Chapter 205 The Battle for the Stepmother

“Uncle Da, what are you saying? It’s because we didn’t have enough oxcarts that we bought horse-drawn carts,” Cheng Wanwan said. “Our family’s braised food business and cloth business both require carts. We’ve been troubling you every day, Uncle Da, and it’s also delayed your farm work. From now on, Uncle Da, use the oxcart to deliver the braised food, and Er Gou can use the horse-drawn cart for his cloth business.”

The cloth business makes money by profiting from the price difference between goods in two places. You have to travel to at least two places a day. The oxcart is too slow. If you switch to a horse-drawn carriage, you can go to more places and get a clearer understanding of the market situation.

Zhao Da rubbed his hands together, stammering, "Sister-in-law...it's all thanks to you, otherwise our family really wouldn't be able to make a living..."

Cheng Wanwan didn't know what to say.

Zhao Da's wife has been ill for two or three years and has been bedridden, relying on medication to stay alive.

He helps with deliveries every morning and works in the fields in the afternoon and evening. The long-term high-intensity labor has made him look much older than his peers.

However, he did not exude any signs of dejection; instead, he was filled with hope for the future.

With very few exceptions, everyone in Dahe Village is full of hope, and everyone is working hard for tomorrow.

When she first arrived in Dahe Village, she was devastated, but gradually, she fell in love with the place. She loved the mountains, the river, the blue sky, the white clouds, and every vibrant and positive person in the village.

The courtyard of Cheng Wanwan's house was bustling with activity for a long time.

The onlookers gradually dispersed only after Zhao Dashan led the horse to the backyard to feed it grass.

Only after everyone had left did Cheng Wanwan dare to start frying the chicken. It smelled so good, the aroma was enough to make anyone's mouth water.

Oil was poured into a pot, and the whole fried chicken coated in breadcrumbs was thrown in. The oil sizzled, and the children watching couldn't help but drool.

Cheng Wanwan said helplessly, "Everyone, move further away, be careful not to get oil splashed on your faces..."

She carefully observed the heat, but she was not an expert, so she had to call in her pregnant daughter-in-law, Wu Huiniang, and ask her to help keep an eye on the heat to prevent the food from burning.

"Mother, that's enough."

As soon as Wu Huiniang finished speaking, the fried chicken was finally ready.

Chunhua was initially very distressed about wasting the oil, but seeing that everyone in the family seemed used to it, she had no choice but to suppress her shock... She scooped the oil out of the pot into a large bowl and put it in the cupboard, intending to use it again next time she cooked. She couldn't scoop out the oil stuck to the bottom of the pot, but that didn't matter. She poured the greens in and stir-fried a plate of bright green vegetables with that layer of oil.

Cheng Wanwan placed the fried chicken that had just come out of the pan on the cutting board, sprinkled it with fried chicken seasoning she bought from the mall, and then used a knife to cut it into small pieces and put them into a bowl.

There were just too many people in the family: his own four sons and one nephew, Shen Zheng and his servant Afu, Cao Yingying, and Chunhua, making a total of ten people. If each person took a bite, a small fried chicken would be gone in no time.

Even the vegetables stir-fried with the last bit of oil left over from frying the chicken were all snatched up by the children.

The children in the family licked their lips, still wanting more.

Cheng Wanwan saw Shen Zheng's eyes glancing towards the chicken coop. Perhaps sensing the murderous intent, there was a momentary commotion over the chicken coop.

She suggested, "How about we try frying three chickens tomorrow?"

With many children in the family, she, as an elder, felt embarrassed to compete with them for food, so she only ate a tiny bite of fried chicken, barely enough to taste it.

Shen Zheng immediately nodded: "Okay, okay, I think it's better to fry five, so one person can eat half!"

Cheng Zhao said seriously, "I think it's possible."

Zhao Ergou swallowed hard: "I agree."

After hesitating for a long time, Zhao Sidan reluctantly nodded: "I...I agree too..."

Afu rubbed his hands together: "I'll go catch a chicken."

“I disagree,” Zhao Dashan said under pressure. “If we wait another month, these chickens will be able to lay eggs. It’s not worth killing them to eat now.”

Besides, farmers don't eat chicken every day. It's delicious, but it uses up too many chickens.

Following this method of feeding, the chicken coop and duck shed were emptied in less than ten days.

"Your eldest brother is right!"

Cheng Wanwan immediately supported Zhao Dashan.

Dashan is the eldest son in the family and the pillar of the family. Naturally, she must unconditionally support her eldest son so that he can stand out among his younger brothers and the family will not fall apart after she dies... Ugh, she's only thirty-three years old, she's far from dying.

The meal ended with everyone feeling reluctant to leave.

The children went about their own business, and Cheng Wanwan called Cao Yingying over: "Did you find anything out when you went to Hekou Town today?"

Cao Yingying nodded: "We found irrefutable evidence of the stepmother's collusion with the housekeeper, and we've already sent it to my father. I just don't know when he'll receive the letter."

"Yingying, your aunt wants to apologize to you." Cheng Wanwan looked at her and spoke slowly, "When I told you those solutions, I didn't think about the consequences. If you fail and are caught by Madam Cao today, you might face..."

“Auntie, there’s no need to apologize. I should be the one saying thank you.” Cao Yingying’s eyes sparkled. “I went to Hekou Town today and found out how far the rumors about me have spread… Knowing my father’s personality, he would never tolerate having a daughter who tarnishes the Cao family’s reputation… If I don’t take action, the end result will be that my father sends me to another place to marry off to just anyone…”

Cheng Wanwan stroked her hair: "I hope your father will receive the letter as soon as possible, and I also hope that he will handle this matter fairly."

Cao Yingying's beautiful eyes narrowed. So this is what it feels like to have your hair stroked. It's like being pampered by an elder...

“My dad once misunderstood me about something, and even after he found out what happened, he never apologized. I always thought that elders never needed to apologize,” Cao Yingying said, quite embarrassed. “Aunt Zhao, if I could, I really wish you would be my stepmother…”

"no!!"

Shen Zheng's voice suddenly rang out.

He rushed over in one stride, shouting, "Even my aunt wouldn't be my stepmother, how could she possibly marry your father!"

Cao Yingying's eyes widened: "You also want your aunt to be your stepmother?"

"Hmph! My father is handsome and dashing, even Aunt Zhao wouldn't give him a second glance, how could she possibly be interested in your father!" Shen Zheng said indignantly. "You're a young lady from the Cao family, right? Then your father must be Cao Defu. Not only is he round and plump, but he also has at least ten concubines in his backyard, and four or five daughters and three or four sons. Aunt Zhao must be crazy to marry your father!"

Cao Yingying's face turned red with anger: "I only said I wanted Aunt Zhao to be my stepmother, I didn't ask her to marry my father, so don't talk nonsense!"

Shen Zheng glared at her: "You can't even think about this, you're not allowed to have such a thought..."

Cao Yingying: "You, you, you..."

"Stop!" Cheng Wanwan's head throbbed. "You two, stop arguing! And another thing! You two, get that horrible thought out of your minds right now! I don't want to be anyone's stepmother! Alright, alright, go wash up and go to bed!"

She got up and ran away quickly.

Shen Zheng and Cao Yingying were left staring at each other.