After Su Qiao left, Madam Liu called to her daughter, "Ernie, go wash the clothes. Don't go bother your brother. Let him help Danie make her things in peace."
Ernie stomped her foot. "You all just spoil her!"
Hmph, who exactly is their own daughter and little sister here?
Fuming, Ernie carried the wooden basin and went straight back into the house.
"This child..."
Madam Liu shook her head helplessly and turned into the kitchen.
Before long, she carried a bowl of cornmeal porridge and a dish of pickled cucumbers to Su Qiao's room.
"Auntie, why did you bring it to me? I can go eat it myself."
Su Qiao was sitting beside the wooden table, pondering the matter of tooth powder. When she saw Madam Liu arrive, she hurriedly stood up and took the bowl from her hands.
"It's fine. Auntie isn't busy. Eat quickly. It won't taste good once it gets cold."
As she spoke, Madam Liu rummaged around in her bosom, pulled out a steamed corn bun wrapped in palm leaves, and placed it on the table in front of her.
"Eat a little more so your body can recover faster. Auntie is going to get busy now. I'll come back for the bowls later."
Su Qiao noticed nothing unusual. "Mm, okay."
After Madam Liu left, 444 looked at its host eating with great relish and couldn't help curling its lip.
You're certainly eating with gusto.
"What? You want some too?"
Su Qiao was so hungry her stomach felt stuck to her back. Let alone cornmeal porridge with salted cucumbers—even cold sweet potatoes would have gone down happily.
The Old Su Family had no custom of eating breakfast. Other than during busy farming seasons, when they ate three meals a day, they ate only two meals at