Li Sanfu left, and Wang Baoxing felt awkward, unable to express the bitterness in his heart.
Liu Yulan was also displeased and turned with a cold snort, instructing, "Pandi, go make two brown sugar eggs for your sister."
"Oh..." Wang Pandi was unwilling in her heart, but dared not resist her mother, and responded very obediently.
"Mom, I want eggs too, mom..." Wang Jia Bao smacked his lips, looking greedy, acting coquettishly.
"Alright, alright, alright..." Liu Yulan's favorite in the family was her only son, Wang Jia Bao. Naturally, she agreed about the egg, instructing, "Pandi, make an extra one for your brother."
Although it was just one, less than Wang Miaomiao's, Wang Jia Bao didn't fuss anymore. He was a twin with Wang Miaomiao, and compared to the other two sisters, he treated Wang Miaomiao much better. Besides, the third sister was genuinely injured, deserving an extra egg, whereas he could have one every few days. Still, each time it was just one to satisfy his craving.
Wang Pandi again obediently responded, feeling resentment towards her mother's favoritism as her brother and sister occasionally got to eat eggs, but she didn't show it on her face and even felt a slight joy in her heart.
Because, you have Zhang Liang's plan, I have my strategy; even if she couldn't eat a whole egg, she could still drink the soup... After all, she was cooking at home, and if she wanted to sneak a bite of something good, she had ways.
She quickly ran to the kitchen and began to boil water...
Liu Yulan added warm water, grabbed a towel, and went into the little room of her three daughters, feeling a pang of heartache as she looked at her languid daughter lying in bed.
"Miaomiao, are you okay? Mom will clean your wound, it might hurt a bit, bear with it..." This little daughter of the twin was second in her heart, though not as much as her little son.
After all, they were dragon-phoenix twins, symbolizing auspiciousness, which was still quite enviable in the countryside.
And from the names of the children, one could see some differences.
"Thank you, mom." Wang Miaomiao glanced at the gentle-faced woman in front of her, a trace of deep thought flashing in her eyes, then she put on an adorable smile to express thanks.
From the book, she'd learned some of the main characters' personalities, and now it seemed there wasn't much difference.
However, she hadn't inherited the original owner's memories, which was a bit troublesome, so she had to be cautious and not expose herself.
"Wow, now you even know to say thank you, truly you've grown up." Liu Yulan comfortingly smiled while gently cleaning her wound.
But seeing the sinister wound exposed beneath the wiped bloodstains, she couldn't help but worry, "Ah, this wound is quite big, will it leave a scar? What should we do?"
Wang Miaomiao stared at the somewhat dull gray towel, internally feeling as if thousands of horses were galloping through her mind... Using this to clean a wound, wouldn't it make the infection worse?
She swallowed hard and said, "Mom, do we have any medical alcohol or iodine at home? This wound should be disinfected, right?"
Liu Yulan thought about it and agreed, "I'll go to your second uncle's house next door to ask for some; they should have some leftover." Saying that, she left with the basin.
Watching her departure, Wang Miaomiao breathed a sigh of relief. Honestly, she was still somewhat nervous facing the family of this body.
"Miaomiao, the eggs are ready. Are you going to eat them outside or in the room?" at the door, Pandi peeked in to ask.
"I'll eat outside." Wang Miaomiao didn't have the habit of eating in bed. Moreover, it was already evening, and the room had a small window that couldn't be opened. As it darkened outside, the room grew dim, and she was afraid she'd get it on her nose.
After lying down with her eyes closed for some rest, she sat up, no longer as dizzy as she initially was.
Stepping out of her room led right into the kitchen. Wang Miaomiao appeared casual but was actually meticulously observing everything.
It was a three-room earthen house. The middle room was mostly a main hall, with a small part serving as the kitchen.
To the west, north-facing the kitchen was the room shared by the three sisters, while to the south facing the main hall was Wang Jia Bao's room. Indeed, the son was considered precious, having a whole big room to himself.
To the east, north-facing the kitchen was the storage room, and to the south facing the main hall was the parents' bedroom.
Wang Pandi served dinner on the table, and Liu Yulan returned with the rubbing alcohol. Wang Miaomiao gritted her teeth, enduring the pain as Liu Yulan tended to her wound.
Under the moonlight shining in from outside, the family of five quietly had their dinner. The atmosphere was somewhat gloomy, and no one mentioned Wang Zhaodi, who was reflecting in the firewood shed.
Wang Miaomiao eyed her egg with some suspicion, why was there so little egg white? Glancing at Wang Jia Bao's bowl, his indeed had a bit more, though still seemed scant.
The egg had a huge yolk, barely covered by a thin layer of egg white, making it all too obvious.
Wang Miaomiao looked at Wang Pandi and saw her shifty eyes, immediately understanding. The book did mention that Wang Pandi frequently sneaked bites while cooking the three daily meals. Surely, she had skimmed off the egg whites.
She said nothing, quietly finishing the two brown sugar eggs along with the soup.
Sigh... The situation was still unclear, and the three daily meals were in someone else's hands; she didn't want to do the chores...
The book's background was the 1970s, and based on the story, it should be June 1972 now, with plenty of mosquitoes and flies in the house. She'd already been bitten once.
Even eating was uneasy, waving her hands to shoo the flies and mosquitoes. Eating a meal left her frustrated and irritable, just wanting to get back to her room quickly and hide under the mosquito net.
After dinner, she washed up simply, went back to her room, lay down under the bed net, and continued to sleep with her eyes closed. She was truly exhausted...
In her fuzzy dreams, she felt like she was back in modern times, but merely as a spectator, seeing the security unable to wake her, calling 120 for emergency help. The doctor came and declared her dead.
She watched her parents hurriedly travel overnight from afar, her mother crying heartbreakingly, blaming her for being disobedient, for not coming home, for not going on blind dates, for not marrying...
She just wanted to ask why?
Reflecting on her brief life, born in a remote village of a third-tier city, not a single factory within a hundred miles. Most young people in the village left to work elsewhere.
As a child, she listened to the adults, studied desperately because they all said that education was the only way out for the poor.
Unfortunately, she wasn't a genius; despite her efforts, she only got into a second-tier university.
Knowing there was no future in returning to her hometown, she was unwilling to follow her parents' advice: come back early, date, marry, and have children, only to face a lifetime of oils, salts, and endless complaints.
She stayed in the big city where she studied, found a decent company, and worked relentlessly, striving to climb the corporate ladder.
After passing 35, with career achievements, she sought companionship, finding herself in a dilemma where suitable matches were few — those who met her standards rejected her, and she found others unworthy...
Then, what were those so-called standards?
Even she couldn't say, dragging year after year until overwork led to sudden death, leaving everything as nothing.
Well, at least now there's no need to fret over it...