Xiao Zhang Shi felt a little guilty, but she was never one to easily back down. She stuck out her neck and mumbled, "How am I being unclear? When I said that, wasn't it to tell Zhen Zhen how much our family values her?"
"Valuing someone isn't just about saying it," Da Zhang Shi said. "Let me ask you, is our family's life better now than before?"
"Does that even need to be said? Of course, it's better now. Before, Father, Eldest Brother, and Rui Xia worked hard at sea, leaving the three of us at home to worry. Now, they only go out to sea when they feel like it! The money at home is more than what they earn from going out to sea!" Xiao Zhang Shi was quite content when talking about this. Relying on the mountains for food, relying on the sea for sustenance, the men in every household in the village couldn't avoid this hardship, but only their family had a choice.
"I thought you didn't remember, sister-in-law," Da Zhang Shi said with a hint of mockery. "Since you know our family's life is better than before, you should understand who brought about this improvement. How many people envied the kimchi business in winter? In just two months, it earned over a hundred taels of silver. Mother didn't hide it from us. Do you think this was all achieved by our family's own abilities?"
"We didn't take the Qi family's kimchi for free!" Xiao Zhang Shi mumbled. "We paid for the goods, and Eldest Brother and Rui Xia were the ones who worked hard to sell them everywhere."
Xiao Zhang Shi's meaning was obvious; she felt that the Lin family earned this money through their own merits.
Truly foolish.
"Sister-in-law, I told you at the Qi family's place last time. Although our two families have become god-relatives, the Qi family's closest ties are to Rui Xue and her son. All the good fortune our Lin family has received comes from following Rui Xue. People must be content and grateful. But I don't see that from you! Do I need to tell you how popular the kimchi business is? How many people tried their best to get the goods? They couldn't! Throughout the winter, besides the North and South Grocery Store, only our Lin family could sell kimchi. Do you ever think about how much prestige this brings?" Da Zhang Shi said with a serious expression.
Xiao Zhang Shi shrunk her neck. "Sister-in-law, you always like to be so serious."
"I'm not going to talk nonsense with you. It's the same as I said before: Father and Mother favor the Qi family, not only because of the kinship between the two families, but also because of the Qi family's support for Rui Xue and her son, and also because the Qi family provides the financial lifeline for our Lin family," Da Zhang Shi said. "For these reasons alone, let alone Father and Mother buying a bit more food, if it were me, I'd be happy to offer half of my earnings to entertain them."
After speaking, Da Zhang Shi stopped arguing with Xiao Zhang Shi. She had said what she could and should say. This was not a three-year-old child who didn't understand things. If she could take it in and entertain Qi Zhen Zhen properly, and if she couldn't and continued to annoy people, it wouldn't be her concern. She would just do what she should do.
Xiao Zhang Shi mumbled a few words softly and honestly got back to work. Although she didn't want to hear those words, she knew they were all true. If she really caused a big scene, she would be the one to suffer.
Dinner included not only fish and meat dumplings but also fish ball soup, sweet and sour fish slices, and various kinds of boiled shellfish, a sumptuous seafood feast.
Qi Zhen Zhen's mouth was watering. She hadn't had fish dumplings in a long time.
Dipping them in vinegar sauce, she took a bite. They were springy, fresh, and delicious, making one want to feast.
Seeing Qi Zhen Zhen and Song Ming Yue eating with gusto, the Lin family members were also very happy. What could make a host happier than their guests eating well and enjoying themselves?
Qi Zhen Zhen was fine, as she had been able to eat a meal at the Lin family's house from time to time since getting to know them. Song Ming Yue hadn't eaten much seafood before, and the two aunts in the Lin family were good cooks. She ate with such abandon that she lost all semblance of decorum.
After the meal, both Qi Zhen Zhen and Song Ming Yue were burping without any regard for appearances.
They had eaten so much that they felt uncomfortable sitting after the meal. They had no choice but to stroll slowly in the courtyard to aid digestion.
Lin Mu and Lin Lin followed Qi Zhen Zhen and Song Ming Yue like tails, excitedly recounting their interesting experiences of foraging by the sea, which made Qi Zhen Zhen and Song Ming Yue yearn for it.
"My Eldest Brother is amazing. Every time he forages by the sea, he finds so many good things. None of the kids his age in the village can compare to him," Lin Lin said proudly. "Once, someone was unconvinced and insisted on competing with my Eldest Brother. They used a slingshot given to him by his relative as the prize, and my Eldest Brother won the slingshot. That slingshot was really good, much better than the ones we made ourselves. But my Eldest Brother only let me play with it for a day before sending it back. What a shame."
Qi Zhen Zhen was a little surprised to hear this. She hadn't expected Mu Zi to be so worldly. Although the prize was agreed upon in advance, the slingshot was given to him by his relative, making it exceptionally meaningful. If Mu Zi had kept it, they would have become enemies. Sometimes, the grievances between children could even involve adults, and the relationship between the two families would inevitably be affected.
"A Mu did the right thing," Qi Zhen Zhen praised.
"My mother said that a gentleman does not take what others like," Lin Mu said shyly.
"I'll find two good slingshots for you and A Lin later, Zhen Zhen sister. They'll definitely be better than your friends'," Qi Zhen Zhen said.
"Zhen Zhen sister, it's not necessary. I've grown up, and I don't play with slingshots anymore," Lin Mu refused.
"What about A Lin?" Qi Zhen Zhen turned to look at Lin Lin.
Lin Lin looked at Lin Mu, then at Qi Zhen Zhen, and after a moment of hesitation, said, "Zhen Zhen sister, I don't want one either. Eldest Brother has grown up, and I have grown up too."
Qi Zhen Zhen was amused by the two boys. She made a mental note of it. Two slingshots were nothing.
After strolling for about fifteen minutes, Qi Zhen Zhen felt much more comfortable. She sent Lin Mu and Lin Lin back to their rooms, and she and Song Ming Yue also returned to their room.
Inside, there were two buckets emitting heat. Two foot basins were placed side by side. They each moved a stool, prepared the foot-soaking water, and chatted intermittently.
"Zhen Zhen, your maternal grandparents' home is really hospitable."
"Perhaps it's because you came along? If it were just me, they might have been more casual?"
Song Ming Yue shook her head. "I don't think so. From what I see, Grandpa Lin and Grandma Lin are quite casual with you, but everyone else seems a bit cautious and reserved."
Qi Zhen Zhen thought carefully. It was indeed as Song Ming Yue said. She hadn't paid much attention before, but now she felt even more uneasy. The fact that people from both branches of the Lin family behaved this way only indicated one thing: they largely treated her as a source of wealth for the Lin family, rather than as a family member.
This kind of slightly humble flattery made her not know what to say.
Qi Zhen Zhen, feeling annoyed, tidied herself up, climbed onto the kang, burrowed into the quilt, and pondered how to resolve this situation.