Chapter 167: Chapter 166 Are You Hungry
Upon thinking it over, Lady Yao hurried to interfere.
"Hold on, Miss, I’ll go and get them, I’ll go..."
Only then did Xia Ruqing resume her seat.
"That’s more like it!"
「...」
At lunchtime, Xia Weifeng and Xia Ruyi, the set of twins, were retrieved from their maternal grandparents’ house.
"Mother!"
"Mother!"
Lady Yao stood beside Xia Ruqing, her smile more strained than a sob.
When Xia Ruqing saw the children, she was stunned. These two kids, each one plumper than the other, were like little dumplings!
My heavens, what on earth have they been eating to get so fat!
While she was still in shock, the two plump twins approached Lady Yao.
Xia Weifeng pointed at Xia Ruqing with his finger, asking arrogantly, "Mother, who is she?"
Lady Yao hurriedly pressed her son’s finger down, laughing awkwardly. "Weiwei, stop it. She’s your Big Sister."
Xia Ruyi was displeased upon hearing this. "Mother, didn’t you say Big Sister was dead?"
Xia Weifeng chimed in, "Yes, Mother! You also said that Big Sister and her mother were both despicable women, and that’s why they died early!"
"Mother, let’s go quickly! Don’t stay with despicable people!"
"Yes, Mother, let’s go!"
Saying this, the two pudgy children each grabbed one of Lady Yao’s sleeves and tried to pull her away.
Xia Ruqing’s inner thoughts:
This is unbelievable! It’s like a stampede of ten thousand mythical beasts through my mind! Damn it! Lady Yao is utterly vile. A vile woman raises equally vile children! Truly, like mother, like son! I have to come up with a plan, a good one, to sort this out!
With this in mind, Xia Ruqing’s gaze fell on the two children.
Heh, unruly brats, are they? If Lady Yao can’t teach you, then I’ll do it for her!
With that thought, she put on a smile again and took the initiative to comfort Lady Yao. "Younger Brother and Younger Sister are just ignorant, Mother. You shouldn’t be too harsh on them!"
She then continued, "It’s getting late, and I have prepared lunch. Mother, if you don’t mind, please bring Younger Brother and Younger Sister to dine with us!"
Lady Yao was terrified, thinking Xia Ruqing would be angry. Unexpectedly, Xia Ruqing acted as if nothing had happened. Lady Yao didn’t dare contradict her and could only nod her head nervously. "Yes! Thank you, Miss!"
Although she had no idea what trick Xia Ruqing had up her sleeve, she had no choice but to agree.
Xia Ruqing instructed with a smile, "Zi Yue, get ready to serve the meal!"
"Yes!" Zi Yue smiled smugly, nodded, and withdrew.
Lady Yao thought to herself:
Xia Ruqing, no matter how malicious, wouldn’t dare poison the food. If she poisoned her stepmother in broad daylight, even Heaven wouldn’t tolerate it.
Thinking this, she felt less afraid.
Before long, lunch was served.
Xia Ruqing spoke leisurely, "Ah, it’s been so hot recently, and I feel easily overheated, so... I’m eating lighter. Mother, you won’t mind, will you?"
Lady Yao looked at the few dishes of leafy green vegetables on the table, almost on the verge of tears, but still replied, "I don’t mind, Miss, as long as you’re happy with your meal! This is your own home; we can’t let you suffer any longer!"
Xia Ruqing smiled. "Exactly! Mother, look at Younger Brother and Younger Sister. They’re only four years old and... so plump. They should really slim down a bit. I’m doing this for their own good!"
Lady Yao was utterly speechless, yet she could only offer a dry laugh. "Yes! Yes! Miss is right!"
Xia Ruqing smiled. "Then that’s settled!"
She then gave another order: "In that case, let’s begin." With that, she started to eat.
Since she did not want to sit at the same table with the unruly kids, they ate at separate tables.
There were four dishes in total on the table before her: stir-fried spinach, cold shredded bamboo shoots, steamed baby bok choy, and sweet fermented lotus slices. There was also a tureen of white fungus and lotus seed soup. All were vegetarian dishes meant to dispel internal heat and relieve summer heat.
The Kitchen Maid in the estate was very skilled, and the food tasted quite good. Xia Ruqing ate with relish.
Lady Yao, on the other hand, was not so pleased. She didn’t like vegetarian food but could reluctantly pretend to. The two kids, however, were utterly dumbfounded. Ever since they started eating solid foods around the age of three, they had rarely eaten vegetarian meals, always craving rich meats and delicate seafood. Even fine delicacies like abalone, sea cucumber, and shark’s fin weren’t always satisfying enough for them, let alone a few plates of leafy greens. How could they possibly bring themselves to eat this?
"Mother, we want to eat meat!"
"Mother, I want braised pork ribs!"
"And shark fin soup, bird’s nest porridge! Mother, we want to eat, we want to eat!"
"Exactly! Even if there’s no shark fin soup, Mother, I want chicken soup!"
As Xia Ruqing heard each of these dish names, she couldn’t help but feel the irony.
Back when the original Xia Ruqing lived here, she barely had enough to eat. She and her brother were starving and emaciated. Even now, Maternal Aunt Wen, Eldest Brother, and Second Sister all had sallow, waxy complexions. They looked as if they had only just managed to secure enough food. Lady Yao, you truly are wicked!
Lady Yao looked at her two children making a continuous fuss, her heart too soft to bear it. "Miss... the children..."
Xia Ruqing didn’t even lift her eyelids. "Not eating? Maybe... Younger Brother and Younger Sister aren’t hungry yet!"
She then immediately ordered, "Please invite Maternal Aunt Wen and Second Sister over. If you two don’t eat, they will!"
Lady Yao was rendered speechless. "This..."
Xia Weifeng and Xia Ruyi suddenly spoke up. "A despicable person is a despicable person! She actually won’t let us eat!"
"Exactly, we’re going to tell Father! She won’t let us eat!"
"Right! When Father finds out, he’ll definitely have you flogged, maybe even beaten to death!"
"You despicable creature!"
Having said that, the two of them got up and made to leave.
Xia Ruqing was utterly shocked.
They were only four years old! What on earth had Lady Yao taught them! Ha, impressive! Truly impressive!
Xia Ruqing’s eyes darted around, and she immediately started to pretend to cry, sniffling pitifully. "It seems, Younger Brother and Younger Sister, that you don’t welcome me. Zi Yue, let’s not eat anymore; let’s pack up and leave!"
"Yes, Master!"
With that, the master and servant were about to leave.
Lady Yao was driven into a corner. She knelt down again. "Miss, I... I will definitely discipline them properly. Please be magnanimous and forgive them!"
"After all, they’re still young, Miss. Don’t lower yourself to their level!"
Xia Ruqing sneered. "Still young? At four years old, they dare to curse people. When they grow up, will they start beating and killing people?"
Lady Yao was stunned. "This..."
Xia Ruqing continued to walk towards the exit.
Lady Yao clenched her teeth and hardened her heart.
SMACK!
SMACK!
Two slaps landed on the faces of her two precious children.
"You two, how dare you not listen to your Big Sister!"
Xia Weifeng and Xia Ruyi had never been hit before. At that moment, they covered their faces, their eyes filled with disbelief.
"WAAH!"
The two of them sat on the ground, rolling around, crying and screaming.
Xia Ruqing scoffed. "Enough, enough. Since they’re not eating, it means they’re not hungry. They can eat later! Mother, you shouldn’t trouble yourself too much over it!"
"Yes!" Lady Yao slumped to the ground, looking at her own hands, and numbly nodded.