Shen Ying followed her pale arm, his heart filled with mixed feelings. He had thought this woman would take advantage of the crowd to embarrass him, but now that he saw it, he realized he needed to change his prejudice against her.
"Thanks a lot."
He touched the tip of his nose, finished speaking, and went outside. There were still some broken bricks in the yard that needed to be cleared away; he would try to finish before sunset so that someone could be found to lay the foundation tomorrow.
After the steamed buns were cooked, Jiang Yu went to the vegetable cellar in the backyard. As soon as she stepped outside, a gentle breeze blew by, making her feel extremely comfortable.
Squatting at the entrance of the cellar, I took out the vegetables and counted the number of plates.
Stir-fried eggs with garlic sprouts, spicy stir-fried cabbage, crisp lotus root slices, and flavorful eggplant. Ten adults and five children, so we'll need to add another vegetable dish. Seeing that the vegetables in the cellar are running low, we pulled out three cucumbers and three tomatoes to make two cold dishes.
There are quite a few meat dishes: boiled sliced pork, blanched shrimp, pan-fried ribbonfish, spare ribs, braised pork, and tofu with meat sauce. Finally, we took out a chicken and two ears of corn to make a corn and chicken soup.
Carrying a pile of groceries, Wang Cuihua led Chen Niannian inside. They were startled to see the vegetables scattered on the floor.
"Jiang Yu... girl, your family is just having their house demolished, not fleeing from disaster. Are you planning to eat all this food tonight and then give up on everything else?"
Even when visiting relatives during the Lunar New Year, it's impossible to bring so much food to entertain guests. Besides, everyone is just here to repay the favor Shen Ying helped back then, so it's even less necessary.
She figured it was normal for the girl to be unaware of this since it was her first time hosting someone, so she shared her opinion.
"It's alright, sister-in-law. They came all this way during the Lunar New Year to help out. If the food we cook is meager, people will laugh at us. Besides, everyone is genuinely trying to help. If we don't prepare something substantial, we'll be doing ourselves a disservice."
Wang Cuihua thought this made sense and asked what dishes Jiang Yu planned to make and how to cook them. Jiang Yu shared her ideas and rolled up her sleeves to start washing the vegetables.
"These twelve dishes would take most people half a day to prepare. Even if the two of us were to work together, we would have a hard time finishing them."
It's no wonder Wang Cuihua was hesitant; there were some names she had never even heard of, let alone knew where to begin.
"Sister-in-law, you're just helping me wash the vegetables and plate them. That would be a huge help."
Jiang Yu knew Wang Cuihua was honest and kind-hearted, and that she would definitely not slack off if asked to help. Although she was having trouble with the recipe she had chosen, having another person would save a lot of time. Besides, with so many dishes, they didn't have enough plates and bowls at home, so they would probably have to borrow some kitchen utensils from Wang Cuihua's house.
After the vegetables were stir-fried, a delicious aroma filled the house, and the stomachs of the people in the yard rumbled as they wondered what was being cooked inside and why it smelled so good.
When it came time to cook the meat dishes, Shen Daniu couldn't hold back any longer. He lowered his voice and asked Shen Ying:
"Brother Ying, what is your wife making? It smells even better than the food at the state-run restaurant!"
Shen Daniu dabbled in small businesses, and occasionally eating at a state-run restaurant would be something he could brag about for half a year. Seeing food that could rival the taste of that place, his eyes lit up. He felt that one meal there would be enough for him to boast about to his business partners.
Shen Ying told them about her idea of having a few people come over for dinner. At first, everyone shook their heads, saying it was too much trouble. But after smelling the increasingly delicious aroma wafting through the air, their last hurdle crumbled.
Oh my god, this smells so good! If I don't eat it, I'll regret it for at least two years.
While waiting for Chen Gantang to inform the wives and children of each family, Jiang Yu told everyone to put the table together and go to Wang Cuihua's house to get some bowls.
Looking at the delicious food and beautiful plating on the table, Shen Daniu praised it endlessly, and his sycophantic tendencies kicked in.
"Sister-in-law, you used to work in a state-run restaurant, right?"
Shen Daniu regretted his words as soon as they left his mouth. In the village, everyone knew that Shen Ying's wife was the laziest woman. She had no experience working there, let alone being asked to grow vegetables. His words seemed to have touched a nerve with her, a veiled insult.
"Look at what you're saying. Our sister-in-law is as beautiful as a lotus in the water. She should be enjoying a life of luxury at home. How could she go to such a place to suffer? Right, sister-in-law?"
Shen Zenglin quickly smoothed things over, afraid that if she got angry, she might overturn the table of food again. If it fell on the floor, it would have to be washed and eaten again, which would be a bit of a hassle.
"Oh yes, yes, look at my mouth, I'm already drunk before I've even started drinking. I'm so sorry, sister-in-law."
Shen Zenglin patted him on the shoulder, looking at him with a disappointed expression. The original owner had caused a scene once before because of drinking at Shen Ying's house. Since then, the family had never kept alcohol on hand again, and they hadn't dared to come here again.
After his reminder, Shen Daniu felt a chill run down his spine. If his sister-in-law got angry, this foul mouth would be the culprit.
"We're out of alcohol at home, I'm going out to buy some."
Jiang Yu smiled warmly, her eyes crinkling into crescent shapes, seemingly sparkling with stars. Compared to the table full of food, it was impossible to tell which was truly appetizing.
Everyone's heart skipped a beat. Was this just the calm before the storm? Would they throw their chopsticks on the ground and point at Shen Daniu, yelling insults?
"You look like a bottle of wine to me."
"I'll go."
Shen Ying pretended to be calm and was about to leave when Jiang Yu chased after him:
“It’s not too dark yet, and the village store isn’t far away. If you go there, I’ll feel even more awkward.”
Wang Cuihua went home to call the children, and Shen Niannian followed her. None of the other wives came over, so it wasn't really appropriate for her to sit with the three men.
Shen Ying thought what she said made sense and didn't press the matter further. Before Jiang Yu left, he gave her a few words of advice, telling her to be careful.
Back in their seats, everyone looked at him with lingering fear and worry.
"Did your sister-in-law make things difficult for you? Did she scold you?"
......
The convenience store was two streets away from her house. Jiang Yu bought a dozen beers, a total of 12 bottles. On the way back, she thought about all sorts of things.
As she passed an abandoned thatched hut, she habitually jogged a few steps, trying to get away from it as much as possible, but was stopped by someone who emerged from the bushes.
"ah!"
She didn't know if the person opposite her was a human or a ghost. Just as the hands were about to grab her clothes, she kicked them away, almost smashing the wine bottle.
The man was completely drunk. Seeing that he had been beaten, he stood up, rambling incoherently.
"Jiang Yu, you've really grown up. Now that you're living a good life, you've forgotten about me, your so-called savior."
Lu Yi burped, reeking of alcohol. Jiang Yu waved her hand in disgust, but he grabbed it. Seeing she couldn't break free, she forced herself to remain calm:
“Lu Zhiqing, it was Shen Ying who saved me back then, not you at all. You just happened to be passing by the river that day and saw me.”
Seeing his lies exposed over the years, Lu Yi became furious and embarrassed:
"So this is your reason for taking revenge on me?"
He raised his fist to hit someone, but the man who rushed over blocked him and pinned him to the ground, beating him mercilessly.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
