Liang Shuyan glanced at Zhang Shi sitting to the side, grabbed Zhang Shi's hand and said, "Eldest daughter, what are you thinking? It's the same whether you have a boy or a girl. Who said that girls aren't descendants of the Jin family?"

With red eyes, Zhang said, "Mother, you said before that having a son means carrying on the family line, while having a daughter means you can't even enter the ancestral hall. Now I'm worried, what if I have another girl?"

"Nonsense, those are things your mother said before. In short, what your mother said before was all nonsense. Don't take it to heart. Boys and girls are both treasures of our Jin family. Put your worries aside, maybe this time you'll have a boy?"

Upon hearing her mother-in-law's words, Zhang nodded excitedly: "Yes, Mother, daughter-in-law understands!"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Heng coughed lightly twice and said, "Sister-in-law, don't listen to your mother-in-law. Since ancient times, it has been considered auspicious to have a son. Only sons can carry on the family line, while daughters are considered to have a lowly fate!"

Liang Shuyan looked at Zhao Heng and said sharply, "Zhao Heng, do you think Dahei wasn't fierce enough last night?"

Zhao Heng trembled all over at the mention of the big black man: "Auntie, I, I won't say anything more, okay?"

Liu was pregnant. She was lying in bed, legs crossed, eating an egg as she said, "Erniu, tell me, have the chickens in our backyard really laid eggs?"

"Otherwise, you still have eggs to eat, don't you?"

Since his wife became pregnant, Jin Erniu has become very diligent. He glanced at his wife on the kang (a heated brick bed) and said, "What's wrong? Are you no longer going to the kitchen to cook?"

“Now that I’m pregnant, as Mother said, you all have to be lenient with me. Naturally, cooking is my sister-in-law’s job. What does it have to do with me?”

Jin Erniu glared at her: "You've only just gotten pregnant, and you're already behaving like this? Don't forget, there's Ruyan and your mother in this family. You should at least give them some face. If I don't say anything, it means my mother won't say anything!"

Thinking about it, Liu realized it made sense, so she hurriedly got off the bed: "You're right. Even if I don't eat or drink, Ruyan and my mother are still in this house, so I need to be diligent and not make my mother angry."

Ruyan was a sensible girl. She comforted the old lady, saying, "Mother, don't worry. My sister is pregnant now and can't work, so I'll help Auntie cook. We all eat at Auntie's house, how can we not do any work?"

The old lady of the Liu family nodded: "Yes, that's right. You need to be more diligent. If your aunt takes a liking to you, she might be able to keep you as Sanwang's wife."

Ruyan blushed and said, "Mother, what are you saying? You absolutely can't tell anyone about this. Auntie has her own ideas, and I don't want to be kicked out by her because of this!"

Grandma Liu thought about it and agreed. Seeing how capable her mother-in-law was, earning so much money just by cooking outside and supporting her family, she naturally had her own ideas.

Liang Shuyan was preparing to make some sesame paste for dinner. The whole family was there and had already eaten it. There were some things she needed to explain to the family members. Now that her second son's wife was pregnant, the household chores needed to be redistributed.

Ruyan walked in with light steps and said with a smile, "Auntie, you've had a long day. From now on, let me and my sister-in-law do the cooking. My sister is pregnant, so Ruyan will take care of her chores."

Liang Shuyan hurriedly waved her hand: "Ruyan, don't say that. You and your mother came to our house, and they are our relatives, Beibei's aunt and grandmother. How can we let you do chores? Listen to me, go back and do your needlework!"

Just then, Madam Liu walked in and saw this scene. Suddenly, she felt a sense of respect for her sensible younger sister. She then said, "Mother, what are you saying? Your daughter-in-law is still capable. She's just pregnant, how can I let you cook? Mother, you go back and rest. I can still help my sister-in-law with the fire."

Seeing how sensible her second daughter-in-law was, Liang Shuyan said, "Okay, then let's have some mashi tonight. Let's all wash our hands and get ready to make mashi!"

Liang Shuyan's words left both daughters-in-law somewhat bewildered.

Zhang turned her head and glanced at her mother-in-law: "Mother, what is 'mashi' and how do you make it? Tell us and we'll make it!"

Madam Liu also looked puzzled: "Yes, that's right, Mother, how come I've never heard of this 'ma shi' before? How do you make it?"

Liang Shuyan said, "Eldest sister, first prepare some warm water, add salt, and knead the dough. The main thing is to let the dough rise properly, and then your mother will teach you!"

Liu was tending the fire, and Liang Shuyan was preparing to chop vegetables.

There was still some meat in the basin, so she took it out, cut it into thin strips evenly, then into small cubes, and put it in a bowl.

I prepared some scallions and greens, all chopped into small pieces, and a block of tofu was also cut into small cubes. The wild chili peppers I picked from the mountain were also chopped into small cubes and set aside.

Oil was poured into the wok, chopped green onions were added and sautéed until fragrant, then diced meat was added and stir-fried with a spatula until it changed color. Then seasonings were added. The seasonings at home were all taken from the system by Liang Shuyan. She added a little, added warm water, and started cooking for a short while.

After simmering for a while, I took it off the heat, put the small chili peppers back in, stir-fried the greens briefly, set it aside, then stir-fried the tofu until it changed color, added seasonings, and served it in a bowl.

Liu's eyes widened instantly as she looked at the dishes her mother-in-law had cooked: "Oh dear, Mother, isn't this supposed to be noodles? Why did you cook so many dishes all of a sudden?"

"This kind of noodle dish has to be delicious, of course. It needs to have more vegetables and meat to be tasty, and it needs to be a bit sour and spicy to be flavorful!"

Liang Shuyan gave the pot a quick rinse, then poured in water and instructed Liu Shi, "Alright, boil water again later. Now you can start making the sesame balls."

Following her mother-in-law's instructions, Zhang rolled out the dough, cut it into small strips with a knife, rolled them evenly on the cutting board, and then placed them upside down in a bowl.

After waking up for a while, I gave each person a strip and said, "Look at how I did it. Just pinch off a little bit, press it hard with your thumb, and a little curl comes out. Do you understand?"

Zhang nodded: "Mother, I'll try it first."

Liu was clearly very proud: "Mother, so that's how it is! It's so simple, of course I know how to do it!"

Zhang's rolled dough looked decent, but Liu's rolled it too hard, so you couldn't see where the rolls were, and the pieces were also very large.

Liang Shuyan shook her head: "Second brother's wife, look at your sister-in-law, is this what you're making, a kind of 'ma shi'? And it's so big, it won't cook properly in the pot."

A clear voice came from the courtyard: "Grandma Dashan, are you home?"