Chapter 30: I’ll Just Eat Plain Rice with Fermented Bean Curd and Pickled Mustard Tuber

Chapter 30: Chapter 30: I’ll Just Eat Plain Rice with Fermented Bean Curd and Pickled Mustard Tuber

Hearing that familiar voice, Hua Buwan’s hand trembled around the plate she was holding.

She hurriedly poured the pickled fish back into the kitchen pot, slammed the lid on, and tossed both pot and lid into her pocket dimension.

After composing herself, she grabbed her phone and prepared to head downstairs. But after taking only a few steps, she quickly turned back, unplugged the refrigerator, and threw the entire appliance into her dimension as well. Only after confirming that she hadn’t missed a single thing did she feel relieved enough to leave.

It was mealtime, meaning there were people home in every household. Hearing the sudden commotion, neighbors threw open their doors and windows, craning their necks to look outside. Some highly curious children even broke free from their parents’ grasp, rushing out to stand next to the supermarket. They bit their fingers nervously as they stared at the woman standing outside the entrance.

It was a middle-aged woman with short hair, wearing a faded short-sleeved shirt, black cropped pants, and a pair of cheap plastic sandals.

She was Hua Buwan’s mother, Lin Baozhu.

Hua Buwan hadn’t contacted her since their last phone call, so she never expected her mother to show up at the supermarket in person.

As Hua Buwan opened the door, she was immediately met with Lin Baozhu’s resentful and furious glare. The look in her eyes made it seem as if the person standing before her wasn’t her biological daughter, but rather a blood enemy from a past life.

"Mom, if you aren’t at home cooking right now, what are Dad and my brother going to eat? Don’t they both love your cooking so much that they refuse to eat anything made by anyone else?" Hua Buwan spoke first, not giving Lin Baozhu a chance to open her mouth.

Hearing this, Lin Baozhu’s face fluctuated between dark rage and pale indignation. "I cooked before I came out! Your dad and brother won’t go hungry. However, your mother hasn’t eaten yet. You must have cooked already, right? I can smell pickled fish. Hmph, wretched girl, you sure know how to eat well."

With that, Lin Baozhu shoved Hua Buwan aside and swaggered toward the second-floor kitchen.

Hua Buwan stared at her retreating back, her eyes completely devoid of warmth.

She didn’t follow the woman upstairs. During her deep clean of the place, she had already double-checked everything. All the items that needed to be hidden were safely stowed in her dimension, so she wasn’t worried about Lin Baozhu finding anything out of the ordinary.

Instead, it was the first-floor counter that needed her attention—the money in the cash register hadn’t been cleared out yet.

Taking advantage of Lin Baozhu’s trip to the second floor, Hua Buwan swiftly walked over to the register. She unlocked it, tossed all the cash into her dimension, locked it back up, and calmly returned to stand by the supermarket entrance.

A chaotic ruckus erupted upstairs, accompanied by the continuous CLANG CLANG of things being rummaged and thrown around.

Hua Buwan let out a scoff and addressed the eager onlookers outside. "My mom is here to ask me for money. She comes every month. Because neither my dad nor my brother works, they rely entirely on her to support them, so she has no choice but to come beg her daughter for cash. Sigh, I’ve already given all my past earnings to the family."

Upon hearing this, the crowd immediately realized it was a classic domestic drama! They were all too familiar with this trope—it was just another self-sacrificing mother who heavily favored her sons, trying to bleed her daughter dry for the sake of the brother.

The gossip outside grew even more heated, and quite a few people spoke up to offer Hua Buwan advice.

"Young lady, listen to an older neighbor’s advice. You can’t let your family bleed you dry just to fund your brother’s life. Blind obedience isn’t true filial piety."

"That’s right, that’s right! Girl, you need to stay clear-headed, or else they’ll squeeze you dry. You aren’t married yet, right? Sigh, things are going to be tough for you down the line."

"..."

THUD THUD THUD!

Before long, Lin Baozhu’s heavy footsteps could be heard stomping down the stairs.

"Hua Buwan! Didn’t you make pickled fish? Where is the fish? Why is there absolutely nothing up there? Where did you hide it? Can’t you see your mother is starving to death?" Lin Baozhu pointed an accusatory finger at Hua Buwan and hurled a string of curses.

"I don’t even eat spicy food, so why would I make pickled fish?" Hua Buwan replied flatly. "It was probably made by one of the neighbors, and the smell just drifted over."

Looking directly into Lin Baozhu’s face, she added, "I just cooked some plain rice and planned to have it with fermented tofu and pickled mustard greens for my meal. I didn’t cook a portion for you. You should just go home and eat with your precious husband and son."

At that moment, the chatter of the onlookers outside flared up once again.