Reborn as a Landlord-Chapter 250 - 131 Sneaking a Snack_1

Chapter 250: Chapter 131 Sneaking a Snack_1
"It’s Si Lang," Xiao Qi poked his head out from between Lian Manman and Lian Yeye, whispering quietly. His eyes were sharp, and he could see more clearly, "Ah, and there’s Liulang. They must be sneaking off to eat the meatballs."
The fried meatballs and the cooked steamed meat were all placed in the big shed, waiting to be served at the banquet tomorrow. The Lian Family had prepared ten tables exclusively for the guests, and the Lian family members themselves would not be seated at the banquet. The children, including Lian Manman, would have no place at the table and would only be able to eat what was leftover from the banquet.
In this era, in some rural households, people could only eat fried meatballs and a little bit of meat during New Year. Therefore, at ordinary banquets, there was generally nothing left over, especially meatballs and meats, which would not be left at all. The guests who came to the feast, some reluctant to eat themselves, would take these delicacies home to indulge their children who could not attend the banquet.
This was a common occurrence that most people took for granted.
Therefore, although the Lian Family had prepared big basins of fried meatballs and steamed meat, their own children wouldn’t get to taste any of it. Of course, some families loved their children enough to save some food especially for them, but the Lian Family did not have such a custom. Even if Lady Zhou wanted to save some food, only Lian Xiuxiu would be able to eat it, let alone Lian Manman and Lian Yeye— even the children from the second branch of the family wouldn’t get any.
So it was not surprising that Si Lang and Liulang took advantage of the darkness to sneak off and steal some food.
Lian Manman saw Si Lang and Liulang sneak into the shed, hunched over. Next, she heard a commotion from the Upper Room with Lian Xiuxiu shouting.
"What are you two doing there, put that down immediately."
"... Caught by the old auntie," Xiao Qi was lying by the door, covering his mouth and giggling silently.
The cooking shed had been set up between the Upper Room East Room and the east wing room, and Lady Zhou was such a sharp person, how could she not think of having someone keep an eye on the food to prevent theft. Lian Xiuxiu was not outside keeping watch; instead, she had opened the window next to the shed door and sat inside, supervising anyone who came into the shed.
Si Lang and Liulang ran outside, but Lian Xiuxiu was even quicker. She darted out from the Upper Room and intercepted the two of them.
"You two gluttons, what did your grandpa and grandma say? You’re not allowed to steal food. What if there’s not enough food for the banquet tomorrow? Are you two going to be substitutes?" Lian Xiuxiu scolded Si Lang and Liulang.
Lian Manman then came out of the house and could see clearly that both Si Lang and Liulang had their cheeks bulging with food, greasy around the mouth. Both were clamping their mouths shut, trying to swallow the food they had stolen. In their hands, they still held some meatballs and slices of cooked pork belly.
At this moment, Lady Zhou also came storming out from the Upper Room, took one look at Si Lang and Liulang, cursed bitterly, then hustled into the shed like a whirlwind. After a clamor of bowls and dishes being upset, Lady Zhou came out of the shed with a face as dark as iron.
"You damned little brats, got sores in your mouths from greediness. Stealing meatballs wasn’t enough, you even stole the cooked pork belly. Not afraid of bursting..."
Lady Zhou was truly infuriated. She reached forward, grabbed Si Lang’s hand, and knocked the slices of meat that he was holding onto the ground, then turned to grab Liulang.
"That’s at least two bowls worth..., you family-ruining little bastards," Lady Zhou lamented as she stamped her foot, then slapped Liulang across the face.
Liulang, who was already not very brave, burst into tears with a wail, and even spat out the pork belly that he had yet to swallow.
At this point, Lian Shouyi, Lady He, and others came out from inside the house as well. When Lady Zhou saw Lady He, her anger became even more intense.
"Like mother, like child. Look at the disgraceful thing you’ve raised, you’ve brought shame to our Old Lian Family... You with your black-hearted ways, you’re not just stealing food, you’re a pest to everything, a pest to this whole family, look, just look..." Lady Zhou pointed at the pork belly on the ground, "That’s enough for two bowls of pork belly, what if there’s not enough for the banquet tomorrow, where are you going to produce two additional bowls from..."
Lady Zhou pointed at Lady He and scolded her fiercely, and even with her thick skin, Lady He’s face flushed and paled by turns.
"I dare you to steal food again, I dare you..." Lady He grabbed Liulang and started to hit him with a flurry of slaps.
Lady Zhou had also hit Liulang earlier in her fury. The slap landed on Liulang’s face, but to be fair, she never raised a hand to her grandchildren. If she was dissatisfied, she would just tell their parents to discipline them. But Lady He beat Liulang earnestly, with each slap landing with a resounding smack. Liulang was already crying like a slaughtered pig, his wails almost carrying beyond the village to the fields outside.