C17 The Mother and Daughter of the Great Branch Who Harbored Malicious Intentions

The lard jar on the stove was already empty, and next to it was a bowl with a piece of fat, likely used to grease the pan for cooking. It looked like it had been there for ages, appearing quite grimy.

In the village, most people relied on coarse grains, mainly eating things like bread and sweet potatoes. The Bai family, wanting to stand out as wealthier, bought seeds from town and planted a patch of dryland rice, using the harvest to feed the family.

However, with so many mouths to feed and not much to go around, the men would finish their farm work and still find a few bowls of food insufficient. So, white rice wasn't a daily staple; they mostly ate mixed grains.

Back then, there weren't many ways to cook. Sweet potatoes were usually peeled, chopped, and steamed with rice. But Bai Yun had a different approach. She cooked some rice porridge in the large pot and wrapped the sweet potatoes in mud before tossing them into the clay stove.

When the time seemed right, she pulled them out, let them cool a bit, and cracked open the mud shell, releasing the delicious aroma of roasted sweet potatoes.

Bai Yun had never roasted sweet potatoes like this before. At home, they had all the modern appliances like a microwave, oven, and air fryer, so there was no need for such effort. Initially, she thought of just tossing them into the stove but worried they'd burn, so she tried a method similar to cooking beggar's chicken, and it turned out perfectly. When she brought a big basket of roasted sweet potatoes to the table, they were clearly more enticing than the bowl of rice porridge. However, there were many customs to follow here; aside from Mrs. Zhao sitting at the head of the table, the other women stood by the side.

Bai Shao stood at the back, swallowing her saliva, waiting for Mrs. Zhao and the uncles to finish eating and head to the fields before it was their turn. By the time she got to the table, only sweet potato skins were left in the basket. Pouting, Bai Shao stirred her porridge, grumbling, "They did it on purpose, making just this little."

Seeing Mrs. Zhao at the main table frown slightly, Mrs. Chen pinched Bai Shao under the table and shot her a glare. "Hurry up and eat. Later, go with Yun to gather some firewood and find some wild vegetables."

"Can't Bai Yun go alone..." Bai Shao started to protest but was pinched again by Mrs. Chen. Realizing her mistake, she quickly corrected herself, "Grandmother, I'm full. I'll go get to work now."

Mrs. Zhao nodded in satisfaction. "Off you go."

Bai Yun, having filled up on some pastries Shaang Zhi had given her the night before, knew it was wise to conserve her energy in this place where meals were unpredictable. She drank a bowl of porridge, having observed the interactions at the table. She sensed that today's outing might be fraught with challenges.

During a late-night conversation with Shaang Zhi, Bai Yun had learned some important details. The Shaang family was cautious of the Bai family, having paid a deposit with the remainder to be settled by the steward after the wedding. The wedding dress and other items were to be delivered today by the steward and the matchmaker.

Having Bai Shao accompany her wasn't just about missing out on roasted sweet potatoes. If it came to minor trouble, Bai Yun felt confident she could handle it.

The real fear was that they might still be planning to have Bai Shao take Bai Yun's place in marrying into the Shaang family, intentionally keeping Bai Yun out of sight. That could be disastrous, considering the dangers in the mountains. Claiming she accidentally fell down a slope would be all too believable.

Bai Yun realized she couldn't just sit around and wait for disaster to strike. The best way to ensure her safety was to make sure the Shaang family saw her. That way, they couldn't deceive the Shaang family with any tricks.

She should have revealed her identity when she first met Shaang Zhi. Even if Shaang Zhi noticed something was off, there wouldn't be much she could do about it since Bai Yun had come to the village without the Shaang family's knowledge.