"Ma’am, it’s not that I won’t share, but my daughter-in-law has a huge appetite. A single pig’s trotter isn’t even enough for her for one day." Lin Ahua refused to split it, her eyes landing on Qin i.
Qin i was simply baffled. The way Lin Ahua looked at her was full of hostility.
One’s daughter-in-law wasn’t producing milk, the other’s granddaughter-in-law wasn’t. Both needed the pig’s trotter for a soup to stimulate lactation. Qin i gave up entirely. She bought a piece of pork belly, paid with money and ration tickets, had Jie Jingshan carry the at, and guided her out of the non-staple food store.
Once they were out of the store, Qin i couldn’t help but ask Jie Jingshan, "Jing Qi, do you know that woman, the one nad Ahua?"
Jie Jingshan had a strange expression on her face as she gave a stiff nod. "I do."
"I don’t know her, and I’ve never seen her before, but I felt like she was looking at with pure hostility. Jing Qi, do you have any idea why?" Qin i asked. It was impossible to have a grudge against soone she’d never t. Then, the ntion of a grudge made her think of sothing. "Is she a relative from your second sister-in-law’s side of the family?"
Qin i had a deep-seated feud with the Xu Family. Other than their relatives, she couldn’t think of anyone else who would hate her on sight.
Jie Jingshan hesitated for a mont, then shook her head. "No."
"No?" Qin i frowned, puzzled. "Then why is she so hostile toward ?"
Jie Jingshan chose her words carefully before reminding her in a low voice, "Her last na is Lin."
"Lin?" It didn’t click for Qin i at first. She thought back, but she couldn’t rember offending anyone with that last na.
’Wait a minute... Lin... Teacher Lin.’ It suddenly dawned on Qin i. "She’s related to Teacher Lin?"
"She’s Teacher Lin’s aunt," Jie Jingshan said.
"No wonder!" Qin i smacked her forehead, filled with regret. "You should have told sooner! If I’d known she was Teacher Lin’s aunt, I never would have let her have that pig’s trotter."
’I wonder if it’s too late to go back to the store and snatch it from her?’
Jie Jingshan didn’t say anything. She had wanted to warn Qin i back in the store but couldn’t find an opportunity.
"Forget it." Qin i waved her hand dismissively. ’Fighting with soone in a store over a pig’s trotter and putting on a free show for everyone? That’s too embarrassing. If word of this got out, Aunt Zhang and Xu Chunyan would be gloating for days.’ "By the way, did you know that other woman?"
"I do." Jie Jingshan nodded and told her directly, "That’s Second Granny’s older sister, Granny Yu."
"Second Granny’s older sister?" Qin i was quite surprised. She knew Second Granny had an older sister but never expected to run into her at the store today. She remarked, "Second Granny’s two grandsons are still in elentary school, yet her older sister’s grandson is already married with a child."
"Honestly, so stingy! Hmph! It’s bad enough she wouldn’t split it, but she even had to be nasty about it." Granny Yu ca grumbling out of the store. She then started imitating Lin Ahua, putting on a shrill voice. "Ooh! ’My daughter-in-law has a huge appetite, one pig’s trotter isn’t even enough for her for one day!’ Pah! Are you making trotter soup to eat the trotter? It’s for drinking the broth! If you’re the greedy one, just say so! Hmph!"
"Granny," Jie Jingshan called out.
Granny Yu paused, then smiled at Jie Jingshan, a little embarrassed. "Heh, Jing Qi. You caught making a fool of myself."
"Granny, there’s no need to be so formal," Jie Jingshan said with a smile and a shake of her head. Because of her relationship with Second Granny, she didn’t address her distantly as Granny Yu, but simply as Granny. The first ti she’d t her at Second Granny’s ho, she had called her Granny Yu, but Second Granny had corrected her, telling her to just call her Granny.
"Heh heh." Granny Yu laughed awkwardly. ’They must have seen my ugly imitation of Lin Ahua. So embarrassing!’ she thought. Granny Yu sized up Qin i. "You must be Jing Si’s wife, right? It’s true what they say, eting you is better than just hearing about you. You’re very pretty."
"Hello, Granny." Qin i followed Jing Qi’s lead and addressed her familiarly.
"We may have only just t, but my younger sister sings your praises constantly, especially when it cos to your dical skills. And I have to admit, the plasters you make are incredibly effective. My sister gave a few to try, and my joints are already hurting much less," Granny Yu said with a smile.
Qin i just smiled, not bothering to boast about her plasters. She knew exactly how effective they were. Instead, a new business idea popped into her head. "Granny, is your granddaughter-in-law having trouble producing milk after giving birth?"
"Sigh!" Granny Yu’s face was a mask of worry. "She is! What are we supposed to do? She hasn’t even finished her postpartum confinent month and her milk supply is already low. It’s worrying sick. The little one is wailing from hunger, it’s just pitiful. Oh, my heart just aches for them! The non-staple food store in our neighborhood was sold out of pig’s trotters, so when I heard this one had so, I ca all this way. But I was still a step too late. This won’t do. I have to go check the at packing plant."
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