"Who is it? Who has the nerve to come begging for food at this hour?" Bai Jiu wasn’t one to hold her tongue. She muttered curses as she pulled the door open.
The moment it unlocked, the person outside tried to barge in. But Bai Jiu wasn’t about to let her succeed.
"Hey, what do you think you’re doing? Trying to rob us?" Bai Jiu blocked the woman’s path and shoved her back outside.
How could an old woman’s strength compare to the original owner of this body, who had spent her days doing hard farm labor?
"Take a look at the calendar! What era do you think this is? Still pulling this home-invasion garbage—aren’t you afraid of getting shot?" Bai Jiu wasn’t the least bit intimidated.
Seeing Bai Jiu, the old woman didn’t recognize her right away.
"Who are you? Do you even have the right to speak here? I’m looking for the Bai family." The old woman was observant. Realizing this woman was not someone to trifle with, she didn’t dare force her way in.
"Who I am is none of your damn business. If you have something to say, say it. Otherwise, get lost. Knocking on people’s doors right at dinnertime—have you no shame?"
"You... how dare you speak to me like that?" The old woman had terrorized the neighborhood for miles around; truly, no one had ever dared to talk back to her like this. "Are you Bai Xingguo’s little tramp?" The old woman had a venomous mouth. In this era, having an illicit affair could easily land someone in prison.
"Do you know how to speak properly? If not, I’ll gladly wash your mouth out for you." Bai Jiu laughed out of sheer anger. This woman was just like Old Mrs. Song—both of them were utterly shameless.
"Then tell me, who are you? Why are you here, and what is your relationship with the Bai family?"
"None of your damn business! Who do you think you are? The head of the neighborhood women’s committee?" Bai Jiu rolled her eyes at her. "Since when is it your place as an outsider to stick your nose into the Bai family’s affairs? Anyone who didn’t know better would think you owned the place."
"Hmph! One look and I can tell you’re a shameless hussy, running off to a man’s house. Spit it out! Are you doing something indecent?"
Hearing this, Bai Jiu didn’t waste another breath. She raised her hand and—SMACK!—slapped the woman right across the mouth.
"Keep your mouth clean. If you dare spout any more nonsense, we’ll take a trip to the Public Security Bureau." It seemed bullying the Bai family had become a regular pastime for this woman; otherwise, she wouldn’t have shown such blatant disrespect.
"You bitch! You dare hit me?!" The old woman was furious. She pointed a trembling finger at Bai Jiu and shrieked.
"If you spout any more garbage, I won’t just slap you—I’ll tear your mouth right off. Try me." She was obviously too used to getting away with it.
"The Bai family is nothing but trash! If you’re staying with them, you’re definitely trash too! I’m going to report you!" the old woman yelled in a panic.
"Go ahead. You’re a coward if you don’t." Bai Jiu wasn’t scared in the slightest. "The Bai family is an honorable working-class household, yet you dare call them trash. It seems you have a problem with the nation’s arrangements! I’ll have to go have a good chat with the authorities and see if you’re a saboteur sent by individuals with ulterior motives to undermine us from within!"
"Bullshit!" Hearing Bai Jiu’s accusation, the old woman panicked. She absolutely couldn’t afford to be branded with such a label. If the wrong person overheard that, she would be skinned alive, if not executed. "You must be an old acquaintance of the Bai family. You’re definitely no good! I’m going to the neighborhood committee right now!"
The old woman was getting frightened. This woman was clearly not to be messed with, but since she was connected to the Bai family, her background had to be just as tainted as theirs used to be. If that were the case, she had nothing to fear.
"Oh, go on then! I’d love to see what the penalty is for slandering a military family member." With Gao Zhijun’s status, she could walk sideways like a crab—completely untouchable. This was probably the main reason the Bai family had married her off to Gao Zhijun in the first place.
"Impossible!" Upon hearing her status, the old woman’s face filled with disbelief. How could people like the Bai family possibly be connected to the military? She refused to believe it.
"What’s so impossible about it? If you’ve got the guts, go ahead and report it. You’ll find out soon enough." Bai Jiu crossed her arms, looking completely unbothered by the threat.
The old woman lost her nerve.
"Hmph, you get all sorts of freaks these days. Some city folk aren’t even as smart as an old country lady. Now get out of here, and don’t delay my dinner." Bai Jiu couldn’t be bothered with her anymore; she still had food in the pot. "If you don’t get lost right now, I’ll be the one going to file a report," she said, glaring at the woman.
Terrified, the old woman outside finally retreated in bitter resentment.
Upon returning home, she still couldn’t figure out how the Bai family had found such a formidable protector.
"Mother, didn’t you go over to get some meat? Why are you back already?" Seeing her return empty-handed, the old woman’s daughter-in-law asked in confusion.
"Eat, eat, eat, that’s all you know! Why don’t you just eat my flesh instead?!" Having swallowed her anger outside, the old woman now had a perfect target to vent her frustration on.
Seeing her mother-in-law’s temper, the daughter-in-law simply rolled her eyes and went into the kitchen. She had expected her to bring back some freebies; she hadn’t anticipated her returning empty-handed. This was a first.
"What are you yelling at me for? If you’re so tough, go throw a tantrum outside," the daughter-in-law muttered. She wasn’t one to be pushed around easily, either.
***
Seeing his sister return safely, Bai Xingguo finally let go of the breath he had been holding.
"That was Mrs. Wang from next door," he said. "She’s the most unreasonable old bat for miles around. Even when she’s entirely in the wrong, she’ll twist the truth to suit herself. She’s bullied Mother more times than I can count." Bai Xingguo didn’t plan on hiding things from Bai Jiu.
His sister was now vastly stronger than she had been in the past. Furthermore, besides their mother, there were no other women in the house. Having his sister around put his mind at ease, knowing there was someone to protect their mother from being bullied.
"Because of our family’s past circumstances, she constantly held it over our heads, threatening to report us at the drop of a hat. Mother, trying to keep the peace, has been extorted out of our things more times than I can count."
Of course, it wasn’t as if they had anything of real value in the house anyway; Mrs. Wang had only managed to take a few vegetables and other trivial items. But the old woman was incredibly greedy and would take whatever she could get her hands on.
"I understand." Bai Jiu finally put the pieces together. No wonder the old woman had come sniffing around the moment she caught the scent of meat—she was used to freeloading off them.
People like that just needed to be taught a harsh lesson. If one beating wasn’t enough, she would gladly administer a few more until the woman understood the consequences of crossing her.
"Don’t worry, Xingguo. I guarantee she’ll be hiding whenever she sees us from now on. We have nothing to be ashamed of. Besides, we are a family of workers now—that’s a respectable status."
Their past status didn’t matter anymore. Right now, three out of the four people in their household were employed workers. That was an undeniable fact.
"Alright, don’t fret over it. I know how to handle it. I’ll finish up the cooking."
By the time the meal was ready, Mother Bai and the others still hadn’t returned.
Bai Xingguo wasn’t worried. This was normal for them; their family members were always the last to leave the factory after their shifts ended.
"You should go ahead and eat with Xiuxiu and Zhengyang. There’s no need to wait for Mother and the others," Bai Xingguo said, noticing the food was starting to get cold.
"No, it’s fine. Let Xiuxiu, Zhengyang, and Father eat first. I’ll go keep Father company for a bit, and we can all eat together when Mother gets back." Bai Jiu wasn’t particularly hungry yet.
Xiuxiu and Zhengyang shook their heads in agreement. "We aren’t hungry." They had eaten quite a few snacks earlier, so their stomachs were full. Their mother had taught them to wait until everyone was present before starting a meal, so they were perfectly willing to hold out.
"So well-behaved! Come on, let’s go inside and keep Grandpa company."
The chicken soup was still simmering on the stove. She didn’t just want Father Bai to drink it; she wanted everyone to have a share. She had added some radishes to the pot, making the broth light, fragrant, and highly nutritious.
Scooping out a small bowl of rice and tearing off a chicken leg, Bai Jiu carried the food into Father Bai’s room.