" Bai Xue put the money away and turned to leave.
She took two catties of sorghum rice from the sack Daliang brought back, packed it in a basin, and was about to head out.
"Big sis, where are you going?" Little Chuan followed her out, asking anxiously.
He still remembered that last time his big sis fell and fainted on the hillside; as soon as she said she was going out again, he hurried out after her.
"I'm going to Grandma Zhao's, to see if I can exchange it for some eggs for mom! They keep chickens and might be laying eggs."
Bai Ruchuan watched his big sister with the basin, knowing she wasn't lying, and he returned indoors reluctantly.
Bai Xue did go to Grandma Zhao's, exchanging two catties of sorghum rice for five eggs. But she discreetly put the eggs in the dish cabinet and went out again.
Though she was freezing and just wanted to stay under the covers, she felt obligated to take care of the family now inhabiting the body of its former owner.
She planned to try her luck in the rear mountains to see if she might come across a nimble wild chicken or rabbit, so she could provide a treat for the family.
With short winter days, it was already noon by the time she returned from exchanging the eggs, but they only ate two meals a day, so she could make a round trip in time.
"Xiao Xue? What are you doing in the rear mountains?" Bai Xue had just reached the foot of the mountain when she ran into Bai Dajiang, who was carrying firewood home, and he asked puzzledly.
"Second Uncle, I'm just looking to see if there's any wild chickens or rabbits I can catch to bring back for mom!"
Bai Xue answered without hiding anything, her breath steaming up her eyelashes, turning them frosty again.
"Silly child, I come here every day to collect firewood, there's no wild chickens or rabbits. If there were, they would've been eaten already! Hurry back! Don't catch a cold in this freezing weather!" Bai Dajiang said with a hearty laugh.
"What if I get lucky and find one? You go back first, Second Uncle! I'll be back soon!" Bai Xue said indifferently, walking on.
There were no large beasts in the rear mountains, and if she didn't go too deep, there were no wild chickens or rabbits either. There was no real danger, so Bai Dajiang wasn't worried about Bai Xue's safety and headed back with his firewood.
Bai Xue hugged her arms and walked a bit further but didn't see a soul around!
"Is there really nothing here? But what do I do if I want meat?" She smacked her lips and rubbed her frozen face with her hands.
She tiptoed forward again, but all was just a vast expanse of white, without a hint of any prey.
"How does Second Uncle even find firewood in this heavy snow?" she muttered as she turned back.