“Mother, isn’t it a good thing that Qianqian has lost some weight? Let’s get them inside! It’s too cold to be standing out here.” Bai Yi urged his mother to take Bai Qianqian and her son into the house.
“You’re right,” Mother Bai said, finally snapping out of her daze. She took Qianqian’s hand and pulled her inside.
Surveying the table of leftover food, Mother Bai hurriedly called out to her eldest daughter-in-law. “I didn’t expect you to return now. Go and stir-fry a few more dishes!”
“Mother, please, don’t,” Bai Qianqian interrupted. “It’s late, and we’re all exhausted. We can just eat whatever is here. You can make fresh food tomorrow.”
The eldest sister-in-law, who had no desire to be thrown back into the kitchen, readily agreed. “Yunniang is right, Mother. They’ve traveled so far. Let’s not make a fuss tonight. We can prepare a proper feast tomorrow. Let’s just get their room ready.”
“Yunniang is right,” Mother Bai conceded. “We’ll prepare a grand meal tomorrow. Tonight, Qianqian and the child need their rest.”
She kept her hand clasped tightly around her daughter’s, reluctant to let go. “Alright, then. Tomorrow I’ll butcher that pheasant your father caught. For now, just get some sleep!”
“The room you had before your wedding is still empty,” Mother Bai said. “Your sister-in-law will tidy it up for you. Let me cook some noodles for you all.” She couldn’t bear the thought of her daughter eating leftovers on her first visit home and insisted on cooking a proper meal.
“Grandma! I want noodles too!” Er Mao cried, abandoning the half-bowl of rice he’d been eating.
His mother quickly seized him. “Those are for your aunt! What are you daydreaming about? Finish your rice!”
Bai Qianqian noted the sharp edge in her sister-in-law’s voice. She recalled the stories of the original owner’s clashes with the woman when she first married into the family.
Spoiled and pampered, the original Bai Qianqian had been the center of everyone’s attention in the Bai household. When two nephews were born, she had felt her place threatened and had caused numerous scenes.
It was no wonder her sister-in-law still held a grudge.
“Er Mao, your aunt brought you some treats,” Bai Qianqian said, reaching into her basket for the candied winter melon and brown sugar jujube cakes. “Finish your rice, and then I’ll give them to you.”
Zhao Anyao stood beside her, looking lost in the unfamiliar environment of the Bai home.
Noticing his discomfort, Qianqian gave him a task. “Help me put the candied winter melon on the table.”
“Why did you bring so many things? Do you still have enough money to get by?” Father Bai asked, his worry for his daughter quickly overriding his surprise.
He frowned, assuming she was still spending her silver recklessly. “The Zhao family’s second son doesn’t know when he’ll return. I’m afraid you and the child will go hungry.”
Father Bai stared at the jujube cakes and candied winter melon on the plate, speechless.
“Qianqian, do you think we don’t know you?” Bai Yi said, his tone more direct. “If the money is gone, it’s gone. Father is just worried about your well-being; he’s not blaming you. There’s no need to lie to us.” He simply couldn’t believe that the same Bai Qianqian who had never even fried a vegetable back home could now bake pastries.
“I’ve been selling them in town for over a month,” Bai Qianqian replied. “If you don’t believe me, you can ask around there!”
She knew the original owner’s reputation for laziness and gluttony ran deep, so she didn’t force them to believe her right away. Instead, she began unpacking the cured pork and sausages, then laid out the two bolts of fabric.
When she told them the gifts were all for them, the rest of the Bai family stared, stunned.
“Hurry over and eat your noodles! I fried two eggs for you and added some minced meat. Eat while it’s hot!”
Mother Bai carried a large bowl of noodles out of the kitchen, then returned to get a smaller bowl for Zhao Anyao.
“What are you all staring at? Let Qianqian come eat!”
“Coming! Let’s go, Anyao, let’s eat,” Bai Qianqian said, ignoring the rest of her family, who were still frozen in shock. After a long oxcart ride, she was starving.
“What’s wrong with you all? Oh! When did you buy these pastries?” Mother Bai asked, her eyes widening as she noticed the sweets on the table and the basket of cured pork and sausages Bai Qianqian had brought.
“Our sister brought them for us,” Sister-in-law Bai said hesitantly. “Should we accept them?”
“Of course we should! My daughter bought them to honor me. She traveled all this way carrying them—wouldn’t it hurt her feelings if I refused? Put the meat away, then give Da Mao and Er Mao a piece of cake each. Leave the rest alone!”
A joyful expression lit up Sister-in-law Bai’s face. She happily put the meat away and, not daring to give her sons the whole cakes, broke them in half to share.
“Mother, those date cakes are made with eggs, red dates, and brown sugar. You and Sister-in-law should eat more of them,” Bai Qianqian said as she slurped down the noodles. The flavor was truly impressive—no wonder the original host had been raised this way. Her mother’s cooking was simply beyond reproach.
“If you say so, your sister-in-law and I will eat more in the future. Where did you buy these cakes? They’re delicious!” Mother Bai broke off two more pieces for herself. She genuinely enjoyed the taste.
She knew her daughter’s appetite well; that large bowl of noodles was enough to fill them both.
After tidying the room, Mother Bai brought in a basin of hot water for them to soak their feet.
“With your temperament, I used to worry you’d have it worse than us at home,” Mother Bai said, watching her daughter. “But seeing you doing so well, my heart is finally at peace.” She noticed that while Qianqian had lost some weight, she seemed much more mature and sensible.
“Zhao Chengwu is gone, and there’s still a child to raise. If I hadn’t gotten my act together, the two of us would have starved to death by now,” Bai Qianqian replied.
Her mother is right, she thought. The original downer of this body couldn’t have survived.
If she hadn’t taken over, the Bai family might not have even found a body to bury.
“And that old woman from the Zhao family? Did she not try to control you?” Mother Bai’s brow furrowed in worry.
“It’s a blessing if she doesn’t even show up,” Bai Qianqian replied. “But I’m not someone she can push around. I’ve already turned her household upside down and told her we’ll live our separate lives—no one is to bother the other.”
In another household, such words would have drawn a harsh scolding. But Mother Bai’s reaction was the opposite. Hearing her daughter’s boldness, she praised her.
“I knew that old woman was a piece of work from the start. I only married you into the family because Zhao Chengwu seemed like a steady man. Who knew he’d be drafted into the army? If you hadn’t stood your ground, that old woman would have walked all over you. Don’t you worry—if any real trouble comes up, you just come back to us. We’ll be your backbone.”
Mother Bai didn’t lecture her daughter on filial piety or respecting her in-laws. Instead, she APPROVED of her toughness.
No one should be allowed to mistreat her daughter.
The eldest sister-in-law frowned as she listened, but she didn’t dare speak up against her own mother-in-law. After all, it was the Zhao family that was suffering, and it had nothing to do with her.