Chapter 16 Family

She couldn't help but mutter under her breath, "If I'd known it would turn out like this, I should have brought my daughter back with me. At least she'd have eggs to eat at home. We've really lost out..."

"What are you muttering about over there? Hurry up and come get your food, come out and eat!"

Qian Danu frowned and shouted loudly with a face full of dissatisfaction.

"Coming!" Qian Ahua responded, walking quickly over. She had been so focused on the eggs in the child's bowl.

When she saw that there were only green vegetables and radishes on the table, she couldn't help but complain: "Mom, why didn't you fry a few more eggs? We work hard outside all day, we're as tired as old oxen, and you don't even give us some nourishment."

Hearing this, Qian Danu rolled her eyes at Qian Ahua and replied irritably, "Eat, eat, eat! All you know is how to eat! Eggs are precious. Giving them to you gluttons is just a waste."

Despite her loud cries and her strong desire for eggs, Qian Ahua realized there weren't any available, so she stopped talking and quickly joined the scramble for vegetables.

For a moment, the chopsticks clinked against the bowls and plates, making a crisp sound, and everyone wolfed down their food.

Before long, the food on the table was devoured in a flash, and everyone ate until their bellies were round and they were completely satisfied.

None of them remembered Ma Aning in the room.

Afterwards, everyone burped and began their afternoon nap, some sitting and some lying down.

Meanwhile, the three children in the family packed their school bags and stationery, ready to go to school.

Qian Daniu escorted the children to the door, her face full of concern as she earnestly instructed them, "Don't play in the water along the way! Junping, you must take good care of your two younger brothers!"

Upon hearing this, Shen Junping quickly nodded obediently and replied, "Okay, Grandma! By the way, Grandma, there's a really delicious candy at our school. Could you give us some money to buy it?"

As he spoke, he stretched out his little hand and asked Qian Danu for money.

Upon hearing this, Qian Danu immediately looked troubled and muttered, "Oh dear! My little darlings! Where am I going to get so much money to buy you candy? Besides, eating too much candy will ruin your teeth!"

Seeing her three grandsons still staring at her expectantly, she gritted her teeth and said, "When we get home tonight, Grandma will cook an egg for each of you, okay?" After saying that, she gently patted Shen Junping's head, trying to comfort him.

However, the three children were clearly not satisfied with this answer. They stared wide-eyed at Qian Danu, knowing they really couldn't get the money.

They said in unison, "Grandma, you can't lie to us! We absolutely have to have eggs tonight, the fried eggs we had at lunch. They were so delicious, I haven't had enough!"

Looking at the three expectant little faces, Qian Daniu had initially regretted the promise she had made casually.

But with his three grandsons staring at him so intently, he swallowed back the words he was about to say.

Finally, she gritted her teeth, nodded heavily, and promised, "Okay, okay, Grandma won't lie to you. I'll make sure you all have delicious eggs tonight!"

"Grandma is the best, I love Grandma the most," Shen Junping coaxed sweetly.

The other two followed suit, each putting their arms around one of Qian Danu's hands and sweetly coaxing her.

Qian Danu smiled so hard her wrinkles appeared, and she no longer felt bad about the egg.

"You must study hard. When you come home from school in the evening, Grandma will have that woman fry some fragrant, golden eggs for you."

Qian Danu looked at the three children with a loving expression and gave them some words of advice with a smile.

He was a completely different person in front of Ma Aning.

"Okay, Grandma!" the three children answered in unison, then held hands and skipped away like three happy little rabbits towards the school.

Qian Danu strolled slowly to the dining table and immediately saw the mess on it, which made her furious.

"Oh dear, look at these debt collectors! They've eaten their fill and disappeared without a trace, they didn't even bother to clean up the table! They're getting more and more outrageous!"

She complained as she stood with her hands on her hips, her face so gloomy it looked like it could drip water.

"Ma Aning! Ma Aning! Get your ass out here right now!"

Qian Danu stood next to the dining table and started shouting at the top of her lungs, her sharp voice echoing throughout the room.

Ma Aning lay quietly on the bed, her eyes slightly closed, listening intently to the whispers of the baby in her womb.

"Hmph, see! I told you long ago, you're just too soft-hearted and easy to talk to. Now look, they've taken advantage of you! They're making you wash the dishes again. I advised you not to cook, but you wouldn't listen!"

Chen Xiaoxiao's voice kept murmuring in Ma Aning's ear, like a tireless little bee.

Ma Aning silently reached out and gently stroked her high, protruding belly, a gentle smile on her face, but she didn't say a word, and even seemed not to hear Qian Daniu's calls.

With a heavy, gloomy face, he slowly walked out of the room, his tone low and serious: "Your third daughter-in-law is back? Why didn't you invite her to lunch today?"

Upon hearing this, Qian Danu, who was standing to the side, couldn't help but blink a few times before responding somewhat guiltily.

"She's already eaten in the kitchen, why bother calling her?"

Upon hearing this, Hong Chen frowned deeply, his face growing increasingly gloomy. He took a step forward, pointed at Qian Daniu, and rebuked her in a low voice, "Did you just ignore everything I said to you yesterday?"

“You should know that our two sons work hard in the fields all day long, but they don’t earn much money. The main source of income for the family is still our third son.”

Qian Danu's heart tightened upon hearing this, but she refused to back down, muttering in rebuttal, "Even so, she can't just do absolutely nothing, can she? I married a daughter-in-law, not a deity to be worshipped in the house!"

Enraged, he glared at his wife and children, his chest heaving violently. He roared, "Our family mainly depends on the third brother. If you don't treat his wife and children well and break his heart, you won't get a single penny. Let's see what you'll be doing here yelling then!"

Seeing that Shen Chong was so angry, Qian Danu was a little scared, but she still stubbornly retorted.

“She’s so heavily pregnant now, what can she do? I only ask her to wash dishes and cook at home. Besides, we’re not asking her to work in the fields.”