After Zhao Dongya left, Jiang Ye took a sip of water and said, “Since we’re already husband and wife, you can tell me whatever you want to say. There’s no need to hold back.”
Ji Yang had indeed come to eat because she had something she wanted to discuss with Jiang Ye. He had probably guessed that too, which was why he had sent his younger sister away.
After mentally reviewing the marriage customs of this era, she asked, “Do we still need to hold a wedding banquet?”
“Of course!” Holding a wedding banquet was even more important than obtaining a marriage certificate. Even if a couple hadn’t registered their marriage, holding a wedding banquet meant they were considered married in practice.
“But we definitely can’t make it too extravagant. We can reserve two tables at the state-run restaurant and invite our relatives and neighbors. The next day, we can invite my friends and your friends over for a meal at home.”
Ji Yang didn’t know how to cook. She cautiously asked, “At home… um… would you be the one cooking?”
“You don’t know how?” Jiang Ye asked in return.
Ji Yang fell silent.
…Was she supposed to know how?
Awkwardly tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear, she smiled and said, “You know my mother is actually my stepmother, right?”
“So?”
“Grain is precious, and my stepmother was afraid I’d sneak food while cooking, so she never let me into the kitchen. That’s why I don’t know how to cook.”
“Tsk!” Jiang Ye rubbed his forehead. He hadn’t expected that the wife he had just married didn’t even know how to cook. This was just…
He wanted to say something, but then he realized there was no point in complaining now. In the end, he simply said, “It’s fine, it’s fine, it’s really fine. Cooking isn’t difficult. As long as you have hands, you can do it. I’ll teach you. It’s simple, and you’ll learn in no time.”
Although Ji Yang had never cooked before, she also thought it probably wasn’t that difficult. Jiang Ye was right, after all. Wasn’t cooking something you could do as long as you had hands?
So she nodded along. “You’re right. I’m sure I can learn.”
Jiang Ye was satisfied. His wife might not know how to cook, but at least she had a good attitude. He could teach her more once they got home.
Then, for some reason, he suddenly thought of the saying, “Correct your children in public, but teach your wife in private.”
Jiang Ye raised an eyebrow and looked at the woman sitting across from him. She had grown up without a biological mother. Perhaps no one had taught her about social etiquette, household chores, cooking, or how to conduct herself around other people.
Ah, well. If that was the case, then as her husband, he would simply have to put in a little more effort in the future.
Thinking this way, Jiang Ye suddenly felt as though his stature had grown to an impressive two meters and eighty centimeters. He unconsciously straightened his back, sat even more properly, and softened his voice as he said gently, “It’s fine. I’ll teach you little by little from now on.”
Ji Yang didn’t think that deeply about it. She assumed he was talking about teaching her to cook, so she obediently nodded again. “Then I’ll study hard. Once I learn, I’ll cook for you.”
Jiang Ye licked his lips, a hint of amusement appearing in his eyes. He felt an urge to reach for a cigarette, but after glancing at the woman across from him, he stopped himself.
It seemed he had discovered the joys of marriage.
Old Wang was a good cook, and he prepared the dishes quickly. Before long, everything was served. Jiang Ye urged Ji Yang to eat while chatting with her between bites.
“Old Wang’s father, Uncle Wang, was a chef too. Cooking is a family trade for Old Wang. He started learning how to toss food in a wok from his father when he was little. Back then, he wasn’t even as tall as the stove. He really does have some talent.”
“You have no idea how many restaurants have tried to hire him because of his cooking. Even the factory has asked him to work there. But he thinks things are more relaxed at the state-run restaurant.”
“Dongya got her job here through Old Wang’s connections.”
“Dongya stopped studying after junior high. You know how hard it is to find a job these days. There’s only one position for each person, and sometimes, even when someone is still occupying a position, someone else has already set their sights on it.”
“My mother and I were worried about Dongya’s employment too. How could we feel comfortable sending such a young girl to the countryside? Fortunately, someone at Old Wang’s restaurant had a baby and needed a temporary replacement, so Dongya got the chance to work here. But her monthly salary is only eighteen yuan, and she has to give half of it to the person she’s replacing. She doesn’t get to keep much, though it’s enough for a young girl like her to spend.”
The fish had been fried before being stewed, and it was cooked quite well. The braised pork had probably been prepared in advance; it was tender and delicious. The green vegetables were stir-fried bok choy, which tasted good too. Ji Yang quite liked the food.
As she listened to Jiang Ye, she realized that he was the kind of person who actually talked about things instead of keeping everything to himself. She liked people like that. They were much easier to get along with than those who preferred to bottle everything up and never said what was on their minds.
Besides, Jiang Ye didn’t reveal everything all at once. Through a few casual remarks, he gave her a general idea of his family situation.
“Working at a restaurant sounds nice. You get to eat good food, and the work isn’t too tiring.”
“Exactly. She wasn’t this plump before. She’s been working here for less than half a year, and I’d say she’s gained at least ten pounds.”
Ji Yang glanced back at Zhao Dongya, who was chatting with some of the other employees. Actually, she wasn’t that fat. At most, she was just a little plump.
“The employee she’s temporarily replacing should be coming back soon. Fortunately, the manager thinks she’s doing a good job and says he’ll apply for a temporary worker position for her.”
“That’s good.” Ji Yang picked up a piece of bok choy with her chopsticks and asked, “Speaking of which, why does your younger sister have a three-character name while yours only has two?”
“My grandfather gave all of us our names. My three older sisters are Jiang Chunhe, Jiang Xiazhi, and Jiang Qiuhui. My younger sister is Jiang Dongya. Their names follow the four seasons.”
“As for me, my name is Jiang Ye. My grandfather said the character ‘Ye’ comes from the line, ‘I walk through the fields, where the wheat grows lush and green.’ Simply put, all our names represent vigorous, thriving life.”
He carefully removed the bones from a piece of fish belly meat and casually placed it in Ji Yang’s bowl. After a pause, he asked, “You don’t mind, do you?”
Although he asked, Jiang Ye immediately added, “Look at how little you eat. You’re like a cat! You’re far too skinny.”
In her previous life, Ji Yang had always paid attention to her image. She ate in small, delicate bites, took her time with every meal, and was especially quiet while eating. She never made a sound and chewed each mouthful thoroughly for a long time.
Even after changing bodies and entering a different world, she had unconsciously carried her old habits with her.
She looked at the fish in her bowl. To be honest, she did mind a little. Jiang Ye had picked it up with his own chopsticks, which had inevitably come into contact with his saliva.
However, this man was the person she had married. In the future, there would be things between them far more intimate than sharing chopsticks.
They were a legitimate married couple, and their marriage certificate was recognized by the state.
She needed to get used to it.
After hesitating briefly, she ate the fish and said, “Thank you. The fish is delicious. I really like it.”
Then she naturally changed the subject. “Your grandfather sounds like a very learned man.”
Jiang Ye shrugged. “Him? Well, back then…”
He paused before continuing, “My grandfather wasn’t necessarily that learned. He just loved reading. But he was stubborn and had his own ideas. Once he made up his mind about something, no one could change it.”
“Look, he only had two daughters, my mother and my aunt. In most other families, people would have tried to have a son, right? Even if they didn’t have another child, they would at least have adopted a boy to carry on the family line.”
“But my grandfather refused. He thought having two daughters was perfectly fine. No matter what anyone else said, he wouldn’t adopt a son. He simply lived his life with my grandmother and his two daughters.”
“Fortunately, both my mother and my aunt were filial. They treated my grandparents well and made sure the two old people lived happily until the end.”
Ji Yang listened quietly. From the sound of it, Jiang Ye’s grandfather had been a rather interesting old man.
She nodded in agreement. “Your grandfather must have been a very interesting person.”
“He was.”
Jiang Ye finished his first bowl of rice and asked Zhao Dongya to bring him another.
After they finished discussing his grandfather, the two fell silent. Ji Yang could see that they were almost done eating, and she suddenly remembered that she still had something important to discuss. She steered the conversation back to where she wanted it to go.
“By the way, about the bride price. I think times have changed, and men and women are supposed to be equal now. Why should a man have to pay a bride price just because he’s marrying a woman? So you don’t need to give me one. If you really want to give me something, just give it directly to me. After all, we’ll be one family from now on. What’s mine is yours.”
Jiang Ye ate quickly. After finishing two bowls of rice, he put down his chopsticks and listened to her.
When he heard her say she didn’t want a bride price, he looked at her in surprise.
Ji Yang continued, “If you want to save face and insist on giving a bride price to my family, then…”
She thought for a moment.
“Just give them two yuan as a token gesture.”
Jiang Ye reached up and scratched his ear. He thought he must have heard something extraordinary.
“How much did you say?”