Chapter 128: Chapter 128

Bai Xue prepared dinner and called out toward the West Room, "Dinner’s ready!" She sat down and picked up her bowl, but noticed her younger daughter still hadn’t come out. Normally, Bai Xue would have gone to call her, but today she was feeling frustrated, thinking her younger daughter’s temper had been too big lately, so she didn’t go to fetch her.

At the dinner table, Ye Ling only ate half a bowl before returning to the East Room, and Bai Hehua was also scared. She ate half a bowl without feeling full and put down her chopsticks, but unlike Ye Ling, she didn’t dare to go back to her room directly; instead, she waited to clean up the table later.

Seeing her aunt’s displeased face, and with Ye Qian not coming out, Bai Hehua cautiously asked, "Auntie, should I go call Ye Qian for dinner?"

"No need to call her. If she wants to eat, she can. If not, she’ll just have to be hungry; it’s her own choice. She’s been spoiled by me, throwing tantrums at the drop of a hat." Seeing how understanding her niece was, even looking scared, Bai Xue softened her tone, "Hehua, treat your aunt’s house as your own, don’t tiptoe around ; it seems petty. We didn’t steal or rob anyone; when you speak or walk, stand tall and bright, so people will like you. Understand?"

Bai Hehua looked worried, "Auntie, did I embarrass you again?"

As she spoke, she was about to cry.

Bai Xue shook her head, scooped the last bit of rice into her mouth, chewed a few times, and swallowed before replying, "There’s no such thing as embarrassment. It’s your first time out of the village, no one will laugh at you. But your aunt sees you’re a good kid and doesn’t want you to spend your life back in the countryside with your dad. Your aunt isn’t capable of much, but if you do well, maybe in a few years I can find you a husband in the city. Wouldn’t that be better?"

Bai Hehua blushed and whispered, "I’ll listen to Auntie."

Seeing her niece being so obedient, Bai Xue felt much better. Looking at the food on the table, then thinking of her younger daughter in the West Room, she finally lowered her head, "You go back to the East Room and play with your big sister; I’ll take some food to your little sister."

"Auntie, go ahead. I’ll clean up the table," Bai Hehua said considerately.

Bai Xue didn’t stop her, she scooped a bowl of rice and took a dish before going to the West Room. Bai Hehua looked with envy before starting to clean up the table. Meanwhile, in the West Room, Ye Qian hadn’t missed the conversation between her mother and Bai Hehua, but hearing her mother come in, she didn’t turn around and just lay in bed without moving.

Bai Xue put the food on the table by the bed, "Get up and eat first. Later, come with me to the barbershop to get your hair trimmed."

This was considered bowing down to her younger daughter first.

After all, getting a haircut at a barbershop cost a dollar now; ordinary families wouldn’t spend a dollar like that, but Bai Xue doted on her daughter, so she gritted her teeth and spared the money this time.

Ye Qian felt comforted and sat up, not saying much. She only ate half the bowl before putting down the chopsticks with a frown, "Mom, why isn’t your cooking as good as sister’s?"

"If you like her cooking, I’ll let her cook tomorrow so you can eat more." Bai Xue tucked her daughter’s hair behind her ear, seeing the purple spots on her daughter’s face almost gone, she finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Ye Qian shook her head, "Forget it, yesterday she complained about cooking. Mom, don’t get mad at yourself either. Let’s just go to the barbershop now; it’ll be closed if we go too late."

It was already past five in the evening, and since it was summer, the barbershop usually closed after eight.

Bai Xue knew her younger daughter was picky, and having eaten eggplant for two consecutive days, she had lost her appetite. She didn’t say much and took her younger daughter out. She told her niece, who was sweeping the living room, that they were going out, and then left, taking her daughter to get her hair cut first, and then turned a corner to take her daughter to a noodle shop.

In the courtyard, after Zhao Guodong came home, he quickly gobbled a few mouthfuls of food and rushed out, not even stopping when Mrs. Zhao called him. Zhao Guodong went straight to the Ye Family; he had been thinking about Ye Ling these days, and after calming down, he felt that while he was at fault, it wasn’t a big mistake. He thought Ye Ling was angry because she was a girl, so it was necessary to explain things clearly.

After cleaning up the house, Bai Hehua heard a knock on the door, thinking her aunt was back. But when she opened the door, she saw a sixteen or seventeen-year-old boy standing outside. Bai Hehua was naturally petite and had to look up at him. She had seen boys this age in the village, but never someone as clean as this one. Her ears turned warm with embarrassment.

"Who are you?" Zhao Guodong directly walked in, looking at the girl in front of him.

"That... this is my aunt’s house, I..."

Before Bai Hehua could finish, Zhao Guodong impatiently interrupted, "Is Ye Ling home?"

"She’s inside." Bai Hehua saw he didn’t even glance at her and felt an emptiness she’d never felt before.

She envied Ye Ling, who, like her, came from the countryside, yet lived so confidently. Now, there was even a boy coming to see her. If only she could be like Ye Ling.

Meanwhile, Zhao Guodong barged into the house, and the moment he saw Ye Ling, he felt instantly better, "Country bumpkin, you haven’t been just staying home reading for the past few days, have you?"

Ye Ling looked up and saw him, her face calm, "What are you doing here?"

Zhao Guodong’s smile froze, originally heading straight for Ye Ling’s bed but stopped halfway, "I wanted to explain something between us."

"What is there to explain? Zhao Guodong, haven’t I told you not to show up in front of me again? Why are you still here? You always care about face, but don’t you remember what you said back then?"

Zhao Guodong stopped smiling, his face turned cold, lips tightly pressed in embarrassment as he glared at Ye Ling.

Ye Ling glanced at Bai Hehua standing at the door, her eyes cold, "We have nothing to talk about, go back, and don’t come looking for me again. People who aren’t on the same path won’t find happiness forcing themselves together."

"I’m an idiot for trying to explain to you." Zhao Guodong cursed again before leaving angrily, calling her a country bumpkin.

Bai Hehua saw Ye Ling look at her and flusteredly explained, "I saw him so mad; I was afraid he’d bully you, big sister."

"It’s fine as long as you’re not watching for fun." Though Bai Hehua hadn’t done anything now, Ye Ling just couldn’t like her.

To Ye Ling, Bai Hehua seemed to be of the same kind as Ye Qian; both were pretending to be innocent but secretly malicious.

After Zhao Guodong left the Ye Family in anger, he ran into Song Mei and Jiang Yan coming his way. Song Mei, seeing Zhao Guodong leaving angrily from the Ye Family, pulled Jiang Yan along to the Ye Family. (To be continued. If you work, please visit Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendations and monthly votes. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)