After leaving the Han Family's home, Xiao Man didn't go to Mo Shuixia's house.
She had just been thinking: 'Han Jialan had looked so delighted when she tasted the wild grapes. And Granny Han, clutching the rice pestles, wild chestnuts, and walnuts, was also thrilled, saying it was the first time she'd seen them this year. That must mean when Mo Shuixia and her brother brought the mountain goods home yesterday, the Mo family didn't give any to the neighbors to sample.'
Xiao Man didn't think it was because Mo Shuixia and her brother were stingy. It was probably just as Second Granny Qiu had described: the moment things entered the house, the adults took control, leaving the children with no say in the matter.
In an era of such material scarcity, every bit of food was precious. There were plenty of people who would hoard and hide anything they got their hands on, so there was really no reason to blame them.
