CH 9

Chapter 9: The Lands Belonged To The Xie Family

It was almost noon when the Su family returned home. Su Tao was so hungry that she drank a scoop of water in almost one gulp. Her hunger kept coming back and her stomach growled several times.

I’m hungry.

I’m starving.

Lin Sanzhu looked at her several times, but said nothing.

At this time, Mrs. Su-Jin looked at the rice vat and saw that there was no rice left. She shouted out the door, “Mother, there’s no more rice.”

After a while, Mrs. Su-Qian walked in, pointing to the small basket of sweet potatoes by the door angrily. “Are you blind? We’ll eat these.”

Su Tao followed her gaze and was already in despair. It was so difficult to eat a bowl of rice. She drank half a scoop of water, feeling depressed.

Soon, she discovered that eating sweet potatoes was not the most depressing thing, but that she could only eat the sweet potato skin and the mud on it had not been washed off thoroughly.

She wasn't the only one eating it. Mrs. Su-Qian and the others were also eating it, alternating between a chopstick of sweet potato skin and a chopstick of pickled vegetables.

The sweet potato skin had mud on it. After eating a bowl of it, Su Tao couldn’t eat it anymore even though she was still hungry.

She glanced at Su Zhi next to her who was scooping up the sweet potato skin like a starving ghost, and for a moment, she felt pity for him.

He probably hadn’t had a good meal at his young age.

She sighed loudly in her heart, put her bowl and chopsticks in the kitchen and slipped out. Otherwise, she would definitely be ordered to do some tasks.

She inadvertently glanced at the Xie family’s house opposite. She kept looking at and away from their house. Is the Xie family eating meat?

At the thought of this, she gulped. After hesitating for a while, she couldn't help but sneaked a look. Even if she couldn't eat the meat, taking a look was fine as well.

At least it proved that there were still people in this village who ate meat.

The door of the Xie family's house wasn’t closed. She walked over and glanced around, but she didn't see anyone eating. However, the Xie family's house was so spacious and clean.

She unwillingly took a step back, but quickly paused. It turned out that the Xie family ate at the pavilion on the edge of the yard.

She was too short to see what they were eating, but it smelled quite delicious. She gulped.

She wished she could eat it.

The girl stood by the door, craned her neck and watched eagerly. Xie Yuntang accidentally caught a glimpse of her. His hands shook and the food fell on the table. He fidgeted about awkwardly.

He was obviously scared that his face would be pinched.

Su Tao noticed his gaze, but was not embarrassed. She leaned against the door, then secretly motioned to Xie Yuntang, signaling him to come out with his bowl.

Well, she just wanted to see what he was eating.

Fine, she just wanted a few bites of the food.

At this time, Mrs. Xie-Qin's voice sounded, “Yuntang, why aren't you eating? Eat it while it's hot. Here, have this chicken drumstick.”

Su Tao hurriedly hid at the side. She moved over after a while. Xie Yuntang had lowered his head to eat his food and wasn’t looking over at this side.

She watched eagerly as he ate the chicken drumstick until only the bone was left. Then, she cursed Milksop in her heart.

Chicken drumstick, she really wished she could eat a chicken drumstick.

She didn't feel that going to someone’s house and “threatening” to have a chicken drumstick was an immoral thing to do.

Lin Sanzhu came back from washing the dishes and saw her sitting on the threshold in a daze. She pointed at Su Tao’s head angrily. “What are you doing sitting here? Hurry up and go back to your room for a rest. You have to go and work in the field later.”

“Mom, I want to eat.” Su Tao looked at Lin Sanzhu eagerly, trying to get something to eat.

She didn't even dare to think about eating a chicken drumstick in the Su family.

“Didn't you eat just now? I’d told you to eat more, but you only ate a bowl. Serves you right for being hungry!” Lin Sanzhu didn't understand what Su Tao meant by eating. She thought Su Tao was still hungry.

“I want to eat rice.” Su Tao touched the tip of her nose.

Rice?

There wasn’t even porridge, let alone rice!

Lin Sanzhu choked for a moment, then glared at Su Tao, “Wretched girl, are you dreaming?”

At this moment, Su Zhi belched beside Su Tao, apparently having eaten too much.

Su Tao, “...”

This kid must have been a pig in his previous life. He wasn’t picky about food at all.

When Lin Sanzhu saw Su Tao drooping her head, the corners of her mouth twitched. She then said in a low voice, “We have to hand over food to the Xie family soon. If we don’t save on the food now, our whole family will have nothing to eat."

There was no food in winter, and it all depended on the harvest in summer. If the food was finished in a month or two, the whole family would starve to death.

When Su Tao heard the words “Xie family,” she looked up and asked in confusion, “Why do we have to hand over food to the Xie family?”

“Wretched girl, have you knocked your head silly? Don’t you know our lands were leased from the Xie family?”

Lin Sanzhu felt a little strange, but she didn't think too much about it. Even if she thought about it, it wouldn't have occurred to her that this wasn’t her daughter.

It turned out that the lands belonged to the Xie family...

No wonder the Su family had several acres of land, yet they were still so poor.

Su Tao gritted her teeth. Was there something wrong with the system? The Su family was already so poor, and yet she was asked to turn Xie Yuntang into a villain. Wouldn’t they be poorer by then?

It would be fine if she died, but if she didn’t die, she would suffer terribly.

Su Tao was depressed. She stood up and lay down motionlessly on the bed.

Seeing that Su Tao got on the bed without taking off her shoes, Lin Sanzhu came in with a stick and hit her. She said angrily, “How dare you get on the bed without taking off your shoes? Do you think it's easy to wash the bedsheet? Take your shoes off immediately.”

Su Tao felt the pain and suddenly retracted her feet. She couldn't help but glare at Lin Sanzhu and said, “Can’t you stop hitting me?”

As soon as Su Tao finished talking, she was hit again. She let out a hiss and quickly shrank back inside.

“You won’t behave unless you get beaten! If you don’t make me worried, I won't beat you!”

Lin Sanzhu glared at Su Tao and said again, “Wretched girl, how dare you use that tone with me? Yell again, and I’ll strip off your pants and beat you!”

When Su Tao heard that last sentence, she hurriedly lifted up her pants, for fear that Lin Sanzhu would really strip off her pants and beat her. If that really happened, she would bang her head against the wall and kill herself.

“Mom, I was wrong.”

“Even if you admit your mistake, you’re unrepentant. Wretched girl, you don't feel comfortable if you don’t cause trouble for a day. Go to bed!” Lin Sanzhu said a few words to her and left.

Su Tao heaved a sigh of relief, then rolled on the bed.

I want to go home...

I want to go home, I want to go home, I want to go home!

No, she must find an opportunity to bully Xie Yuntang.

However, she worked all day long. Where would she find the time to bully Xie Yuntang?

She fell asleep while thinking about it. When she woke up again, Lin Sanzhu was already yelling outside and about to come in with a stick. “Wretched girl, are you deaf? The whole family is waiting for you!”

Su Tao was stunned for a moment and quickly got out of bed. “I'm awake.”

Even so, Su Tao got hit once with the stick. Lin Sanzhu cursed and said, “Hurry up and come out.”

Soon, Su Tao walked out again, and then heard Su Zhi's cries. The cries were getting louder. Su Tao couldn't help but rub her arms.

Would Lin Sanzhu feel uncomfortable if she didn't hit someone for a day?

Su Fu’s family came out late. Mrs. Su-Qian pulled a long face and cursed in a sharp voice, “You keep dawdling. If you don’t want to work, get out and live on your own. Don’t waste the food.”

If one lived independently from their family when one wasn’t old enough, one wouldn’t be given anything. Lin Sanzhu dared not say a word beside her.

The more Mrs. Su-Qian talked, the angrier she became. “You could never do anything right. I don't know what's the use of having you."

Su Tao couldn't help but roll her eyes. This wretched old woman was cranky every day. Forget it, I’ll just stay away from her.

Just when she was thinking about that, she was hit hard on the back. She staggered and immediately let out a hiss in pain.

It was a much more powerful slap than Lin Sanzhu's usual slap.