Free Web NovelChapter 41: Chapter 41: Mother-in-law
The room fell silent. No one said another word. ’He must be really drunk, and telling the truth!’ Everyone looked at him, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. Li Xiu had fallen asleep right there, his head resting on Zhou Lian’s shoulder as he hugged her. But even in his sleep, Zhou Lian couldn’t break free.
Second Brother Zhou and Third Brother Zhou smiled and tried to help pry Li Xiu’s arms away, but the sleeping Li Xiu only hugged her tighter. "Li Xiu, wake up. I’m tired," Zhou Lian said to him directly.
Second Brother Zhou laughed and said, "It’s no use. When he’s this drunk and asleep, you can’t wake him up."
Before he could finish his sentence, he watched as Li Xiu mumbled with his eyes still closed, "Bao’er, if you’re tired, just sleep. I’ll hold you while you sleep. Be good, now. Go to sleep. I’ll make you something delicious tomorrow."
It was a resounding slap to the face. Second Brother Zhou was speechless. ’Did Li Xiu just come here today to prove me wrong? He did, didn’t he!’
"Let’s go sleep on the bed. I can’t sleep sitting up!"
"Okay, don’t worry, I’ll help you!" Li Xiu staggered to his feet, but he kept Zhou Lian steady in his embrace as she stood. Second Brother Zhou and Third Brother Zhou quickly helped him onto the bed, but the moment they let him go, he sat right back up to look for his wife.
Zhou Lian walked over to the bed, and Li Xiu immediately pulled her into his arms, saying, "Wife, there were bad guys just now. They hid you from me."
Zhou Lian said helplessly, "That was my second and third brothers!"
"Oh. So my brothers-in-law are the bad guys."
"I really want to punch him," Second Brother Zhou said, gritting his teeth.
"Second Brother, you’re the one who got Second Brother-in-law drunk, and now you want to hit him? You’re being so unreasonable," Zhou Ying said, giving her brother a sidelong glance.
Seeing that the brother and sister were about to start bickering again, Zhou Kun cut in, "Everyone, go back to bed. It’s getting late!"
Before the sun was up, Li Xiu opened his eyes and looked at his wife sleeping soundly in his arms. He smiled silently. ’I really was drunk last night, but my mind was clear.’ In both his past life and this one, he hadn’t been drunk in decades. Ever since his daughter had said his wife didn’t like him drinking, he hadn’t touched a drop, save for a single cup during the New Year last year.
He was truly happy and relieved last night. His wife had completely opened up. She had let go of the burdens from her past life, and her whole being had come alive. This was something he had dreamed of for decades—for her to cast off the shackles of her previous life and live like a charming, spirited young woman! The sight of it filled him with excitement.
He gently kissed Zhou Lian’s forehead and carefully lifted the covers to get out of bed. Seeing that he hadn’t disturbed his wife, Li Xiu smiled to himself and quietly opened the door to go outside. ’My wife is already a picky eater, and now that she’s pregnant, her tastes are even harder to please. I’m afraid she won’t have an appetite for my mother-in-law’s cooking. I’d better do it myself.’
In the courtyard, his father-in-law and mother-in-law were already up. Li Xiu quickly greeted them. "Dad, Mom, you’re up so early."
Zhou Kun turned and said, "What are you doing up?" ’My son-in-law was drunk last night. He shouldn’t be able to get up at this hour.’
Li Xiu smiled and said, "Dad, Lian’er is a bit of a picky eater right now, so I got up to help Mom with breakfast."
The old couple exchanged a glance and both smiled. ’So it’s true.’ But since he was doting on their daughter, they were naturally delighted.
"Are you feeling unwell today?" Mrs. Zhou asked with concern.
Li Xiu nodded sheepishly. "A little. My head hurts a bit, and I feel a little nauseous. It’s nothing, it’ll pass soon."
Mrs. Zhou quickly said, "Go wash up. Your father brewed some tea to help with the hangover. Have a drink in a bit." Li Xiu happily agreed.
When Li Xiu came in, Mrs. Zhou, who was in the middle of cooking, asked, "What are you planning to make?" He looked at the sweet potato congee his mother-in-law was simmering and the leftovers from last night that she was reheating. ’My wife definitely won’t be able to eat this.’
"Mom, is there any white flour?"
"Yes, it’s in the crock. What else do you need?"
"Two eggs. Are there any green vegetables?"
"Oh, there’s spinach, and also some garland chrysanthemum."
"Got it. Mom, I can handle it myself," Li Xiu said, quickly stopping his mother-in-law when he saw she was about to help.
Mrs. Zhou stood to the side and watched his deft movements. He mixed the dough, adding two egg whites and a pinch of salt, then skillfully formed it into noodles. He started the fire, heated oil in the wok, and stir-fried some scallions until fragrant before adding water. He washed and chopped a small handful of garland chrysanthemum. Once the water boiled, he dropped in the egg yolks, followed by the noodles and a bit of salt. Then, he turned down the flame and went to wake Zhou Lian.
At the dining table, Mrs. Zhou still hadn’t quite processed what she was seeing as she watched her daughter eat the bowl of noodles with great relish.
The bowl of noodles, with its two poached egg yolks, green garland chrysanthemum, and white noodles, looked incredibly appetizing. Her daughter had finished the entire large bowl, not even leaving a drop of broth. When had she ever been able to eat so much? Back when she lived at home, she ate just a tiny bit each day, like a little cat.
"Mom, why are you staring at me?" Zhou Lian asked, putting down her bowl, finding it strange that her mother was watching her so intently.
"Was it good?" Mrs. Zhou asked, her expression unreadable.
"It was okay, I guess. It just felt like something was missing," Zhou Lian said after a moment of thought.
Li Xiu quickly explained, "Wife, I didn’t add mushrooms, mountain bamboo shoots, or chicken broth. I’ll make it for you again when we get home!"
Mrs. Zhou shot a glance at Li Xiu. ’Noodles with eggs and white flour, and they need to be cooked in chicken broth on top of that. No wonder the girl who used to eat like a kitten is putting on weight.’
Noticing his mother-in-law’s expression was a little off, Li Xiu asked cautiously, "Mom, is something wrong?"
"It’s good enough to have a full stomach these days, and yet you’re indulging her, letting her be so picky. What kind of bad habit is that!" Mrs. Zhou felt this was going too far. It was understandable to eat a little better during pregnancy, but this was excessive.
"Mom, it’s not like we have any real delicacies right now. The mushrooms and bamboo shoots are just foraged from the mountains, and the chicken and eggs are from our own coop. None of it cost any money. As for the white flour, the rations I got from my work last year are more than enough for her to eat. We didn’t spend anything. Besides, she’s pregnant now, isn’t she? Mom, don’t worry. I can provide for my wife!"
Li Xiu pretended not to understand his mother-in-law’s true meaning. ’With how little my wife eats, the problem is that there’s just nowhere to get better things right now. If there were, I’d get her anything she wanted to eat, whether it flew in the sky, swam in the water, or ran on the ground. The real question is whether my wife would even want to eat it!’
Zhou Kun glanced up at Li Xiu, who was playing dumb, then looked at his wife. ’She’s meddling too much.’ He said aloud, "Hurry up and eat. We still have to butcher that boar in a bit."
Mrs. Zhou shot him a look. She knew he was telling her to stay out of it. ’Forget it. They won’t listen anyway, and I’ll just end up fuming. What’s the point? Besides, it’s my own daughter they’re spoiling.’ In the end, though, she felt truly relieved. With a man who treasured her like a precious jewel, she no longer had to worry about her second daughter.
In the morning, the men of the family butchered the wild boar. Mrs. Zhou stewed a large pot of pork and sauerkraut and made a batch of cornbread. Li Xiu wanted to cook something separately for Zhou Lian, but she held him back. ’Mom’s been a little on edge these past two days. It’s better not to provoke her. Besides, I’m really not that delicate.’
Li Xiu understood, but sometimes he just couldn’t help himself. He couldn’t bear to let her feel the slightest bit wronged.
Just when Mrs. Zhou thought the matter was settled, she went to get more food halfway through the meal and saw Li Xiu picking all the glass noodles, lean meat, and tender cabbage leaves from the stew and putting them in Zhou Lian’s bowl. His own bowl was left with nothing but tough cabbage stalks and fatty pork. She opened her mouth to say something but then closed it without a word. ’If the two of them are happy, why should I be such a busybody? I’ll just end up pleasing neither of them!’
After lunch, Li Xiu took the share of the pork his father-in-law had prepared for them and headed home with his wife.
After they left, the rest of the Zhou family fell silent, not knowing what to say. They were satisfied with this son-in-law, but he was... too good. If they used him as the standard for future sons-in-law, would their other daughters ever get married? But if they didn’t hold to that standard, would the three girls be content?
Mrs. Zhou started to look worried. "Mom, you’re overthinking things," Zhou Xiang said, looking knowingly at her mother, who had clearly been thrown for a loop the past two days. "Second Brother-in-law is great, but if I had a man like that, I don’t think I could stand it!"
"Huh?" Mrs. Zhou was surprised that Zhou Xiang had read her mind, and also by her tone.
"Following my every step, wanting to carry me in his pocket all day... I couldn’t handle that!" Zhou Xiang said irritably. ’Mom is being so dramatic. This really got to her!’
Mrs. Zhou saw her three daughters shaking their heads in unison and was a bit dumbfounded. Zhou Kun cut her off directly. "Every pot has its lid. What are you worrying about all day? Now, prepare three more portions. Have the three brothers each take a share to their Yue Family, so our in-laws can have a taste of meat. And get some more ready for the third girl to take to her eldest sister’s home."
The Eldest Sister-in-law was delighted. Her parents-in-law were so reasonable. This would give her face when she went back to her own family’s home. She quickly thanked him, "Thank you, Dad!"
Zhou Kun waved his hand. ’Times are tough for everyone. Even if we can fill our stomachs now, there’s no fat in our diets.’ He thought about his second son-in-law. ’That man is as clever as a monkey. He’s secured both the substance and the face of the matter. He’s truly gone to great lengths to win his wife’s heart!’
