Though there was no refrigerator, the Jade Melon became refreshingly cool after being chilled in the well for some time—crisp and delightful to eat.
Zhao Lanzhi didn’t mind her daughter fetching water for her eldest and second sisters-in-law to wash their faces; instead, she felt her daughter had grown more sensible. “Ranran is such a good girl.”
She set the Jade Melon on the ground and instructed, “Rinse it with water before putting it in the well.”
The melon’s skin was still covered with dirt and dust.
Having previously gathered a fair amount of vegetables for Shi Yunxiao, Zhao Lanzhi went back to the field to pick more, while Huang Cuicui took two vegetable baskets to the mountains to gather mushrooms.
Su Qingran wanted to go along but was stopped by Zhao Lanzhi. After her daughter had nearly died in the mountains, she didn’t dare let her go back up there anytime soon.
Left with no choice, Su Qingran could only help wash vegetables in the kitchen.
Zhao Lanzhi felt sorry for her. “Ranran, you just had a fall—you should rest properly. The kitchen is fine with me and your sisters-in-law here.”
Liu Xiaoyan added, “Yes, little sister, go back to your room and rest.”
Of course, Su Qingran refused. “Mom, eldest sister-in-law, I’m full of energy right now! Besides, Comrade Shi is my savior—let me prepare today’s meal.”
“You?” Zhao Lanzhi wasn’t exactly doubting her own daughter. Although the girl often cooked, it was usually simple home-style dishes, nothing like the elaborate feast needed today, especially with such precious meat ingredients.
“Mom, I’ve watched you cook for guests many times before—I can do it!”
Su Qingran spoke earnestly. In her past life, she had painstakingly honed her culinary skills to win Lu Jingxuan’s affection and had indeed achieved considerable success.
Half-convinced yet hesitant, Zhao Lanzhi didn’t want to dampen her daughter’s confidence. “Alright, try making one dish first. If it doesn’t work out, I’ll take over.”
“Okay!”
…
The summer sun set late, and even close to five o’clock, it was still quite scorching outside.
When Su Laoda and Su Laoer returned, they carried several carp, with the younger children trailing behind them. Their clothes were soaked and caked with mud.
Si Ya held a few Big-headed Shrimps in her hands, wincing in pain as their legs pricked her fingers, her face smudged with dirt.
The other older children were in similar states—the girls slightly better off, while the boys had stripped off their shirts to use as bags for the fish and shrimp.
Zhao Lanzhi exclaimed, “Oh my! Where have you all been? You’re filthy! You little rascals, looking for a spanking, aren’t you?”
Su Dahu, being the oldest and a bit more sensible, cried out at the threat of a beating, “It was Second Uncle who took us!”
“Second Uncle said to catch some fish and shrimp from the river for the guest! Grandma, if you want to hit someone, hit Second Uncle!”
Su Junze laughed in exasperation. That Su Dahu had sold him out without a second thought.
Su Yuanfeng interjected, “Mom, Laoer and I were right there with them. The kids were safe.”
Zhao Lanzhi wouldn’t hear it, shooting Su Junze a sharp glare. “Taking the kids into the water—how reckless!”
“Next time I catch you doing this, I’ll whip every one of you, no exceptions!”
After scolding them thoroughly, she glanced at the two men again. “Well? Aren’t you going to clean this stuff up?”
“Right away, Mom!” Su Junze replied with a cheeky grin, completely unfazed by the earlier reprimand.
“As for the rest of you, go take a bath and change your clothes!”
“Okay, Grandma!”
Su Qingran had just finished plating the stir-fried cured meat when Zhao Lanzhi picked up a piece and took a small bite. After chewing twice, a look of surprise flashed across her face.
“Mom, how is it?”
Liu Xiaoyan and Huang Cuicui, who were busy cutting vegetables, also looked over curiously. They had already smelled the aroma—it was fragrant!
But then again, it was cured meat. No matter how you cooked it, it would always be fragrant, right?
“Not bad. Then Ranran will be in charge of cooking today.” Zhao Lanzhi was overjoyed. She never expected her daughter’s cooking skills to be this good. It seemed she could boast about it to others in the future!
“Here, you two try some too.” Zhao Lanzhi tore the unfinished piece of cured meat into two small portions and handed them to the other two, then quickly stuffed the remaining piece into Su Qingran’s mouth.
Huang Cuicui exclaimed in surprise, “When did Little Sister’s cooking become so delicious? It was good before, but not this good.”
Su Qingran smiled. “Maybe it’s the aroma of the meat, and I also used a lot of oil.”
She wasn’t lying. When she was stir-frying the cured meat, she had scooped a spoonful of lard, which made Zhao Lanzhi’s heart ache.
But thinking that they were inviting Shi Yunxiao, their lifesaver, to dinner, Zhao Lanzhi held back.
If it had to be more, then so be it. After all, it was just for today. They couldn’t let Comrade Shi think their family was stingy!
“Mom!” A commotion came from outside.
“It’s Third Sister and Third Brother-in-law. They’re back.”
Her third sister and third brother-in-law both worked as teachers at the elementary school in town. Since Third Brother-in-law’s parents had passed away early, the couple lived with the Su family. Su’s father and mother were happy with the arrangement and naturally treated Third Brother-in-law as their own son.
Su Qingran had already heard the bicycle bell ringing in the yard earlier. She wiped her hands on her apron and looked toward the door with anticipation. Among the family members, she hadn’t met Third Sister and Third Brother-in-law yet.
All four children of the Su family were good-looking, with Su Qingran and the third daughter, Su Qingshu, being the most attractive.
Su Qingshu had a gentle temperament and was the mildest-tempered among the siblings. With her good looks, it was no wonder she had Third Brother-in-law wrapped around her finger.
Su Yuanfeng and Su Junze were men who worked the fields, so their skin was relatively dark, but their features were still quite pleasant to look at.
“Mom, Little Sister!”
Su Qingshu put down the things she was carrying and immediately entered the kitchen, anxiously asking, “Mom, you weren’t clear on the phone. I was so confused. What exactly happened? How did Little Sister hit her head? And what’s this about breaking off the engagement with Lu Jingxuan?”
Third Brother-in-law’s surname was Lin, and his name was Lin Jiahui. He had fair, clean skin and was wearing a dacron shirt. After following Su Qingshu in, he greeted everyone one by one, then smiled apologetically at the eldest and second brothers. His wife was worried about Little Sister, so she was a bit impatient.
The two brothers shook their heads and smiled, indicating they didn’t mind.
Su Junze thought to himself, this Third Brother-in-law was really a considerate person, but he actually felt quite good about it.
“Ah, your Little Sister is just too kind-hearted. She saw someone about to jump off a cliff and ran over to stop them, but who knew that Qiao Manxue would push her and she hit her head on a rock? That damned Lu Jingxuan happened to come back and witness it, but instead of caring for your Little Sister, he ran over to hug that Educated Youth Qiao! It makes me so angry!”
“Luckily, there was someone else nearby who saved your Little Sister’s life. He’s coming over for dinner tonight to thank him.”
“Did you manage to buy some meat from the supply and marketing cooperative?”
Su Qingshu suppressed the anger in her eyes and nodded. “It’s in the main room.”
“Little sister, breaking off the engagement was the right decision. Lu Jingxuan doesn’t even care about your life, he’s simply not worthy to be your husband!”
“Mm.” Su Qingran nodded obediently.
“Mom, how can you let little sister cook right after she fell? Look, she still has gauze wrapped around her head!”
Zhao Lanzhi sighed, “Your little sister said she wants to cook for her lifesaver, how could I stop her?”
“Third sister, third brother-in-law, I’m fine now, don’t worry about me.”
Lin Jiahui also came over to express his concern.
“Qingshu, where’s Wu Ya?” Zhao Lanzhi asked.
Su Qingshu and Lin Jiahui had only been married for a few years and had only one child, Wu Ya. Both of them were busy with work and had no time to take care of the child, so Wu Ya was left in Zhao Lanzhi’s care. However, since Zhao Lanzhi had to work in the fields, Su Qingran ended up taking care of Wu Ya more often. Today, though, Wu Ya had been crying and insisting on going to school with Su Qingshu.
“Ah, that naughty monkey ran off to play with her little friends as soon as she came back. She’s probably outside playing in the mud right now!”
“She’ll come back when she gets tired from playing.”
Su Qingshu brought over the meat she had cut, “Mom, it was too late today and the supply and marketing cooperative was already out of meat. This meat was borrowed from a colleague, and there’s also a pound of pork ribs.”
“We also bought a pound of brown sugar and a pound of Autumn Pears to help little sister recover.”
“Thank you, third sister and third brother-in-law.” Su Qingran felt warm inside; her family truly cared for her the most.
Liu Xiaoyan and Huang Cuicui exchanged glances. Since the third sister had shown her concern, they would have to do something too later. However, their financial situations weren’t as good as the third sister’s, so their gifts definitely wouldn’t be as generous. Fortunately, their mother and little sister weren’t the type to fuss over such things.
…
Around six o’clock, Su Hongshan returned from the fields, covered in sweat.
Zhao Lanzhi was wiping the tables and stools, “Go take a bath quickly. I’ve already saved water for you in the washroom. Go straight there and be quick about it. What would it look like if Comrade Shi arrived and you were still bathing?”
“Is the meal ready?”
“Almost. Ranran is cooking today.”
“Ranran is cooking?” Su Hongshan was somewhat surprised, but didn’t say much more. Since his wife thought it was fine, then it must be fine.