Juhua said softly, "Go to the kitchen and tell my mother to pack up a meal and take it to Father and the others in the fields. Tell them there's no need to come back. You take your meal to the west room to eat, too. Don't go into the main hall, and just ignore them. I'll eat later."
Pu Pao nodded and went to the kitchen to tell He.
'You can't give people like that an inch,' she thought. 'They eat our food and then give us grief. That grain won't go bad just sitting in storage, so why on earth should we serve it to them?'
In the main hall, Huai Zi was silent for a moment before taking the lead. "Great-grandfather, if there's nothing else, I need to get back to the fields. It's getting colder every day, and we can't afford to delay the harvest. Since the family is so busy, I won't be asking you all to stay for a meal..."
Great-grandfather's eyes widened in fury. "Are you trying to kick us out?"
