Chapter 173: Schemes (Third Update Asking for Votes)

Granny Liu felt as if she had been slapped in the face, but she maintained a smile on her frozen, stiff face. “I know you’re busy with work. I was just saying whenever you have time.”

“Have you eaten?” Wang Xifeng asked.

“Not yet. We came early in the morning and haven’t had a bite.”

Wang Xifeng picked up her phone. “I’ll order some takeout. Let’s eat together.”

“No need to go through the trouble. Just some simple homemade food will do. We country folks are used to plain meals.”

Pingzi laughed, “Auntie, ordering takeout in the city is very convenient. You don’t even need to call.”

“Oh, the city has changed so much,” Granny Liu nodded.

After ordering, Wang Xifeng picked up the remote and turned on a replay of the Spring Festival Gala. She laughed along with the show while Granny Liu, trying to keep up, pointed at the screen, talking about the actors. Wang Xifeng ignored her.

When Dog Egg came out of the bathroom, Pingzi called him over and gave him some candy from a box. Despite the awkward atmosphere, this small act made Dog Egg think of Pingzi as a kind person.

After a while, there was a knock at the door, and Granny Liu quickly stood up from the small stool. Pingzi smiled and gestured for her to sit down. “Auntie, it’s just the takeout.”

“Oh, oh!”

Pingzi brought the takeout inside and called everyone to eat.

The takeout included a large box and several smaller boxes of rice. When they opened the main box, a fragrant roasted fish covered in red chili peppers was revealed. Granny Liu said, “Oh, I can’t eat such spicy food. My throat can’t handle it.”

“It just looks spicy,” Wang Xifeng said, picking a piece of fish without taking her eyes off the TV.

Pingzi gave Dog Egg a piece. He quietly thanked her but quickly spat it out and whispered something to Granny Liu, who immediately put down her chopsticks and muttered an apology.

Wang Xifeng glanced disdainfully at the piece of fish on the coffee table. “What’s the matter? Don’t like it?”

Granny Liu explained, “We don’t eat black fish back home. It’s considered a sacred fish, and eating it is believed to bring bad luck.”

Wang Xifeng’s disdain deepened. “If I knew there were four people eating, I wouldn’t have ordered such a big one.”

Pingzi said, “That’s just superstition. There’s no such thing as food you can’t eat. We eat it all the time and we’re fine.”

Granny Liu smiled apologetically, “It’s fine, I’ll just have some peppers.”

Wang Xifeng insisted, “That’s not right. You should eat, don’t worry.”

Pingzi urged, “We eat it all the time, nothing happens… kid, eat up!”

Dog Egg shook his head, making Granny Liu feel even more embarrassed. She nudged him with her elbow, “Eat, don’t cause trouble.”

“Grandma!” Dog Egg looked up, feeling betrayed.

“See, Grandma’s eating it,” Granny Liu said, taking a bite herself.

“Eat, eat!” Pingzi encouraged.

Dog Egg reluctantly took a bite, feeling uncomfortable. The fish tasted bland and unappetizing to him.

Wang Xifeng smiled for the first time, feeling triumphant. “That’s better. It’s the modern age, no more superstitions!”

The meal was not enjoyable. Toothless Granny Liu kept smacking her lips, and at one point, she choked on a chili pepper and had to rush to the bathroom to cough, spitting a loud glob of phlegm into the toilet, which killed Wang Xifeng’s appetite.

Throwing down her chopsticks, Wang Xifeng lit a menthol cigarette and, ignoring Dog Egg’s soft cough, asked, “How long are you planning to stay?”

“We’ll leave tomorrow, catch the morning bus,” Granny Liu said.

“There’s no room here. Should I take you to a guesthouse?”

“No need, no need. We’ll just stay on the couch for one night.”

Wang Xifeng rolled her eyes, and Pingzi tried to mediate, “A guesthouse doesn’t cost much.”

“Well, okay then.”

After the 3 PM lunch, Wang Xifeng packed up the boxes, wiped the coffee table with a tissue, tied the bag, and left it by the door.

Pingzi, habitually, took a health drink from the fridge. Wang Xifeng whispered, “Don’t drink it today. If you do, they’ll want some too. It’s expensive! Also, put away the pistachios and pecans on the table, give them some sunflower seeds instead.”

“When will they leave?”

“Who knows? Maybe after dinner… these poor relatives are such a hassle!”

“Everyone has some poor relatives.”

Pingzi went to the kitchen to get a glass of water. Wang Xifeng saw Granny Liu still sitting on the small stool by the coffee table and said, “Why don’t you sit on the couch?”

“I’m afraid I’ll get it dirty,” Granny Liu smiled.

“We’re family. Don’t worry, come sit here and watch TV.”

“Well, if it’s not too much trouble.”

Granny Liu sat on the couch, the soft texture surprising her. After a morning of traveling, a meal, and with Wang Xifeng’s voice lulling her, Granny Liu felt sleepy. She tried to stay awake by making some small comments about the TV show but eventually dozed off.

Wang Xifeng, still watching TV, heard low snoring beside her. She glanced at the sleeping Granny Liu, her face full of disgust.

A crash came from the bedroom. Wang Xifeng jumped up and rushed in to find Dog Egg had broken a small ceramic ornament. Dog Egg stood there, head hanging, not saying a word.

“Damn it, you brat! Who let you in here? Who allowed you in? Speak up! Don’t you know to say sorry when you break something? No manners at all!” Wang Xifeng poked Dog Egg’s forehead, making him stagger, his cheeks burning red.

Pingzi ran in, “What happened?”

“Look what happened!” Wang Xifeng snapped at Dog Egg. “Get out!”

Dog Egg slunk out. Pingzi saw the broken pieces on the floor and consoled Wang Xifeng, “It’s not worth much, why get angry?”

“Something of mine got broken. How can I not be angry? I hate people coming into my room.”

“Depends on who, right?” Pingzi hinted with a smile.

Wang Xifeng was in no mood to joke. “Shut up!”

“Grandma, Grandma!” Dog Egg was outside trying to wake Granny Liu. Pingzi’s eyes glinted. “Didn’t you break one of your brother-in-law’s antiques the other day?”

“So what?”

“Say the kid broke it, make them pay.”

“They’re too poor to afford it,” Wang Xifeng sneered.

“Perfect. Make them leave. I can’t even use the treadmill in the living room.”

“Good idea.”

After setting up the scene, Granny Liu came in with Dog Egg, asking, “What happened, Xifeng? The child broke something. How much? We’ll pay.”

Wang Xifeng looked at the pieces on the floor and said, “Pay? Can you afford it? This is an antique my husband bought, worth tens of thousands!”

Granny Liu was shocked by the number. She slapped Dog Egg, “What’s wrong with you? I told you not to touch anything! Now look what you’ve done.”

Dog Egg, clutching his face, felt wronged. Seeing the broken pieces, he said, “I didn’t break that.”

“Liar!” Granny Liu slapped him again, even angrier.