In the west room, everything was fully equipped. The bed was custom-made, one meter eighty by two meters, all prepared for Xiao Wei.
What Xiao Shuyuan had called "tidying up" was actually his intention to replace these things.
How could this be?
She would be the mistress of this place; everything belonged to her.
"Brother Zheng, go bring in the sacks. Tell Ah Guang to buy basins and buckets for the children, and also to get a bolt of white cotton cloth. We don't have enough diapers."
Then, Ah Guang saw the young son-in-law giving him instructions on what to buy, while simultaneously opening his chest bag and pulling out a wad of money.
"Take this to exchange for the necessary ration coupons. Just buy it; the price doesn't matter."
After instructing Ah Guang, Li Zhengguo carried the sacks back to the west room for tidying.
Once all the clothes were put into the wardrobe, Li Zhengguo came out holding the cloth diapers. "Mama Xu, give me a washbasin."
A grown man, carrying a basin of diapers, went to the washroom in the outer courtyard and began scrubbing with great effort.
Mama Xu pouted but dared not speak. Her husband had warned her to keep quiet for now and discuss it later that night.
Tian Jing brought the food into the west wing, which had been converted into a kitchen and dining room.
"Steam the buns and cook some egg soup. The rest of the food, we'll have for dinner tonight."
Looking at the hard biscuits and the dark, salty pickles, Mama Xu dared not say more. "Yes."
Could Tian Jing not see her disdain?
"Once upon a time, I couldn't even afford such food. This is considered fine cuisine.
Once upon a time, I didn't even know what it felt like to be full."
"If it weren't for the Tian family's exchange marriage and bringing me to my current in-laws, I wouldn't even be this tall."
"How does your young lady miss me? Does she miss me while eating bread and drinking milk, wondering if my bread is as soft as hers? Does she miss me while drinking milk, wondering if mine is as fresh as hers?"
"From the age of three, I had to collect grass to feed the Tian family's pigs and chickens. Otherwise, if the pigs or chickens missed one meal, I would miss three. Back then, the carrying basket was taller than I was."
"When your young lady eats bacon, does she think about whether her daughter's food is salty or bland? When your young lady eats fried chicken, does she think about whether her daughter needs ketchup?"
"In winter, I stood under trees covered in frost, digging through the thick snow, longing to gather enough firewood for the Tian family's over a dozen people as quickly as possible."
"In spring, I held bamboo strips, searching the mountains for newly sprouted wild vegetables, enough for the Tian family's vegetable soup for the day.
If I dug too little, I could only drink soup without vegetables. If I dug too much, I still drank soup without vegetables."
"In summer, when everyone in the Tian family was tired from working, I had to fetch water. If I couldn't carry it, I would carry it half a basin at a time, but I still had to fill the Tian family's water缸."
"In autumn, during the harvest, I had to be busy at the stove and in the fields simultaneously. Others lost a bit of weight from exhaustion, but I lost twice as much. Do I look good now, after losing so much weight?"
"No, after losing so much weight, I am still heavier than when I was at my heaviest in the Tian family. What would I look like if I lost four times that much weight?"
"This is just my figure after confinement. Do you know why I don't gain weight even during confinement? Do you know why my husband cherishes me so much, yet I've only grown this much?"
"When your young lady is in a hurry to lose weight and maintain her figure, is she also thinking about how her daughter is losing weight?"
"Thinking, a simple word, can so easily erase the irresponsible act of your young lady throwing me into a greedy farming family?"
"Don't use that word lightly. You are not worthy, and neither is she."
Tian Jing turned, flashed a smile at her husband standing at the doorway, "Finished washing?"
"Mmm, it's hanging out to dry." Li Zhengguo opened his arms. "Don't dwell on the past."
Tian Jing rushed into her husband's arms like a fledgling swallow.
Li Zhengguo bent slightly, caught her, and lifted her up. "Was it worth talking to her? Someone irrelevant."
"Who wouldn't appreciate the food I brought?"
"Let her go hungry for two days, and she'll eat anything."
"That's right. Let her eat the food she looked down on tonight, and starting tomorrow, let her go hungry."
"Doesn't she always beg for mercy on her knees? Let her truly experience the feeling of crying out to heaven and earth with no response. People's potential is infinite; let's explore it more."
Li Zhengguo hugged his wife and turned. "Mmm, let's go back to the room; our daughter must be awake."
"She just fell asleep."
"Then let's go back to the room. The kitchen is no place for a young lady like you; there are servants for that."
The couple left, their words in perfect harmony.
Mama Xu slowly exhaled and began steaming the buns and cooking the egg soup.
Shortly after, she softly tapped on the west room door. "Young lady, it's time to eat."
"Mmm."
Mama Xu breathed a sigh of relief. The young lady was still willing to respond to her.
When the family of five entered the dining room for the meal, Mama Xu hurried to find her husband and told him what the young lady had said.
Xiao Shuyuan lightly clapped his hands. "I thought the Tian family's evasiveness was because of the exchange marriage. I didn't expect that the master sent so much gold and silver, yet the young lady didn't enjoy a single bit of it."
"No wonder her attitude is so cold. She resents your young lady and also Chen Yaoming."
"We... alas, we were too negligent. I'll go talk to the master and let him understand what the young lady has been through. Let him not ask the young lady to persuade your young lady to divorce and return home."
"Mmm, mmm, be careful with your tone. Don't provoke him too much. It's difficult for the master too."
...
After eating, Tian Jing handed their daughter to her husband. "I'm going to take some things to the third courtyard. You take Hao Hao and the others to block the passage."
"Mmm."
The family of five went to the third courtyard?
Mama Xu not only dared not speak but also dared not show any expression or glance. Her husband had told her to be extremely cautious and not to underestimate the young lady, who was likely a martial artist.
Tian Jing, holding a ceramic mug, knocked on the door of the east room.
Xiao Shuyuan opened the door. He dared not comment on the young lady using a ceramic mug. "Young lady."
"Mmm, you go out and close the door."
"Yes."
The tears in Grandpa Xiao's eyes had not yet dried. Seeing his granddaughter, he reached out. "Jingjing, it's Grandpa's fault."
Tian Jing waved her hand. "Let's not talk about these empty words."
Grandpa Xiao was saddened to see his granddaughter unwilling to be close to him.
Who knew his granddaughter would bend down, reach out, scoop up his upper body with one hand, and place the ceramic mug in her other hand to his lips? "Drink it all."
"Mmm."
Smelling the medicinal scent in the half-mug of yellow water before him, Grandpa Xiao said nothing and lowered his head to drink.
Tian Jing's hand, placed behind Grandpa Xiao's back, quietly circulated her wood-elemental ability.
After drinking, Grandpa Xiao felt a warmth spreading through his body. "Jingjing, I feel very comfortable."
"Of course."
Tian Jing nodded matter-of-factly. "What I gave you to drink is a secret formula I obtained elsewhere to nourish the body. It's only because of your health that I came so early."
"Oh, right. I also brought a hundred-year-old ginseng. I'll have the steward find some wine and a jar to soak it. It'll be ready to drink in a month."
After speaking, she called out loudly, "Steward Xiao, come in."
Xiao Shuyuan immediately noticed that the master's spirit had improved significantly. "Master, you..."
Grandpa Xiao looked at Tian Jing. Seeing her shake her head, he concealed it. "Jingjing is here, and I feel relieved and much lighter."
Xiao Shuyuan looked at the ceramic mug in Tian Jing's hand.
Tian Jing ignored his speculation. Who could do anything to her if she didn't admit it?
"Steward Xiao, go find some wine and a jar. I brought a hundred-year-old ginseng; soak it for me."
A hundred-year-old ginseng? The master already had some, bought at a high price from the pharmacy, but the young lady's temper...
He had better go and do as he was told.