Pushing open the courtyard gate, she found a middle-aged woman standing at the doorstep—sturdy in build, holding a piece of pork with both lean and fatty parts in her left hand and a plump old hen in her right.
The woman had fair skin, regular features, and was dressed very plainly, with a few fresh bloodstains on the apron tied around her waist.
Clearly, she was quite familiar with the Xu family, as she hadn’t bothered to dress up before visiting.
Sheng An guessed she was some relative of the Xus. Glancing at the roughly four or five jin of pork and the plump, clucking hen, she put on an enthusiastic smile:
“Your nephew is in the room helping his father with his meal. Please come in and sit, Auntie.”
This body was severely lacking in nourishment, and the sight of meat made her mouth water uncontrollably.
Xu Cuilian glared at her: “What are you calling me? I’m Jinnian’s aunt!”
As she spoke, she scrutinized Sheng An from head to toe with the critical eyes of a mother-in-law judging her daughter-in-law, not bothering to hide the disdain on her chubby face:
“Skinny as a rake, not an ounce of flesh on your chest or butt—clearly not built for bearing children. I really don’t know what my nephew sees in you.”
Only her face was barely passable.
That boy Jinnian was so disappointing, just like those lustful types who only care about looks.
The more Xu Cuilian thought about it, the more frustrated she became, and her expression toward Sheng An grew even colder.
Sheng An was speechless.
If she wanted to look down on her, fine—but why resort to personal attacks?
She glanced down at her modest chest. Clearly, there was plenty of room for growth, right?
Sheng An never internalized criticism. Smiling, she retorted:
“A sow may be fertile, but it’s still just a dish on the table. We women shouldn’t degrade ourselves by comparing ourselves to livestock.”
Xu Cuilian was completely stumped, opening and closing her mouth but unable to utter a word.
Sheng An had no interest in continuing the argument. She took the heavy pork and old hen:
“Father is weak and needs nourishing. I’ll accept your kind gifts on his behalf, Auntie.”
Watching Sheng An grin like a thief who’d stolen oil, Xu Cuilian’s lips twitched.
This woman wasn’t just easy on the eyes—she was thick-skinned too, not even bothering with polite refusals.
And her tongue was sharp. She definitely wouldn’t lose out in arguments with the neighbors.
Xu Cuilian comforted herself with these thoughts, barely suppressing her anger:
“It’s hot out, so eat the pork first. We’ll slaughter the chicken in a couple of days.”
With that, Xu Cuilian snorted at Sheng An, lifted her double chin with pride, and strode into the house.
Sheng An, having gained pork and a hen for free, was in too good a mood to care about Xu Cuilian’s attitude.
Happily, she placed the pork in the kitchen, then carried the hen to the backyard and shut it in the chicken coop in the corner.
The Xu family had originally kept over a dozen chickens, but after Xu Chenglin fell ill, they’d been gradually stewed to nourish him.
Now, only two hens remained as original residents in the coop—they’d been spared the knife only because they laid eggs daily.
Perhaps Sheng An’s gaze was too intense, the two original residents trembled and huddled in the farthest corner.
Sheng An spent a long time making coaxing sounds, but they acted as if they had no ears, refusing to even glance at her.
“Clueless creatures! Sooner or later, I’ll stew you both in one pot!”
The two hens: “…”
Innocent, Your Honor! They were chickens, chickens, chickens!
What decent person calls chickens the way they call dogs?!
In the room, Xu Jinnian helped the weary Xu Chenglin lie down, picked up the bowl empty of even a drop of thick flour soup, and went to the main hall to talk with Xu Cuilian, who couldn’t contain her delight.
“Jinnian, your father’s appetite has improved significantly. It must mean his condition is getting better. Should we call the physician again? Don’t worry about the cost – your aunt is here.”
Xu Cuilian shared a deep bond with her second brother Xu Chenglin. Having watched him finish an entire bowl of thick flour soup spoon by spoon, her heart that had been anxious all night finally settled somewhat.
“The physician examined him the day before yesterday and adjusted the prescription. Perhaps the new medicine is taking effect.”
Though Xu Jinnian knew the real reason for his father’s improved appetite, he understood his aunt wouldn’t believe it, so he attributed it to the changed prescription.
“Heaven has finally shown mercy! Your father has been ill for months and is finally showing improvement.”
Xu Cuilian’s eyes reddened with emotion as she clasped her hands and bowed several times toward the sky.
After composing herself, she wiped the corners of her eyes and instructed her nephew:
“The Imperial Examination is only a few months away. Now that your Niangzi is taking care of your father, you should focus entirely on your studies. Strive to pass and become a Cultivated Talent – it would make your father so happy.”
Knowing his aunt’s temperament, Xu Jinnian obediently agreed: “Alright.”
A daughter-in-law caring for her father-in-law was rather inconvenient, and tending to the sick was exhausting work. His Niangzi was delicate – what if she fell ill from overexertion?
Seeing that her nephew hadn’t forgotten his father after getting married, some of the irritation Sheng An had stirred in Xu Cuilian dissipated, and her voice grew louder:
“All the girls we previously considered for you were better than your wife! Who knows what kind of bewitching potion she gave you, making you marry a village girl who only has her looks going for her, with a mouth that could anger someone to death!”
Xu Jinnian’s brow furrowed slightly as he gently defended Sheng An:
“Aunt, Niangzi is wonderful. Father likes his daughter-in-law very much too.”
Xu Cuilian choked up before retorting angrily: “Your father is confused from his illness – his judgment is impaired!”
Xu Jinnian: “…”
Was his aunt indirectly calling him blind?
Unaware of her nephew’s thoughts, Xu Cuilian continued loudly:
“Never mind, never mind. What’s done is done. From now on, I’ll save some pork bones daily. Have your wife come to the meat stall to collect them – she needs to build up that frail body of hers.”
If she didn’t fatten up soon, what difference was there between her nephew sleeping with a skeleton?
If he used even a little strength in bed, that bag of bones would probably snap in half.
“Alright, I have plenty to do at home and must get back. Tell your wife to take good care of your father. Come to me if you need money.”
After all her lengthy instructions left her throat dry, Xu Cuilian picked up a cup, drained it in one gulp, then stood up to leave.
She had married a man surnamed Zhang who followed his father’s trade as Butcher Zhang, famous throughout the surrounding villages.
Because he conducted business conscientiously without shortchanging customers, villagers preferred selling their pigs to Butcher Zhang, while townfolk liked buying meat from the Zhang family stall.
They typically sold three pigs per day, keeping Xu Cuilian constantly busy.
As aunt and nephew stepped out of the main hall, Sheng An appeared from nowhere:
“Aunt, stay for lunch! My cooking is excellent – I guarantee you’ll remember the meal for three years.”
Xu Cuilian rolled her eyes, thinking Sheng An was boasting:
“Take good care of your father-in-law. You can eat at my expense for three years if you want.”
Without another glance at Sheng An, she waved briskly at Xu Jinnian and hurried off.
Watching Xu Cuilian’s retreating figure, Sheng An poked Xu Jinnian’s waist with her finger:
“Was Aunt speaking ill of me?”
Xu Jinnian took his wife’s hand, smiling faintly as he shook his head:
“Aunt praised your beauty and your cooking. She said the thick flour soup you made gave Father such an appetite that he finished a whole bowl.”
Sheng An withdrew her hand and rolled her eyes at the man. “I believe the first part, but the second part was definitely added by you.”
“Your aunt meant no harm toward you.” Xu Jinnian’s handsome face showed no trace of embarrassment at being exposed, and he repeated the instructions she had given before leaving.
Sheng An was somewhat surprised. Asking her to go to the Zhang family’s meat stall every day to get pork bones to nourish her body?
Her aunt was surprisingly kind.
Next time she argued with someone, she’d hold back a little.