Chapter 5: The Egg Conflict

“Huh? Grandma, why do I smell eggs?” Lin Jiadong sniffed. He couldn’t be mistaken, it was definitely the smell of eggs.

Old Madam Lin also snapped back to reality. She rushed to the kitchen at top speed and saw Lin Qinghuan frying eggs.

She was so angry she almost had a heart attack, blood rushing to her head. She assumed the eggs were her own, after all, Lin Qinghuan and her brother had no money. There’s no way they bought eggs, right?

“Stop right now! These eggs are precious. Do you think a worthless wretch like you deserves to eat them? Get lost!” Old Madam Lin tried to snatch the fried eggs from Lin Qinghuan, but she missed completely.

Lin Qinghuan was quicker. She moved the eggs away, flashing a perfect eight-tooth smile.

“Grandma, these eggs have nothing to do with you. They’re mine.”

Old Madam Lin didn’t believe her. “Bah! Yours? Every single thread and penny in this house belongs to me. You steal eggs and refuse to admit it. I’m going to teach you a lesson!”

But Lin Qinghuan didn’t let her. As Old Madam Lin charged, she stuck out a foot and tripped her.

Her ankle was already injured from Lin Qinghuan’s earlier attack. Now she took another fall. It wouldn’t be easy on her.

“Ouch! You short-lived little wretch! How dare you trip your own grandmother? Aren’t you afraid of being struck by lightning?!”

Lin Qinghuan couldn’t be bothered to argue. She called out, “Grandpa!”

Lin Daguo and the others came out and saw the two of them locked in a standoff.

“What’s the commotion now? Can’t you ever be still?” Lin Daguo said. Lin Jiadong stared at the golden fried eggs on Lin Qinghuan’s plate, drooling. If only each of them could have one.

“Alright, everyone’s here. Grandma, let me ask you: have you been keeping the eggs, cured meat, and fine grains for yourself? If I remember correctly, the only two eggs left in the house two days ago were cooked by you and given to Lin Jiadong. So what? If these eggs aren’t mine, did you secretly lay them yourself?”

Her words made Old Madam Lin’s face flush with shame and anger. Hard to tell which.

“I picked these wild eggs myself. Now I can’t even eat them? What kind of logic is that?” Lin Qinghuan said, then looked at Lin Daguo with a aggrieved expression.

“Grandpa, it’s bad enough that Grandma usually skimps on our food. But now she wants to take the eggs I worked hard to find. If my parents’ spirits in heaven knew, how sad they would be.”

Seeing that Lin Qinghuan was about to make a big scene, Lin Daguo felt his temples throbbing.

Forget it. She was going to be sent to Master Liu’s house anyway. He would just have to bear with it for now.

“Alright, it’s just a few eggs. She ate them, so what? You’re making a fuss like you’ve never seen the world. Come back.” This was clearly directed at Old Madam Lin.

Old Madam Lin didn’t want to let it go so easily. Even if Lin Qinghuan picked them, she was the head of the household. The eggs should be handed over to her to distribute, not kept for herself.

But since Lin Daguo had spoken, she could only rub her sore backside and leave angrily.

Lin Qinghuan snorted and continued frying eggs in the pan. She added a bit more lard. Since Old Madam Lin was so stingy, she’d let her really feel the pain.

Her and her brother’s bodies were too weak. They needed to be properly nourished.

She fried a full five eggs, using plenty of oil. The aroma drilled straight into everyone’s noses, filling the entire house.

The remaining five eggs would be boiled for breakfast tomorrow.

Lin Jiadong immediately started making a fuss. “Grandma, I want eggs too! I want eggs!”

Eating cornbread while smelling eggs was pure torture.

Lin Yanhong and Lin Yanlan also wanted some, but didn’t dare speak up, afraid that Grandma would turn her anger on them.

“Eat eat eat! The family’s eggs are meant to be sold for money. Do you even want to live? Besides, there are no eggs left at home. Where am I supposed to fry them for you? Go steal or rob someone!”

Old Madam Lin yelled angrily, taking out all her frustration from Lin Qinghuan on them.

“But didn’t we get thirty taels of silver compensation for your youngest son’s accident? Do we have to live so frugally?” Second Aunt couldn’t help retorting, feeling sorry for her own son.

Old Madam Lin glared at her. “What do you know? Food and clothes won’t make you poor, but poor planning will. Our family has so many mouths to feed. If we eat meat today and eggs tomorrow, the family will soon be ruined.”

No one spoke again. They obediently ate the sweet potato chunks in their bowls.

“Sis, why are there so many eggs?” Lin Qingyu’s eyes widened. Didn’t he just see her fry only one egg before?

If Grandma found out, she’d probably jump three feet in the air.

“Don’t worry about that. Eat first, Qingyu. In the future, I’ll make sure you live a good life.” Lin Qinghuan’s tone was firm.

Looking at her brother’s ragged clothes, full of holes, her heart ached.

“Sis, as long as I’m with you, every day is a good day. I’m content.” Lin Qingyu was very dependent on his sister. Now that their parents were gone, she was his only family.

Lin Qinghuan ate two eggs and insisted on leaving the last one for Qingyu. The most pressing issue now was the matter with Master Liu. If she went to the authorities, she could avoid it, but that would mean breaking ties with the Lin family. They wouldn’t have an easy life here.

Rather than that, it would be better to split the family and live on their own. She refused to believe that with her own two hands, she would starve.

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