This foolish woman, actually thinking of having the Li family torment Jing, wouldn't the Li family worry about their own daughter's marriage to the Tian family?
Besides, even a tiger doesn't eat its cubs. Having others torment Jing would be like telling the Li family that Jing is not their biological granddaughter, wouldn't it?
Elder Mrs. Tian reacted and repeatedly slapped her own mouth, "My mistake, my mistake. I should have asked the eldest daughter-in-law to tell the Li family to take good care of Jing."
Seeing that his wife understood, Old Mr. Tian kicked his just-finished tobacco pouch against the sole of his shoe, "Remember to make clothes for Jing. Wearing them will make the Li family feel more at ease, don't you think?"
"But..." Elder Mrs. Tian wanted to say something, but that damned girl wanted two sets of clothes, from top to bottom!
"Think about those good things, they were all given by others, and Jing knows it all." Tucking the pipe into his waistband, Old Mr. Tian walked out with his hands behind his back.
Feeling sorry for the gold bars and two sets of clothes, Elder Mrs. Tian put all the blame on her own granddaughter.
...
Back in her room, Tian Jing closed the door, changed into a clean, old outfit, and found a white towel that Tian Ping had been reluctant to use in the cabinet. She wanted to use this towel to wash her face; she didn't want to share a towel with the Tian family.
Thinking about how the original owner had never brushed her teeth, and not just the original owner, but it seemed like the entire Tian family and all the villagers didn't brush their teeth. It wasn't because they were lazy, but because they were reluctant to spend money. Not to mention the cost of one toothbrush per person, toothpaste also cost money! Most families had several or even a dozen members, and a tube of toothpaste wouldn't last a month for the whole family. It was too expensive. Brushing or not brushing didn't affect their ability to eat.
Her thoughts returned, how should she brush her teeth?
A willow branch? Forget it. She'd use her finger with salt for now. She'd worry about brushing her teeth when she got to the Li family! Anyway, there were plenty of trees in the mountains.
Tian Jing took her towel into the kitchen. Ding Ai Hua, who was cooking, called Tian Jing to help with the fire. It was her turn to cook today, but her niece, who usually helped in the kitchen, had been locked in the woodshed. This had made her flustered, and she hadn't finished cooking yet. Her mother-in-law would scold her soon.
Tian Jing glanced at her, took a bowl from the old cupboard, scooped water from the water缸, and said, "Comrade Ding, from now on, I need to recuperate. If you're not satisfied, you can protest to Old Mr. Tian and Old Mrs. Tian, but your protest will definitely be in vain."
As she spoke, she rinsed her fingers and then dipped her index finger into the salt jar, picking up a few grains. Oops, she forgot that it was coarse salt now.
"Oh my! You damned girl, you're going to die! What are you doing with the salt? If the salt gets damp, it will dissolve."
Tian Jing ignored Ding Ai Hua's shouting, took the bowl of water, and walked out of the kitchen. She squatted by the woodshed and began her Tian Jing-style tooth brushing.
Elder Mrs. Tian came out of the main room and saw Tian Jing squatting by the wall, fiddling in her mouth with her finger. She frowned but said nothing, and went straight into the kitchen, "What are you howling about now?"
"Mother," Ding Ai Hua quickly complained upon seeing Elder Mrs. Tian, "That damned girl Tian Jing actually put her wet hand into the medicine jar and took some salt."
Elder Mrs. Tian habitually opened her mouth to scold, but then suddenly closed it. "You should look at yourself! What time is it? Breakfast isn't ready yet, and the men in the family should be going to work."
"It'll be ready soon, ready soon."
Her attempt to shift blame had failed, so Ding Ai Hua hurried to speed up her work. With so many people in the family, one pot of pan-fried cakes wouldn't be enough. When making the cakes, the heat had to be low, and they had to be evenly browned around the edges of the pan. She was adding firewood and making cakes at the same time, her hands were never free, and she had to wipe her hands back and forth. It was too troublesome.
Elder Mrs. Tian saw her predicament and squatted by the stove to help with the fire, "Tomorrow, go to the Li family. First, finalize the date for Jing's marriage, then discuss the date for the Li family's daughter to come, and make sure the dates are staggered."
Ding Ai Hua's hands stopped. These words were more horrifying than her mother-in-law helping her with the fire, "Mother, why?"
"Why? When the women's committee director comes, you'll know why."
Her mother-in-law's words made Ding Ai Hua think of Tian Jing shouting in the yard yesterday evening that the Tian family was exchanging their daughter for a bride. If it weren't for the second son's intervention with a knife, who knows what would have happened. "Then, Jing..."
"Your father has spoken with her, and she'll change her tune. You just arrange this matter. Be sure to do it away from prying eyes, and explain to the Li family the reason for staggering the dates."
Elder Mrs. Tian lowered her head, tending the fire. Though she was seething with anger, she still had to arrange the aftermath.
"Got it, I'll handle it..." Ding Ai Hua's attempt to claim credit was interrupted by the commotion in the yard.
"Let go, this towel is mine."
Tian Ping, returning home from washing clothes by the river, saw the towel draped over Tian Jing's shoulder. Without guessing, she knew it was the one she had hidden. Her grandmother would never give Tian Jing a towel, and Tian Jing herself had no personal belongings; she used public items and wore worn-out clothes handed down from others.
Tian Jing held onto the other end of the towel, looking at the arrogant Tian Ping. Recalling how this person had always bullied the original owner, and had mocked and sneered at the original owner's arranged marriage, she curled her lips and tugged hard.
"Ahhh..." The towel in Tian Ping's hand was pulled away, and she lost her balance, tumbling into the bamboo basket, which contained the clothes she had just washed and not yet dried.
Lying on the fruits of her morning's labor, Tian Ping wailed, "You slut, I'll beat you to death."
All these clothes were washed in vain, and her own clothes were wet.
"Beat me to death? Then go to the Li family..."
"Jing!" Elder Mrs. Tian stopped watching the show and quickly interrupted Tian Jing, "Hurry and wash your face, dinner will be ready soon. Pingping, go change your clothes and take the dirty clothes on the ground to the river to wash again."
"Grandma," Tian Ping got up and said aggrievedly, "She took my towel."
Elder Mrs. Tian's triangular eyes narrowed, "Yours? Which item in this house is yours? How much money did you spend to buy it? Wasn't the money you spent on things from the family's?"
Seeing her granddaughter dare to talk back, Elder Mrs. Tian, who had been in a bad mood since morning, found an outlet. "Today, if you dare to provoke Jing again, you won't have dinner tomorrow. If you dare to talk back to me again, save your dinner for the day after tomorrow."
Flinging the towel in her hand, Tian Jing walked towards the kitchen. As she passed Tian Ping, she stuck out her tongue at her, "Pffft pfft..." I'll make you so angry, I'll make you so angry.
Tian Ping raised her hand to hit her, but seeing the glaring Elder Mrs. Tian, she angrily put her hand down and bent over to pick up the dirty clothes on the ground.
Putting the bowl back in the cupboard, Tian Jing poured the dirty water from the washbasin into the yard. Seeing the black marks around the rim of the basin, she took out some washing soda from the cupboard and poured some in, then used her hands to directly scrub the stains on the basin's edge.
Her hands, scrubbing the basin, were as rough as an old woman's. She'd have to pay attention to maintenance from now on. Tian Ping seemed to have some clam oil; she'd use some after washing her face.
Seeing Tian Jing carelessly using things, Elder Mrs. Tian said nothing more. She understood that Tian Jing was doing this deliberately, thinking she had the Tian family by the collar.
Just endure it, endure her for a few days, and she'll be gone. Once this jinx is sent away and the Li family's daughter is brought back, everything will be fine.