Transmigrated as the Villain Boss's Precious Darling

Chapter 372: Chapter 372: Where There’s a Stepmother, There’s a Stepfather

Tang Xiaonan wasn’t surprised at all. ’A stepmother, of course. No wonder he’s so pitiful.’

"He also has an older sister, a junior at the town high school. She’s ranked first in the entire school every year. Once his sister gets into college, life should get a little better for Mark," Armstrong Huxley explained the Xavier family’s situation.

The brother and sister relied on each other, never having enough food to eat or warm clothes to wear. The village elders had even fought for them to be able to go to school. Fortunately, Mark’s sister was an excellent student, and it looked like their hardship would soon be over.

"What’s his sister’s name? Is she in Howard’s class?" Tang Xiaonan asked, her interest piqued.

Howard Thorne was also a junior. There were very few high school students these days, so an entire grade level often consisted of just one class. It was almost certain they were classmates.

"Her name is Kelley Xavier. They should be in the same class. I’ll ask next time."

Tang Xiaonan made a mental note. When Howard Thorne came home for break, she would ask him too. If they were in the same class, she’d ask Howard to help the girl out. ’She’s so pitiful.’

’But why does the name Kelley Xavier sound so familiar?’

When they arrived at her grandma’s house, Tang Xiaonan finally saw what these special vegetarian rolls were all about. It turned out they were just shredded radish wrapped in tofu skin. You’d moisten the tofu skin to soften it and use it as a wrapper, then grate the radish and mix it with various seasonings. You could also add meat filling, but Tang Xiaonan’s grandma made a purely vegetarian version. freewebnovёl.ƈom

After they were wrapped, you could either pan-fry or steam them. They were delicious. Tang Xiaonan preferred them pan-fried. The steamed ones were too plain; frying made them fragrant and savory.

"Delicious."

Having skipped lunch, Tang Xiaonan was starving. She ate three in a row. Her aunt, Talia Sewell, watched in amusement and patted her on the tummy. She smiled at her mother-in-law and said, "Looks like these vegetarian rolls are a real hit with Xiaonan today. She’s eating more than ever."

Amanda Chapman said quietly, "Xiaonan didn’t eat lunch."

She herself only ate one and then stopped. She knew her place. This wasn’t her grandmother, and that wasn’t her aunt. She had to be self-aware and not become a nuisance.

"Why didn’t you eat? Didn’t your mother pack you a lunch?" Grandma asked with concern.

"She did, but I wasn’t hungry at noon." Tang Xiaonan didn’t want to talk about it, afraid her grandma would blame Mark Xavier. After all, no family had much food to spare these days.

Amanda Chapman hesitated. While she felt sorry for Mark Xavier, she was more worried about her cousin. Her cousin had gone hungry, and if she gave her lunch away again tomorrow, she would definitely get sick.

"Xiaonan gave her lunch to Mark Xavier."

Amanda Chapman pretended not to see Tang Xiaonan’s warning glare and told them everything.

"Why’d you give your lunch to Mark? Didn’t he eat?" Grandma asked patiently.

"Yeah. He was in the rice paddy, stealing and eating raw grain. He looked so pitiful, so I gave him my lunch," Tang Xiaonan nodded. Raw rice grains tasted awful, yet Mark Xavier had eaten them with relish. It was clear just how hungry he was.

Talia Sewell’s brow furrowed, and she said unhappily, "That family has gone too far. It’s not like they’re so poor they can’t put food on the table, yet they won’t even feed their own child. No wonder the boy looks like a walking skeleton lately."

"Shane Xavier probably doesn’t know. I’ll have a word with him later," Grandma sighed. "Family matters like this are the hardest to meddle in, but that poor boy, Mark... we should help if we can."

"Talking to Shane Xavier is useless. He only listens to that woman now. I think Shane’s brothers need to step in," Talia Sewell suggested. freeweɓnovēl.coɱ

Grandma nodded. "When Grandpa gets back, I’ll have him go and talk to them."

Tang Xiaonan breathed a sigh of relief. ’With the elders stepping in, Mark Xavier’s situation should improve, right? At least he won’t have to go hungry anymore, will he?’