Tan Shi spat fiercely, cutting off Sun Shi's explanation:
"You're not that kind of person? Then what kind are you? A vicious woman who won't even lend a hand when her mother-in-law falls at her feet—how kind-hearted can you possibly be? Hmph! All you're good at is pretending in front of my son, but I'm not buying your act!"
Sun Shi staggered back a step and nearly fell. Gripping the nearby old locust tree, she clutched her chest in anger but couldn't get a word out.
Meanwhile, Yang Ruoqing had just reached her doorway when she heard the string of accusations from behind.
She rolled her eyes—nearly laughing from the sheer ridiculousness of it. She couldn't help but wonder if she was the worm in Tan Shi's stomach—how else could she have predicted this so accurately?
At the kitchen doorway, Tan Shi spotted Ruoqing's back and immediately assumed the chubby girl was trying to sneak off because she had a guilty conscience. Her eyes narrowed coldly and she barked,
"You fat brat, don't think you can just sneak back into your room—stand right there!"
Yang Ruoqing turned around just in time to see Tan Shi storming toward her, her stubby little feet slapping the ground in an exaggerated pigeon-toed march, eyes blazing with fury.
"Fat girl! Tell Grandma the truth! What good food did your mother give you this morning? If you dare lie to me, I'll skin you alive and lock you in the dark room with yellow weasels to chew on your toes!"
"And what kind of grandmother are you?" A sudden voice came from the courtyard gate.
It was Old Man Yang. He wore a straw sun hat typical of farmers, was barefoot in straw sandals, pant legs rolled to the knees, and his calves were caked with mud.
Tan Shi turned and gave him a sour look.
"What are you doing back here in the middle of the morning instead of harvesting rice in the field?"
"The eldest isn't reliable. I told him last night to prepare more straw ropes to bundle the rice stalks. He came up short, so I came back to get another bundle. Stop making a fuss—go find the ropes in the back storeroom," Old Man Yang said.
"Wait a moment. I've got to settle this first! You can guard against anything, but not a thief in the house. Daring to sneak food while I'm gone? They've turned the world upside down!"
With that, Tan Shi ignored her frowning husband and continued to glare at Ruoqing.
"Speak up! What did your mother give you to eat?"
Yang Ruoqing found her grandmother's ferocity laughable.
She pouted, pretending to be scared. Her body shrank to one side, and with a trembling hand, she pointed toward her room.
"Mama… gave it…"
Gave it?
Tan Shi's eyes lit up. Good thing she'd come home in time—the evidence hadn't been destroyed yet!
She shot Old Man Yang a triumphant look, shoved Ruoqing aside, and stormed into the west wing room.
Inside, there was no food, no dishes, nothing. The bedding had been taken out to dry. Apart from a large wooden tub in the center of the room and a basin of dirty bathwater, there wasn't even a place to hide anything.
Tan Shi scanned the room from corner to corner, a flicker of confusion in her eyes.
"Fat girl, where's the stuff?" she asked, grabbing Ruoqing by the arm.
But Yang Ruoqing was no longer afraid. She leaned over, stirring the dirty bathwater with her other hand, and when she heard Tan Shi's question, she giggled,
"Bath time… smell good… wooosh…"
SPLASH!!
Suddenly, water rained down—before Tan Shi could even react, she was soaked through from head to toe.
She let out a shriek and stumbled backward, releasing Ruoqing's arm.
Ruoqing, now fully entertained, crouched by the basin and gleefully scooped up handfuls of water, flinging them at Tan Shi. Her eyes crinkled into crescents as she laughed uncontrollably,
"Granny… bath time! Wooosh wooosh…"
Eventually, Old Man Yang rushed in, and dragged the dripping-wet Tan Shi out of the room, while Sun Shi came to her senses and hurriedly pulled Ruoqing away, shielding her behind herself.
Sun Shi trembled as she explained,
"Mother, the smoke from the chimney this morning—it was me boiling water for Ruoqing's bath. The sun's out today and it's warm. The poor child hasn't had a proper bath in ages…"
Upon hearing this, Old Man Yang finally understood. His face darkened like the bottom of a pot.
"What the hell have you been making a scene about all morning? The kid takes a bath and you start suspecting everyone like a lunatic? You're soaked, tore the house apart—what, were you doing a home raid?"
He lashed out at Tan Shi with scolding words.
Tan Shi seethed but couldn't find a valid reason to lash back. She had been doused from head to toe by her "foolish" granddaughter, and now even her husband, the head of the family, was yelling at her—her face burned with embarrassment.
Turning her head away from Old Man Yang, she clenched her teeth and glared daggers at Yang Ruoqing, who was still being protected by Sun Shi.
Yang Ruoqing peeked out from behind her mother and made a face—crossing her eyes, sticking out her tongue, and wiggling her nose.
Tan Shi nearly exploded in rage. She was so angry, she almost spat blood.
"What are you still standing here for? Come help me in the back shed with the rope—those fields won't wait!"
Old Man Yang grabbed her and started pulling her toward the rear courtyard.
The Yang family compound was structured as a small three-section courtyard. The front housed the first and second sons' families. The middle courtyard was for Old Man Yang and his wife, along with the fifth son Yang Huazhou, the sixth child Yang Huamei, and also the third and fourth households.
The kitchen and dining area were in the middle courtyard. Behind that was another small courtyard with three storage rooms on the east side, used for storing miscellaneous items. Beyond that were the pigsty, chicken coop, cattle shed, outhouse, and several small, neatly divided vegetable plots.
As Old Man Yang pulled her along, Tan Shi couldn't help but glance back at Yang Ruoqing's retreating figure, still suspicious.
"What are you looking at now?" Old Man Yang asked, annoyed.
"Hey, Meier's father, haven't you noticed? Ever since Fat Girl woke up yesterday, she's been acting… kind of different," Tan Shi said, her face filled with doubt.
Old Man Yang sat on the ground at the storeroom entrance, picked up a bundle of rice straw, stepped on one end, spat into his palms, and began twisting the strands into rope.
He glanced up and said,
"What's different? She's still the same old crazy girl who doesn't understand anything."
"She may have been crazy before, but at least she didn't dare go against me!" Tan Shi protested.
In the past, one stern glance from her would have Fat Girl bawling. But now?
She had been pranked several times just in the past two days—mud slapped on her face last night, a cut on her hand this morning, and now soaked clothes…
"No, no, something's off. That fat girl acts like a whole different person now—and even dares to stand up for her mother!" Tan Shi slapped her thigh, brow furrowed in frustration. The thought of that ghost-face Ruoqing had pulled at her only fueled her rage.
(End of Chapter)