Dinner was more plentiful than the previous two days.

There were steamed buns made of white flour, and a dish of stir-fried pork with chili peppers.

Xu Qingning loves spicy food, and Yang Yuelan remembered that. When Zhao Jingyu suddenly returned, she was unprepared and, for the first time ever, took her meat coupons to the canteen to buy steamed buns and meat dishes.

When Xu Qingning saw that there were only four steamed buns, she knew that Yang Yuelan had saved her own steamed buns and was eating cornmeal and vegetable dumplings by herself. She didn't even pick up any meat or vegetables and just drank corn porridge in silence.

Yang Yuexiang ate with gusto, devouring steamed buns and meat until her mouth was greasy: "The food from the government is still the best. We could never make it taste like this."

Seeing that Yang Yuelan wasn't eating, Yang Yuexiang nudged her and said, "You eat! Why aren't you eating? Go to the cafeteria and buy this dish again tomorrow. It's really delicious."

"I don't like spicy food." Seeing that Yang Yuexiang had eaten several pieces of meat in a row, and had devoured half a plate of stir-fried pork with chili peppers, Yang Yuelan quickly put two pieces of lean meat on Xu Qingning's plate. "Eat more."

Zhao Jingyu didn't notice any of this. He habitually put some food on Xu Qingning's plate, saying, "This chili isn't too spicy, it tastes pretty good."

"You guys eat yours, I'll get it for myself." Xu Qingning picked up a steamed bun, broke off a small piece, and gave the rest to Yang Yuelan. "Mom, I can't eat anymore, you can eat it for me!"

"I'm not eating it. You can have it for tomorrow morning." Yang Yuelan casually put the half-eaten steamed bun back on the plate. Xu Qingning said coquettishly, "Mom, are you disgusted by me because you're not eating what I left?"

"No, why would Mom dislike you?" Yang Yuelan smiled when she saw Xu Qingning acting like a child. "Mom is full and not hungry."

"If you don't eat it, I'll think you're disgusted by what I left behind." Xu Qingning shoved the steamed bun into her hand and said unhappily, "I don't want to eat it tomorrow, let's make something else."

"I'll eat, I'll eat, okay?" Yang Yuelan picked up the steamed bun and took small bites. Xu Qingning then gave her her own bowl. "Mom, I can't eat any more of these dishes. You can eat them too!"

Yang Yuelan took the bowl and saw several large pieces of meat inside. She wanted to say something, but worried that Xu Qingning would be unhappy, so she had no choice but to put them in her mouth and eat them. The meat in the cafeteria was so delicious; she had never eaten such delicious meat before.

Yang Yuexiang rolled her eyes at the sight.

What kind of daughter-in-law would let her mother-in-law eat leftovers?

We need to show Zhao Jingyu what kind of person he married, and who he's trying to impress with his delicate appearance!

Zhao Jingyu couldn't stand it anymore and handed her the steamed bun in his hand. Xu Qingning took it without hesitation and took a bite: "The steamed bun in your hand is more fragrant than mine."

The more Yang Yuexiang looked at Xu Qingning, the more she felt that he was not a decent person. Even if they were husband and wife, they shouldn't be so intimate in public, right?

Only Wu Huihui was immersed in her own world of love, unable to extricate herself. She nibbled on her steamed bun in small bites, too shy to pick up any meat, behaving very elegantly like a lady.

Zhao Jingyu was like an immortal being in her eyes; every move he made and every word he uttered captivated her.

No one knows a daughter better than her mother. Yang Yuexiang understood everything. After she finished eating and drinking, she put down her chopsticks and started chatting with Zhao Jingyu: "Jingyu, do you remember when you were five years old, you took your cousin to play in the village?"

"I don't remember," Zhao Jingyu replied expressionlessly.

“Back then, your cousin would follow you around all day, and you loved playing with her.” Yang Yuexiang recalled with great enthusiasm, “Although you were young, you were already able to help with chores at home. I remember once you took your cousin to collect cow dung on the road. When you came back, your cousin was covered in dung. She had fallen into the dung pit, and you were the one who pulled her out!”

After saying that, she sighed, "Ah, time waits for no one; you've all grown up so much in the blink of an eye."

That same year, Zhao Jingyu was sent back to his hometown, and they didn't see each other again for more than a decade. Indeed, she didn't have many more memories of Zhao Jingyu's childhood.

Not to mention her, Yang Yuelan's memory of Zhao Jingyu also ends at the age of five.

The five-year-old boy was short and thin. Who would have thought that more than ten years later, he would grow up to be so tall and strong? It seems that the soil and water of the Northwest are indeed very nourishing.

"Yes, there was such a time." Yang Yuelan also remembered and smiled, "I was the one who helped Huihui take a bath. Kids back then were so resilient. I told them not to go collect cow dung, but the two of them still went the next day."

Hearing such heartwarming memories, Wu Huihui's face turned red with anger. "Mom, can't you recall something else?"

She and Zhao Jingyu finally managed to meet, was she really going to leave him with only a memory of him pulling her out of a cesspool?

Seeing Wu Huihui's face contorted with disgust, Xu Qingning almost burst out laughing: "Mom, how did my cousin fall into the cesspool?"

She originally wanted to leave Zhao Jingyu with the impression of a celestial being untouched by worldly affairs, but her own mother's words sent her to the cesspool...

"Back then, we relied entirely on raising pigs to accumulate manure. Every now and then, we would clean the pigsty and pile the manure in front of our house." Yang Yuelan didn't think there was anything wrong with talking about this, and casually explained, "When the children were young, it was common for them to accidentally fall in. Fortunately, it was all mixed with wood ash and soil, so it wasn't dangerous."

“My cousin’s experience is truly unforgettable.” Xu Qingning looked at Wu Huihui meaningfully. “Your cousin is quite remarkable for rescuing a beauty from a cesspool at such a young age.”

Putting aside the nature of her relationship with Zhao Jingyu, even if it wasn't good, they had just gotten married. How could her cousin have the audacity to try and steal him away?

What a jerk!

Wu Huihui blushed even more.

Xu Qingning was clearly humiliating her on purpose, how wicked!

Zhao Jingyu didn't want to hear these boring memories, so he got up from the dining table, went back to the house to get a washbasin, and went to the yard to wash up.

With the male lead gone, Yang Yuexiang lost interest in reminiscing. She took her ceramic teacup back to her room, and Yang Yuelan quickly cleared the table. Xu Qingning offered to help wash the dishes, but Yang Yuelan refused, insisting that she go back to her room to rest.

Wu Huihui took a washbasin and went to the yard. Seeing Zhao Jingyu brushing his teeth and washing his face, she timidly greeted him, "Cousin..."

Zhao Jingyu hummed in agreement and continued washing his face.

Before it got dark, the fiery sunset painted the sky, bathing the entire courtyard in an orange glow that was both hazy and intoxicating.

Wu Huihui looked at him with almost adoration, and mustered up her courage to ask, "Cousin, why are you getting married in such a hurry?"

"What's it to you?" Zhao Jingyu spat out the mouthwash in his mouth.

“I heard that Xu Qingning only married you because she was pregnant.” Wu Huihui bit her lip and couldn’t help but remind him, “My mother has inquired about her, and she’s not a good person. You should be careful.”

"You talk badly about people behind their backs, so you think you're a good person?" Zhao Jingyu ignored her, picked up the washbasin and walked away. After a few steps, he said again, "Whether my wife is good or not is none of your business. You move out tomorrow. I don't want to see people like you who spread rumors anymore."

"Cousin, why are you treating me like this?" Wu Huihui didn't expect Zhao Jingyu to be so heartless, kicking her out as soon as he returned. She cried out, "I'm your cousin!"

"Compared to my wife, what is my cousin?" Zhao Jingyu turned around and went back into the house.

Wu Huihui was speechless for a moment.

She was so angry that she cried.

Xu Qingning saw the two talking in the yard through the window, but didn't go over to disturb them. Seeing him return to the house, she teased, "Cousin, why are you back so soon? Let's chat a little longer!"

Cousins ​​catch up, reminisce about their childhood, and talk about the latrine.

What wonderful memories!

"Are you jealous?" Zhao Jingyu looked at her beautiful peach blossom eyes, his eyes full of laughter. "If you are jealous, then I won't let her move out. I like the way you look when you're jealous."

"Zhao Jingyu, are you sick?" Xu Qingning felt inexplicably hot. Who was jealous? She wasn't jealous at all.

"Don't you know best whether I'm sick or not?" Zhao Jingyu whispered in her ear, "Cousin, why don't you give me a check-up tonight?"

Xu Qingning blushed and pushed him away, then went to bed.

He's certainly prone to taking advantage of others; if you give him a little taste of his own medicine, he'll dare to openly harass you.

Xiao Tingshen's voice came from the courtyard: "Auntie, is Xu Qingning home?"