She rubbed her eyes and confirmed again carefully.
Tears instantly started flowing.
Wuuu, why did all her sausages turn into anti-hair loss shampoo overnight? And they're even in those small sachet gift packagings.
Su Xiaoxiao almost felt like dying.
Yesterday, she saw someone selling sausages at a special price in the market, usually costing 18 yuan a pound, now only 9 yuan a pound.
She immediately made the decision and spent all her money on sausages.
Perhaps she was too excited at that moment, but she ended up buying anti-hair loss shampoo instead of sausages?
Why on earth would the guy selling sausages also moonlight as a shampoo vendor? Isn't this just absurd?
Su Fusheng turned around and saw his little sister crying tearfully.
"Little sister, what's wrong with you?"
Su Xiaoxiao: "Second Brother, don't ask. It's just an unspeakable pain."
Xu Zhaodi looked enviously at the interaction between the siblings, silently clenching the hem of her clothes.
She was also the third in her family, but her two older brothers would either hit or scold her, let alone care for her.
Thinking about her family's attitude and her recent experiences, Xu Zhaodi's eyes burned with tears; she thought she might as well be dead.
Just as she thought this, someone grasped her hand.
Xu Zhaodi looked up in surprise, meeting Liu Cuilan's concerned and sympathetic gaze.
"Xiao Xu, if you're okay with it, stay at our place until you find a suitable place to settle down."
It was the first time someone had solicited her opinion with such a gentle tone. Xu Zhaodi's heart trembled and tears began to fall.
She suddenly knelt down on the floor, wanting to kowtow to Liu Cuilan.
Liu Cuilan was startled by her action and hurriedly reached out to support her, saying, "Child, my son saved you. We're connected by fate, so just stay here without worries—I'll sort things out for you later, and you can sleep in the same room as my little daughter for now."
Xu Zhaodi quickly waved her hand, saying, "Auntie, no need to bother. I can sleep on the floor."
"Oh, child, what are you doing sleeping on the floor? If not for yourself, at least think about the baby in your belly.
Mentioning the baby, Xu Zhaodi's eyes turned even redder.
If possible, she didn't really want this child.
But the pregnancy was quite advanced, and she found it hard to be heartless.
Liu Cuilan sensed her conflict and gently patted her hand, saying, "Those people are worthless, but the child is innocent. Have the baby—it might be your support in the future."
Xu Zhaodi nodded tearfully, "Thank you, Auntie."
At night, Liu Cuilan was uncharacteristically generous and brought out the remaining pound of meat to prepare braised pork.
Su Xiaoxiao proactively volunteered to help; Liu Cuilan managed the fire, while she handled the cooking.
Over time, she'd become quite adept at using the countryside's earthen stoves.
Looking at the braised pork bubbling with steam in the pot, Su Xiaoxiao unconsciously swallowed; braised pork really did smell wonderful.
The meat aroma permeated the kitchen, and in such an atmosphere, she felt her willpower weakening.
Swallowing her saliva, Su Xiaoxiao forced herself to look away and not gaze at the meat in the pot.
She inadvertently made eye contact with Liu Cuilan and suddenly remembered a significant question.
She licked her lips and couldn't resist being nosy, "Mom, what's the real deal between you and Secretary Sun?"
At the mention of the name, Liu Cuilan's face immediately fell, "Young folks shouldn't poke their noses into adult matters. Don't listen to outsiders—there's nothing between me and that wretched man."
Su Xiaoxiao shrunk her neck; the way her mom gritted her teeth didn't seem like it was nothing.
She couldn't help but grumble internally, but facing her mom's grim expression, she quickly looked away and focused on stirring the braised pork in the pot.
During dinner, the whole family sat squeezed around the table, with steaming, brightly colored braised pork in the middle.
The evenly marbled pork belly, each piece covered in thick sauce, was mouth-watering.
The two little brothers stared at the braised pork in the dish, their eyes nearly glowing green.
"Mom, can we eat?"
They looked eagerly at Liu Cuilan, drool almost dripping onto the table.
Liu Cuilan looked disgusted, "Go ahead."
No sooner had she spoken than two pairs of chopsticks shot into the dish.
Their young age meant they couldn't hold the chopsticks too well, yet their hands moved fast—they grabbed and shoved the meat into their mouths, their chopsticks nearly creating after-images.
Su Xiaoxiao was utterly dumbfounded watching her two brothers devour like starved ghosts, bewildered as she picked up a piece of meat and was just about to grab a second when she realized there was only one piece left in the dish.
What? There was just a big dish full of meat, how did it disappear in the blink of an eye like locusts sweeping through, leaving nothing?
Seeing only one piece left, Su Jianwu and Su Jianwen simultaneously reached out their chopsticks toward it.
Their chopsticks clashed fiercely in midair, neither backing down.
While the two little brothers secretly fought, Su Fusheng calmly raised his hand and placed the last piece of braised pork into Xu Zhaodi's bowl, under their burning gaze.
Su Wenbing took the dish with just the meat broth left and poured some into Liu Cuilan and Su Xiaoxiao's bowls, eating contentedly with a steamed bun soaked in what's left.
In the blink of an eye, all the meat and broth were gone.
The two little brothers: "…" So only the two of them were redundant in the family?
They went from a fierce fight over meat to crying inconsolably within a minute.
Su Xiaoxiao pushed her broth-filled bowl towards them, "I'm full, you two eat."
"Wuuu, big sister, you're the best to us both."
The two little brothers had tears in their eyes, each grabbing a steamed bun and digging in heartily.
Xu Zhaodi took advantage of a distraction, putting the piece of braised pork in Su Fusheng's bowl, "Fusheng Brother, I'm full, you have it."
Feeling the surrounding inquisitive eyes, Su Fusheng blushed and returned the meat to her bowl, "You need to nourish yourself now, you should eat it."
The meal ended quickly amidst the family's nosy glances.
At night, since Xu Zhaodi was pregnant, Su Xiaoxiao insisted she sleep on the inner side.
The girl was cautious even while sleeping, pressing tightly against the wall without moving, breaking Su Xiaoxiao's heart.
She wasn't accustomed to sleeping with someone else, tossing and turning through the night until she finally fell asleep in the early hours.
Unexpectedly, she'd barely fallen asleep when she heard a voice calling her sleepily.
"Big Sister, Big Sister, are you awake?"
At first, Su Xiaoxiao thought she was dreaming, but the sound grew louder and more urgent and even Xu Zhaodi beside her noticed something, gently nudging her awake.
"Xiaoxiao, seems like someone's calling you from outside."
Su Xiaoxiao was sleeping soundly when disturbed, getting instantly annoyed.
She slipped on her shoes and angrily pulled open the door, pausing when she saw the scene outside.