The golden-yellow chicken pieces mixed with white mushrooms looked so tempting that it made mouths water, and the children kept sniffing.
After tasting it, Jiang Nuan found it to be just right. She first filled a small bowl for the children and then put the rest into a ceramic pot to warm in the rice steamer.
"Mother, I can cook fish. Let me cook it," Xie said solicitously, afraid of tiring Jiang Nuan.
"No need," Jiang Nuan refused with a smile. "You've had a long day, you should rest."
As she spoke, Jiang Nuan continued her work, sprinkling ginger shreds on the marinated fish and steaming it in a pot.
The fish that Huang Xiaosi and his friends caught were mostly palm-sized crucian carp. These wild crucian carp have many bones, but they taste extremely good and are especially fresh.
Rejected once again, Xie followed closely behind Jiang Nuan like a child, observantly handing her water and rags, doing whatever she could to help.
When Jiang Nuan came to her senses and saw her expectant little eyes, she chuckled and couldn't help but pat her head.
This daughter-in-law is so adorable!
Suddenly, an idea flashed through her mind, "Second son's wife, what was your maiden name?"
“Mother, I don’t have a name. I’m the third child in my family, so everyone calls me Third Mother.”
Hearing this, Jiang Nuan's smile deepened. "How about your mother gives you a name?"
"Mother is going to name me?" Madam Xie looked surprised, then smiled broadly, "That's wonderful! I've always wanted a name of my own."
"The beautiful clouds adorn the mountain peaks, the strong waters murmur as they flow through the streams; how is Xie Jiao?"
Ms. Xie has a round face and a small frame, making her delicate and adorable.
Jiang Nuan felt that this word suited her especially well.
“Xie Jiao,” Madam Xie murmured repeatedly all the way, then immediately broke into a big smile, “Mother, I like this name.”
“I’m glad you like it,” Jiang Nuan explained. “The word ‘jiao’ means beautiful and lovely. It’s very suitable for girls, especially soft and sweet girls. It’s a perfect match for you.”
Jiang Nuan originally planned to choose a two-character name: Yun Jiao. After thinking about it, she decided to choose a single character instead. Although it was a bit ordinary, it was easy to pronounce and remember, and wouldn't stand out from the crowd.
"Mom, I want a name too," Xiao Wu said, sounding aggrieved.
Her mother actually forgot about her own daughter and named her second sister-in-law first. She's unhappy!
“Little Five also wants a name,” Jiang Nuan said after thinking for a moment. “How about I name you Huang Xiu, which means clever and skillful?”
“I am indeed very smart,” Xiao Wu nodded, feigning maturity. “Alright, I will be called Huang Xiu from now on.”
"Mother," Xie Shi looked at Jiang Nuan ingratiatingly, "we haven't chosen names for Da Ya and Er Ya yet~"
"They're too young, no rush, we'll name them after they turn three."
Seeing that Xie and Xiao Wu had received their names, Wang was also anxious, but she was too embarrassed to ask for one. She looked at Jiang Nuan longingly, like a child begging for candy.
"Eldest daughter-in-law," Jiang Nuan said with a smile when she saw this, "how about I name you Wang Hui? It means intelligent."
Although her daughter-in-law is gentle, she is shrewd and calculating; this name suits her perfectly.
"The name is very nice, thank you, Mother." After saying this, Wang lowered her head shyly.
The three who received their names were overjoyed. Da Niu and Er Niu also wanted their own names, staring intently at Jiang Nuan without blinking.
However, Jiang Nuan did not intend to get it for them right now.
It's fine to just pick any name for a girl; you can tell how little importance she's placed on someone just by looking at how Wang Shi didn't even have a name when she got married. It's different for boys; there are too many taboos involved. Jiang Nuan, who didn't know the details, didn't dare to choose a name casually.
After all, they were her grandsons, so she had to comfort them. She pinched their smooth little faces and said, "Da Niu, Er Niu, Grandma will give you names when she thinks of something really good."
"Grandma, hurry up and think of a name, I also want a nice-sounding name," Erniu said in her sweet, childish voice.
He didn't actually know what sounded good; he just thought it was good because he saw that Wang and Xie were happy.
"Okay, Grandma promises Erniu she'll do it as soon as possible."
After calming her two grandsons down, Jiang Nuan finally remembered her fish. She lifted the pot lid, poked it with her chopsticks, and said, "The fish is cooked. We can eat when the eldest and second eldest come back."
As she spoke, she took off her apron and prepared to wash her hands.
Seeing this, Xie Shi, with her keen sense of propriety, brought over the basin of water and said, "Mother, wash your hands."
"I'm not so old that I can't move my legs," Jiang Nuan said with a hint of helplessness.
If she continues to be spoiled by this group, she will eventually become the kind of lazy, ignorant, and morally corrupt person she despises.
Although a 36-year-old widow would be considered middle-aged or elderly in ancient times, Jiang Nuan felt that she was still young.
After a while, when she's healthy and fair-skinned and properly dressed up, she'll definitely outshine the village beauty of Huangjiakou.
“Your daughter-in-law knows that you are still young,” Xie explained with a smile. “You work so hard cooking, I just want to make things easier for you.”
Wang was very unhappy that Xie had taken away her work. Although she didn't say anything, her lips were tightly pursed.
"Good daughter-in-law," Jiang Nuan said, looking at Xie Shi. She realized she had given her the wrong name. "How about you change it to Xie Tang? It's too sweet. Your mother can't handle it."
"Mother~" Xie blushed with embarrassment at what was said, "Daughter-in-law doesn't want to~"
Xie Tang sounds weird; Xie Jiao is much better.
Jiang Nuan thought about it and also felt that it was better not to change it.
As they were talking, Huang the eldest returned. Before he even entered the courtyard, he heard whispers. He was very curious. "Mother, what are you talking about?"
“The eldest is back,” Jiang Nuan looked outside. “Come and have a bowl of ginger soup to warm yourself up. Your wife cooked it this afternoon and saved it especially for you.”
These blunt words made Wang blush with embarrassment, and she left while serving ginger soup.
"It smells so good!" Old Huang sniffed, looking delighted. "Mom, what did you make for dinner? I can smell meat."
After saying that, Boss Huang quickly shook his head. He felt that he was just too greedy for meat, which was why he had such a misconception.
Their family didn't eat dumplings during last year's Chinese New Year, so how could they possibly have meat now that it's not a holiday?
"Your nose is really sharp!" Jiang Nuan's lips twitched.
Huang Laoda kept the food warm in the pot, which was covered tightly, even though it was ten meters away from the kitchen in the yard. You could still smell the meat there. Impressive!
“Brother,” Xie explained, “today we made chicken and fish, which Mother cooked herself.”
As she spoke, Xie glanced at Jiang Nuan with admiration.
Before she got married, she had heard that her mother-in-law was literate, hardworking, and capable, and could handle everything at home and in the fields. She never believed that there was anyone more capable than herself.
Especially after marrying into the Huang family, her mother-in-law's health deteriorated, requiring someone to serve her meals, which increased her suspicions even further.
I've only just realized that I was being petty and narrow-minded.
"Mother made this?" Old Huang's mouth dropped open in surprise. "Mother actually cooked today."
He was actually lucky enough to taste his mother's cooking. Happiness came too suddenly, and Old Huang was a little dizzy.
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