Chapter 55: Watching a Free Acrobatic Performance

Wen Nuan Nuan let out a surprised “Huh?” and craned her little neck to look over.

Several women stood outside the courtyard gate.

This was the first time since Nuan Nuan arrived here that she had seen so many fellow villagers all at once!

Aside from four unfamiliar young faces, the remaining three were already known to her.

The ones holding cotton clothes and cotton shoes were Auntie Zhu and Aunt Jiang.

She was quite familiar with these two! All the inner garments, cotton clothes, outerwear, cotton shoes, bedsheets, and quilt covers for the four members of the Leng Family had been made by these two women. Since they had to make a large quantity all at once and the weather had turned cold quickly, they delivered each set as soon as it was finished, so Nuan Nuan had already met them many times.

But the one who had spoken was even more memorable to Wen Nuan Nuan!

Wasn’t that the very same Aunt Wang who had been making sarcastic remarks on the mountain path that day?

Nuan Nuan had thought that after her exceptionally sharp retort last time, Aunt Wang would never want to see her again.

Why was she here too?

“Please, come in and sit.”

Wen Nuan Nuan and Leng Xiao had already stood up, and Leng Chen had even quickly returned to the main room to bring out a long bench and bamboo chairs, inviting everyone to sit.

Aunt Jiang smiled amiably and sat down on the long bench next to Wen Nuan Nuan. “On my way here to deliver the clothes, I ran into Auntie Zhu who was also coming to deliver clothes, so we decided to come together. When we passed by Aunt Wang’s house, she said she heard some commotion at your place late last night. Being fellow villagers, she insisted on coming over to see if you needed any help.”

While mentioning Aunt Wang, she secretly winked at Wen Nuan Nuan.

In the entire village, who didn’t know Aunt Wang’s character?

Except for the village chief’s household, there wasn’t a single family she hadn’t taken advantage of. If she couldn’t get anything valuable, she’d even snatch a handful of dried chilies hanging under the eaves to dry or tender green vegetables growing in the vegetable garden to take home.

Her opening line was always that she had a son and three “money-losing daughters” at home, who ate too much and she had no choice but to provide for them.

Since everyone lived in the same village and saw each other constantly, no one wanted to argue over a few dried chilies or some green vegetables—it wasn’t worth it. Yet, every time they thought about it, it was particularly infuriating.

The Leng Family’s new daughter-in-law had a delicate face, a gentle disposition, and a good temper, always smiling no matter the situation. Now, with this large basin of hares and pheasants, the Wang family was bound to snatch one or two away.

Auntie Zhu spoke in a clear, hearty voice, reminding her, “Eldest daughter-in-law, since we’re here, we might as well chat. Look, these pheasants and hares are all bloody and a bit unsightly. Why don’t you move them to the kitchen first? You can clean up after we leave.”

The gleaming white meat was indeed an eyesore for certain people.

Her husband was a hunter, and every time he returned from a hunt, the Wang family would inevitably show up. Her husband was thin-skinned and said it wasn’t worth arguing over a bit of food—he’d just hunt more next time.

Over the years, how many pieces of meat had been taken from them!

Just thinking about it made her feel stifled.

The Wang woman was shameless and unruly every time, throwing tantrums and making a scene. Even she couldn’t handle her, let alone the Leng Family’s gentle, dough-like young daughter-in-law.

And her husband was a scholar, so he certainly wouldn’t argue with a woman from the Wang family over a few bites of food.

The two younger brothers were still small and couldn’t be relied on.

Sigh, her family could at least eat their fill, so letting the Wang family freeload was one thing. But the Leng Family had genuinely reached the point of eating chaff and wild greens not long ago. Now that they finally had some meat to enjoy, it would be truly disgusting if the Wang family came to freeload.

The hint was already quite clear.

Not only did Wen Nuan Nuan understand, but everyone present grasped the meaning perfectly.

“Ah, I’ll move them right away. Aunties, please sit in the courtyard and have a good chat with my sister-in-law,” Leng Yun said cleverly as he ran over, bending down to prepare to carry the basin away.

Aunt Wang immediately grew anxious. Taking several large strides forward, she pressed her palm down on the wooden basin and began to clamor, “The head of the Leng Family is truly impressive! Not only is he well-read, but his skills are even better! Who else could hunt such plump rabbit meat and pheasants?

Look at how rich and oily this is—how could it possibly be an eyesore? If this were at my house, I’d be happy just looking at it without even eating it.

It’s a pity my boy ended up with useless parents like me and his father. He hasn’t tasted meat in months! Even when his father occasionally manages to hunt something, his three older sisters fight him for a bite!

He’ll be twelve after the New Year, yet he’s only as tall as the Leng Family’s third and fourth sons. The doctor in town said he needs to eat plenty of meat to grow taller and put on weight.”

Wen Nuan Nuan watched in sheer amazement!

This wasn’t just acting—it was a masterclass in performance.

Last time, she thought Aunt Wang was simply sharp-tongued, someone who criticized others without gaining anything herself. Now she realized she had misjudged Aunt Wang.

Clearly, last time there was no advantage for Aunt Wang to seize, so she could only gain some verbal satisfaction. But look at today, right now—with real, tangible meat right in front of her, not only did she refrain from making sarcastic remarks, she even started praising!

And it was such a strategic kind of praise, too. First, she flattered the head of the household—who wouldn’t be pleased to hear that?

Then she complained about her family’s poverty and hardships, how difficult life was.

Finally, she summed it up and elevated it to emphasize the heavy burden of having many mouths to feed, focusing on how her child couldn’t eat his fill!

And she kept emphasizing her “boy”—already underfed and stunted in growth. How could you not show a little sympathy, offer a little something?

No wonder the Zhu and Jiang families had warned her to be careful when they brought clothes earlier. She had wondered how Aunt Wang managed to succeed time and again.

Turns out, she had already refined her methods, developed her routines, and mastered her tricks!

The others wore expressions of disdain and a knowing look that said, “Here we go again, the same old routine.”

“Auntie, didn’t you praise my husband a few days ago and walk off with a piece of meat from our house? How is it your boy hasn’t eaten meat in months?”

Aunt Wang turned and glared fiercely at the young wife, snorting, “The piece of roe deer meat your family gave was from the worst part, hardly any meat on it at all—not even enough to fill the gaps between my teeth. I only took it because I’m not picky.”

The young wife had never encountered someone so shameless. Her face flushed bright red instantly. She wanted to retort but couldn’t find the right words.

Someone beside her gently tugged at her sleeve to comfort her.

Aunt Wang turned her attention back to the meat in the wooden basin, directly reaching in to pick up a rabbit and weighing it in her hand. “I have to say, the Leng Family is truly impressive. This rabbit is much plumper than others. This one alone would be enough for my boy.”

Seeing that Wen Nuan Nuan hadn’t made a sound and the three members of the Leng Family remained silent, Aunt Wang grew even bolder. She rummaged through the basin again and pulled out a pheasant. “This one isn’t bad either. I can salt it and let my boy eat it slowly.”

Wen Nuan Nuan was almost amused by the sheer audacity. What was the difference between this and those people who used to cut others’ salted meat and sausages drying on public balconies or dig up entire succulent plants?

Well, perhaps one was stealing, and the other was brazenly taking.

Out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of Leng Xiao’s tall, straight figure entering the main room.

Ah, Leng Xiao probably couldn’t stand such petty, greedy behavior and had gone inside to find some peace.

And rightly so. He was a grown man, a scholar at that. Arguing with an older woman wouldn’t do—it would tarnish his reputation if word got out.

Scholars cared deeply about their reputations. That was understandable.

Moreover, Aunt Wang had a clever way of asking for things, constantly praising Leng Xiao, so how could one have the heart to ask for them back? Look at Auntie Zhu’s family—they fell for it every time and ended up giving in.

But if Leng Xiao would feel embarrassed, she certainly wouldn’t!

Never mind that meat was precious; even if her family had more than they could eat, she would rather feed it to the dogs than let someone like Aunt Wang take even the slightest advantage.

Don’t ask why—it’s simply because she couldn’t stand the sight of such behavior.

Wen Nuan Nuan took a deep breath, ready to give it her all and put on a good show.