Chapter 21: Old Madam Bai’s Achilles’ Heel

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

“Bai Daliang, you unfilial son. You want your parents, nephews, and nieces to starve to death! You have no conscience. I’ve raised you since you were young. Now that you’re grown up, you try to kill me!” In the end, Old Madam Bai still acted shamelessly.

She sat on the ground and kicked her legs as she howled.

“Granduncle, I think we should just send her directly to the Disciplinary Department! Just look at her! She’s at it again. If she keeps this up, she’s going to start wronging my father as usual.” Bai Xue was speechless when she saw her unreasonable behavior.

“Liu Lanxiang, if you still don’t get up, I’ll really send you to the Disciplinary Department!” Wang Jianjun said.

“Uncle, $5 is enough! I don’t need her to pay! I will accept less compensation on account that she’s my mother!” At this moment, Bai Daliang made a decision.

“Dad…” The four little ones, who had been silent all this while, glared at their father when they heard him say this.

“You…” Old Madam Bai was still dissatisfied. She pointed at Bai Daliang and was about to scold him when someone walked in.

“Enough! We’ll go with Jianjun’s suggestion and pay $10! Deduct it from my work credit and give it to Daliang! Deduct Dahe’s work credit as much as you want!” Old Master Bai pushed open the door and walked in.

Before Bai Rushan got to Bai Dahe, he ran into his grandfather on the way and told him what had happened. Old Master Bai had heard everything from outside the door. Bai Xue knew that he was here, but she did not expose him since he did not come in.

“What are you talking about, Old Man? We should only pay $5 and not $10!” Old Madam Bai was a little afraid when she saw her old man’s expression. She did not dare to be too rash, but she still reminded him.

“Daliang’s medical fees cost $10. How can you give him $5? He has seven children to feed and he’s still injured. How can he live? Hurry up and go home! You disgraceful thing!” Old Master Bai scolded sternly.

He turned around and said to Wang Jianjun, “Jianjun, just do as I say. Deduct my work credit and give Daliang the money!”

After saying that, he turned around and walked out, not forgetting to pull Old Madam Bai along.

It seemed that there was someone in the family who was pretty decent.

“Alright, then. My business is done! Later, send a child to my place to collect the money!” Wang Jianjun stood up and said as he walked out.

Only then did Wang Cuihua heave a sigh of relief. She was afraid of Old Madam Bai. Just now, she could not help but tremble.

Bai Daliang also heaved a sigh of relief, but looking at the children who were not happy with him, he felt a little uncomfortable.

“Dad, Grandma was never soft-hearted when she came to snatch our food!” Bai Ruxia was the first to lose her temper. Her face was red with anger as she criticized her father.

“She’s your grandmother!” Bai Daliang was speechless.

His mother had never done anything that a grandmother should do. She was even more ruthless to his children than to her enemies.

“Some kind of grandma she is! Which grandmother disregards her grandchildren’s lives?” Bai Ruchuan added.

“When she snatched our food, did she remember she was our elder!” Bai Ruxia was still angry.

Bai Ruxia and Bai Ruchuan had bad tempers. They tended to have blunt personalities.

Bai Ruyun was like her mother. She was a little timid and liked to avoid confronting problems.

On the other hand, Bai Rushan was composed and could use his brain. He would think first before doing anything.

“Alright, you two. Dad is still injured. Let him rest and stop talking! I’ll go to the captain’s house to get the money! Hurry up and put wood into the heater for Dad and Mom. Don’t let Feng and Cai freeze!” Bai Xue stopped the siblings from attacking Bai Daliang.

When the siblings heard their eldest sister speak, they immediately shut their mouths and stopped talking.

Bai Daliang looked at his eldest daughter with gratitude, but Bai Xue ignored him.

She was also angry at how Bai Daliang treated his mother. He deserved to be bullied like this.

After his eldest daughter ignored him, Bai Daliang rubbed his nose and realized that he had done the wrong thing. He found a pillow and lay down to rest. The commotion gave him a splitting headache.

Bai Xue was so angry that she did not even bring food to her father before leaving.

When she returned from the captain’s house with the money, she happened to see Wang Cuihua nursing a baby.

“Mom, do you have breast milk?” she asked in surprise.

Breast milk was the most nutritious food for babies. The babies could not keep eating rice soup.

“That’s right! I’ve been eating well these two days, so I have started to lactate slightly!” Wang Cuihua said happily.

“The babies still don’t have enough to eat. They need more nourishment! Here you go. This is the money I got from the captain!” Bai Xue handed her the $10 that she had taken from the captain’s house.

“Just keep it, Xue. Don’t you have to return the money to your second uncle later?” Wang Cuihua did not take it.

“Okay then! I’ll put it away first!”

Her father had been lying by the side the entire time, but Bai Xue completely ignored him.

He lay at the side and looked at his eldest daughter. She was ignoring him out of anger, so he knew that he had done something wrong. However, he always reacted this way when it came to his mother, so it would take time for him to change.

“Mom, I’m going out for a while!” Bai Xue kept the money and turned to leave.

She took out two catties of sorghum rice from the rice bag that she had brought back from the hospital and was about to leave.

“Big Sis, where are you going?” Bai Ruchuan followed behind and asked anxiously.

His eldest sister previously fell down and fainted at the mountain, so he promptly remembered this and followed behind her.

“I’m going to Grandma Zhao’s place to exchange for a few eggs for Mom to eat! They have chickens at home. They’re probably still laying eggs.”

Bai Ruchuan looked at the basin his sister was holding and knew that she was not lying to him, so he returned to his room skeptically.

Bai Xue had gone to Grandma Zhao’s house and exchanged two catties of sorghum rice for five eggs. However, she secretly placed the eggs in the cupboard and went out again.

Although she was so cold that she only wanted to stay under the blanket, she had transmigrated and occupied the host’s body. She should take care of her family for her.

Therefore, she planned to try her luck at the back of the mountain at night and see if she could encounter a benign pheasant or wild rabbit to nourish her family.

Winter was short, and it was already noon when she returned from trading for eggs. However, she only ate two meals a day, so she could make a trip back and forth.

“Xue, what are you doing at the back of the mountain?” Bai Xue had just reached the foot of the mountain when she bumped into Bai Dajiang, who was carrying firewood and preparing to go home. He asked Bai Xue curiously.

“Second Uncle, I’m here to see if there are any pheasants and rabbits since Mom needs nourishment!”

Bai Xue spoke candidly. The breath from her mouth had already wet her eyelashes and turned them into frost.

“Silly child, I gather firewood here every day. How can there be pheasants and hares? If there were any, other people would have caught them already! Hurry up and go back! It’s cold out and you’re going to get sick!” Bai Dajiang said with a smile.

“What if I get lucky? Second Uncle, you can go back first! I’ll be back in a while!” Bai Xue said indifferently and walked forward.

There were no large wild beasts in the back of the mountain. If one did not go deeper, there would not even be pheasants or hares. It was not dangerous at all. Bai Dajiang was not worried that something would happen to Bai Xue, so he carried the firewood and returned.

Bai Xue crossed her arms and walked forward for a while. She did not even see any animals at all!

“Is there really nothing? But what if I want to eat meat?” She smacked her lips and rubbed her frozen red face.

She tiptoed and looked forward again. It was a vast expanse of white, and she could not see any prey at all.

“How did Second Uncle gather firewood in this heavy snow? Can he see where the firewood is?” She muttered and turned to walk back.