Furnace fruit was a very traditional northern snack. It could only be eaten during festive occasions. It was made of eggs, flour, white sugar,sesame seeds, and soybean oil. It had a golden appearance and was the size of a mahjong tile. It was crispy and sweet.
Seeing that she was still acting coquettishly despite being the mother of two children, Mrs. Chu poked her forehead and said angrily, "You're already 25 this year. Why are you still acting like a little lazy cat, like when you were young? Aren't you afraid that others will laugh at you? Hurry up and go home to pack your things. Tomorrow morning, I promise that you'll eat fresh pieces of Furnace fruit."
"Regardless of my age, you are still my biological mother." After giving Mother Chu a kiss, Chu Wei quickly covered her butt and ran away.
The more reluctant she was to leave, the faster time passed. By the time Chu Wei finished packing everything, it was already late at night. Peach Blossom Town had fallen into silence, and every family had turned off their lights and gone to sleep.
Chu Wei crept into the house, took out the thousand dollars and stuffed it under Mother Chen's pillow. Her mother-in-law was pretending to be asleep and had no intention of waking up.
After switching off the kitchen lights, Chu Wei pushed open the door and entered the house. She realized that Chen Ji was still sitting at the head of the bed and had yet to sleep. Chen Yan was lying on her side with her back against Chen Ji's body. Chen Ying seemed to be playing hooky and put her feet on Chen Ji's chin. Chu Wei understood why he did not sleep. Who else would fall asleep like this?
Chu Wei burst into laughter. This scene was both funny and heartwarming. Chen Ji's eyes revealed a trace of helplessness. He would never hit women, let alone his own daughter. He could only put up with being bullied by them.
Walking to the bed, Chu Wei moved Chen Ying's feet to the side. Chen Yan was also pushed to the other side by her, creating a space as wide as a person. She took off her clothes and crawled under the blanket, separating the children from Chen Ji.
Just as she was about to fall asleep, Chu Wei felt Chen Ying move her little face closer to her. The little girl's hot breath made her ears itch. She wanted to push her away, but she realized that Chen Ying was staring at her with her small eyes. Chu Wei was shocked.
"Girl, why aren't you sleeping?" Chu Wei scolded softly.
Chen Ying leaned close to her ear and said mysteriously, "Mom, they're all talking nonsense. I tried it just now. Dad doesn't eat people at all. He doesn't even bite my feet."
Chu Wei was so amused by her that she almost laughed out loud. She flicked her little head. "You never wash your feet. It's so smelly. Who wants to eat it?"
Hiding in her mother's arms, Chen Ying fell asleep very quickly. She forgot to close the curtains tonight. Chu Wei looked at Chen Ji's side profile under the faint moonlight. This man was sleeping very soundly and did not snore like before. Chu Wei had seen his behavior these few days. It was just like what she had heard in her dreams. This man had become better. He no longer had a bad temper and was more shrewd.
Speaking of that dream, Chu Wei had to pay attention to one thing—giving birth to a son. According to the dream, like most men in the world, Chen Ji also liked sons and would even become the godfather of Ding Shujuan's two talented stepchildren in the future.
When she thought about this, she wished she could go to the capital immediately. Only by going there could she change her fate, change the lives of her two daughters, and insist on not having a son.
…
The next day, before dawn, Mrs. Chu arrived with a large pot of Furnace fruits, a chest of chestnuts, peanuts, and melon seeds. These were all prepared for them to eat on the road.
To Chu Wei's surprise, Chen Hu's family also came along. After a day, Zhao Jinli's face was still pale and her legs were trembling as she walked. She carried a bamboo basket covered with a blue cloth that contained various fruits and peaches.
"Sister-in-law, we're from a poor family. We don't have anything else, but we have enough fruits for you to eat on the way," Zhao Jinli said.
Chu Wei didn't reach out to take it and said in amusement, "Big sister, I'm afraid you've forgotten that my family doesn't lack these things. You should keep them for yourself."
Zhao Jinli threw the bamboo basket to the ground. "If you don't want them, then you're looking down on us. We're family after all."
Mrs. Chu gave her a side glance and said unhappily, "Which family in Peach Blossom Town doesn't have this thing of yours? It's so far from the capital, isn't it tiring to carry it on the road?"
Before she could finish her sentence, their mother-in-law walked over and said coldly, "Aren't you exhausted and feeling terrible? Go back and rest. You have nothing to do with the matters here."
Seeing that she was not well-liked by everyone, Zhao Jinli did not leave. She said, "Mom, why are you chasing me away? Second brother and sister-in-law are leaving. As their sister-in-law, can't I come to send them off? It's fine even if you don't want the gift. There are a few things that I have to remind Chu Wei about. In this society, a mother is valued by her son. We still have to give birth to a son. So, when you reach the capital, you have to hurry and give birth to a third child. Only then can you continue the family line, right?"