HLnovel Chapter 8 Who cooked for you?
Chapter 8 Who cooked for you?
While Lu Tao was speaking, Tian Tian exchanged a sly glance with Tian Jinghe.
During the meal, Tian Jinghe insisted on squeezing next to Tian Tian.
The siblings grew closer because they shared a secret.
Lu Tao divided the four rice cakes among the children: one for Tian Jing, and one and a half for Tian Xiang and Tian Tian.
Tian Jinghe pushed his rice cake to Lu Tao, looking anxiously at Tian Tian. He wanted to say that he had eaten during the day and that this was for his mother and eldest sister.
Tian Tian dared not say that, after all... the wild vegetables only sold for ten coins, while the rice cakes the shopkeeper gave her were already worth sixteen coins.
"Jinghe, eat. You and your second sister walked such a long way today, you must be tired. Eat." Lu Tao put the rice cake back into Tian Jinghe's hand.
"Mom, you eat mine." Tian Tian quickly handed her whole one to Lu Tao, "I'll just eat half."
As soon as she finished speaking, Tian Xiang shoved her half into her hand, "Here, this way we can each have one, isn't that enough?"
Lu Tao felt a warmth in her heart. "Okay, one for each of you."
Tian Jinghe ate with a guilty conscience, and Tian Tian whispered in his ear, "It's okay, we'll dig up more wild vegetables and exchange them for copper coins with the fairy sister, so we can buy more rice cakes for Mom and my eldest sister."
The little guy was relieved after hearing this.
"Big sister, I went to Chu Xing Restaurant today. The Chu family hired a woman to take care of the two children. The two children are doing well, big sister, so don't worry."
Upon hearing this, Tian Xiang's eyes glistened with tears. She softly hummed in agreement and smiled gratefully.
Here, a family of four is enjoying a happy time together.
The Tian family's side...
Liu Xianglan held a bowl, leaned against her own doorway, and looked towards the old Tian family behind her.
Wang Xiuying from the eldest Tian family and Guo Xiuyun from the third eldest Tian family were also at their doorstep.
Liu Xianglan spoke sarcastically, "Wang Xiuying, did you check the Lu family when they left?"
Wang Xiuying scoffed, "What's there to check? What could they possibly have in their room?"
“That’s right, we even thought the junk they left in their house was bad luck.” Guo Xiuyun also looked disgusted.
Liu Xianglan continued, "When I came back from the county today, I saw the little mute boy carrying something in his arms, treasuring it like the most."
"I just wanted to take a look, but Tian Tian hit me with a branch."
"I was wondering if I had stolen something from your house and sold it in the county."
Wang Xiuying and Guo Xiuyun both looked disdainful. "Do they think their family has that kind of ability?"
Liu Xianglan pursed her lips, then remembered something, "Oh, with Madam Lu gone, who's cooking for you now?"
Wang Xiuying and Guo Xiuyun rolled their eyes at her.
With Madam Lu gone, it's naturally the two of them who are cooking.
Could it be her mother-in-law? Her sister-in-law? Tian Xue?
As for Tian Xuan, she is only six years old.
"Who cooks in our family is none of your business," Wang Xiuying said, tugging at Guo Xiuyun and gesturing for her to go back.
Guo Xiuyun turned around and said, "Who doesn't know how to cook? How difficult can cooking be?"
Inside the house, Tian Jinzhi complained, "Cooking isn't difficult, but sister-in-law, third sister-in-law, look at this porridge you made, is it even edible?"
She rummaged through the porridge in her bowl; it contained more wild vegetables than rice and tasted bitter.
"My third brother receives a stipend of rice every month, and you're feeding me this much, sister-in-law?"
She slammed the bowl down, looked at Wang Yulan with a pained expression, and said, "Mother, look at my eldest sister-in-law and third sister-in-law."
The grain rations were subsidies issued by the imperial court to scholars who had passed the county-level imperial examinations. Each grain ration consisted of 60 kilograms, or 120 catties.
Based on this calculation, I can eat four catties of rice every day.
When her second brother's family of five were around, she could always eat porridge with more rice than vegetables.
Now that my second brother's family has all passed away, my eldest sister-in-law and third sister-in-law are actually feeding her this kind of porridge with more vegetables than rice.
"Eldest sister-in-law, third sister-in-law, you're not planning to save the rice for Jingwen, Jingming, and Jing'an, are you?"
Wang Xiuying and Guo Xiuyun hadn't even had a chance to speak.
Tian Jinzhi continued to clamor, "Mother, just pick any family from those matchmakers and marry me off quickly."
"I think my eldest sister-in-law and third sister-in-law find me annoying and are deliberately trying to trip me up."
Guo Xiuyun walked over and put down her empty bowl. "Everyone can eat, so why can't my aunt eat?"
"Your aunt knows that the rice in the house belongs to your third brother. Jingming and Jing'an can eat it whenever and however much they want."
"Is there any need to hide it?"
Tian Jinzhi put her hands on her hips and glared at them. "Third sister-in-law, what do you mean? Jingming and Jing'an can eat, so that means I and... Jingwen and I can't eat? Tian Xue and Tian Xuan can't eat?"
Guo Xiuyun glanced at her and said, "That's not what I meant. Aunt, you're overthinking it."
Tian Jinzhi stomped her feet in anger, "Mother, look at Third Sister-in-law."
Wang Yulan slammed down the bowl, her movements and expression exactly the same as Tian Jinzhi's.
"The whole family supports Zhicheng's education, so what? Zhicheng receives such a small stipend, and the family isn't even allowed to eat?"
"That's fine too. As for the money Zhicheng needs for his studies, you can figure it out yourselves."
Guo Xiuyun pursed her lips. In addition to providing stipends to scholars, the imperial court would also give them five taels of silver every year to help them continue their studies.
However, Tian Zhicheng spends about ten taels of silver on his studies every year.
That extra five taels...
They're trying to find a solution? What solutions are they trying to find?
Tian Zhicheng only knows how to study by rote. Asking him to teach at the county school, or to go to the county to write letters, revise family genealogies, or write documents to earn money, is like taking his life.
Does he expect her, a woman, to go out and earn money to support his education?
Wang Xiuying gave Guo Xiuyun a look that suggested she was worthless.
She turned her hips and pushed Guo Xiuyun aside.
"Oh dear, Mother, that's not what my third sister-in-law meant at all."
"This isn't our first time cooking, so we're not sure how much vegetables or rice to use."
“Our family is supporting our third brother’s education. In the future, when he becomes a scholar and an official, he will take the whole family with him.”
"This is as it should be."
She chuckled and gently patted Tian Jinzhi's back, "Don't be angry, little sister-in-law. I'll go boil you two eggs."
"Add more sugar."
Upon hearing this, Tian Jinzhi's expression softened a bit, and she nodded coyly, "Alright, then I'll listen to my sister-in-law."
He glanced at Guo Xiuyun behind him and snorted.
Wang Xiuying took the empty bowl and pulled Guo Xiuyun to the kitchen.
"Why are you arguing with your aunt?" Wang Xiuying put down her bowl and started heating the pan. "Everyone knows she's Mother's precious daughter."
Wang Yulan gave birth to Tian Jinzhi at the age of forty-two. It was like an old clam giving birth to a pearl, and it was very painful.
"Don't stand there, go back and rest. I'll take care of things here."
Guo Xiuyun glanced at Wang Xiuying with some surprise. Since Wang Xiuying told her to leave, then she... of course she would leave.
There's a lot to do in the kitchen.
Wang Xiuying stopped stuffing branches into the stove and ran to the kitchen door like a thief, looking around furtively.
Once she was sure no one was outside, she turned around and took three eggs from the basket where the eggs were kept.
Two eggs were given to Tian Jinzhi, and one to Jingwen.
She wouldn't have cooked an egg for Tian Jinzhi if she hadn't wanted to give Jingwen an egg to help him recover.
As for the dinner dishes... let whoever wants to wash them wash them, she's not going to.