Wu Family Old House —
At the dinner table.
The family of ten sat facing each other, arranged according to seniority, with the eldest and second sons sitting opposite each other.
At the very top, naturally, were the heads of the family, Old Master Wu, and Old Madam Zhou.
Everyone looked at the bountiful harvest and swallowed hard.
What's going on today?
Did they suddenly buy meat for the family?
There's also bone broth to drink!
Oh my god, it smells so good, I really want to eat it!
This was too tempting for people who hadn't eaten meat for many days. No one asked where the meat came from; they just wanted to eat it first!
Old Mrs. Zhou could see that both adults and children were eager, but what comforted her was that everyone was waiting for her to distribute the food, and no one overstepped their bounds by taking a single bite...
"Old woman, please divide the meat and vegetables."
Old Master Wu spoke up: there was no other way. The family was poor, and with so many people to feed, their six mu of land was barely enough to make ends meet. Where would they find the spare money to buy meat?
"Why."
Madam Zhou was a kind-hearted person. Apart from Madam Jiang (the third wife), her other two daughters-in-law were nieces from the same clan. Therefore, the mother-in-law and daughters-in-law got along harmoniously. She had no reason to make things difficult for her daughters-in-law, much less for the children…
Two pounds of meat may seem like a lot, but if you spread it out over several meals, this plate of stir-fried pork with chili peppers actually only contains about a dozen slices of meat.
Old Mrs. Zhou was impartial; apart from herself, her other children, grandchildren, daughters-in-law, and granddaughters each received one or two slices of meat.
The pig's heart was chopped up and served on a large plate. Although the taste wasn't great, it was still half a meat dish, and some people ate it while others didn't.
One bowl of pork bone broth for each person; the rest can be served to anyone who wants some.
I chopped up some homemade pickled vegetables and stir-fried them into a big plate.
A large plate of shredded radish, with both meat and vegetables.
Grandpa Wu felt sorry for his wife and wanted to give her a slice of meat from his bowl, but she took it back.
The couple had been together for decades, and now that they were an old married couple, how could Mrs. Zhou not feel sorry for her husband who was working in the fields?
The eldest and second sons of the Wu family were the same; even though they craved meat, they could satisfy their cravings with meat broth, and the meat slices were shared with their wife, children, and daughter...
Grandpa Wu and Mrs. Zhou didn't say anything about it and tacitly approved.
After they had eaten and drunk their fill, Old Zhou said that Jiang, the third wife, had suddenly changed. The stewed meat she had today was delivered by Da Niu on her behalf.
Upon hearing this, everyone was shocked.
"Mother, you're not joking, are you?"
The one speaking was Xiao Zhoushi, Wu Erlang's wife.
She and the third wife, Jiang, had been at odds for over a decade. Suddenly, her mother-in-law said, "This vicious person actually sent meat over. Could it be poisoned?"
Old Mrs. Zhou glanced at the second son's wife, but ultimately couldn't bring herself to scold her, only saying:
"The third son's family also gave us a big jar of lard. From now on, every morning when you go to the fields, you can scoop a spoonful into your porridge."
She didn't know whether the third brother's family had truly improved or were just putting on an act for everyone to see.
However, she also checked the things the other party gave her; they weren't poisoned and were safe to eat.
"Lard? Mother, has Third Sister-in-law taken the wrong medicine?"
Wu Erlang felt a pang of sympathy. He was most afraid of his third sister-in-law. When they argued, he was no match for her at all!
"Ahem, remember this, if you run into the third brother's family again, be polite. If they go crazy again, and you're not polite, then if they're polite to you, you should be polite to them in return. Got it?"
Grandpa Wu wasn't sure what the situation was like with the third son's family. Clearly, the two families in the old house, along with the old couple, were all on guard.
However, the Wu family cannot be separated from their son. The third son is gone. Considering that his wife did not immediately demand remarriage, even though she did not treat the children very well, the Wu family is in the wrong for this reason. It is not a big deal to give in.
After thinking for a moment, Wu Dalang stated:
"Father is right. Our eldest son's family will treat our third sister-in-law with courtesy from now on. Da Niu, Da Shi, remember that."
"I'll remember, Dad~"
"Yes, Daddy~"
In any case, it would be a good thing if his third sister-in-law could turn over a new leaf; he didn't want his third brother to die with regrets.
“Since the eldest brother has said so, we, the second branch of the family, will do as he says.”
Wu Erlang had always listened to his elder brother since he was a child, and he had made his promises after his elder brother had expressed his opinion.
"Little girl, Little Stone, did you two remember that?"
"I'll remember, Dad~"
"Yes, Daddy~"
Only Xiao Zhou remained silent, feeling uneasy. She regretted not eating it...
I still want to eat meat~
Over the years, she has not mistreated the children of her third wife!
Hmph, consider it a little bit of compensation from the third son's family...
With a smile of contentment, Mr. Wu said, "Harmony in the family brings prosperity in all things."
......
Here, Jiang Yue led the children to sit around the old table and began their first full meal!
Stir-fried pork with chili peppers, pork bone soup, stir-fried pork liver, and pickled radish.
To Jiang Yue's relief, although the children were very hungry, they waited for her to speak before they started eating.
And when eating, chew slowly and carefully, without making noise, and without wolfing down your food...
Because Cao'er was only eight years old and short, she had difficulty picking up food with chopsticks. After she helped Cao'er pick up food a few times, three pairs of eyes were all on her.
Facing three pairs of bright, expectant eyes, Jiang Yue smiled and served food to her three sons...
"Thank you, Mother~"
"Mom is so good~"
"......."
Only Wu Qingyun felt a little wronged. Before, his mother only served him food, but now her exclusive affection was shared with his brothers and sister, and it wasn't just for him anymore...
Jiang Yue pretended not to notice.
After eating and drinking her fill, she began to assign new tasks.
The leftovers, of course, were gone; they all ended up in the stomachs of the sons.
But pots and pans all need to be washed.
This task is to be done in shifts!
Today it's the eldest who washes, tomorrow it's the second eldest, the day after tomorrow it's the third eldest, and the day after that, it's back to the eldest, second eldest, and third eldest.
The eldest and second eldest brothers had no objection to this. As long as they weren't hungry and had food to eat, they were willing to do anything.
Wu Qingyun asked how the schedule would work if he went to study at the academy.
After all, he can't go home every day.
"When the time comes, Mom will take over your job."
Jiang Yue said that this way, it would be fair.
Everyone agreed with this.
"Cao'er is too young to do heavy work. She's the only girl in our family, so she should be pampered and loved by her mother and brothers."
The other three had nothing to say. They only had one sister, and she was indeed quite young. They weren't the kind of brothers who would sell or sacrifice their sister, so they didn't object.
"We can't just sit around and do nothing. From now on, after breakfast, one of the men will stay home to watch the house, while the rest of you will go with Mom to the back hill to dig for wild vegetables and medicinal herbs to supplement the family income. After lunch, you'll go with Mom to the river to catch snails, fish, and shrimp."
Jiang Yue shared her plans, and she felt hopeful about the future!
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