Cheng Sanming had been coaxed by Xu Chuan all the way to Laokeng Village, and it was only halfway there that realization finally hit him.
Damn it, Xu Chuan was the one being tormented by Cheng Baozhu, so what did that have to do with him, Cheng Sanming?
Why should he be the one running around for her just because she wanted something to eat, even after she was already married?
“Brother, what’s wrong?”
Cheng Baozhu asked in confusion. They had been walking just fine on the road, so why had he suddenly stopped?
Cheng Sanming felt a lump stuck in his throat. His mouth opened and closed, but he could not figure out what to say.
“Let’s go. I really owe you,” he muttered irritably.
Then he stepped in front of Cheng Baozhu, pulled her aside to avoid Xu Chuan, and lowered his voice. “Don’t keep acting on a whim like this in the future. What kind of wife behaves like you, needing someone to fuss over her just for a piece of egg cake? You should live within your means, understand? Be more careful with money!”
Cheng Baozhu frowned and said indignantly, “I didn’t mean to… ah!” She tugged at the hem of her clothes and sighed aggrievedly. “Fine, I just wanted to eat it. I won’t do this again.”
After speaking, she pursed her lips and shot Xu Chuan a resentful glance.
Xu Chuan shrugged. You didn’t do the work, so naturally you take the blame.
Cheng Sanming was actually a little surprised that she did not argue back this time. Usually, she loved going against him, but now that she was suddenly so agreeable, he felt oddly unaccustomed.
Still, he maintained his elder brother’s authority and reminded her again, “Keep your money safe. Don’t spend recklessly.”
As for telling her to go work, there was no point wasting words.
Getting married was not the same as being reborn. How could someone’s nature change so easily?
Winter had arrived. Leaves on both sides of the road had fallen onto the soil, and stepping on the dry, yellowed leaves produced a soft rustling sound.
Xu Chuan was curious about Cheng Sanming’s method of cultivating mushrooms, and the two chatted all the way. Cheng Baozhu could not get a word in at all.
So annoying. When three people walk together, this was the worst situation.
By around eleven in the morning, they finally reached the end of Laokeng Village.
They took a small path home. As soon as they pushed open the courtyard gate, Cheng Sanming saw a neatly stacked pile of bricks in the corner. Beside them were crushed stones, bamboo strips, and soil. Clearly, Xu Chuan had already prepared everything in advance.
Cheng Sanming twitched his lips and said suspiciously, “If I hadn’t come today, were you planning to knock me out and drag me here?”
Xu Chuan laughed. “Of course not. Third Brother, check if the materials are enough first. I’ll go cook a few dishes.”
“Alright.” He did not stand during the ceremony.
After traveling such a long distance, he deserved a proper meal.
Once Xu Chuan entered the kitchen, Cheng Sanming called Cheng Baozhu over again. Glancing toward the kitchen, he asked softly, “Does he do all the cooking at home?”
Cheng Baozhu replied matter-of-factly, “Of course.”
So confidently?
Cheng Sanming frowned. “Why don’t you learn a bit? At least you should know how to cook a few simple dishes.”
Cheng Baozhu looked puzzled. “Since Xu Chuan is here, why should I learn? Besides, I can’t learn anyway. He won’t even let me tend the fire.”
“Why?”
“He says he’s afraid I’ll burn the kitchen down.”
Cheng Sanming: …
“Fine, go eat your oranges,” he said tiredly, completely out of words.
One was willing to give, the other willing to receive. No one could interfere.
Cheng Baozhu did not understand what he meant. She scratched her head in confusion and simply stopped thinking about it.
The sun gradually climbed overhead, and the aroma of cooking drifted out of the kitchen.
When Cheng Sanming told her to eat oranges, she really did just sit there eating them, without even offering him any.
When Xu Chuan came out carrying dishes, he saw the scene before him: Cheng Sanming was diligently stacking bricks and mixing mortar, while Cheng Baozhu lay comfortably on a rocking chair, eating oranges and basking in the sun.
Her legs swayed leisurely, and she even narrowed her eyes and yawned.
At that moment, Xu Chuan suddenly understood why Cheng Baozhu was not liked by her sisters-in-law.
“Cheng Baozhu, set the table,” Xu Chuan called out.
She jolted in fright, almost falling off the chair. Annoyed, she said, “If you’re going to talk, just talk properly. Why are you shouting?”
Scared me to death.
She stuffed the last two segments of orange into her mouth, then went into the kitchen to bring out the bowls and chopsticks and set them on the table.
Their meals were always abundant. Even when it was just the two of them, they would still make two dishes and a soup.
Today, with Cheng Sanming joining them, Xu Chuan prepared four dishes. Two were meat dishes: one was stir-fried chicken offal with pickled peppers, Cheng Baozhu’s favorite, and the other was guobao pork, which she had begged him to make for a long time.
“Wow, you two are living well,” Cheng Sanming said, looking around in disbelief. He had always thought his own family lived decently, but dishes like these were usually only seen during holidays.
Xu Chuan clearly had real skill in cooking. Before he even sat down, the tangy, spicy aroma of pickled peppers filled the air, mingling with the sweet-and-sour fragrance of the guobao pork.
Even the seemingly plain vegetable dish emitted an enticing freshness.
So the rumors outside were false. Who said Xu Chuan was useless?
With skills like this, he could easily become a head chef in the county town!
Cheng Sanming had originally planned to take the opportunity to lecture them about thrift, but the moment the food reached his mouth, he completely forgot what he had wanted to say.
Guobao pork was not a local dish, and this was his first time trying it.
The thick sweet-and-sour sauce coated the freshly fried crispy meat, crunchy on the outside and tender, marinated pork tenderloin inside.
Crunch!
With one bite, the tangy sweetness, crisp texture, and rich oiliness burst in his mouth.
Cheng Sanming had always preferred sweet-and-sour flavors, and this dish suited him perfectly.
He even said, “If this isn’t some secret recipe, I’ll have your third sister-in-law come learn it someday.”
Feng Meihua’s cooking was merely edible. If she could learn even half of Xu Chuan’s skill, Cheng Sanming would be grateful to the heavens.
“Sure,” Xu Chuan replied casually. “When you have time, bring her over…”
“Wait!” Cheng Baozhu suddenly interrupted.
Both men turned to look at her.
Blinking, she said, “Third Brother, we’re usually not busy. Why not have Xu Chuan go to Chengjia Village to teach Third Sister-in-law instead?”
Xu Chuan: What does this mean?
Cheng Sanming: That’s really unnecessary.
“Alright, alright. How about the twenty-eighth? That day happens to be Great-Uncle Cheng’s birthday, and it’s also the day before the Winter Solstice.”
After counting on her fingers, Cheng Baozhu said, “Let’s do it that day. We’ll definitely be free, and we can visit Great-Uncle Cheng too.”
Cheng Sanming tried to protest, “No, that’s not—”
“Come on, Third Brother, eat! This chicken offal is amazing with rice!” Cheng Baozhu pushed the dish toward him, urging him to take a bite.
If he kept eating, his mouth would be too busy to talk.
That was her plan.
Food truly was a wonderful thing. After a few bites of the intensely spicy and tangy chicken offal, Cheng Sanming had already forgotten everything.
Xu Chuan was not just somewhat skilled, he was exceptionally skilled!
Cheng Sanming ate three large bowls of rice, each the size of his face, until his stomach was completely round.
“This tastes just like what Grandma used to make,” he said with a sigh. “Every New Year when we slaughtered chickens, she would save the offal, clean it, and cook it with chili and vinegar. Baozhu, you could finish a whole bowl of rice with that dish.”
Cheng Baozhu nodded. She remembered it too.
The original owner had always picked out the intestines to eat, and whenever others got some, they would put them into her bowl and watch her eat with smiles.
Thinking back, Cheng Sanming felt a bit wistful, but quickly regained his energy and began building the earthen oven with Xu Chuan.
His skills had not dulled. Following Xu Chuan’s design, he made a few adjustments here and there, striving for perfection.
After all, when you eat someone else’s food, you feel obliged to help.
The two men quickly built the oven, inserted the chimney, and sealed the top with mud mixed with dry grass. After smoothing the exterior with mortar, they lit a fire inside to dry it out.
Just like that, the earthen oven was completed.
…
Xu Chuan did not let Cheng Sanming leave immediately, insisting he stay for dinner.
The two meals left him extremely satisfied. Lunch was already impressive, but dinner was sour cabbage fish.
He alone ate nearly half a basin, and even by the time he got home, he still had not fully digested it.
At the Cheng family home, Feng Meihua was folding clothes when she saw him return so late. She complained, “Was Baozhu’s situation really that troublesome? You were gone so long. I told you she’d have endless issues in the future, but none of you brothers believed me, as if I were just picking on your sister.”
She always ended up being the bad one among the sisters-in-law.
Cheng Sanming frowned. “Why are you talking like that? Baozhu has really grown up a lot. She’s more sensible now.”
Feng Meihua snorted. “Sensible? A sensible person would have her brother working for her husband’s family and coming home this late?”
Cheng Sanming ignored her. He loosened his belt, finally feeling alive again, and leaned back in his chair. “The work was done by two in the afternoon. Xu Chuan insisted I stay for dinner, that’s why I’m late.”
He showed a nostalgic expression. “You wouldn’t believe it, Xu Chuan is really good at cooking. Even my sister-in-law’s cooking doesn’t compare.”
“Oh? Really?” Feng Meihua asked curiously. “So Xu Chuan cooks at home? What about Baozhu?”
“Hah! Baozhu just sits there like a landlord, not even tending the fire. If she weren’t my own sister, I’d definitely have something to say about it.”
“Humph, your Cheng family men are all the same,” Feng Meihua said coldly.
She slammed the cabinet door shut with a loud bang.
He said Baozhu acted like a landlord, but weren’t the Cheng men the same?
People said Xu Chuan was lazy and not worth marrying, yet here he was cooking and taking care of his wife.
The elders were right. Life is lived for oneself. Whether it is bitter or sweet, only the person living it truly knows.
The room grew tense.
Cheng Sanming did not know what he had said wrong again. Scratching his nose awkwardly, he changed the subject. “Where’s Xuejun?”
Their son was only three years old.
Feng Meihua paused, then looked around. “Probably playing in the yard. I’ll go check.”
They both cared deeply about their only child.
When they reached the yard and did not see him, they called out a few times before hearing rustling noises from the kitchen, like mice scurrying.
When they entered, they found several children huddled by the stove in the dark, munching on something.
Cheng Sanming turned on the light and barked, “Hey! You little brats, why didn’t you answer? What are you hiding here eating?”
Under the light, the three children were clearly visible.
The eldest’s second daughter, Xiaoya, held a blackened lump, taking a bite before passing it to the second brother’s son and Xuejun.
No wonder they did not respond, their mouths were full.
“What is that?” Feng Meihua asked.
“Aunt brought it,” Xiaoya mumbled.
Feng Meihua quickly went over to look, while Cheng Sanming slapped his thigh. “It’s zenggao!”
He looked regretful. Such a big piece, and the children had already eaten it all.
“Honestly… it’s really good,” Feng Meihua said in surprise after breaking off a small piece.
At the same time, Cheng Baozhu was once again being pressed by Xu Chuan.
The moonlight was cool that night. Since they had eaten sour cabbage fish, the room still smelled strongly, so the window by the bed was open for ventilation.
Through the wooden window, the bright full moon could be seen hanging above the persimmon tree.
Inside the room, Cheng Baozhu played dumb.
As long as she did not speak, no one would know what she was planning.
Xu Chuan was not fooled. “Tell me honestly, why do you insist I go to Chengjia Village to teach your third sister-in-law?”
It had originally been a trivial matter, perhaps even just polite words, but after Cheng Baozhu’s interference, he now had no choice but to go.
To be honest, Xu Chuan did not have a very good impression of the Cheng family.
Only Cheng Sanming had improved his standing recently.
The others… better not mentioned.
Cheng Baozhu grew nervous. She had planned not to say anything, but Xu Chuan had guessed immediately that she had another purpose for returning to the Cheng family.
“Xu Chuan, don’t be like this,” she said, frowning as she grabbed his hand and shook it, acting spoiled.
Her almond-shaped eyes looked especially beautiful under the moonlight, and Xu Chuan almost gave in.
He forced himself to remain stern. “I’m doing this for your own good. You always act without thinking things through. If you really want to do something important, you should tell me first.”
Cheng Baozhu: …
They stared at each other for a long moment before she finally gave up.
He was right. She probably could not accomplish this alone.
Originally, she had planned to dig a hole beside the water vat and slowly work her way underneath it. But the more she thought about it, the more impractical it seemed.
In that case, telling Xu Chuan might be the best option.
She stood up, closed the window, and turned on the light.
Then she sat cross-legged beside him and said obediently, “Actually… it’s not a big deal.”
“Even small things, tell me.”
“Well… under the Cheng family’s water vat, there are gold bars my parents left for me.”
Xu Chuan: ?
Xu Chuan: !