Chapter 105: Sending Chicken Soup to the New Mother Next Door
"Who’s spoiling her? I just wanted to let Jiaojiao have a taste to see if it’s right."
Yun Jiao, with her mouth full, nodded vigorously. "Right!"
Laughter immediately filled the kitchen.
In the eyes of those who loved her, no matter what little thing Yun Jiao did, even if she said something simple and childish, it would make the adults in the family happy. They thought she was so well-behaved, so clever.
This was the thick filter of affection adults had for their own kids.
Yun Jiao didn’t hang around after having her bite.
Once the meal was ready, Grandma Shen ladled out a bowl of chicken soup. Inside were a few pieces of chicken and two bamboo piths that had soaked up the broth, which burst with their own natural flavor and the taste of the chicken soup with every bite.
"Jiaojiao, come quick! This chicken leg is for you."
"I don’t want it."
Yun Jiao hugged her little bowl and dodged away.
Her small bowl was filled with rice—a mix of white rice and cornmeal, to be precise—but it was drizzled with golden chicken broth and looked delicious.
"For Grandma and Grandpa to eat. Grandma and Grandpa work hard."
The little one loved to eat. She hadn’t possessed human emotions in her past life, but she had been taught well in this one.
In this harmonious and loving family atmosphere, she knew to be considerate of her elders and understood that while receiving the family’s kindness, she should also contribute in her own way.
"We’ll all eat. There’s more."
Grandpa Shen and Grandma Shen smiled happily, placing pieces of meat, bamboo pith, and other dishes from the table into Yun Jiao’s bowl.
"That’s enough, that’s enough."
Her little bowl was about to overflow.
Yun Jiao took her small spoon and diligently shoveled rice into her mouth. Her soft, fair cheeks puffed in and out, and her beautiful, clear eyes, full of satisfaction, curved into lovely little crescents.
She didn’t notice that her family members couldn’t help but glance at her as they ate.
’So well-behaved.’
’Our adorable Jiaojiao.’
’Our beautiful Jiaojiao.’
Watching the soft, pretty little hamster eat always softened their hearts and stimulated everyone’s appetite.
Everyone ate their fill at this meal. Uncle Shen took the basin with the last of the chicken soup, poured his rice into it, mixed it all up, and ate every last drop with relish.
Not a single bit was wasted.
"Mom, why don’t you boil those eggs for Juanzi and take them over? Otherwise, after you leave, who knows whose mouth they’ll end up in."
Aunt Shen was clearly well aware of the rotten character of certain people in the house next door.
"I’ll take the chicken soup over for Juanzi to eat first. She probably can’t eat that many eggs today."
Yun Jiao asked, "Grandma, can I go with you?"
’She wanted to see the baby. She had never seen a newborn before.’
"The room of a woman who’s just given birth doesn’t smell pleasant, but it’s fine as long as we don’t go inside."
Yun Jiao followed closely at her grandmother’s side to the house next door.
Just as they entered, they ran into that old hag and a rather fashionably dressed woman.
Her clothes were brightly colored, her hair was permed, and she was cracking melon seeds with her teeth.
When she saw them come in, her eyes fixated on the bowl of chicken soup in Grandma Shen’s hands.
The woman’s eyes darted around before she approached with a plastered-on smile. "Oh my, there’s no need to trouble you, Auntie. Give the soup to me, I’ll take it to my sister-in-law."
Grandma Shen dodged her. "No need to trouble yourself. Juanzi just had the baby, and the smell inside isn’t good. You’re pregnant yourself; wouldn’t going in there make you nauseous?"
Although Grandma Shen spoke politely and had a smile on her face, Yun Jiao felt this smile was much more perfunctory than her usual one.
"Hey, look at you, bringing such fine things. She just popped out a son, what makes her worthy of eating something this good? Besides, my family boiled eggs for her. But since you’re already here, give me the soup. I’ll serve her myself, as her mother-in-law."
’Grandma Shen nearly rolled her eyes into the back of her head. If this chicken soup fell into your hands, would any of it actually reach Juanzi?’
"Mom, what are you all doing?"
Just then, Juanzi’s husband, Shen Jiang, came out. His expression was grim; he had clearly heard what was just said.
By his side were two little girls.
Both were very thin, and their clothes were covered in patches, but at least they were clean.
Their faces and hands were also spotless. The patches were sewn with tight, dense stitches, and little flowers were even embroidered on the collars, offering a glimpse of how much the person who made these clothes loved them.
"Da Jiang, you’re just in time. Quick, take this chicken soup to your wife. We got lucky and ran into a wild pheasant in the mountains today."
Shen Jiang had dark skin and plain but pleasant features, with the honest and sincere air typical of a countryman.
He wiped his hands on his clothes twice before taking the bowl of soup.
This man, who carried the heavy burdens of his family on his shoulders every day without ever complaining of hardship or fatigue, felt his eyes turn red.
"Thank you. Thank you, Auntie."
His heart ached. His own mother didn’t value him, and she treated his wife and two children even worse.
His family was like hired help in this household. They did all the dirty, tiring work, but never got a share of any of the good food.
When his wife gave birth, his own mother was stingy and grumbled even when giving a single egg, while the auntie from next door had shown such immense kindness.
"Go on, go on. Can you bring your little boy out? My granddaughter wants to see him."
If it were a cold day or winter, she definitely wouldn’t have said this.
"Yes, of course. Please wait a moment, Auntie."
"Big Ni, take this soup to Mom to eat."
"Okay."
Big Ni carefully took the chicken soup. The aroma of the broth and the meat inside made her swallow hard, but the thought of eating any of it herself never crossed her mind.
’This is for Mom.’
Shen Jiang brought his newborn son out.
Yun Jiao stood on her tiptoes to look, then her little brows furrowed and her face scrunched up.
’She wanted to say he was ugly.’
’But saying that in front of his father didn’t seem appropriate.’
Grandma Shen saw what she was thinking and burst out laughing.
"All babies look like this when they’re born. After a while, their skin will lighten, and they’ll get prettier."
Yun Jiao blinked. Is that so?
"What about me? What did I look like at that age?"
Although she could remember things from a very young age, she couldn’t have seen what she looked like as a baby.
"I didn’t see you then, but your mother said you were fair and tender from the start, very beautiful."
Yun Jiao preened. ’She knew it.’
"Oh my, you actually believe that? Aren’t all babies like that? You were definitely a wrinkly, red, ugly baby when you were little too."
The ill-timed voice made Yun Jiao’s little face fall.
Grandma Shen’s expression soured as she looked over at the speaker.
That’s right, it was the younger daughter-in-law of this household.
The woman who had been cracking melon seeds.
The woman’s eyes scanned Yun Jiao’s face, a clear flash of jealousy in them as she looked at Yun Jiao’s pearly-white skin.
’What’s the use of such good skin on a little brat? Why couldn’t she have it?’
Between that and the bowl of chicken soup, this younger daughter-in-law was now looking at Yun Jiao and Grandma Shen with extreme displeasure.
Yun Jiao said, "You’re ugly."
Those two simple words made the woman explode with anger.
"What did you say, you little bitch!"
Grandma Shen rolled up her sleeves, instantly entering protective mama bear mode.
"Do you even know how to talk? Or do you need this old lady to wash your mouth out with dung water? Your mouth stinks worse than a latrine bucket!"