Chapter 171: Familiarity Breeds Contempt

Chapter 171: Chapter 171: Familiarity Breeds Contempt

But Wu Xixi had stubbornly refused, dawdling for ages before they left. Otherwise, they would have arrived much earlier.

She stood under the shade of a tree in the courtyard, one hand resting on Li Tian’s shoulder, her eyes constantly darting toward the kitchen.

Hearing this, Wei Guilan didn’t even lift her eyelids. She just shot her eldest daughter-in-law a sidelong glance and grunted a soft acknowledgment.

"Your brother just got back, so I didn’t prepare much—just threw a couple of things together. With your dish, it’ll be just right."

Li Yuan’s face immediately lit up.

"Let me give you a hand, then!"

He was just about to move toward the stove when Wu Xixi took a step forward.

Wu Xixi had just spotted Li Ying carrying a bowl toward the main hall.

But Wei Guilan spoke first.

"Dinner’s going to be late, so I boiled a sweet egg for little Tian first. Go serve him a bowl. I need to hurry and knead some dough."

The mention of an egg stopped Wu Xixi in her tracks.

It was just one egg, but the bowl of sugar water it was in was sweet enough to bubble and so full it was about to spill.

Clutching a small spoon, she stood by the stove, shoveling spoonfuls into her mouth.

When Li Hanchen walked through the courtyard gate, she was still there, slurping away.

The moment she looked up and saw him, her hand trembled, and the spoon nearly fell into the pot.

"This sweet egg... it isn’t just to nourish little Tian, is it?"

Wei Guilan didn’t answer, just kept her head down and kneaded the dough.

Wu Xixi slammed the spoon down on the edge of the stove with a CLATTER.

Li Yuan stood up, his pant leg scraping against the stool with a RASP.

He bent over, squinted one eye, and peered at the bottom of the pot.

"What is wrong with you?"

Wu Xixi’s voice instantly shot up, spittle flying onto the greasy stovetop.

"We’re both daughters-in-law in this family. She gets to eat eggs while I get the broth? Am I destined to just lick the sides of the bowl?"

Wei Guilan shook her flour-dusted hands, powder falling onto her apron, but she still didn’t look up.

"When you were pregnant the first time, and after you had the miscarriage, did I ever not cook you eggs? Have you forgotten?"

"The second son’s wife is having a precious pregnancy. We barely ever see her, so now that she’s back, I’m giving her a couple of extra eggs. Do I need to get on my knees and serve it to her?"

"She... she’s pregnant?"

Wei Guilan had mentioned Song Yao’s situation before, but Wu Xixi hadn’t been present. She had no idea, having barely even heard her name a few times.

"But didn’t you say..."

She had barely started her sentence when she met Li Hanchen’s icy gaze.

But after less than ten seconds of silence, she started muttering again, her fingers unconsciously picking at a crack in the stove’s edge.

"It’s true what they say, familiarity breeds contempt! The one living right here has every egg she eats counted more carefully than an accountant would!"

"Counted carefully? Aren’t you the one staring into someone else’s bowl, counting their eggs?"

Li Hanchen retorted coolly.

Wu Xixi shot him a sideways glance and snorted.

Ultimately, she didn’t say another word, merely clenching the corner of her apron tighter.

She then turned, went over to Li Tian, and snatched the bowl out of his hands.

"Come on, let’s go eat in the main hall!"

’Song Yao probably hasn’t touched her bowl much. If I hurry, I might be able to get the leftovers. The yolk should still be soft.’

Li Tian was slurping and chewing on his egg, his mouth still open.

When his bowl was taken away, he immediately started wailing.

"My egg!"

Quick as a flash, Wu Xixi slapped him on the back of the head. SMACK.

"There are pork floss pastries in the main hall!"

With quick eyes and even quicker hands, Li Yuan snatched the bowl back and placed it in front of Li Tian with a dull THUD.

"Always causing trouble over nothing!"

Li Tian didn’t understand all the drama.

As soon as his bowl was back, he buried his head in it, wolfing down the egg in a few bites. Then, satisfied, he picked up the bowl and drank the sweet water until it was empty.

Wu Xixi puffed up her cheeks and glared at Li Yuan, her eyes practically shooting fire.

Li Yuan pretended not to notice. He turned, sat back down on the small stool, and continued feeding firewood into the stove.

He carefully arranged the sticks of firewood, sliding them in at an angle.

Li Hanchen and Wei Guilan couldn’t be bothered with her either.

After glaring for a while, Wu Xixi’s eyes darted around.

Just as she reached the doorway, she ran right into Li Ying, who was walking out with an empty bowl.

It turned out that Song Yao had taken her sweet egg to the main hall, intending to share it.

She had placed the bowl on the corner of the eight-immortals table, but her hand froze mid-air before she could pass the spoon over.

Li Ying had adamantly refused to take it and even tugged quietly at her sleeve.

"Big Brother and Sister-in-law will be over for dinner soon. Mom made this especially for you. Eat it to tide you over, so you don’t have to argue with them on an empty stomach."

Song Yao nodded and said with a smile, "Mom is doting on me. I can’t let outsiders benefit from this bowl."

As soon as she finished speaking, she raised a spoonful to her lips.

She swallowed the egg in one bite.

She didn’t leave any of the sweet water either, tilting her head back and downing it all.

By the time Wu Xixi stormed through the door, Li Ying was already heading to the kitchen with the empty bowl.

"Sister-in-law."

Li Ying called out with a sweet smile.

Wu Xixi tilted her head to glance at the empty bowl and snorted through her nose.

"Well, well. Still got that same mouth, I see. Chewing faster than a fire flaring up in a stove!"

Song Yao was sitting right inside, while Wu Xixi stood in the doorway saying this.

Her ears weren’t broken, so how could she not hear?

Was she just going to hear it and pretend to be mute?

That didn’t seem like her style.

Song Yao immediately looked up and retorted with a grin.

"A country person’s mouth? Oh my, Sister-in-law, you’re so worldly. You even know exactly what a city person’s mouth looks like?"

She sat up straight, placed her hands on her knees, and tapped her fingertips twice.

"It’s the look of a glutton, that’s what!"

Wu Xixi blurted out.

The corners of her mouth were tight as she lifted her gaze to stare at Song Yao.

"Mm, definitely not like yours."

Song Yao shot back without even blinking.

She picked up the teapot on the table and poured herself half a cup of water.

As the cup left the table, the water rippled slightly.

Wu Xixi had meant to corner her, but she was the one who got pinned instead.

Her face tightened.

"Who did you just call a glutton?!"

Song Yao put on a baffled expression.

"Huh? What did you hear, Sister-in-law?"

"When did I say that?"

"Are your ears a little too sharp?"

Song Yao shook her head back and forth.

"I’ll tell you the truth, though you probably won’t like hearing it. Your mind is more sensitive than the tip of a needle!"

"We’re just sisters-in-law making small talk. Why are you making a mountain out of a molehill?"

As she finished, Song Yao covered her mouth and started giggling.

In contrast, Wu Xixi’s face turned bright red.

Li Ying glanced at her defeated sister-in-law, felt a sense of relief, and turned to take the bowl to the kitchen.

In the kitchen, Wei Guilan took the bowl and asked casually, "Is your second sister-in-law done eating?"

She took the bowl with her left hand, her right hand still holding a piece of dough, fingertips dusted with flour.

Li Ying nodded.

"What about your eldest sister-in-law? Did she go to the main hall?"

Li Ying nodded again.

Wei Guilan set the bowl down by the washbasin.

"Then go back to the main hall and keep an eye on things."

Li Ying nodded and turned to leave.

Back in the main hall, Wu Xixi had already pulled up a stool and settled in.

Her eyelids were half-lowered, her gaze sweeping sideways toward the door before pulling back.

Song Yao couldn’t be bothered with her and looked down at her own ten fingers.

She muttered to herself inwardly.

’If these hands were in the present day, a set of crystal nails would definitely blind Li Hanchen.’

Just as she was thinking this, back in the kitchen...

Achoo!

Wei Guilan heard it and turned her head. "Why are you wearing so little? It’s not as warm in the countryside as it is in the city. The mornings and evenings are chilly. Put on another jacket!"

As she spoke, she tapped the edge of the iron pot with the back of her spatula.

Li Hanchen rubbed his nose with the back of his hand.

"I’m not cold. My nose just suddenly got itchy."

He hunched his shoulders slightly and reached out to poke at the firewood at the stove’s opening.

With Li Hanchen stoking the fire, the flames in the stove roared to life.