Village Belle Chapter 129
Translated by Digitalian (ko-fi)
Chapter 129: Wretched Girl Learned To Complain
Xie Qing nodded without hesitation. "Okay."
Su Tao, "..."
Did this family have too much money to spare, too much money to spare...
Oh well, she'd better just eat.
It wasn’t her money anyway.
After eating, Xie Qing went to the village chief to tell him about the reduced grain collection, and the village chief thanked him several times.
Su Tao and Xie Yuntang went to the Su family. Lin Sanzhu had just finished frying the dough twists and ordered, "Taozi, get Yuntang chopsticks."
Su Tao got the chopsticks, gave Xie Yuntang a pair, and looked at the oil in the pan, deliberately teasing her, "Mom, you're really generous today, using so much oil to fry the dough twists."
"Without much oil, the dough twists won't taste good. Wretched girl, just eat yours. You're like a duck, yapping non-stop. I'll sew your mouth shut one day." Lin Sanzhu rolled her eyes at Su Tao and started cursing.
Su Tao was used to her scolding. It was fine as long as Lin Sanzhu didn't hit her. She picked up a piece of fried dough twist and hid behind Xie Yuntang, retorting, "You wouldn't dare sew it shut. If you do, you’ll have no one to talk to you."
"Would I want you to talk to me? I'd rather you didn't say a word. Every time you say something, my lifespan is shortened by twenty years."
Su Tao swallowed her food. "I've said so much, and I haven't seen you do anything about it."
Lin Sanzhu was rendered speechless. "...Wretched girl, take your fried dough twist and get out of here. Just looking at you makes me angry."
Her mouth could drive a person crazy.
"No, I want to stay here," Su Tao said, baring her teeth.
Lin Sanzhu, "..."
Xie Yuntang glanced at Lin Sanzhu. Although Auntie Su said she was angry, she liked Sister Taozi just like him.
Sister Taozi was very lovable.
When Su Tao finished eating the fried dough twist, he obediently picked up a piece and handed it to her.
Su Tao subconsciously took it and stuffed it into her mouth, wondering, "Where's Su Zhi?"
It was really strange that Su Zhi wasn't there when there was something delicious to eat.
Lin Sanzhu washed her hands and said, "He secretly grabbed a few fried dough twists and ran out. I don't know where he's hiding to eat now."
That rascal always acted like a thief. It wasn’t as if he would be beaten for eating at home.
Su Tao, "..."
That was so Su Zhi.
"I'll go call him."
After saying that, she went to Su Zhi's room. There was no one under the bed.
Su Zhi always liked to hide under the bed.
Then she went to her room, lay down on the floor and looked under the bed. Sure enough, Su Zhi was there, his dark eyes like a mouse's, which startled her.
She said irritably, "Get out of there! I told you not to eat under my bed, it attracts mice."
Su Zhi quickly puffed out his cheeks, finished the last bit of food, and crawled out timidly, saying, "Sister, I've eaten it. There's nothing left."
He looked like Su Tao was going to snatch his food.
Su Tao's lips twitched, and she glared at him, puzzled. "Why are you sneaking around eating in your own home? Mom won't beat you."
Lin Sanzhu still quite loved her children, always giving them the best of everything.
"Grandma will..." Su Zhi scratched his hands, a little scared.
Although he wasn't staying with his grandma anymore, he was still afraid of her, afraid that she would suddenly come and take his food.
And then beat him.
Grandma's beating really hurt.
Hearing this, Su Tao pursed her lips and sighed inwardly. That wretched old woman had traumatized them greatly.
She tapped his forehead lightly, soothingly saying, "What are you afraid of? That wretched old woman can't even get in. Go outside and eat. There's enough for you in that big basket of fried dough twists."
Hearing this, Su Zhi immediately ran out. After entering the kitchen, he cautiously glanced at Lin Sanzhu, then grabbed three or four twists and ate them.
Lin Sanzhu glanced at him but didn't say anything.
After a while, Su Fu returned, covered in mud. Lin Sanzhu scooped warm water for him to wash his hands, saying with concern, "Why are you so dirty?"
"The Xie family just drained the water in their fishpond this morning. There are so many fish in it, at least 2,200 pounds."
"That's a lot. That will fetch several taels of silver."
"The Xie family aren't selling them. They said each family will get ten pounds, and they'll raise the smaller fish a little longer."
Su Fu said, then added happily, "I just met the village chief. He told us the Xie family will collect 20 percent less grain this year."
"Really?"
Lin Sanzhu couldn't help but raise her voice. Collecting 20 percent less grain meant they wouldn't have to struggle so much.
"Yeah. I heard about Yuntang's matter. What do you think we should give him?" Su Fu washed his hands and wiped them with a handkerchief.
Originally, Lin Sanzhu planned to just give the shoes she made to Xie Yuntang, but now that the Xie family had reduced their grain collection by 20 percent, giving him only the shoes seemed a bit too miserly. But she didn't have anything else she could give.
"I don't know. How about I go to town and take a look?"
"Okay, you can buy whatever you want, but don't be too stingy with the money. It can't be too expensive, but it also can't be too cheap."
"I know."
Since Su Tao had spent so much time with Xie Yuntang, she felt that Su Tao would know what Xie Yuntang liked. After eating, she pulled Su Tao to the kitchen to talk and whispered, "What does Yuntang like?"
Su Tao understood what she meant and thought about it seriously. She really didn't know what Xie Yuntang liked. He usually just read books or played with her.
"I don't know either. It’s better that you don’t buy anything. He doesn't need anything."
"Didn’t you make him shoes again? Just give those to him."
"The Xie family reduced their grain collection by 20 percent, so just giving him a pair of shoes isn’t appropriate.”
"…You can’t give anything good anyway. Don’t bother keeping up appearances. Just give him shoes.”
"..."
They stared at each other, and then Lin Sanzhu waved her hand. "Forget it, talking to you will drive me crazy sooner or later."
"..."
Su Tao really felt it was unnecessary to buy anything. Buying something worth ten or twenty coins, even if it was a thoughtful gift, Xie Yuntang wouldn’t need it, and it would be a waste.
She patiently explained, "The cheapest shoes Xie Yuntang wears cost half a tael of silver, not to mention his calligraphy brushes, which cost several taels of silver. Can you afford those?"
Lin Sanzhu's mouth dropped open in shock. "Of course, I can't compare to the Xie family. I can buy a cheap calligraphy brush for ten or twenty coins."
"A calligraphy brush that costs ten or twenty coins will shed bristles. It'll probably be all gone before he’s even written a few words."
"...Anyway, I’ll just give it to him."
Seeing that she wouldn't listen, Su Tao rolled her eyes speechlessly. "Do you know the Li family's ox?"
"Why? Is it dead?" Lin Sanzhu exclaimed in surprise.
"I saw it crash into the wall this morning. It's so stupid."
Su Tao winked at her and added, "You're just like it, stupid and stubborn!" After saying that, she turned and ran away.
If she didn't run, she would definitely be beaten!
Lin Sanzhu was stunned for a moment before realizing that her wretched daughter was scolding her. "Wretched girl! Do you think I have nothing better to do with you?"
Su Tao laughed twice in the yard, then complained to Su Fu, "Dad, look, Mom scolded me again."
Su Fu smiled honestly. "I'll speak to your mother later."
Lin Sanzhu in the kitchen, "..."
Her wretched daughter had even learned to complain about her now.
