Chapter 20 - 019: Preparation
After Bai Xue talked with her mother-in-law, she returned to the room, fearing her youngest daughter would notice and she’d feel embarrassed. So she didn’t say much about what happened in the East Room, just took out the clothes she needed for the company visit yesterday, set them aside, and then went to the kitchen to prepare dinner.
Dinner was still potato stew with cabbage, just like the morning meal, with not a trace of meat.
Old Mrs. Ye was not a picky eater, but she felt sorry for her eldest granddaughter. She glanced at the dish basin and remarked calmly, "Did the family not prepare any meat for the New Year? Even though times are hard now, even the village adds more oil during the Little New Year to make the meals richer. How can we have such bland food?"
Bai Xue knew her mother-in-law was upset; otherwise, she wouldn’t be picking on her like this. Even if she didn’t like something, she wouldn’t openly say it, especially in front of the children.
Before Bai Xue could open her mouth to explain, Old Mrs. Ye continued, "I can eat anything at my age. We used to be poor, doing with sparse foods, but the children are growing, and it’s New Year’s. They shouldn’t have to skimp like us. Besides, life is about knowing when to save; we should cut back on ordinary days, but not during New Year’s. I saw when the Liu family’s children came over, you made meat, so why are you so reluctant to give it to your own children?"
These words pinned Bai Xue with guilt.
Bai Xue couldn’t take such intentions to heart; she cared about her reputation, whether in front of outsiders or her youngest daughter, and explained aggrievedly, "Mom, it’s all my fault; I didn’t make the meat even though it’s at home. I was thinking about going to the company tomorrow; if we eat too much now, we might get sick of it and can’t eat. So I thought we’d have meat when back from the company after New Year’s Eve."
Not daring to argue more, she hurriedly admitted her mistake first.
Ye Qian also noticed grandma was difficult to mom, but knew she must side with grandma to calm her down, "Mommy, I also want to eat meat."
As soon as she spoke, she saw her sister looking over. But when Ye Qian glanced, she saw Ye Ling burying her head in the meal, not having looked at her.