Reborn as Tycoon's Wife in the Countryside
Chapter 166 Losing more than one gains in a failed attempt to steal a chicken (Part 1)

Chapter 166: 166 Losing more than one gains in a failed attempt to steal a chicken (Part 1)

Tie Bao found himself getting nowhere with his mother and didn’t dare to strike. He carried a plate of fried peanuts out, feeling irritated inside, as his own mother and wife were really treating each other like actual guests.

This wouldn’t do.

Putting aside where these two came from, just because they knew about the villagers’ nighttime shenanigans, he had to teach them a lesson or he wouldn’t let them leave the village. If they started blabbering once they left, who knew what trouble they might stir up.

Thinking it over, Tie Bao’s gaze fixed on the kettle in Chunli’s hand, an idea struck him, "Chunli, mom’s busy in the kitchen; you go help, I’ll tend to the guests."

Just because mom was in the kitchen, she couldn’t drug the soup, that didn’t mean he couldn’t mess with the water, right?

With a smile and a wave, Chunli responded, "What would a big man like you know about entertaining guests? I’m having a great chat with Miss Xiaofeng, I’ll keep her company."

Tie Bao: "..."

Giving the other four a look, her face bore disdain: "Aren’t you going home yet, or are you waiting for my mom to cook you a few bowls too?"

Mantou and the others looked sheepish, stood up: "Then we’ll be heading back first, Baozi, take good care of the guests."

Baozi kept his head down, saying nothing. With his wife and mother not cooperating, he had to really think about how to entertain the guests.

As Mantou and the others went home, they glanced back at Baozi, their eyes full of encouragement, probably telling Baozi to go ahead with whatever he planned.

"Baozi, Miss Xiaofeng said she needs to use the outhouse. You chat with this Mr. Ye Cheng, I’ll take her and we’ll be right back," Chunli suddenly called Baozi.

"Oh, okay," Baozi sat across from Ye Cheng, eyeing the kettle in front of him and commented, "Looks like you’re out of hot water, I’ll add some."

Damn it, he finally saw his chance.

Seizing the moment while pouring hot water, Baozi quickly dumped a sachet of laxative into the water, returning to the table with a water jug and a beaming smile, "Ye Cheng, is it? Here, have some water."

As he spoke, he picked up the jug and refilled Ye Cheng’s cup, who just looked at it without moving a muscle.

Grandma Chen brought out a bowl of noodles, "Lads, we’ve run out of meat at home, so I made you each an egg nest. Make do and eat, warm up before you hit the road again."

Traveling long distances in the middle of the night is no easy task.

"Thank you, Auntie." Ye Cheng looked at the steaming bowl of noodles in front of him, his appetite roused, and he began to eat with chopsticks.

Grandma poured herself a cup of water from the kettle and was about to drink, "You’re from Zhangjiang City, right?"

The moment Baozi realized his mother had poured the tainted water from the kettle, panic took over and he tried to snatch the bowl from Grandma Chen’s hands, "Mom, there’s another bowl of noodles."

"I’ll serve it when the girl comes back," Grandma Chen blew on the water in front of her, intending to take a sip, but Baozi snatched it back forcefully, "Mom, I’m thirsty too."

Observing Baozi’s behavior, Grandma Chen narrowed her eyes.

Before she could react, Baozi rushed into the kitchen with the kettle, dumped it out, and washed it thoroughly. He didn’t even make it out of the kitchen before his stomach churned tumultuously, with incredible intensity.

"Ouch, no good, my stomach hurts, I’ve got to run to the outhouse." What mess was his mother stirring up? If it wasn’t for her wanting water, he wouldn’t have had to drink the laxative-laced water.

So hot, he nearly scalded himself to death.

Just then, Chunli returned with Xiaofeng from outside and saw Baozi rushing out, "What’s wrong with you, got stomach issues?"

Baozi ignored her and headed straight for his destination...

Mantou and the others kept an eye on the commotion on Baozi’s side, and seeing him come out, they emerged from hiding, "Baozi, how did it go, did you make your move?"

"Bullshit, didn’t you see that I got hit too?"

"Mom, what happened to Baozi, why does he suddenly have a stomachache?" He was fine all night, so why does he have a stomachache now?

Grandma Chen snorted coldly inside, meaning they tried to steal a chicken only to end up losing the rice for it: "Don’t mind him; he’s grown enough to handle a stomachache. It’s not like it could take his life."

Xiaofeng twitched the corner of her mouth when she heard Grandma Chen’s remark; Grandma Chen was quite something.

Chunli frowned, having only one thought in her mind: what on earth had Baozi done to displease mom again?

"I made some simple noodles for you to fill your stomach, eat up." Grandma Chen looked at Xiaofeng with a benevolent face: "Girl, you’re about three months along now, aren’t you?"

Xiaofeng was about to start eating when she heard Grandma Chen’s question and paused, smiling awkwardly, "Auntie, you have really sharp eyes."

Her belly wasn’t even showing yet, and Auntie had already noticed.

"I’ve seen pregnant women all my life, of course, I can tell at a glance," Grandma Chen said warmly, "Traveling such a long way in the middle of the night while pregnant, life must not be easy for you."

Most daughter-in-laws, when they get pregnant, would be too pampered to even be allowed to venture outside.

Listening to Grandma’s words, Xiaofeng didn’t know what to say for a moment.

"Auntie, auntie!" Mantou rushed in frantically from outside: "Baozi, he fainted, he..."

Hearing Mantou’s words, Chunli was the first to stand up: "He was fine, how could he just faint? Where is he?"

Mantou couldn’t get the words out, "You better go see for yourself."

"Baozi." At the door of the outhouse, Baozi lay there limp, and Chunli, upon seeing him, panicked and rushed forward, slapping his face, "Baozi, what happened to you?"

"Baozi has a stomachache, probably dehydrated from diarrhea." Baozi usually looked quite robust, but no one would have thought a stomachache could cause such trouble.

Seeing Baozi’s pale complexion and colorless lips, Chunli directed Mantou and the others, "Carry him back home, let my mom look after him, I’ll go call the doctor."

In the dead of night, the only doctor was ten miles away. Even if you walked there, it would be two hours before you could get back.

Seeing Baozi carried back, Grandma Chen also became flustered: "It’s just a stomachache, how did he faint?"

That suggested it wasn’t just a laxative he had taken but some other kind of powder.

"We don’t know either, Chunli has gone to call the doctor," Mantou put the person down and thought of slipping away. If not now, then when?

"Baozi, Baozi." Grandma Chen gently patted Baozi’s face, "Wake up, wake up."

Xiaofeng glanced at Ye Cheng, pondering in her heart, wondering if Ye Cheng had done something to him. She put down her chopsticks and walked over.

His complexion was pale, devoid of any blood color, and he looked like he had suddenly contracted some disease: "Auntie, what’s wrong with big brother? He doesn’t look very good."

Grandma Chen sighed lightly: "This child has been frail since childhood. In order for him to grow up safely, I gave him the name Baozi, hoping he could be as robust as a leopard."

Xiaofeng looked at his body, not seeing any robustness, indeed he was really skinny.

She thought he looked abnormally thin the moment she entered the village.

"Did he suffer a serious illness when he was young?" Xiaofeng asked instinctively.

Grandma Chen nodded: "He’s been frail since he was a child. If it weren’t for his poor health, he and Chunli could have had children after all these years of marriage."

Baozi was already thirty. For most families, by Baozi’s age, children would usually be around seven or eight years old.