coobybook Chapter 268 Foreshadowing Takes Effect
Chapter 268 Foreshadowing Takes Effect
The couple hadn't seen each other for a long time, but there were no sweet words exchanged. They talked about the differences in information between them and how they needed to communicate to get back in sync.
Huang Ling briefly recounted the recent events to Zhuang Chaoying, who quickly formed a vague impression of her neighbors and surrounding residents: her neighbors were more difficult to deal with than others.
Huang Ling saw through Zhuang Chaoying's thoughts. "Actually, the couple next door are really nice people. They often help us out. When Tu Nan was heating up Dong Zhe's lunch at noon, he couldn't finish his own meal and had to share half with Tu Nan and Xiao Ting before he could barely finish it."
"That's certainly a personality that clearly distinguishes between likes and dislikes! But isn't Dongzhe cold in the courtyard? He's wearing so little!" Zhuang Chaoying was very curious about Lin Dongzhe.
Huang Ling glanced at Lin Dongzhe in the yard. "Maybe he's really not cold! His mother has called him several times, but he just won't come back inside. I went out to check on him just now. I thought it was just a child throwing a tantrum, but I didn't expect that the kid would actually be sweating!"
Zhuang Chaoying, who was wearing glasses, hadn't seen clearly before, and was even more surprised to hear about the sweating.
People inside and outside the courtyard, upon hearing that Zhuang Chaoying had returned, all crowded into the Zhuang family's new house, eager to hear about Zhuang Chaoying's experiences grading papers.
Zhuang Chaoying moved a stool over and told her neighbors interesting stories about the college entrance examination.
"A female classmate brought her child to the exam. Halfway through the exam, she needed to go out to breastfeed, and her mother-in-law was waiting outside the exam hall..."
"I heard there's a rural school where, because the teachers don't know much about universities, all the students applied to the capital city. Their chances of getting in are really slim!"
"Dear examiners, once you enter the guesthouse, you can never leave again. The guards at the gate are all armed! You can't go out, you can't go home, and even if you're short of supplies, you can't go out to buy them. You have to solve all your problems yourself..."
Zhuang Chaoying spoke as if she were lecturing to elementary school students, her voice full of emotion, waving the cup in her hand back and forth like a pointer.
However, his story stirred up Lin Wufeng's emotions, and he began to recount his own experience of taking the college entrance exam.
Lin Dongzhe listened without interrupting, and Song Ying didn't think anything was wrong. Unlike his character in the drama who was always hyperactive, Lin Dongzhe could sometimes sit still for an entire afternoon.
Of course, he can also be lively at times, wandering around the yard shirtless and impossible to call back!
Before the Chinese New Year, the Zhuang family sent a message to Zhuang Chaoying, saying they wanted to visit Zhuang Tunan and Zhuang Xiaoting.
Zhuang Chaoying felt guilty after hearing this.
But he still spoke up.
As luck would have it, the Zhuang family had just snatched some meat from the store, which Huang Ling planned to use to nourish Zhuang Tunan and Zhuang Xiaoting.
Gritting her teeth, Huang Ling started slicing the meat into strips again.
For some reason, Huang Ling cut the meat into incredibly thin strips this time.
That piece of meat underwent countless cuts and was finally fried in oil.
Lin Dongzhe shivered as he passed by. If Huang Ling found out he had wronged Zhuang Xiaoting, would she also chop him up like this?
To welcome the entire Lao Zhuang family, Huang Ling specially prepared a table full of delicious dishes: stir-fried shredded radish with shredded pork, stir-fried carrot with shredded pork, stir-fried pumpkin with shredded pork, and stir-fried shredded radish with shredded pumpkin.
(Rice is truly amazing!)
The old Zhuangjia's expression as he sat at the table was just like the colorful dishes on the table, quite a sight to behold.
Lin Dongzhe saw this scene from the bench outside, and he also saw the figures of Zhuang Ganmei and Zhuang Ganmei's wife. The corners of his mouth curled up slightly.
"Are Ganmei and his wife sick? They seem a bit...fat?" Zhuang Chaoying couldn't be subtle anymore, because Zhuang Ganmei and his wife had each gained almost thirty pounds!
How long has it been?
It hasn't even been two months yet!
Grandpa shook his head at Zhuang Chaoying, "We went to see a doctor a couple of days ago, and the doctor said that the two of them just lack exercise."
Huang Ling couldn't help but laugh when she saw the couple, who looked three sizes bigger.
Because of their enormous size, Zhuang Tunan's grandparents were so crowded that they were practically hugging each other while eating!
Huang Ling originally intended to eat at the small desk in the back with the children. However, the old lady invited her to sit at the table three times, which surprised Huang Ling. In the end, the elderly couple squeezed out a little space for Huang Ling to sit down.
After finishing the meal, the old lady even offered to wash the dishes for Huang Ling.
The old woman turned around and made her request: the grandpa and grandma wanted to live with her.
Zhuang Chaoying didn't want the two elderly people to come either, but he just couldn't bring himself to refuse his mother's suggestion.
Huang Ling opened her mouth to refuse, but before she could speak, the old woman saw through her intention. "Ah Ling, I'm begging you, okay?"
The old woman pleaded earnestly, complaining to Huang Ling, "Just now, her grandfather said that the Ganmei couple are too lazy. A while ago, they even stopped going to the factory and just lay at home eating all day! And their appetites are getting bigger and bigger. Our family hasn't had a proper meal in a long time!"
This was the first time Huang Ling had ever heard the old woman speak to her in such a humble tone, and she felt very uncomfortable.
"Huh? This... well, how about we stay for a few days and see?"
Huang Ling is the type of person who responds better to gentleness than force. If the old lady is even slightly annoyed, Huang Ling will surrender.
Zhuang Chaoying thought Huang Ling would refuse, but to her surprise, Huang Ling actually agreed.
To say I'm happy is an understatement; it does create a sense of family harmony.
To be honest, Zhuang Chaoying was indeed unhappy. She wasn't stupid; she knew her family would have to struggle from now on.
There was a reason for the old woman's change in attitude towards Huang Ling. The recent behavior of Zhuang Ganmei and his wife had truly broken the hearts of the elderly couple.
Zhuang Ganmei and his wife have an enormous appetite! Eighty percent of the rations for their family of six ended up in their stomachs, and their two children even wanted to eat dirt to stave off hunger at night.
It was one thing for the two to be lazy, but they actually ate all of their two biological sons' rations, leaving them not a single bite! Even so, the two kept complaining that they weren't full and were too hungry.
How could I entrust my old age to two people like that!
Are they afraid of starving to death?
Fortunately, Zhuang Chaoying went to the college entrance examination marking team, otherwise the old couple would have come to borrow grain long ago!
But now, seeing the ugly appearance of Zhuang Ganmei and his wife, the old woman no longer mentions borrowing grain.
Are we borrowing grain to raise pigs?
It's so obvious!
The two of them just like to scheme, but they're not stupid.
They just wanted a son to take care of them in their old age, and they didn't care whether it was the eldest or the second son! They originally thought that the eldest son lived far away and wouldn't be able to help much in the future, so they favored the second son. But now it seems that their previous decision was too hasty.
Zhuang Ganmei never expected that she would leave two people missing when she arrived, when everything was fine.
There are only two rooms in total, so we have to rely on hard work and perseverance to have one room for men and one room for women.
The old woman knew that her eldest daughter-in-law had a lot of resentment. She originally thought that her second daughter-in-law was the best daughter-in-law to serve her, so she bossed Huang Ling around, but was very tolerant and caring towards her second daughter-in-law.
Now things have completely reversed. We'll have to rely on Huang Ling for our old age, so we need to change our old habits as soon as possible.