Chapter 14: Eat First, Talk Later
Shen Meng didn't understand why the relatives of the two village officials had come to visit her. She suspected that these two families must be seeking something, though what they wanted from Shen Meng specifically, she didn't know and deemed unimportant. It definitely didn't seem like they were asking for her help.
Wang Guizhi stir-fried some shredded potatoes, cooked a pot of flatbread, and also boiled a pot of brown sugar eggs, using all ten eggs that Zhou Jiaojiao had given her. Today, whether it was the elderly couple or Little Meng's mother, everyone needed a good nourishment.
She saw that the two women who had come to visit Shen Meng hadn't left, so after some thought, she washed the dishes and scooped up two bowls of brown sugar water. As she was about to serve the last spoonful, a playful egg white slipped into the spoon. Wang Guizhi hurriedly scooped it out, deciding that just the brown sugar water was good enough - the eggs were better saved for her own family.
"Old man, you start the meal with the kids. I'll bring some sugar water to the guests inside. I just heard they're the village chief's elder sister-in-law and the Secretary's mother. I'll speak nicely, so that once we're gone, our daughter might have someone to look out for her."
"Alright, you go ahead. I'll heat some water; let everyone wash up."
Wang Guizhi walked towards the door but then stopped. Turning to Shen Fugui, who was getting up from near the stove, she said, "Just heat the water until it's warm, no need to boil it. Saves firewood."
"Okay!"
After she left, Shen Fugui moved the short kitchen table closer to the door. It was getting late, and they had to hurry and eat by the light. If it got later, they would need to light the kerosene lamp.
"Mingyang, Ming Liang, quickly bring your little brothers and sisters over for dinner. Eat up, wash up, and head straight to bed. Soon it'll be too dark to see," Shen Fugui called out, then began to serve the food himself.
Meanwhile, in the other room, Ming Liang sprang up from the kang (a traditional Chinese heated bed).
"Brother, did you hear that? Grandpa is calling us for dinner. Hurry up, let's go."