Sarah too was stunned by the food combination on the table.
She hadn’t cooked because she was busy with Emma and usually they only cooked when Mary returned home.
Obviously she had smelled the aroma fluttering about wih Emma even calling it delicious but she chalked it up to some other home’s cooking.
Who knew it was her own home?
"I-I didn’t!"
In a panic, Sarah blurted out. This amount of food would last them days and it was all here.
She didn’t want to get a scolding for no reason.
Although her in-laws were good people, this was too wasteful and she was scared.
Why they were good?
Well, she hadn’t gotten pregnant after two years of marriage and they were yet to pressure her.
If this happened in any other countryside family, people would start calling her barren and point fingers at her.
Yet since her in-laws didn’t speak, no one dared to bully her.
Of course, in corners no one was watching, the words did reach her ears and she was also worried about getting pregnant.
"I made it," exclaimed Elena, derailing everyone’s thoughts.
Mary choked on her words hearing her daughter’s words.
She knew that she was from the city and maybe they ate like this in there and she couldn’t blame this daughter for her extravagance.
It wasn’t her fault.
She was raised in abundance, after all.
Thus, the Bennet family could only shut up and sit around the table.
They felt like they were sitting on pins and needles because such food was far from what they ate.
Usually it would be bland porridge with a few vegetables and egg noodles at best.
And during the new year maybe they’d add meat to the table.
Now seeing this vegetarian feast on a normal day stunned them.
With no choice left, they chose to bite the bullet and ensure Elena didn’t cook again.
For one, she was raised in luxury, how good could her cooking be?
The ingredients also mattered but her daughter raised in luxury shouldn’t have to work so hard.
Elena could see their thoughts plain as day as it was pretty obvious her parents were feeling guilty for holding her back.
"Let’s eat," she said, breaking the awkward silence.
The Bennet family reluctantly brought the food to their mouth and then...
Emma’s eyes lit up with delight, dazzling with stars.
Sarah had wide eyes and Mary and Thomas also had awestruck expressions.
The first bite sunned them.
This... This was delicious!
Without wasting time, the chopsticks flew acriss the table and the delicious stir-fry was reduced to less than half within a minute.
The eating speed suddenly slowed down as they felt guilt for Elena.
Emma was almost full so she was stopped from eating more.
There were also steamed buns, so Sarah stopped Emma from overeating.
But Thomas and Mary only felt guilt as they were embarrassed.
They had just thought Elena wouldn’t know how to cook and now they were eating in a frenzy.
It was really ridiculous.
Without further words, they shifted to eating the steamed buns or dumplings.
There wasn’t much of a difference between the two names so it didn’t really matter.
The first bite surprised them.
The bun was pillowy and faintly sweet, yielding almost effortlessly between the teeth.
Inside, the egg was soft and savory, with a gentle richness that cut through the fresh, grassy sharpness of the chives.
There was a whisper of pepper and oil, warm and comforting without being heavy.
The flavors were simple, but they seemed to fit together perfectly—the buttery egg, the bright chives, and the tender dough leaving a warm, savory taste lingering on the tongue.
If the stir-fry were already surprising enough, then the buns were stunning.
The buns also ended up finished within minutes.
Scarfed off without water.
Elena too ate with relish, feeling happy that her skills hadn’t rusted and she could still cook.
Finally, she could have a meal that didn’t require forcing it down her throat.
Although a bit on the rougher side, it was much better than what the Bennet family usually cooked.
As the dinner ended, Elena didn’t rise and it was Sarah who cleared the table with little Emma’s help.
All the bowls and chopsticks were cleared out and a solemn atmosphere took over.
"Daughter... This... We can’t afford this," Mary began with a pained expression, alternating between pale and green.
She didn’t want to torture her daughter but that was their reality so what else could she do?
If they had another choice, they wouldn’t be living like they were.
"I understand... mom."
Elena replied, hesitating on how to address the woman opposite her, but in the end chose the most appropriate term.
Mary’s eyes reddened, threatening to spill tears as her daughter called her mom with Thomas too on the verge of tears.
Both of them didn’t know how to accommodate this daughter and were planning to give her some money but now they realized they were foolish.
Even if they delayed Emma’s schooling by a year or two, the money wouldn’t be enough to reimburse their daughter for her lost future.
It just couldn’t be enough.
It seemed Elena was none the wiser about it or pretended to be unaware of their struggles.
"Mom, dad, I plan to sell these," she added softly.
Once she called Mary mom, it wasn’t hard to address them as mom and dad, the initial friction was gone.
The two were stunned by the sudden affectionate call and were then astonished by the next words.
"No, what do you mean sell? Who will buy this?" Thomas blurted out instantly then realized his blunder after seeing Elena’s shocked expression.
"Elena dear, your father didn’t mean it that way. The food is absolutely delicious but who would buy it if it’s too expensive?" Mary added to diffuse the situation.
"Mom, I’ve thought it through. I’ll sell these buns for eleven cents per bun. That should be reasonable enough and at best I’ll decrease it to ten cents."
"Don’t go on their taste, they had coarse grain and cornmeal mixed in. If I make them purely out of fine flour, I’ll never sell out. I also understand that."