Chapter 34: Don't Be Harsh with the Child

Bai Yan spoke with righteous confidence, and Madam Zhao, unable to contain her anger, suddenly stood up.

“Third Daughter, you actually guessed it?” At that moment, Father Jiang wished he could bury his head in the ground. Madam Zhao's reaction made it clear she had already suspected the truth but had never spoken of it.

“I spent two taels to have Cheng'an's leg examined. The rest of the money was stolen. I didn’t fall by myself—it happened when I was struggling with someone, and I was beaten.” Seeing the situation, Father Jiang lowered his head and confessed the incident of being robbed by thugs.

As Father Jiang lowered his head, Jiang Cheng'an did the same. If it weren’t for his injury, his father wouldn’t have suffered such a loss.

Only Bai Yan gazed hopefully at Madam Zhao.

Madam Zhao looked around at the three of them. Seeing Bai Yan’s gaze fixed on her, she snapped, “What are you looking at?!”

“I’m hungry,” Bai Yan replied, rubbing her stomach.

“Eat, eat, all you know is eating!” Madam Zhao tapped Bai Yan’s forehead in exasperation. “All you do is eat and sleep. One day, you’ll be sold off to pay a debt and won’t even know it!”

“Don’t scold the child. I’ll go cook.” Father Jiang was about to stand.

Madam Zhao shot him a glare. “Rest yourself. I’ll cook!” With that, she strode toward the kitchen, and the matter of the robbery was thus set aside.

As Madam Zhao moved, Bai Yan immediately clutched her little bundle and followed.

When Jiang Chengyan packed her bundle earlier, he had tucked in a large piece of preserved meat.

...

Dinner.

Bai Yan gnawed on a fragrant piece of wild-cured meat, her large eyes seeming vacant but in truth taking in everything.

Madam Zhao had prepared a generous plate of steamed preserved meat, yet she and Father Jiang hadn’t eaten a single piece, constantly serving Bai Yan and Jiang Cheng'an.

“If Mother doesn’t eat meat, how will she work tomorrow?”

“If Father doesn’t eat meat, how will he work tomorrow?”

Bai Yan chattered with her small mouth, pushing preserved meat into their bowls as she spoke.

“I don’t work,” she added pointedly when the two showed no reaction.

Madam Zhao’s lips twitched. “I don’t like wild game. You eat it.” She lowered her head and continued sipping thin porridge.

“You’re just reluctant to eat. Your stomach’s growling,” Bai Yan puffed out her cheeks.

“So noisy. Stop chattering. Hurry up and let the debt collector take you away,” Madam Zhao groaned, her head aching.

Yet under Bai Yan’s persistent fuss, she and Father Jiang ended up eating a few pieces of meat.

...

After filling her belly, Bai Yan began tidying up, then settled comfortably in the side room to sleep.

Jiang Chengyan had previously delivered the quilts and pillows, so she now nestled peacefully under the covers.

Just as she was drifting off, the door quietly creaked open.

Madam Zhao tiptoed in, saw her covers kicked aside, and sat at the edge of the kang to pull the quilt back over her properly.

“Third Daughter, when you exchange eggs tomorrow, should we buy a pound of pork? This child doesn’t look chubby at all,” Father Jiang sighed after glancing at her.

Their household kept many hens, so they had plenty of eggs, accumulating a small basket every morning. At such times, they would go exchange them for coins.

“She can’t eat pork—it makes her allergic. When you sell eggs tomorrow, keep two aside and warm some goat milk powder for her. Then fetch some spring water from the mountain; the beans have soaked overnight, and I need to make tofu,” Madam Zhao whispered.

A calloused hand gently stroked Bai Yan’s head, and their voices gradually faded away.

When silence returned to the room, the little girl suddenly opened her eyes.