Chapter 18 - The Handsome Youth From the Mountains (1/2)

“Meat buns? Second sister, second sister, are those the large buns? The ones stuffed with ground meat and made with white wheat flour?” Little Shitou’s eyes opened wide when he saw the pastries in his sister’s hands. Saliva started to pool in his mouth as he stared pitifully at his sister.

Xiaocao grinned and pinched the little boy’s cheek. “What? Do you think there are other types of meat buns? Relax, I also bought some for you!”

True to her word, she split the remaining seven stuffed meat buns between her mother and two siblings. Madam Liu received three, while her sister and brother got two each.

Little Shitou carefully wiped his hands on his clothes before he received the pastries from his older sister. He opened his mouth wide and took a giant bite. The slightly sweet bread combined with the dense and fatty taste of the meat harmonized together. In his eagerness to wolf the food down, the little boy almost choked while trying to swallow his large mouthful.

Madam Liu tenderly patted her youngest son’s back. Instead of eating, she began to scold her oldest son and second daughter. “How could you two just disappear without a word and go to town by yourselves? Especially you, Xiaosha! You know your sister has a weak body, how could you make her walk so far? What would you have done if she had collapsed from exhaustion?”

Yu Xiaocao interjected to defend her brother, “Mother, we went with Uncle Ma from the neighboring village. We took his donkey cart into town. Don’t worry about me, I’m not tired at all. Please start eating now. If you let the stuffed buns sit for too long, they won’t taste good anymore!”

“Where did you get the money to ride the cart and to buy these pastries?” Madam Liu asked sternly as she stared at her youngest daughter.

Xiaolian, who was eating a meat bun in tiny, small bites, quietly replied, “Mother, I gave the money to her so she could take the donkey cart. Earlier I had picked some herbal medicine and sold them. Because it was only a few copper coins, I didn’t hand the money over to the main house.”

Madam Liu persisted, “Then where did the money for these pastries come from?” The meat buns left for her remained untouched.

“I know, I know!” exclaimed Little Shitou as he waved a small fist in excitement. He had already devoured one of his large meat-filled buns. “Yesterday we went to the sea and caught some abalone. Second Sister hid them, so she must have sold them for money!”

Yu Xiaocao grasped the little boy’s cheeks with both hands and pulled gently. She grinned, “Our Little Shitou is so smart! You guessed right! Mother, please don’t worry and eat now. The money I used to buy them is clean.”

Madam Liu had not realized the shenanigans her children had gotten into yesterday. She sighed, “You little imp, you’re quite daring, huh? But…is it right to hide something like this from your grandmother?”

“What’s wrong with it? Mother, you and father are too obedient. Just look at Eldest Uncle and Younger Uncle, they’re both so selfish. Younger Uncle lives in a rented house in town and eats white rice every day! His wife even bought a servant girl to do housework!” The hot-tempered Yu Xiaolian complained as she continued to eat her savory pastry.

“Also, look at Eldest Aunt and Brother Heizi. Both of them spend the entire day hiding in their rooms eating their own snacks. Look at their figures and then look at yours and little sister’s…They always claim that the food they eat is from Eldest Aunt’s maiden home, but it’s not like she doesn’t have any brothers. Why would they give so much to a daughter who’s already married? Such a bad lie!”

Liu Muyun looked at her children’s thin faces and stick-like figures after being prompted by her oldest daughter. She sighed deeply and carefully used the oiled paper in her hands to wrap her share up.

“Mother, why aren’t you eating them?” asked Little Shitou. He had already started on his second meat bun. After stuffing himself with the first one, he was able to savor and enjoy his second one more easily. “The meat buns are really tasty! They have a lot of meat in them! If I could eat some every day, I’d be the happiest boy on earth!!”

Yu Xiaocao felt her heart ache after hearing her little brother’s declaration. The little guy was too easily satisfied! His vision of heaven was being able to eat meat-stuffed pastries every day. In her previous life, there were too many spoiled brats who could eat meat every day yet were still very picky. When compared to the elementary school aged Yu Hang and Yu Xiaolian, their lives were too different! Ah, children who grew up in up poor families truly matured faster.

Their mother rubbed her youngest son’s head and smiled gently. The hair on his head was brittle and dry. “Your mother isn’t hungry. I’ll leave these buns for you and your second sister for tonight, one for each of you…”