Yun Tangyin smiled so much that fine lines appeared at the corners of her eyes. Fu Yucheng took the opportunity to tuck a freshly picked wild chrysanthemum into her temple. The silver bracelet bumped against the camera case, making a crisp sound like a wind chime.
"Are you done yet? My arm is getting sore from holding it up." Yu Xia shook the candied melon, and sugar frosting fell onto her clothes.
"Almost there, almost there." Fu Yucheng took two steps back. In the shot, Song Yushuang was secretly tugging at Fu Yucheng's clothes, trying to push him aside.
Jiang Jianhua held the candied melon and smiled so hard that his eyes disappeared. Fu Yuan was being pressed down by Yu Xia and turned towards the camera. Meanwhile, Yun Tangyin's hair was tangled with Fu Yucheng's fingers. He had accidentally caught a strand of her hair when he was pinning a flower to her hair in the chaos.
With a "click," everyone's image was captured on film.
"I'll cook lunch and kill a chicken to celebrate." Fu Yucheng put down his camera and ran to the chicken coop. Yun Tangyin quickly followed and stopped him: "Don't kill that speckled chicken, it just laid an egg."
"It's nothing." He bent down to grab the chicken, and the speckled hen flapped its wings and flew up, landing right on Yun Tangyin's shoulder, startling her so much that she stamped her foot: "Fu Yucheng!"
Everyone laughed so hard they were doubled over. Song Yushuang wiped away tears of laughter and said, "Even a chicken knows to protect its mistress."
When making chicken soup at noon, Fu Yucheng insisted on cooking it himself, throwing in a handful of red dates and a handful of goji berries: "This is to nourish my wife."
Yun Tangyin leaned against the door frame and watched him wearing an apron. The military green apron paired with his upright posture was surprisingly pleasing to the eye.
"What are you spacing out for?" Fu Yucheng scooped up a spoonful of soup and handed it to him. "Try it and see if it's salty."
Yun Tangyin took a sip, her eyebrows rising in delight at the aroma: "What did you put in it? It smells so good."
“Secret.” He deliberately used a foreign word, and Yun Tangyin slapped his arm: “You think I don’t understand?”
During the meal, Yu Xia put a chicken leg into Yun Tangyin's bowl, saying, "Eat more. You're so thin. You need to get plump and healthy."
"Sister-in-law, you should eat too." Yun Tangyin put the chicken leg back on her plate. "My brother has been training hard lately, let's give him some nourishment."
Fu Yuanzheng smiled, a smile on his usually composed face: "Third sister-in-law, you're too kind."
Yu Xia and Fu Yuanzheng have been married for many years and have always had a good relationship. Yu Xia gave the chicken leg to Fu Yuanzheng, and the two chatted and laughed.
Fu Yuanshan missed taking photos and watched like an outsider during the meal.
Even though Jiang Jianhua has been behaving himself these past few days, and there's not much tension between him and Yun Tangyin, he seems to be the only one who feels out of place.
Fu Yuanshan took a few bites and then put down his chopsticks; he had lost his appetite.
The impenetrable sweet atmosphere between Yun Tangyin and Fu Yucheng stung his eyes.
Jiang Jianhua's cautious and overly attentive attitude toward Yun Tangyin also made him very unhappy.
Fu Yuanshan put down his chopsticks, silently got up and left. No one paid any attention to him, which made him even more annoyed.
Fu Yucheng caught a glimpse of Fu Yuanshan's dejected figure, nudged Yun Tangyin's arm, and asked, whether intentionally or unintentionally, "What's wrong with Second Brother? He hasn't eaten much."
Yun Tangyin glanced at the door, picked up a piece of pork rib and put it in her bowl: "Who cares? His temper is always acting strange."
Song Yushuang sighed: "Yuanshan has been stubborn since he was a child, and he probably always feels that we are biased."
She winked at Jiang Jianhua, "Go and see, get him some soup."
Jiang Jianhua quickly ladled out a bowl of chicken soup and carefully walked towards the door.
As Yun Tangyin watched her retreating figure, she suddenly remembered how Jiang Jianhua used to treat her so badly when she first married into the family, but now he was much more sensible.
"Don't overthink it." Fu Yucheng held her hand. "Second sister-in-law is doing well now."
Yu Xia chimed in from the side, "That's right. Just a few days ago, she was asking me how to make dough, saying she wanted to make Yuanshan his favorite sweet buns."
Just then, Jiang Jianhua returned, his eyes red-rimmed: "He poured out the soup..."
"So what if it's thrown away?" Fu Yucheng frowned. "He can eat it or not, it's up to him."
When Jiang Jianhua entered the room clutching the empty bowl, Fu Yuanshan was sitting in a chair with his back to the door, his fingers unconsciously stroking the wood grain on the edge of the wooden table.
She slammed the bowl down on the table with a loud bang, the porcelain bowl hitting the wooden table with a jarring sound.
"Fu Yuanshan, what exactly are you trying to do?" Jiang Jianhua's voice was choked with sobs, her eyes red as a rabbit's. "I kindly brought you soup, and you poured it out, fine, but who are you trying to fool with that long face?"
Fu Yuanshan turned around abruptly, his eyes surging with hostility: "I'm putting on a show? Seeing you all fawning over Yun Tangyin, it's as if I'm the outsider!"
"If you're not an outsider, then who is?"
Jiang Jianhua was enraged by his words. She took two steps forward and pointed at his nose, "Do you think I'm blind? The way you've been looking at Yun Tangyin these past few days, you practically want to stick to her! She's your third brother's wife, and you're the second brother. Don't you feel ashamed to harbor such filthy thoughts?"
Fu Yuanshan's face flushed a deep purplish-red, and he abruptly stood up, his tall figure exuding an air of oppression: "What nonsense are you spouting!"
"I'm talking nonsense?" Jiang Jianhua sneered, tears streaming down his face. "The other day she was talking to me, and you were right there watching, not even noticing the cigarette burning your fingers! Fu Yuanshan, tell me, is this normal?"
She became more and more agitated as she spoke, her chest heaving violently: "I know I'm not as capable as Yun Tangyin, and I'm not as good at coaxing people as she is, but I'm your wife! Aren't you afraid of being struck by lightning for staring at your own sister-in-law all day long?"
Fu Yuanshan was rendered speechless by her scolding. His Adam's apple bobbed a few times before he finally managed to squeeze out a sentence through gritted teeth: "She hasn't been married into the family for long. I'm afraid she'll cause trouble for Acheng. Is it wrong for me, as her older brother, to keep an eye on her?"
"Stop making excuses!" Jiang Jianhua shoved him hard, not with much force, but with a lot of grievance in his voice.
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