My Wife, So Fierce! - Chapter 7

In the end, Zheng Yao steeled herself and sat down at the dining table with the grandmother and grandson, if it could even be called a dining table.

It was a small, square wooden table that looked old and worn, covered in stains and spots everywhere.

Zheng Yao closed her eyes briefly, took a deep breath, and picked up her rice bowl, trying her best to ignore the mottled marks on the table.

But when she looked down at the meager portion of rice in her bowl, she hesitated to examine it too closely. The rice was alarmingly yellow whether due to the grain itself or because it hadn’t been rinsed properly, it bore no resemblance to white rice.

Faced with such a meal, she couldn’t bring herself to take a bite.

Noticing Zheng Yao holding her bowl without moving, Xiao Hui, who had been wolfing down his food, looked up and asked softly, “Sister, why aren’t you eating?”

“I ate too much this morning. I’m still full.”

Zheng Yao answered stiffly.

Then, shutting her eyes, she forced herself to shovel a few mouthfuls of rice into her mouth without thinking.

It was hard and strange, the texture utterly unpleasant.

She swallowed it down roughly and, under Xiao Hui’s watchful gaze, grabbed a bite of vegetables and stuffed it into her mouth.

The moment she swallowed, she couldn’t help but gag.

Those images kept swirling in her mind, impossible to shake off. Zheng Yao didn’t reach for her chopsticks again.

This lunch could only be described as torture.

“I’m full,” she said at last, forcing down the last grain of rice before standing up, suppressing the discomfort in her stomach. “Thank you for the meal. I’ll be going now.”

Xiao Hui looked uneasy. “Didn’t you like it?”

“No,” Zheng Yao denied, wanting to offer some words of praise to comfort the little boy, but after struggling for a moment, she couldn’t bring herself to say anything.

She simply waved her hand. “I’ll head back now. Goodbye.”

Forget about pride she had tried her best. That would have to do for now.

She hadn’t been eating properly these past few days, surviving on random snacks, and now, after enduring that half-bowl of rice at Xiao Hui’s place like some kind of punishment, the discomfort in her stomach peaked by the time she returned to the Shen residence.

Shen Baiyi seemed to have cooked something, the aroma of food filled the entire courtyard.

When Zheng Yao entered, Shen Baiyi happened to be eating in the living room.

On the table was just a single dish of stir-fried cabbage with mushrooms, but it looked, smelled, and undoubtedly tasted delicious, instantly whetting one’s appetite. Glancing further, the rice in the bowl appeared white and fluffy.

Zheng Yao’s mood instantly plummeted.

Saliva pooled uncontrollably in her mouth. She swallowed coldly, ignoring Shen Baiyi’s timid greeting, and turned straight to her room.

This life was unbearable!

Sitting down at her desk, she slumped over it again, inhaling the faint floral scent of the small checkered tablecloth. Her brows drooped, her spirits sinking to rock bottom.

It had to be said, the Shen family really knew how to live well.

On her way back, she had observed every household, and upon closer inspection, the Shen home was the cleanest and most welcoming of them all.

The courtyard was always tidy, the furniture old but not dirty, and even the walls were adorned with pretty, fresh wallpaper.

The food was clean and hygienic too.

Compared to Shen Baiyi’s side, the meal she had just endured seemed even worse.

But this was just one meal, who knew how many more awaited her in the future?

At this thought, Zheng Yao’s entire body began to ache her head hurt, her stomach hurt.

Wait, her stomach hurt?

Zheng Yao’s face paled slightly as she clutched her stomach and stood up, feeling as if her insides were churning violently.

“What’s wrong with you?”

Just as she opened the door, she saw Shen Baiyi set down her bowl and rise to her feet. Zheng Yao had no time to respond, quickly covering her stomach as she rushed to the bathroom.

The bathroom was essentially the same as the shower area.

The outer section served as the bathing space, while further inside, against the wall, was the toilet area. Fortunately, it wasn’t a pit latrine just an ordinary squat toilet.

That afternoon, Zheng Yao lost count of how many times she ran to the bathroom.

By the time she emerged from her last trip, even her legs had gone weak, forcing her to lean against the wall for support.

“Are you okay?” Shen Baiyi’s face was full of nervousness and helplessness. “I’ll go get Uncle Wang and have him take you to see a doctor.”

“No need.”

Zheng Yao’s face was deathly pale, her entire body utterly drained.

If possible, she would have gladly moved into the bathroom permanently, if only to avoid Shen Baiyi’s watchful eyes as she shuffled back and forth between the room and the toilet.

Thankfully, after this last bout, her stomach no longer ached as badly as before. She collapsed onto the bed, her mind blank.

She never wanted to eat at Xiao Hui’s house again.

Back then, she had still entertained the idea of trying meals from other households. But after surveying the area on her way back, her heart sank completely.

The conditions everywhere seemed just as bad.

She had initially thought the Shen family’s living situation was poor enough, but after seeing the other homes, that notion was instantly snuffed out.

Outside, the pitter-patter of rain began again. Realizing this, Zheng Yao’s worries deepened. Unable to help herself, she pulled out her phone and messaged Wang Yong for updates on the situation outside.

Upon learning that they wouldn’t be able to leave for the next two days, Zheng Yao’s heart plummeted to the depths. To make matters worse, her stomach was both bloated and empty before long, it started growling like an empty city under siege.

Zheng Yao was so weak she didn’t even have the energy to vent her frustration.

Just as she was about to message Wang Yong to find a way to bring her some clean, hygienic food, someone suddenly knocked on her door.

She didn’t need to think to know who it was. Zheng Yao replied weakly, “Go away.”

Whether her voice was too soft or the other person was ignoring her on purpose, the knocking continued without pause.

“…”

This damn kid!

Anger surged in Zheng Yao’s chest, and with a stifled growl, she dragged herself out of bed. She had a whole arsenal of curses ready to unleash the moment she opened the door only to find Shen Baiyi standing outside, holding a steaming bowl of century egg and lean pork congee that smelled delicious.

Zheng Yao instinctively glanced down. The congee was garnished with chopped scallions, making it look incredibly appetizing.

The curses on the tip of her tongue were instantly swallowed back.

“I bought the rice from the auntie next door, it’s not from the Shen family’s stock,” Shen Baiyi said before Zheng Yao could speak, pushing the bowl forward. “It’s safe for you to eat, Miss Zheng.”

“…”

Her face burned with another wave of heat.

This school-aged child had already placed a respectful stepping stone right at her feet, waiting for her to take it.

Meeting Shen Baiyi’s earnest gaze, Zheng Yao awkwardly averted her eyes. Maybe it was because her stomach had been unsettled for too long, making her desperate to fill it with something or maybe it was because Shen Baiyi’s expression was too sincere to refuse.

Either way, she ended up accepting the bowl.

Shen Baiyi’s face lit up with visible delight. “Take your time, Miss Zheng. There’s more in the kitchen if you’re still hungry.”

With that, as if afraid Zheng Yao might change her mind, Shen Baiyi hurried away.

This was the first time Zheng Yao had looked at Shen Baiyi’s back, a thin, small child, looking as fragile as a piece of paper, terribly frail.

Yet her back was straight, like a young pine tree. Though just a child from a poor, remote village, she carried an air of pride, a sense of clarity and grace.

To be honest, Shen Baiyi wasn’t the kind of girl people disliked. Even though she was Shen Sanguang’s daughter, Zheng Yao found it hard to harbor any real animosity toward her.

The aroma of porridge filled the air.

Her stomach growled loudly. Zheng Yao silently averted her gaze and retreated back into the room.

The bowl and spoon were brand new, printed with cute patterns.

Bowls like these were familiar to Zheng Yao her own home was full of them. Bai Yuanzhu had always loved these adorable styles.

Traces of Bai Yuanzhu’s life were everywhere here.

It felt familiar, yet it only made her want to escape even more.

The porridge in the bowl seemed to lose its flavor in an instant. She lowered her eyes, lost in thought for a long moment, before finally forcing herself to finish about half of it in silence.

A person needs food to survive. She couldn’t keep starving herself, nor could she bring herself to go back to eating at Xiao Hui’s place. Her stomach was already suffering. Since Shen Baiyi had offered an olive branch, it wouldn’t hurt to take it for now.

After all, eating a few bowls of Shen Baiyi’s porridge didn’t mean she was making peace with the Shen family, much less that she would ever like them.

It was just a few meals.

Shen Sanguang had torn her family apart, what was wrong with eating a few meals at the Shen household?

The more she thought about it, the more justified she felt. With renewed determination, she finished the entire bowl in one go.

Who would’ve thought? Shen Baiyi looked young, but her cooking skills were unexpectedly good. Though it was just a simple bowl of porridge, the taste was surprisingly delicious.

The warmth of the porridge soothed the discomfort in her stomach.

Given her appetite, she could’ve easily had another bowl but she didn’t.

If she ate another one, wouldn’t that be like outright telling Shen Baiyi that she was satisfied with her cooking? That she actually liked it?

Zheng Yao would never allow such a thing to happen.

–

After resting in her room for a while, she finally stepped out with the empty bowl.

The moment she entered the living room, she heard Shen Baiyi’s voice approaching from a distance:

“Let me take it.”

In the next instant, the bowl was lifted from her hands. This time, Shen Baiyi didn’t hurry away. Instead, she handed her a box of medicine. “I bought this for you earlier. There’s hot water inside take some medicine. It should help you feel better.”

Zheng Yao stiffened, refusing to take the medicine. Instead, she lifted her gaze and said coldly, “Don’t think just because I ate your porridge, we’re suddenly family.”

“I don’t think that.”

Shen Baiyi shook her head quickly.

Liar.

Just because she had accepted a bowl of porridge, Shen Baiyi was already pushing her luck daring to buy medicine without even asking her first, assuming she would take it.

Did she really think Zheng Yao would just go along with it?

Hah!

With a cold laugh, Zheng Yao turned and went back to her room.

Her worst fear had come true. The moment she gave an inch, the other person would take a mile thinking her attitude had softened, meddling in her affairs, encroaching further into her life.

The thought made her clench her fists.

–

Wang Yong returned to the Shen household in the evening.

At that time, Zheng Yao was standing in the yard, staring at the osmanthus tree.

“Miss Zheng,” Wang Yong quickly approached. “We’ve already found the workers, and they’ll start digging tomorrow. But whether we can leave tomorrow is still uncertain. I estimate the earliest we can depart is the day after.”

Hearing this news, Zheng Yao frowned, her face darkening with worry.

Noticing her expression and recalling the text message he received in the afternoon, Wang Yong cautiously added, “Don’t worry about meals, I’ve already arranged everything for you. It’ll be clean and hygienic, and someone will deliver your food shortly.”

At this, Zheng Yao finally perked up a little. At the very least, it solved her immediate problem.

But she hadn’t expected that while the food looked clean, it tasted absolutely terrible.

Perhaps the trauma from lunch still lingered, because unless she personally witnessed the cooking process, she couldn’t shake her unease. Even with Wang Yong’s repeated assurances, she hesitated before taking a bite.

And compared to the bowl of congee she had in the afternoon, this meal was utterly flavorless. Zheng Yao barely managed a few bites before setting down her chopsticks.

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