12dz Chapter 3 Controlling the Boss
Chapter 3 Controlling the Boss
Upon hearing this, Madam Sun immediately became angry. "It's just making breakfast. How is that a hardship for you? Changyan needs to eat well, sleep well, and study hard so he can become the top scholar in the imperial examination. Just how lazy are you to dare to try to take advantage of Changyan?"
Shen Xiaotang didn't like hearing the old woman say that.
“Grandma, you know that Changyan needs to eat and sleep well to study. Your mother works hard all day long, but you can’t see that she doesn’t eat or sleep well, and only drinks thin soup. She can’t even have a cornbread to share with her mother? Is Changyan really not understanding or just pretending not to understand? He still has the nerve to ask for it. I was just joking with him, why are you so angry?”
She thought to herself: Since all the books I've read are useless, I might as well give up and stop studying. It just so happens that we're short of labor at home!
Sun's old face instantly turned as black as the bottom of a pot. The eldest son and his wife couldn't utter a sound, and the youngest granddaughter was timid and stuttered when she spoke to people. Only this second granddaughter was a real troublemaker, and she had been talking back to her more and more often in the past two years.
"If there's not enough food, clean up earlier next time. You're always so lazy when it's mealtime. Do you expect everyone to wait for you to finish eating before we eat?"
Sun was furious. Everyone said that being a stepmother was difficult, but being a step-grandmother was even more exhausting for her.
Shen Xiaotang scoffed at her stepmother's sophistry.
The eldest daughter-in-law was busy all morning, while the others slept soundly until the sun was high in the sky, like cripples. Once the meal was ready, everyone instantly recovered and ate like starving ghosts. It was a blessing if they were left with two steamed buns today, because their father had gone to the restaurant in town to deliver tofu and eggs and hadn't returned yet. His share had long since disappeared into some dog's stomach, and he shamelessly blamed them for being lazy.
"Since you think our eldest son's family isn't good at doing chores, why not let someone else do them? If all else fails, you can do them yourself. You're the most capable person in the Shen family. As the saying goes, the capable should do more..."
Liu immediately tugged at her daughter's sleeve, signaling her to stop talking back to her mother-in-law.
As the eldest grandson in the family, Shen Changyan was pampered and cherished by his parents and grandparents. He was always given the best food and clothing. He felt that it was only natural for him to eat an extra cornbread. He couldn't stand Shen Xiaotang's ridicule and immediately threw the empty bowl in front of Shen Xiaotang.
"If you don't want to give it to me, then don't. If you're upset about making me breakfast, don't take it out on me. It's your fault for being a girl. If you were a boy, you could go to school and maybe even become the top scholar and bring glory to your ancestors."
With her eldest grandson speaking up for her, Madam Sun's face lit up with relief. Her own son was indeed different, unlike the ungrateful wretches born to the eldest son.
"What Changyan said makes sense..."
That's utterly ridiculous!
Shen Xiaotang, holding her untouched bowl of thin soup, slammed it down in front of Shen Changyan with a "bang," splashing half the soup out.
“Yes, you are a boy. If you pass the imperial examination and become the top scholar, it will bring good fortune to our Shen family’s ancestral graves. We girls can be full for three days with just a bowl of water. This bowl of soup is my breakfast this morning. Here… take it. This bowl will keep you full for a day. You can skip lunch and dinner.”
"you……"
He eats an egg, a cornbread, and a bowl of brown rice porridge for breakfast every day. When has he ever drunk thin soup with green vegetable leaves floating on it?
Shen Changyan was trembling with anger. This brat was using this to provoke him, and he couldn't find a word to retort.
The eldest grandson, whom she loved most, was at a disadvantage. Hearing this, Madam Sun was furious. She stood up abruptly, took off her shoes, and was about to hit Shen Xiaotang with them.
"You brat, you're so spoiled. You're starting trouble first thing in the morning. If you don't want to eat, you'd better not eat at all. We're short on food anyway..."
She was always the one to speak in the Shen family, and even the eldest son and his wife didn't dare to utter a word in front of her. How dare this brat provoke her? If it weren't for the old man's sake, she would have dealt with Shen Xiaotang the moment she opened her mouth.
As Mr. Shen finished packing his belongings, he caught a glimpse of his eldest son about to enter the gate out of the corner of his eye, and immediately coughed twice to remind his wife.
"Cough cough cough-"
When Sun turned her head, she saw her stepson walking towards them through the gate. Her expression changed, and she casually threw down her shoes and stepped on them.
It was unclear how much her stepson had heard or seen about what had just happened. Sun's gloomy expression vanished, replaced by a smile, and she began directing her second granddaughter again.
"Qingchuan is back. Quick, Xiaotang, go and make another breakfast for your father."
Hmph, as long as we keep the boss firmly under our control, no matter how much that bitch tries to cause trouble, she'll just win some verbal battles and show off her abilities, but she won't be able to stir up any real waves.
Shen Xiaotang was furious. The old woman was very good at putting on a show. No matter how much she tried to brainwash her father, he always felt that Sun Shi, as a stepmother, had done a very good job.
The matter of dividing the family property is a long and arduous one, and she needs to expose the old hag's true colors in front of her father as soon as possible!
Shen Xiaotang's eyes flickered slightly. She hummed in agreement, turned around, and went into the small kitchen, where she busied herself with another task.
In the courtyard, Shen Qingchuan took out a small, yellowish cloth bag, which made a few rustling sounds inside.
"Father, this is the money settled by the accountant of the restaurant in town this morning: 160 coins for tofu, 214 coins for eggs, for a total of 374 coins."
Mr. Shen frowned slightly. "Why was there so little last month?"
"Last month, it rained for seven or eight days in a row. We delivered tofu and eggs to the town a total of twenty-two times, which is less than before."
After listening to his son's explanation, Mr. Shen's expression softened and he nodded.
"Qingchuan, you've had a tough time these past few days."
"Father, you're too kind. As the eldest son in the family, it's only right that I shoulder more responsibilities and share your burdens."
"After you finish eating, go to the fields early." Old Mr. Shen forced a smile, giving his eldest son a rare kind look.
"Yes, son understands."
Sun stared intently at the money bag, unable to look away. She reached out and took the money bag from her stepson, then turned and went back to the main house to count the money.
Mr. Shen then pulled his eldest grandson, who was pouting and glaring, and called to his other sons and grandsons to leave the house and head towards the village school.
Only Shen Qingchuan, his wife, and daughter remained in the courtyard.
"Father, please sit down... sit down and rest."
The timid and timid Xiaoyu only dared to get up and reach out her thin, yellow hand to hold her father's sleeve after everyone had left, and then she spoke.
Shen Qingchuan smiled and patted his youngest daughter's head. "Good, Yu'er is such a good girl."
Liu hesitated, but ultimately remained silent.
At this moment, Shen Xiaotang came out of the small kitchen carrying a bowl of hot corn porridge and a few black cornbread buns, and placed them in front of her father.
"Dad, eat it while it's hot, the cornbread will be hard to chew when it's cold."
If she hadn't been certain that her father would bring back last month's accounts this morning, the old woman wouldn't have asked her to make him a separate breakfast.
A slap followed by a sweet treat!
Now her honest and simple-minded father will continue to be manipulated by the old couple as always.
Shen Xiaotang looked around. Her second aunt and her daughter had already gone inside to embroider, and her third aunt's loom had started to run. After confirming that no one was around, she took out an egg from her bosom, quickly peeled it, and stuffed it into her younger sister's hand.
Liu and her youngest daughter's eyes widened instantly.