Transmigrated as an Unwanted Ugly Girl

Chapter 380: Chapter 201: The Li Family’s Sky Has Changed (2)

This made Granny Hua furious. ’I’ve already done so much, and you still need me to light the fire while you cook?’

But before she could say anything, she heard Meizi call out, ”I’m busy flipping pancakes and don’t have a free hand! Hurry up, Mother—”

The moment Granny Hua heard about the pancakes, her stomach started to growl. She had been working nonstop all morning, doing so many things. When had she ever been this busy?

So, she didn’t have the energy to bicker with Meizi about who had done more work and just went into the kitchen to help with the fire.

The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law worked together to make a meal. By the time Li Changming, his father, and his brother returned home, Meizi was already urging Granny Hua to bring the dishes to the table.

Li Changming saw the steaming hot dishes on the table, then looked at Meizi’s slightly disheveled appearance. He couldn’t help but glance at his own mother—she didn’t look too energetic either.

He was puzzled. ’What on earth have these two been up to?’

Li Laoda and Li Changliang, on the other hand, stared at the neat and clean house, their jaws dropped.

Meizi, however, was happily setting out the bowls and chopsticks. She beamed at Li Laoda and Li Changming. ”Father, Changming, hurry up and eat. You must be exhausted, right?”

As Li Laoda ate the meal his daughter-in-law had made, he found it incredibly delicious. The reason was simple: the food Granny Hua used to make was terrible.

Because of this, all three men ate with great relish. The only thing was, the atmosphere at the table was a bit strange. Granny Hua wasn’t chattering idly like she usually did; she just ate in silence. She was exhausted and famished.

Meizi sat beside them, holding her bowl. As she ate, she would occasionally put some food into Li Changming’s bowl and quietly ask him if it was good. When she saw him nod with a smile, she smiled happily herself.

Granny Hua watched the guileless Meizi, a bitter feeling rising in her heart.

After the meal, Meizi brought out a coarse porcelain basin, saying cheerfully, ”Father, Changming, I also made some hot and sour jelly. You should try some.” It was made with acorn flour, a recipe she had learned from Juhua.

As she spoke, she served each of them half a bowl, explaining that since they had just eaten, they should have a little less and save the rest for the afternoon.

Li Changming felt himself enveloped by happiness. After taking a bite, he smiled at Meizi. ”It’s delicious. But Father and I both like it a bit spicier. Maybe add some more chili sauce tonight.”

Hearing this, Meizi immediately jumped up. ”I’ll go get it and add some for you now.”

She dashed to the kitchen. When she returned to the main room with the bowl of chili sauce, she saw Granny Hua helping herself to more jelly, filling her bowl to the brim. Meizi couldn’t help but cry out in surprise, ”Mother, why are you still eating? Didn’t you already have a bowl? There’s not much left! This is for Father, Changming, and Changliang to have as a snack this afternoon.”

She remembered what her mother (Gou Dan’s mother) had told her: one must be frugal in daily life and not just eat until you’re stuffed. Even Juhua’s family, who was well-off now, said that you shouldn’t overeat; food tastes best when you still have an appetite for it.

So, she looked at Granny Hua angrily, with an expression that clearly said, ’How can you be so greedy?’ Without hesitation, she snatched the bowl from her hands, intending to pour the contents back into the basin. But when she saw it was Granny Hua’s personal eating bowl, her brow furrowed. She had no choice but to pour half into Li Changming’s bowl and divide the rest between Li Laoda and Li Changliang.

After she finished, she even spread her hands towards Granny Hua and said, ”I’m not having any either.” This was how she used to treat Gou Dan back home; otherwise, he would argue with her and say it wasn’t fair.

Granny Hua stared at her in disbelief. Li Laoda and his sons also watched her with dazed expressions. She acted so naturally and spoke with such sincerity that it didn’t seem like she was being manipulative at all.

After distributing the jelly, Meizi urged the three men, ”Hurry up and eat. After you’re done, Mother needs to wash the dishes and feed the pigs. You all work in the fields, so you should eat more. We’re not as tired here at home.”

Li Laoda stared at the jelly in front of him, a little stunned. For so many years, he had merely eaten to fill his stomach. His wife had never made him special treats like this. Even if she had, she would have eaten her fill first. He had never received this kind of treatment before.

’It’s like the whole order of things has changed in this house!’

He found it somewhat amusing. Ignoring the ugly look on his wife’s face, he lowered his head and began to eat with big mouthfuls.

Granny Hua was dumbfounded. In this family, she had always been the first to eat anything. The men would eat whatever she left over. No one had ever questioned her about it, because they were her husband and her sons.

Now, her good days were over. The food was actually being divided up per person. It wasn’t that Meizi forbade her from eating—she had already had one bowl—but she could only have her own share and no more. Since Meizi applied the same rule to herself, it left Granny Hua with nothing to say.

Seeing his mother’s awkward expression, Li Changming wanted to offer her his bowl. But Meizi said, ”You eat it. Mother and I both ate earlier.”

He had no choice but to finish the jelly in a few quick bites along with Li Changliang.

Meizi saw Granny Hua still standing there dumbfounded and asked in a puzzled tone, ”Mother, why aren’t you washing the dishes and feeding the pigs? They were only fed this morning. They must be hungry by now.”

Granny Hua scrutinized Meizi, thinking, ’Is this how your mother taught you? Taught you to deal with me like this?’

Meizi saw her staring but didn’t give her a chance to ask any questions. She ran over, brought out the sewing basket, and said to Granny Hua, ”Mother, after you feed the pigs, come and do some sewing with me. Brother-in-law’s and Father’s shoes are in a terrible state. We need to hurry up and make them each a new pair. Mother, it’s not my place to say, but you work too slowly. That won’t do. No wonder you can’t even make shoes. Goodness! People will criticize us if they go out in such ragged shoes.”

Hearing this and seeing her actions, Granny Hua was instantly deflated. She listlessly began to clear the table.

Li Laoda and his two sons watched Meizi. She looked like a virtuous young wife, sitting on a small stool, muttering to herself as she scraped the needle against her hair and began stitching a shoe sole with a SCRAPE, SCRAPE sound. The whole scene felt incredibly strange.

It seemed, somehow, that they had all misjudged how this mother-in-law and daughter-in-law would get along. Meizi was so guileless and straightforward that there was nothing she wouldn’t say and nothing she wouldn’t do. Faced with that, Granny Hua was simply left stunned.