Chapter 256: Chapter 256: Worse than a Beast Chapter 256: Chapter 256: Worse than a Beast “Hey, what are you all doing? Why are you crowding around my mother?” Xuexue used her hands to part the crowd and squeezed her way in.
Madam Xie was holding an armful of various-sized items, looking helpless. Seeing Xuexue push her way through, she quickly said anxiously, worried that her daughter might misunderstand the women, “Xuexue, it’s okay, the aunties from the village are just too enthusiastic and are bringing gifts to our family.”
Only then did Xuexue clearly see the bundles of vegetables in her mother’s arms, which even included a few eggs. She felt for these village women who were accustomed to frugality.
She knew that the news of her buying garlic shoots had spread, and everyone in the village was saying that they had come into money. These women were here to ingratiate themselves with the Mo family.
“All the aunties, we appreciate your kindness. It’s getting late, please head back home,” Xuexue said with a smile on her face. There’s a saying that distant relatives are not as good as close neighbors. They were all people from the same village, so it was better not to offend them.
“Alright then! We won’t bother you any longer,” one of the older ladies, also a person of understanding, quickly took her leave after hearing what Xuexue said.
Having just harvested a large basket of garlic shoots, Xuexue divided them among everyone, and the women left happily. They felt that their trip was worthwhile. They had given the old residence a bundle of vegetables that would last a month or two, but in return, they received a bundle of newly harvested garlic shoots. This was fantastic. They could change their meal for the evening. They’d been eating the same variety of vegetables for almost two months and were almost sick of it, but they had no choice. The family was too poor. They couldn’t just stop eating and wait to starve to death; they had to endure.
“The people in our village are really so generous! Way too enthusiastic!” Madam Xie put down the vegetables on the ground and, holding the few eggs, she went inside, sighing while she excitedly hurried in to put them away.
“My dear, are these vegetables or firewood? They’re too old,” Big Bull said, bending over and picking through the vegetables Madam Xie had placed on the ground, disparagingly.
Most people in Mo Family Village were very poor. Ordinarily, even the vegetables they grew themselves were hardly ever given away. Now, having so many people bring them gifts was difficult for them. Xuexue didn’t expect them to bring anything nice.
She glanced at the pile of vegetables, which indeed, some stalks had turned yellow and hard. She said, “If we can’t eat them, just throw them by the wall corner to dry out and use them as firewood.”
“Oh!” Big Bull replied and bent down to pick up the bundles of vegetables, heading towards the wall while still puzzled, saying, “Those people are strange, they obviously bring gifts, but then they give things that can’t be eaten, sigh! I just can’t figure it out.”
Xuexue thought to herself that there was nothing to puzzle over; it was all caused by the word ‘poverty.’
As evening approached and the table was just set with food, Mo Xiaoqiang arrived.
“Hehe! My dear wife,” he said, grinning at Madam Xie as soon as he entered, his face all smiles in an attempt to ingratiate himself.
Madam Xie’s face was clouded, her head bowed in silence. In recent days, Mo Xiaoqiang’s behavior had deeply disappointed her. A man capable of hurting his own daughter was no better than a beast.
Xuexue looked at Big Bull, “Didn’t you lock the courtyard door?”
“I did.”
“Then why can an unrelated person come in?”
“The courtyard door is too broken, and there’s a big gap. He probably squeezed in through the gap.”
“Hmm, alright,” Xuexue nodded helplessly, then said, “In a few days, when we repair the house and reinforce the front door, as long as we are not willing, let alone such a big person, not even a mosquito will be able to fly in.”
“Xuexue, don’t be like this. No matter what, I am still your father,” Mo Xiaoqiang said, standing awkwardly to one side as he received a cold reception from the mother and daughter.