Zhou Yu remembered very clearly. In her previous life, Wang Hongmei often failed to prepare meals for Zhao Yunzheng. Whenever anyone asked, she would simply say she had forgotten, showing not the slightest bit of concern for him.
After Zhou Yu married into the Zhao family, Wang Hongmei and Zhao Changdong never once took the initiative to ask about Zhao Yunzheng’s condition.
Zhou Yu quickly finished cooking. After eating, she carried the bowl of liquid food she had prepared for Zhao Yunzheng back to the room and carefully fed the man.
“Looks like you and I aren’t so different, Brother Zhao. My adoptive parents only cared about Zhou Rulan, and that’s one thing. But your parents are your biological parents, yet all they see is Zhao Ziming.”
She glanced at the unconscious man sympathetically. After feeding him, she took the bowl to the kitchen.
She didn’t wash it, simply leaving it there. She only washed Zhao Yunzheng’s dirty clothes and bedding, hung them out to dry, and then headed out.
Unexpectedly, she ran into Zhao Ziming.
Thanks to having an older brother in the military, Zhao Ziming had been able to continue his education. After graduating, he became a teacher at the village elementary school. He usually stayed at school during lunch and rarely came home, which was why Wang Hongmei had gone to deliver food to him.
For him to be home at noon was unusual.
Seeing him, Zhou Yu immediately felt annoyed. Not wanting anything to do with him, she tried to walk around him.
But Zhao Ziming blocked her path.
“How come you’re coming out of my house?”
Frowning, he seemed to think of something, and displeasure flashed across his face.
“Since you’ve agreed to marry my older brother, then behave yourself and stop thinking about me. This afternoon, I’m taking Rulan to the county town to buy some things. Don’t you dare interfere.”
Zhou Yu blinked.
“What?”
She stared at him speechlessly.
“Why would I be thinking about you? I already registered my marriage with Brother Zhao this morning. I’m there to take care of him. Stop dragging me into your nonsense!”
Armed with memories from her previous life, Zhao Ziming didn’t believe her at all.
“It’d better be true. But if you dare come between me and Rulan, no matter how much you like me, I won’t show you any mercy.”
Then he glanced at his watch and casually ordered:
“Fine. I won’t argue with you. Go home now and cook for me. Make it quick. Don’t delay me from picking up Rulan later.”
Although Wang Hongmei delivered him meals, her cooking was merely edible, not tasty.
On the other hand, Zhou Yu’s cooking skills were excellent. In their previous life, Zhao Ziming had become spoiled by her cooking.
Zhou Yu was utterly dumbfounded.
Without hesitation, she stomped hard on his foot.
Caught completely off guard, Zhao Ziming’s face twisted in pain.
“Zhou Yu, you—”
“Shut up!”
Zhou Yu spat in disgust.
“I’m your sister-in-law now. What gives you the nerve to order me to cook for you?”
Zhao Ziming choked on his words. Only then did he remember this wasn’t their previous life.
“We’re all family now. What’s wrong with making a meal? Am I, a grown man, supposed to cook for myself—”
Zhou Yu couldn’t stand listening any longer and turned to leave.
This time, Zhao Ziming didn’t stop her.
Annoyed, he shouted after her,
“You’re nowhere near as gentle as Rulan! No wonder I never liked you in either lifetime!”
By then, Zhou Yu had already walked far away and completely ignored him.
When she returned to the Zhou family home, she found Zhou Rulan sitting in the courtyard while Zhou Dajun and Li Juying were out working in the fields.
Ever since Zhou Rulan had been found and brought home as a child, the couple had never had the heart to make her do farm work.
Noticing Zhou Yu’s return, Zhou Rulan immediately smiled sweetly.
“Sis, do you think my new hair flower and clothes look nice? Ziming bought them for me yesterday.”
“Oh, I almost forgot—you registered your marriage this morning. Even if Brother Zhao can’t buy you anything, your in-laws must have gotten you something, right?”
Zhou Yu stopped in her tracks and turned around. Then she stretched out her hand.
“My in-laws weren’t willing to buy me anything. Since you have so many new things, why don’t you give me your new hair flower and clothes?”
Zhou Rulan’s face immediately darkened.
“They’re mine! Why should I give them to you?”
“Aren’t you bringing it up because you want to give them to me?” Zhou Yu asked in mock surprise.
Zhou Rulan sneered.
“Are your ears broken? Can’t you understand plain words? Though with how shameless you are, being deaf wouldn’t be surprising.”
Zhou Yu curled her lips.
“Who says I didn’t understand? I understood perfectly well. You’re standing up for me and saying my mother-in-law is stingy. Easy enough—I’ll go back and make a scene. I’ll tell her you were right. How can I have absolutely nothing?”
“I never said that! Don’t put words in my mouth!”
Zhou Rulan shot to her feet, her face changing instantly.
“If you give them to me, I won’t go bother my mother-in-law,” Zhou Yu threatened with a smile that wasn’t a smile.
“What do you think? Unless Zhao Ziming is actually reluctant to spend money on you and only bought you these little things, so you can’t bear to part with them?”
“How is that possible?!”
Provoked, Zhou Rulan rushed into her room. She changed out of her brand-new indeed-cotton dress and brought it out together with the new hair flower.
“Take them if you want! Ziming will buy me plenty more. These mean nothing!”
She lifted her chin proudly.
Zhou Yu gave her a meaningful look.
“You’d better hope that’s true. Make sure he spends lots of money on you.”
Just then, Zhao Ziming arrived and called for Zhou Rulan from outside the courtyard.
Immediately, Zhou Rulan told Zhou Yu to just wait and see before hurrying out.
From inside, Zhou Yu could hear her coquettishly asking Zhao Ziming for even more new clothes and hair ornaments.
He seemed surprised at first. After all, he had just bought her things yesterday.
But he quickly agreed.
The two of them chatted sweetly as they walked away together.
Zhou Yu couldn’t help laughing.
Once all the money was spent, she wanted to see where Zhao Ziming would get the funds to marry Zhou Rulan at the end of the month.
And as for the new clothes and hair flower—why refuse free gifts?
Humming cheerfully, Zhou Yu packed up her belongings and returned to the Zhao household.
Wang Hongmei had already come back before her.
As soon as Zhou Yu entered the courtyard, she saw Wang Hongmei sorting vegetables with a dark expression. The older woman immediately called out to her.
“Zhou Yu, two scoops of white flour, an ounce of meat, and the fresh cucumbers I picked this morning are missing from the kitchen. Do you know where they went?”
Zhou Yu replied confidently,
“Of course. I ate them.”
“What?!”
Perhaps because she now considered Zhou Yu a member of the Zhao family, Wang Hongmei shot to her feet, ready to scold her for wasting food.
But Zhou Yu spoke first.
“I was planning to go home to eat, but then I saw Brother Zhao starving. How could I ignore him? So I stayed and cooked. Of course, I know you and Dad care so much about him. You couldn’t possibly have left him hungry on purpose, right?”
Wang Hongmei was instantly speechless.
Then Zhou Yu slapped her forehead dramatically.
“Oh no! I forgot to wash the dishes. I was too busy washing Brother Zhao’s bedding and sheets.”
“But I know you’ll understand. I’m still learning how to take care of him, and there’s only so much I can do. You wouldn’t expect me to handle all the housework too, would you?”
The scolding Wang Hongmei had prepared got stuck in her throat.
Forcing a smile, she said,
“Of course. For now, your priority is learning how to take care of the eldest. You can worry about the other chores later.”
“Thank you, Mom. Then I’ll go put away my things.”
With that, Zhou Yu went into the room.
Behind her, Wang Hongmei silently slammed the washbasin in frustration, venting her anger where no one could see.