Courtyard House: Purchasing Agents' Comeback from the Great Famine

Upon seeing that it was Qin Huairu, Lu Banxia said irritably, "Qin Huairu, what are you doing here?"

Qin Huairu smiled slightly: "Banxia, ​​what's wrong with you? Why aren't you even calling me Sister Qin anymore?"

Lu Banxia snorted coldly: "Qin Huairu, stop pretending. Don't think I don't know what you're up to."

Qin Huairu was about to explain when Lu Banxia sneered, "Did you see Sister Jingru bring me a bowl of rabbit meat and were thinking of taking it back for your son?"

Upon hearing this, Qin Huairu's eyes widened.

Lu Banxia was right. When Jia Zhangshi saw Qin Huairu carrying a bowl to the backyard, she knew that Qin Huairu must be bringing rabbit meat to Lu Banxia. So she urged her to come over. In addition, Bang Geng kept making a fuss, so she had no choice but to come to Lu Banxia's house to ask for meat.

Jingru wouldn't give her any meat, but Lu Banxia was quite easy to talk to, so she figured the chances of getting any meat were still pretty high.

"Banxia, ​​how could Sister Qin be like this? Sister Qin just saw that you looked tired after a long day at work and wanted to come and cook for you," Qin Huairu quickly explained.

Lu Banxia asked with a cold laugh, "You're just going to cook for me? You don't want my things?"

Qin Huairu rolled her eyes and said with a smile, "Banxia, ​​look at what you're saying. I treat you like a younger sister, I cook for my younger sister, how could I accept your food? You're being too polite!"

Lu Banxia smiled slightly: "Okay, then come in. I'm kneading dough and preparing to steam white flour buns. Come and help me knead the dough."

"become."

Qin Huairu smiled and nodded in agreement, helping Lu Banxia make steamed buns. Even if she didn't ask, Lu Banxia wouldn't feel comfortable letting her go back empty-handed, right?

It must be said that Qin Huairu is indeed very good at housework. She quickly kneaded the dough, let it rise, put the steamed buns on the steamer, and chatted with Lu Banxia.

Lu Banxia was just giving a perfunctory reply. But when she saw that Qin Huairu had steamed the buns for her and was still there, she knew what Qin Huairu meant.

She sneered inwardly. Now that she knew what kind of person Qin Huairu was, if she still let herself be taken advantage of, wouldn't she be a fool?

Qin Jingru brought over rabbit meat tonight, so she didn't even need to cook any other dishes. She also steamed five buns—three for dinner and two for tomorrow morning.

Qin Huairu thought the extra steamed buns were meant for her, so she stayed at Lu Banxia's house and refused to leave.

While Lu Banxia was kneading the dough, she was already boiling water. The steamed buns were ready in about twenty minutes.

He heated up the rabbit meat, took out three steamed buns from the steamer, and completely ignored Qin Huairu. Lu Banxia ate a bite of steamed bun and a bite of rabbit meat, thoroughly enjoying herself.

Qin Jingru's rabbit meat was so delicious that Qin Huairu sat to the side, watching Lu Banxia eat a bite of white steamed bun and a bite of rabbit meat, her eyes wide open, and she kept swallowing her saliva.

What's going on? He's eating all by himself? Didn't he see such a big guy sitting right next to him?

Seeing that Lu Banxia was completely ignoring her, Qin Huairu couldn't help but awkwardly say, "Um, Banxia, ​​Sister Qin hasn't eaten yet, what do you think?"

Lu Banxia rolled her eyes and said irritably, "Qin Huairu, you haven't eaten, go home and eat. Don't you have food at home?"

Uh.

Qin Huairu was speechless; she didn't know what to say.

With a sigh, Qin Huairu forced a smile: "Banxia, ​​you eat first, I'll head back now."

"Go, go."

Lu Banxia waved her hand, as if chasing away a beggar, her attitude completely different from the previous two days.

Watching Qin Huairu's retreating figure, Lu Banxia scoffed, closed the door, and went about her own meal.

Leaving Lu Banxia's house, Qin Huairu was very puzzled. What was wrong with Lu Banxia? She was fine just two days ago, calling her "Sister Qin" all the time. How could she have changed like this after only two days?

Could it be that someone in the hospital said something to her? Could it be Jingru?

Thinking of this, her face turned ashen, and she stormed back to the Jia family compound in the middle courtyard.

Seeing Qin Huairu return empty-handed, Jia Zhangshi asked, "Where's the meat?"

"There's no meat, all we have at home is cornmeal. Take it or leave it," Qin Huairu said angrily.

Seeing this, Madam Jia knew that Qin Huairu must have been mistreated at Lu Banxia's house, so she stopped scolding Qin Huairu.

"Mom, I want to eat rabbit meat, I want to eat rabbit meat, I don't care, you figure something out."

When Banggeng heard that he hadn't gotten any meat, he immediately started yelling and screaming.

Qin Huairu sighed, picked up the cornbread on the table and started eating, ignoring the cornbread sticks.

As Jia Zhangshi ate her cornbread, she sighed and said, "I don't know what's wrong with everyone in the courtyard these past six months. They've all changed. Sha Zhu used to help our family so much, but now he just stops. And Yi Zhonghai, that childless man, doesn't even want to talk to us anymore. What's going on?"

......

The front yard, the Yan family's house.

The dinner table.

Liu Yuhua had five white steamed buns in her bowl, and was eating one in her hand. There was also a small bowl of braised pork in her bowl.

Yan Fugui and Yan Jiefang were eating sweet potatoes, their eyes glued to Liu Yuhua, drool practically dripping onto the ground. The sweet potatoes in their hands tasted like cardboard, and they couldn't bring themselves to eat them.

Seeing this, the three aunties sighed and said, "Yuhua, we're family. When you eat steamed buns and meat, you should share some with everyone. How can we still be considered a family if you eat all by yourself?"

"Bang."

Yan Fugui couldn't stand it any longer. He slammed his hand on the table and said in a deep voice, "Yuhua, we usually eat sweet potatoes and you eat cornbread, and I don't say anything. But you eat white flour buns and meat, and you don't even share any with your younger siblings. Tell me, is this how you behave?"

Liu Yuhua swallowed the meat and snorted coldly, "Mom and Dad, there's no point in you saying that. Yes, I eat a bit more than you, but I pay 15 yuan a month for food. Do you expect me to eat sweet potatoes with you?"

"Besides, I'm eating my monthly ration. You want to replace all the refined and coarse grains with sweet potatoes, and now you see me eating white flour buns and want to eat mine too. Tell me, is that fair?"

"Dad, Mom, you know it's hard to buy meat in the market these days, and the black market meat is expensive. This meat was brought back from the slaughterhouse by my brother as a gift for Dad. Dad couldn't bear to eat it himself, so he brought it to me. And there's only so much of it, how am I supposed to share it?"

"Mom and Dad, I'm making this clear today: if you really can't stand it, I'll separate from you and we'll live our own lives. Neither of us will take advantage of the other. If it really doesn't work out, I'll agree to a divorce."

After saying that, Liu Yuhua snorted coldly, picked up her bowl of white steamed buns and a small bowl of braised pork, and went back into the house.