Chapter 8: Take One Less Bite

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The owner of the voice was none other than Grandma Tang.

Upon seeing her eldest son return, Grandma Tang's rarely seen smile appeared on her originally tense face. "Da Long, you're back. Did you ride your bicycle again? You've worked hard."

She glanced at her son's arms, where he held his granddaughter, and a trace of dissatisfaction briefly crossed her eyes. "Your wife gave birth to a child, but it's a pity it's another girl."

"I love daughters too," Tang Da Long kissed his daughter again, and he genuinely liked this girl. While he wished for another son, he appreciated having a daughter as well.

Grandma Tang put down her basket of vegetables and started rummaging through the bags her son had brought back. "Why did you buy so many things? Are you trying to spend money?"

Although she complained about spending money, she didn't hold back in the slightest, taking out the food items from the bags and stashing them in her room, locked away in a cabinet.

Seeing her grandchildren staring at her, she reluctantly opened the cabinet and retrieved two pieces of candy for each of them. "You can't stand seeing things, eat these."

Love Shi promptly accepted her candies, but Love Wen refused, saying, "Grandma, I want two, and my little sister should have one too."

Grandma Tang glared at him but handed over an extra candy. "How does your little sister know how to eat? You just want to eat more yourself."

Love Shi also reached out. "I want two too, and one for my mommy since my daddy bought these candies."

Grandma Tang wasn't pleased, but she gave Love Shi two more candies.

Love Shi and Love Wen each received two candies, but Love Wen wasn't satisfied. He muttered quietly, "Grandma is so stingy; my dad bought such a big bag of candies, and she won't let us have more."

Love Shi overheard and retorted, "I thought you wanted two candies for yourself. Now you want to share with your little sister?"

Love Wen argued, "I can chew them and feed them to my little sister. I'm safe when I'm with my dad."

Tang Ai Lian wanted to say, "It was Uncle Two who ate them," but she was just over a month old and couldn't speak yet.

So, the blame for eating the candies fell on Love Wen, even though he desperately tried to explain himself. After a few smacks, he had no choice but to admit his guilt.

When Liu Xiu Juan heard that her daughter hadn't eaten anything all morning because Love Wen hadn't watched her and her husband hadn't fed her, she shot a disapproving look at her mother-in-law. However, she didn't dare to criticize her mother-in-law openly and immediately started breastfeeding Tang Ai Lian.

But that disapproving look didn't escape Grandma Tang's notice, and she couldn't help but feel uncomfortable. "Am I to blame for not taking care of your daughter? I'm not supposed to go and get pigweed; if I don't feed the pigs, what are they going to eat? There are others at home to watch over the baby."

Tang Da Long defended, "Mom, it's not that. Xiu Juan is worried about Ai Lian because she fell off the bed this morning and hasn't eaten anything since then."

"That's because your son didn't watch her properly," Grandma Tang said sternly. "There are only two of them at home. If he didn't eat the rice cake, who else could have eaten it?"

Love Wen tried to argue, "I didn't eat it. Grandma, you're wronging me!"

"If you didn't eat it, then who did?" Grandma Tang gave him a stern look and then knocked him on the head with her finger.

Tang Ai Lian wanted to say, "It was Uncle Two who ate it," but she was just a little over a month old and couldn't speak yet. So, Love Wen took the blame for eating the rice cake, even though he tried to explain himself.

Liu Xiu Juan tried to prepare some pancakes from the flour Tang Da Long had brought, but her mother-in-law stopped her, saying, "The communal meals have provided enough food, so why make pancakes? Let's all eat a little less."

However, Love Wen had a big appetite, and while others were full after three bowls, he could eat four. Moreover, he ate quickly, often finishing his third bowl when others were still on their second. When he tried to get his third bowl today, he found that the last serving had been taken by Love Shi.

This infuriated Love Wen, who questioned her, "Didn't Grandma say we should eat less today? Why are you still serving yourself?"

Love Shi tearfully replied, "I'm only on my second bowl."

Tang Er Long angrily pointed at her, telling Liu Xiu Juan, "Look at what she's saying! At such a young age, she's already fighting over food with her uncle!"

Grandma Tang also glared at Liu Xiu Juan, saying, "How did you raise your daughter? She's arguing with her uncle over food. Do you want to starve him?"

(End of Chapter 8)