That evening, Jiang Ye realized that Ji Yang didn’t know how to cook. Seeing that she was busy with something, he figured there was no need to teach her on her very first day at home. There was no rush, so he started cooking himself.
Jiang Ye was efficient at everything he did, and cooking was no exception. He stir-fried the dishes over high heat with quick, sweeping motions, and everything that came out of the wok looked incredibly appetizing.
He served the dishes with a pot of mixed-grain rice.
To make this type of rice, the grains were first boiled in a large pot until partially cooked, then scooped out with a bamboo colander before being returned to the pot to finish steaming.
The rice was delicious and fragrant.
By the time Jiang’s mother and Jiang Dongya returned home, the meal was already on the table.
Since the weather was hot, nobody wanted to eat indoors. They set up a small table in the courtyard instead.
One glance at the dishes told Jiang’s mother that her son had cooked them. She didn’t comment on it, though. Instead, she turned to Ji Yang and asked, “Yangyang, how are you settling in? Are you getting used to everything?”
“Everything is great, Mom.”
Most elders liked well-behaved young women. Sitting on a little stool, Ji Yang kept herself neat and proper, just like a good student sitting attentively in class. The only thing missing was her hands clasped behind her back.
“Good. As long as you’re comfortable, that’s what matters. I don’t mean anything by asking, so don’t be nervous. Now that you’ve married into our family, you should know that I’m not the kind of person who meddles in everything. Think about what kind of work I do. I work for the Women’s Federation! When it comes to women’s rights, I’m a firm supporter. So don’t worry about anything. Just relax and make yourself at home.”
Pressuring her son to get married and mistreating a daughter-in-law were two entirely different things. Jiang’s mother considered herself an enlightened woman with principles and a strong sense of responsibility. When it came to her daughter-in-law, she had always intended to be kind and understanding.
Of course, her daughter-in-law also had to be someone who was easy to get along with. Otherwise, she wasn’t afraid of showing the other woman just how formidable she could be.
So far, though, this daughter-in-law seemed pretty good.
In fact, Jiang’s mother already knew that the original bride had been replaced. Since the previous girl hadn’t thought much of her Jiang Ye, there was no reason for their family to force the marriage.
As for Ji Yang, Jiang Ye had already told his mother about her circumstances. Her situation was indeed pitiful, but she also had a strong character. She dared to fight against her fate and actively seize opportunities for herself. That was a good thing.
Jiang’s mother liked girls who had backbone and ambition.
Working for the Women’s Federation, she had seen too many women who appeared pitiful but refused to stand up for themselves. Those cases could be genuinely infuriating. That was why she particularly admired Ji Yang’s character.
“I understand, Mom. I feel very comfortable here. It already feels like my own home.”
Ji Yang smiled at Jiang’s mother, her eyes curving pleasantly.
Meanwhile, she recalled Jiang’s mother’s storyline in the novel.
Jiang’s mother had a tragic ending in the original story, too. After Jiang Ye died, she fell seriously ill. Her relationship with her daughter-in-law deteriorated even further, and the two could barely get along.
On the anniversary of her son’s death, she went to visit his grave, only to encounter a sudden mountain flood. She tried to save someone caught in the disaster, but never returned.
That was also why Jiang’s Third Sister eventually returned to her parents’ home after divorcing her husband, only to end up being driven away by Ji Man.
Jiang’s mother urged Ji Yang to eat, and Ji Yang picked up her chopsticks. As she did, she couldn’t help thinking about something.
Could Jiang Ye’s family be the contrast to Jiang Zhiyuan’s family in the novel? One family lives so well, while the other suffers so terribly.
One was the richest family in the capital.
The other ended up with their family torn apart and their loved ones dead.
The contrast really couldn’t be more obvious.
A piece of egg was placed in Ji Yang’s bowl. She lifted her eyes and glanced at the man who had served it to her.
“What are you thinking about? You’re eating, so pay attention to your food. Eat more. Goodness, look how skinny you are! I’m not exaggerating. You really are thin.”
Jiang Dongya giggled. “Exactly, Sister-in-law! Eat until you’re as chubby as me!”
“Tsk! You’re not chubby. You’re downright fat, little fatty. Keep working at the state-owned restaurant for a few more years, and you might end up unable to find a husband!”
“Brother, why are you always so mean?” Jiang Dongya protested. “I’m still young, so there’s no rush. When I’m old enough, plenty of people will want to marry me. At the very least, the line of suitors will stretch all the way from here to your factory!”
“Oh, look at you! You’re still so young, yet you’re already thinking about getting married. Aren’t you ashamed?”
“Weren’t you the one who brought it up first, Brother? You’re really awful! I honestly feel like punching you to death!”
As she spoke, Jiang Dongya even raised her fist and waved it at Jiang Ye.
“All right, all right! You two are unbelievable. You spend the whole day bickering. What on earth are you arguing about now?”
Jiang’s mother put an end to the siblings’ squabbling.
Ji Yang found their interactions quite entertaining. In her previous life, she had always been busy, and after transmigrating into this world, she had found the atmosphere in the Ji household unpleasant. It had been a long time since she had enjoyed such a lively, homely meal filled with laughter and warmth.
“Sister-in-law, you see what my brother is like, right? He’s always running his mouth. You’ll have to be careful around him in the future. But don’t worry! I’ve already prepared a washboard for you to make him kneel on, so feel free to use it. If you ever want to make my brother kneel ouch!”
Before she could finish speaking, Jiang Dongya received a sharp rap on the head.
Rubbing her forehead, she stubbornly continued, gritting her teeth as she declared, “I can help you hold him down!”
“Great! If I ever need your help, I’ll definitely come to you,” Ji Yang replied enthusiastically, playing along.
“That’s right! Make him kneel for the whole night!”
“You’re all talk! You think you can hold me down? Keep dreaming!”
Throughout the meal, everyone joked and laughed, exchanging playful remarks. With Jiang Dongya keeping the atmosphere lively, Ji Yang quickly became familiar with the Jiang family.
When they finished eating and began clearing the table, the young woman worried that Ji Yang might misunderstand her brother’s teasing. She quietly added a few good words about him.
“Sister-in-law, my brother is actually a really good person. I mean it! He’s loyal, responsible, cares about his family, and treats his wife well.”
“Mhm, I know your brother is a good person.”
Jiang Ye had been discreetly listening to their conversation. The corners of his mouth lifted into a small smile before he quickly pressed his lips together again.
After the table was cleared, it was still early, so the family sat in the courtyard and chatted for a while longer.
They hadn’t been talking for long when a quarrel erupted from the neighboring house.
Ji Yang froze for a moment when she heard the shouting.
She had argued with people before, but civilized people rarely resorted to profanity when quarreling. The people next door, however, were fighting fiercely.
Words like “little bastard,” “filthy whore,” “slut,” “heartless wretch,” “may you die a horrible death,” and “may you be struck by lightning” were mixed with another voice shouting insults such as “you old corpse,” “you worthless old thing,” “you wicked old hag,” “black-hearted monster,” and “may your rotten heart be cursed.”
The sheer richness of their vocabulary left Ji Yang utterly amazed.
“Just ignore them. That family is always fighting like this,” Jiang’s mother told her.
Then she explained the situation of the neighboring household.
“They used to have a pretty good life. The mother-in-law was gentle, the son was filial, and the daughter-in-law had a decent temper, too.”
“The man also had a respectable job. He drove a large truck and earned a good salary. He could occasionally transport extra goods on the side, so there were plenty of opportunities to make extra money.”
“But then, during one of his long-distance trips, his truck overturned in the middle of the night. Nobody found him until the following day. By then, it was too late. One of his legs had been crushed so badly that it had to be amputated.”
“When his wife saw what had happened, she started having second thoughts about staying with him. Honestly, if the family had simply let her leave back then, there probably wouldn’t be so much trouble now.”
“But the family thought that it would be difficult for their son to find another wife in his condition. So, to keep his wife from leaving, they transferred his job to her younger brother.”
“That was the condition: she had to stay with her husband.”
“To her credit, the woman kept her word and didn’t leave. But perhaps she felt that she now had the upper hand over her husband’s family, because she started going against them at every turn. She refused to do any housework and wouldn’t even take care of her own child.”
“After a while, her mother-in-law couldn’t stand it anymore, and the two began quarreling.”
After hearing the explanation, Ji Yang more or less understood what had happened.
“So why doesn’t the man just divorce her?” she asked.
“How could he? They already gave up a job for her! Now the mother-in-law regrets it and wants the job back, but the daughter-in-law refuses to return it. She probably realizes that if she leaves, her husband might go to her brother’s workplace and cause trouble, and her brother could lose his job. So they’re stuck in this endless dispute. She neither leaves nor makes any effort to live peacefully with the family.”
That sounds absolutely exhausting, Ji Yang thought to herself.