Tao Lengshuang was so angered she nearly had a heart attack. How could there be such an annoying man in this world!
Ahhh, she felt that heaven must think her life wasn't chaotic enough and had sent her this man.
"Is this fat on my face?"
She pinched the flesh on her cheek, her tone somewhat sharp, "This is my winter reserve, unlike you, so skinny you're all bones to hold. It's uncomfortable."
Mo Lingxi looked disgusted, "Then you'd better protect your winter reserve well."
Tao Lengshuang's fists clenched. She barely suppressed the urge to lash out, "There will be a day you beg me."
Mo Lingxi, whose poison had completely dissipated, let out a scoff and returned to his own room.
Before Tao Lengshuang could recover, she heard a heartbreaking question from her son.
"Mother, is it because you're not pretty enough that Father treats you like this?"
Tao Lengshuang clutched her wounded heart, patted Xiao Feng's head, and said irritably, "Are you also looking down on your mother?"
Xiao Feng repeatedly said no, adding that his mother had lost a little weight and looked much better, but he wished she were even thinner. His mother's current plumpness was quite frightening.
Tao Lengshuang wasn't sure if she had indeed lost weight. There was no scale here, nor any measuring tools at home. She couldn't just spend money to buy them; it would be too wasteful.
It seemed she needed to increase her exercise and lose weight as quickly as possible.
Also, she should check the town another day for any dietary supplements for body conditioning.
However, given the current situation, it was unlikely anyone would spend their spare money on such things. Everyone wanted to hoard supplies.
Thinking of supplies, she sighed with worry. They had enough winter clothes and quilts, but the most crucial supplies were insufficient. Moreover, they had to guard against trouble from the Tao family.
Winter lasted for several months, with one or two months being extremely cold. During that time, the village would be covered in heavy snow, making it difficult to even go out, let alone find food.
If anything else were to happen, the consequences were unimaginable.
So, the problem remained: supplies.
"Mother, what are you thinking about? Your face is all wrinkled and chubby, looking a bit scary."
Her son's words made Tao Lengshuang both amused and annoyed. "I'm thinking about how to stockpile more supplies to get through this winter more easily."
"If winter is good, we can eat fatty meat during the New Year."
Upon hearing "fatty meat," Xiao Feng's mouth watered, his eyes filled with joy, "Hooray, hooray! Fatty meat for the New Year!"
Tao Lengshuang stroked his head and began to check the supplies Mo Lingxi had brought back, then sorted and stored them.
Most of them were coarse flour and rice, along with two bolts of linen, some seasonings, and rare vegetables. However, there was no meat.
They still had some meat at home, all from the prey Mo Lingxi had hunted.
When she went to the kitchen, she found there wasn't much firewood left and frowned. Firewood had become extremely difficult to collect recently.
As winter approached, villagers collected the most firewood from the mountains, not even sparing the twigs.
Without enough firewood, winter would be unbearable.
Starting tomorrow, collecting firewood would be the priority.
...
During dinner, Tao Lengshuang discussed with Mo Lingxi the matter of selling body-conditioning dietary supplements in Hehua Town.
She sought his counsel for two reasons: firstly, he knew many things; secondly, she needed someone strong to help her, as she couldn't manage it alone.
Mo Lingxi looked at her a couple of times and said indifferently, "No one will buy them in Hehua Town. Everyone is busy stockpiling supplies."
"Then what about the capital city?"
"There are buyers in the capital, but the capital is in chaos."
Tao Lengshuang sighed, knowing that making money wasn't easy.
She had considered earning money by treating illnesses. Firstly, she didn't know if anyone would believe her. Secondly, just traveling to and from town was a very troublesome affair, and one wrong step could lead to trouble.
It seemed she needed to find another way to make money.
"What do you think if I run for village chief?"
Mo Lingxi looked at her as if she were an idiot, "Have you turned into a man?"
Tao Lengshuang choked, only then remembering that there was no precedent for women holding office here. "But we're short on silver."
Seeing her worried expression, Mo Lingxi remained unmoved, "Figure it out yourself."
Hearing this, Tao Lengshuang snatched his bowl and chopsticks and said coldly, "Then don't eat or drink, you're wasting my food."
Mo Lingxi's eyes narrowed, his tone deepening, "Don't forget, many of these supplies were brought back by me."
Tao Lengshuang rolled her eyes dramatically, "I did all the work to prepare this. Have you managed even a fraction of the household chores? You're like a hands-off manager, thinking you're so great just because you brought back supplies?"
"I clean the house, I organize it, I even wash your clothes. Have you done a single thing?"
"..." Isn't it the man's role to work outside and the woman's to manage the household?
Mo Lingxi's demeanor led Tao Lengshuang to a realization. "Don't tell me about men working outside and women managing the household."
"If you can truly support our family and give me and our son a good life, I promise I won't make you do any household chores. Can you do that?"
Mo Lingxi could do it, but he wouldn't foolishly expose his identity. He just looked at her coldly.
This look made Tao Lengshuang's momentum falter, but she stubbornly looked at him, "What, am I wrong?"
"I have to earn money to support the family, manage the household, and take care of our son. Why should I?"
"Mother works so hard," Xiao Feng, who was eating, nodded in agreement, "Mother also worries about winter, while Father disappears all day and doesn't care about the family at all."
Being spoken of like this by his son, Mo Lingxi rubbed his temples, his tone softening slightly, "I handle external affairs."
Tao Lengshuang extended her hand and waved it, "Since you say you handle external affairs, then what about the money?"
"Don't think I'll just hand over money. That's my own earnings, the money to support myself and Xiao Feng."
Mo Lingxi had assets but wouldn't easily hand over money, "I'll give you some another day."
Hearing this, Tao Lengshuang sneered, "Then forget it."
"The so-called 'another day' is unknown. It's better for me to work hard to earn money myself."
Therefore, one should never trust men, or they wouldn't even know how they died.
Mo Lingxi didn't want to say more to her. He turned to tell Xiao Feng to eat more, but saw Xiao Feng哼 at him and turn his head away, ignoring him.
"..." What kind of person had Tao Lengshuang turned his son into?
"Xiao Feng, eat more," Tao Lengshuang smilingly put some food on Xiao Feng's plate. "Mother tells you, don't be like your father, a man without responsibility and who doesn't care much about the family."
Xiao Feng repeatedly nodded, assuring, "Don't worry, Mother. Xiao Feng will be a responsible man and take good care of Mother."
"So good," Tao Lengshuang glanced at a certain man and continued to praise her son, "My son has inherited my excellent genes, and not the bad genes of a certain man."
Mo Lingxi: "..."
Xiao Feng tilted his head in confusion, "Mother, what are genes? Is it like the sound of 'chicken'?"