Chapter 106 Chicken Soup
The three siblings, Liu Zhixia and her brother, sat on the oxcart, swaying and making their way home.
Liu Xiangyang remained silent the whole way, and neither he nor his sister dared to utter a sound.
Before I even stepped inside the house, a rich aroma of meat wafted out.
Liu Xuejun sniffed hard, his eyes instantly lighting up: "Sis! Can you smell that? Chicken soup! It smells like home!"
Liu Zhixia laughed too: "That's true. It's been so long since I've had my mother's chicken soup. Tonight, no one can take the chicken wings from me!"
Liu Xiangyang finally smiled, looking at his younger sister with doting eyes: "Who dares to take it from you? Every time we eat chicken, the chicken wings are yours!"
After he finished speaking, the smile on his face froze for a moment.
He's already separated from his family for Shen Hongmei, so he probably won't get a share of this chicken soup...
As soon as the oxcart came to a stop, Liu Zhixia jumped down and rushed into the kitchen.
"Mom, is the chicken stew ready?"
Zhang Xiuying looked at her affectionately: "Yes, I found a ration coupon while cleaning the house and bought a chicken. There's been a lot going on lately, everyone's tired, so we need to make up for it properly."
Liu Zhixia smiled, not saying anything. The old couple treated tickets like their lifeblood; how could they possibly throw them away carelessly?
"Okay, then I'll clean up the dishes!"
Liu Xiangyang walked into the courtyard, looked at his parents, and said in a weak voice, "Father, Mother, Hongmei has been sent back... I'm going to return the oxcart."
"stop."
Zhang Xiuying came out of the kitchen and stared intently at her eldest son.
Liu Xiangyang shrank back, his eyes reddening: "Mom, I'm sorry... I've caused so much trouble for the family..."
Zhang Xiuying sighed: "Come back quickly after you return the car. I saved a big chicken leg for you."
Liu Xiangyang was taken aback: "But...didn't we separate our families?"
Liu Zhixia laughed and gave him a push: "Hurry up and return the car, I'm starving!"
Liu Xiangyang could no longer hold back. He raised his hand to wipe away his tears and choked out, "Okay! I'm going right now!"
Watching her eldest son run off into the distance, Zhang Xiuying secretly wiped her eyes and chuckled, scolding, "That silly boy..."
Liu Zhixia was in a great mood and cheerfully darted into the kitchen: "Mom, I'll help you watch the fire!"
While the Liu family was enjoying a harmonious atmosphere, the Shen family in the neighboring brigade was shrouded in gloom.
Just as the things Shen Hongmei brought back were divided up, Shen's father kicked her to the ground.
"You jinx! You've completely disgraced the Shen family! You were returned like trash!"
Standing to the side, Mother Shen said with a calculating look, "Alright, scolding won't do any good. Before this gets out, we should quickly find another family to marry her off, and we can collect another dowry!"
Upon hearing this, Shen Hongmei was terrified: "Mother! I won't marry him! What if... what if Xiangyang changes his mind?"
Without the Liu family, where would I ever have such a good life again?
Upon hearing this, Mother Shen became even angrier and rushed forward to grab her arm tightly: "Now you know you can't bear to part with it? You ruined such a huge money tree yourself! Let me tell you, the Shen family doesn't support idlers! Either you go and beg Liu Xiangyang to remarry, or you get the hell out of here and get married!"
Shen Hongmei looked at her mother in horror: "But... the food I brought back is enough for our family to eat for a long time..."
Father Shen scoffed, "That's compensation from the Liu family to the Shen family, what's it to you?"
"That's mine..."
"Smack!"
Father Shen slapped her hard across the face, rolled up his sleeves, and revealed his fierce expression: "Dare to talk back to me? It seems you've enjoyed two years of good fortune in the Liu family and forgotten the rules of the Shen family?"
Shen Hongmei covered her face, the shadow of her childhood instantly engulfing her heart. The fear of being beaten every few days made her tremble and back away repeatedly: "Father... I... I won't do it again!"
Shen, who had been watching the show from the sidelines, suddenly spoke up: "Big sister, wasn't the Liu family dirt poor? How come they've suddenly become rich? Is that military officer son-in-law really that wealthy?"
Shen Hongmei was filled with resentment: "The money is all in Liu Zhixia's hands! They have money recently because they're doing business."
Mother Shen's eyes lit up instantly: "Oh? Really speculating and profiteering?"
"Hmm." Shen Hongmei gritted her teeth. "I don't know where Liu Zhixia hid the things. The brigade searched the whole area today but couldn't find them."
Enraged, Chen's mother poked Chen Hongmei's forehead: "You brat! What good will it do you to ruin this business?"
"I didn't want to either! I originally wanted to force them to give us 20% of the profits!"
Mother Shen was taken aback, then sneered, "At least you still have some conscience. The Liu family is really stingy! Since you're divorced, go report them! Anyway, it has nothing to do with you anymore. If it's proven true, you can even get a reward!"
Shen Hongmei looked dejected: "It's no use. The things have been hidden, and there's no evidence."
Mother Chen's eyes gleamed with a sharp light: "Daughter, what kind of business do they run? Do you have the recipe? Can't we do it ourselves?"
“Pickled vegetables.” Shen Hongmei sighed. “The recipe is in Zhang Xiuying’s hands, and they’re treating me like a thief. But Liu Zhixia’s pickled vegetables are really delicious.”
"Tch! What did I take this for? It's just pickled vegetables!" Mother Shen scoffed dismissively. "Everyone knows how to make this. You can make money from this?"
"One can sell for fifty cents..."
"Five...five cents?!"
Mother Shen was so shocked she almost jumped up. She started counting on her fingers: "Those few scraps of vegetable leaves can sell for fifty cents? Then let's make them too! We'll sell them for forty-five cents and steal their business, won't we?"
“But…” Shen Hongmei hesitated, “ours doesn’t taste the same…”
"Flavor my foot! Pickled vegetables are just salty!" Mother Shen glared at her. "Why is it that Liu Zhixia's pickled vegetables are so popular?"
After saying that, she immediately turned to her two daughters-in-law and ordered, "Go! Quickly get me some vegetables, let's cook too! I don't believe we can't earn this money!"
The two daughters-in-law dared not disobey and hurriedly went to prepare.
In the Shen family kitchen, the two daughters-in-law chatted amongst themselves as they worked.
The second daughter-in-law, Chen, leaned close to the eldest daughter-in-law, Zhang, and whispered, "Sister-in-law, where will my eldest sister stay this time? There aren't any empty rooms at home."
Zhang was chopping vegetables in her hands, not even looking up: "Besides sleeping on the floor in the main room, where else can we sleep?"
Mrs. Chen clicked her tongue in astonishment: "That's my own daughter... How come she seems even worse than someone I found?"
Zhang gave a cold laugh, but didn't reply.
Having been married into the Shen family for so long, she had long seen through the true colors of this bunch of people.
Shen Hongmei left home without her dowry, but returned with a carload of things after the divorce. The old couple not only didn't feel sorry for her, but also thought the Liu family was stingy.
They're a pack of wolves who eat people without spitting out the bones!
She looked up at the group of people in the courtyard who were enthusiastically discussing how to steal the Liu family's business, and couldn't help but shiver.
...
As dusk fell, the atmosphere at the Liu family's dinner table remained warm and cozy.
Zhang Xiuying picked up a large chicken leg and put it into Liu Xiangyang's bowl.
"Thank you, Mother!"
Liu Xiangyang held the bowl, his eyes slightly red.
How long has it been since I've had such a satisfying meal? It's still my mother's homemade chicken soup—that's the taste of home.
Zhang Xiuying sighed: "Boss, now that you're divorced, you're all alone. There's no one to cook for you in the cold kitchen. Come back and eat with us from now on."
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