"Mom, Zhao Dongxiu won’t drive you away, but her contemptuous attitude towards rural folks is disgusting. I’m worried that if you go there, you’ll be angered by her demeanor."
"Don’t worry, as long as your brother doesn’t give me a hard time, I won’t get upset."
A cultured, educated, and pretty city daughter-in-law looking down on her rural mother-in-law was only normal.
Mrs. Wei wouldn’t resent her daughter-in-law.
If there’s blame, it’s only that her son was unlucky to be born from a country woman’s womb, making his status inherently lower than his wife’s.
After dinner, Mrs. Wei went into the room, took some money notes, and rushed out the door.
After Yuan Chun cleaned the table, washed the dishes, and freshened up, Mrs. Wei came back with a basket.
"Yuan Chun, mom got thirty eggs for you. Take them all and eat one each day." Mrs. Wei took the eggs into Yuan Chun’s room.
Yuan Chun hesitated for a moment and softly asked, "Mom, with so many eggs, should I take some to my sister-in-law?"
Of course, Yuan Chun didn’t want to, but Zhao Dongxiu was, after all, Mrs. Wei’s daughter-in-law, and there were Wei Yuanfang, her own son, and Da Bao, her own grandson, to consider.
If Yuan Chun didn’t ask, she feared Mrs. Wei might feel uncomfortable.
Even if she criticized her son and daughter-in-law, in her heart, she still cared deeply for her son and grandson.
Just as expected, Mrs. Wei sighed and said, "Then take ten to them, steam some eggs for my grandson to eat. He’s half a year old now, perfect for eating steamed eggs."
Yuan Chun readily agreed.
Early the next morning, after breakfast, Mr. Wei and Mrs. Wei went off to work, and Yuan Chun headed to the mountains with a basket on her back.
By noon, Yuan Chun returned and made a wild chicken with mushroom stew, sautéed two vegetables, and cooked a pot of sorghum rice.
The remaining wild chickens and hares were cleaned and salted for Mr. Wei and Mrs. Wei to eat slowly.
When Mr. Wei and Mrs. Wei returned from work, they were both surprised by the smell of meat.
Mrs. Wei, feeling a pang of pity, said, "Yuan Chun, you killed a chicken."
"No, mom, I found a trap in the mountains and caught four small games. I stewed one wild chicken for lunch and salted the remaining three for you and dad to eat during the autumn harvest."
"There’s no need to leave us any, you take them all. Keep one for yourself and send two to your brother and sister-in-law."
Mrs. Wei only considered her two children, never thinking about themselves as a couple.
Mr. Wei did not object; he and Mrs. Wei were loving and kind parents, always thinking about their two children. Whatever they had, they thought of their children.
Yuan Chun deliberately brought back hunted meat for her parents, not just to be given away to Zhao Dongxiu, that shameless woman.
Yuan Chun said, "Dad, Mom, you’re getting older, and farm work is strenuous. You should eat better to supplement your nutrition. Don’t worry about us. Our factory issues us meat vouchers every month, so we get to eat meat every month. It’s hard for you to have a meal with meat."
"My brother is on business trips every few days. The factory pays when he dines out, and he eats well. You don’t have to worry about him."
"Besides, my brother always brings back lots of good food for my sister-in-law when he returns from trips. You don’t have to worry about her; just take care of your health."
After much persuasion, Mr. and Mrs. Wei finally decided to keep the small game.
In the afternoon, Mr. Wei took half a day off, borrowed the village’s ox cart, and sent Yuan Chun to the county train station.