<h4>Chapter 12</h4>


    Zhao Guihua and her family didn''t just return home; they came back amidst the joyous ruckus earlier.


    However, she wasn''t foolish enough to enter the courtyard at this time. Wouldn''t that be like an old man courting death? They had caught so many fish; if someone saw them, it might stir up trouble. So, Zhao Guihua was very cautious.


    She was the first to enter the house, but as soon as she did, she heard the two, one big and one small, gossiping about her.


    She nced at Hutou, who had retreated behind Ming Mei. Just now, he imed to be a man, but now he was a timid little ghost, unreliable. Ming Mei''s eyes were evasive, chuckling incessantly.


    Zhao Guihua shot her a look, saying, "You''ve got some nerve, talking about me behind my back."


    Ming Mei jumped, immediately saying, "Mom, you misunderstood me. I didn''t mean it that way. I respect you the most. I said you seemed tough, but I didn''t mean it in a bad way. I''m also not easy to mess with, which is a good thing."


    She patted her chest, saying, "I think, sometimes being tough is a strength. It keeps trouble at bay."


    Zhao Guihua: "You..."


    Ming Mei observed her mother-inw''s expression, seeing that she didn''t seem angry, she quickly moved closer, asking, "Mom, what were you up to?"


    She curiously looked and immediately her eyes lit up with surprise, eximing, "So many fish!"


    The big fish looked so appealing, they seemed delicious at first nce. Ming Mei: "So plump and juicy!"


    Zhao Guihua: "Enough, stop chattering and help out."


    Her gaze fell on the two children, saying, "You both go back to your rooms, don''t all crowd here."


    "Okay~" Hutou led his younger sister, Xiao Yanzi, to retreat quickly. Before leaving, he bravely said, "Grandma, there''s an egg in the noodle soup. Don''t scold Aunt Mei. I was the one who craved it!"


    After saying it, fearing a beating, he quickly pulled his sister towards their room. Zhao Guihua nced at Ming Mei again, asking, "Did you add an egg?"


    Ming Mei immediately nodded, smiling sheepishly, saying, "I thought you guys would be doing something big today, so I thought a bit of soup would warm you up. An egg adds vor."


    Zhao Guihua: "You only added one?"


    Ming Mei: "Huh? What?"


    She was stunned!


    She looked at her mother-inw in surprise. Zhao Guihua red at her, saying, "What? In your mind, am I that stingy? I can''t even afford to eat an egg? One egg in this big pot of noodle soup, you can''t even see it. We have eight mouths to feed in our family. At least two eggs should be added!"


    Ming Mei immediately smiled, saying, "I knew mom wasn''t like ordinary people."


    Zhao Guihua: "Stop ttering me."


    Ming Mei seriously: "I''m not. You''re the most capable olddy. There''s no doubt about that. Which ordinary family could catch so many big fish? Oh, where''s my husband?"


    Only then did she realize that she hadn''t seen Zhuang Zhixi. Where was Zhuang Zhixi?


    Zhao Guihua: "I asked them to wait a moment. I came back first to check the situation. We can''t let anyone see this."


    Ming Mei gave her a thumbs up, saying, "Mom, you''re always so strategic."


    Zhao Guihuaughed a little. She thought that although her daughter-inw was not very good at work and was always craving for something, she was quite straightforward! She always spoke the truth and was a reliable person.


    "What happened in the courtyard today? Why is it so noisy? They''re so idle every day." Zhao Guihua asked.


    Ming Mei, who had just enjoyed some gossip, was more than happy to share what she knew. She gestured and acted out the whole scene in a flurry of excitement, and finally said with enthusiasm, "So, that''s what happened!"


    Zhao Guihua: "...."


    You''re really excited.


    However, she still calmly said, "None of them are good, Madam Zhou Li is just trying to take advantage of Su Jii''s children. She knew that the Su boys were not very honest, so she deliberately put out peanuts that were not edible to be stolen, so she could getpensation. The Su boys are indeed dishonest, but I guess the topyer of peanuts must be good. If they were all moldy and inedible, they wouldn''t take them. They are greedy, not stupid. If they were all like that, the children wouldn''t take them. Madam Zhou Li must have put a goodyer on top to trick them into stealing. They must have benefited too, no one is innocent here. Madam Zhou Li''s n backfired, and it''s normal for the little brats to get beaten for stealing."


    Ming Mei gave another thumbs up: "You''re really smart, I didn''t figure it out. It''s true what they say, old ginger is hotter. Mom, you''re really amazing."


    Zhao Guihuaughed proudly and said, "How could I not know them? I can tell what they''re up to just by the way they act."


    Speaking of this, Ming Mei remembered something and curiously said, "Mom. Isn''t Madam Zhou Li''s surname Li? Why do they all call her Aunt Zhou? It''s not like she doesn''t have her own surname, it''s really strange."


    Zhao Guihua sneered, full of disdain, and said, "Who else could it be? It''s all because of that Aunt Su. Back then, when old Su and old Zhou both had an ident at the workshop, they both became widows. Aunt Su had three children and life must have been harder for her than for the Zhou family. She went to the factory to cry and swear that she would never remarry in this life, and just wanted to raise her children well. She said that she was born a Su and would die a Su, and from then on there was no Zhao Erya, only Aunt Su. She was more pitiful, and people tend to sympathize with the weak, so she got more than the Zhou family. Madam Zhou Li has a bad mouth and is not kind-hearted, and she shows it all on her face. Naturally, she is not liked by others. She learned from Aunt Su and also imed that she would only use the surname Zhou from then on. So, when she was young, she was Aunt Zhou, and now she is Old Aunt Zhou."


    Ming Mei: "...."


    For a moment, she didn''t know what to say.


    Zhao Guihua: "Back then, the Su family got more than the Zhou family. Madam Zhou Li resented Aunt Su for this. Plus, Aunt Su started working in the factory and outperformed Madam Zhou Li in every aspect. Both were widows, but the contrast was stark. As the children of the Su family and Zhou Qun grew up, they were alsopared. The Su family''s son had three children, while Zhou Qun had none. Can you imagine how Madam Zhou Li felt? The day something happened to the Su family''s son, Madam Zhou Li was so happy that she bought a roast duck to celebrate. You can imagine how much hatred there is between the two families."


    Ming Mei: "Oh my, that''s too much! Celebrating someone''s death?"


    Zhao Guihua: "That''s why the rtionship between the two families is terrible. But our rtionship with them isn''t much better."


    Ming Mei: "!!!"


    Zhao Guihuaughed, but her smile was a bit mocking. "So, I''m telling you, there''s no one in this courtyard who''s easy to deal with. The Bai''s Two Bachelors have no women, Li the Cook''s family has no sons, the Su and Zhou families have lost their men, and the Su family has also lost their son. All things considered, our family is the mostplete. Sometimes, others are jealous just because your family is doing well."


    Ming Mei was silent for a while, then mustered up the courage to say: "So what! The more they envy us, the better we will live!"


    Zhao Guihua: "Right, we will live well."


    Hearing the echo of her words, Ming Meiughed. Just then, the door creaked open and the rest of the Ming family members quietly hurried in.


    Old Man Zhuang looked at his wife with a wronged expression,ining, "Weren''t you supposed to give us a signal once you saw there was no problem? We''ve been waiting forever. Luckily, our third son was cunning enough to sneak into the courtyard to check. Otherwise, we would have been waiting forever!"


    Zhao Guihua blushed, not knowing what to say for a moment. She had indeed forgotten about this. But was it her fault? Was it her fault?!


    Of course not!


    She firmly said, "Ming Mei kept me talking, that''s why we were dyed."


    Ming Mei''s eyes widened. How did she end up being the scapegoat for no reason? Such a big me to bear!


    Zhao Guihua''s embarrassmentsted only a moment. She quickly regained herposure and said, "What''s the big deal about waiting a bit longer? Isn''t it safer toe backter? If someone saw us, we would have been robbed again, with that little thief next door on the prowl."


    "Oh, so that''s what all themotion in the courtyard was about earlier?"


    "Of course."


    Zhao Guihua quickly changed the subject, "Alright, I''ll clean up the fish and make some salted fish. We''ll have an extra dish forter."


    At the mention of this, the Zhuang family was overjoyed. They had caught forty or fifty fish that afternoon. They nned to give these as gifts for the New Year. It was a dignified gift and saved them the money they would have spent on other things.


    Zhuang Zhiyuan: "Mom, save four for me. I''m going to visit our boss during the New Year."


    After all, giving gifts during the New Year is essential for a smooth career.


    His job was nothing like working in a machine factory. For riveters like Old Man Zhuang, as long as they worked hard, no one would bother them. But for someone like Zhuang Zhiyuan, who had to run long-distance trains, if he wanted a better schedule, or better vacation days, he had to grease some palms.


    Otherwise, he''d still be on the train during New Year''s Eve and New Year''s Day.


    He didn''t understand this when he first started working and suffered quite a bit. Now, he''s be much more "worldly".


    Zhao Guihua said, "I know this. I''ll prepare it for you. Ming Mei, when you go home tomorrow, also take two..." She paused, then said, "No, take four, and a chicken. Go to the grocery store and buy a pound of pastries, a pound of sugar cubes. Make it presentable."


    Ming Mei nodded in agreement, "Okay."


    Such a homing gift was considered quite good.


    Aliali: 67358284d72ede93494505f5Sure enough, she quickly received a look from her sister-inw, Liang Meifen, filled with sorrow and jealousy. Ming Mei puffed up her chest proudly: Go ahead and be jealous!


    "Mom, I knew you loved me the most." Ming Mei sweetly cooed at Zhao Guihua, "I really like you."


    Zhao Guihua shivered, "Speak properly to me."


    Ming Mei''s smile was radiant, "Even when I speak properly, I still like you. You''re the best mother-inw."


    Zhao Guihua''s lips curled up...


    Liang Meifen: Brown-noser, big brown-noser!!! One day, I will let the whole world know that you''re a brown-noser! I''ll expose your true brown-nosing nature!


    ******


    In the main room, Wang Xiangxiuy on the bed, contemting the grievances she experienced today, quietly shedding tears. Somehow, she seemed to smell a fishy odor...


    Was it fish?


    Whose house was cooking fish?