The pork belly dipped in the sauce was tender and rich without being greasy.
The cured pork stir-fried with spring bamboo shoots was wonderfully savory.
The scrambled eggs with Chinese chives were soft and fluffy.
The steamed white rice was fragrant.
The entire family ate with abandon.
The food was so delicious that no one even bothered talking.
The only sounds around the table were the steady noises of everyone enthusiastically eating.
By the end…
Every dish had been wiped clean.
Not a single grain of rice remained in the pot.
…
In the wok, slices of pork belly sizzled until golden.
Zhang Qiuxia added the chopped scallions and garlic she’d prepared.
The aroma instantly became even richer.
Squatting before the stove, feeding firewood into the flames, Xie Dahai kept glancing toward the pan.
He had no idea how many times he’d swallowed his saliva already.
Xie Fusheng lifted the dusty curtain and walked into the kitchen.
He smacked his lips.
“Mmm…”
“Smells wonderful.”
Dahai grinned.
“Wife, you’re amazing.”
Qiuxia had always been a decent cook.
After receiving a few simple pointers from Jinxiu…
She quickly grasped the techniques.
Now, hearing praise from both her father-in-law and husband, her face blossomed with delight.
The irresistible aroma drifted through the crack beneath the bedroom door.
Lying on the bed, Zhang Yuying tossed and turned.
Her mouth watered uncontrollably.
Unable to bear it any longer, she sat up irritably.
After embarrassing herself today…
There was no way she was going out to eat.
Not unless that old fool apologized first…
And personally begged her to come.
She crept quietly to the door…
Then carefully opened a tiny crack.
…
Outside…
The evening sky glowed with beautiful sunset colors.
A cool breeze made the air wonderfully refreshing.
Xie Fusheng had simply moved the square dining table beneath the eaves.
Dinner consisted of stir-fried pork belly and stir-fried leafy greens.
Normally…
Two dishes were enough for their family of four.
But tonight…
Xie Fusheng had declared they should prepare one extra dish.
So Zhang Qiuxia brought out the dried wood ear mushrooms she’d preserved the previous year and made wood ear mushrooms with scrambled eggs.
Together with a pot of brown rice…
It made for a generous meal.
After placing the last dish on the table, Dahai, who was serving the rice, secretly exchanged a glance with his wife.
Qiuxia immediately understood.
She untied her apron, draped it over a stool, and said,
“I’ll go call Mother.”
Meanwhile…
Inside the room…
Zhang Yuying quickly shut the door again.
Tiptoeing back to bed, she hurriedly lay down and pretended to sleep.
Soon…
A knock sounded.
“Mother.”
“Dinner’s ready.”
Silence.
Qiuxia pushed open the door.
Zhang Yuying stubbornly turned toward the wall, refusing to respond.
“Mother…”
“Tonight’s dinner is especially delicious.”
“No matter how angry you are with Father…”
“You shouldn’t starve yourself.”
“You need a full stomach if you want the strength to stay angry, don’t you?”
The figure on the bed remained completely silent.
Qiuxia sighed.
Then…
To Zhang Yuying’s astonishment…
She simply turned around and left without another word.
The door quietly closed again.
Zhang Yuying stared at it in disbelief.
…
“The pork smells incredible.”
“I could eat three whole bowls of rice.”
“It really does.”
“Dahai’s wife…”
“Did Jinxiu teach you any other recipes?”
“She did.”
Qiuxia answered cheerfully.
“My younger sister-in-law also taught me how to make boiled sliced pork.”
“She said it’s delicious too.”
“And it’s very easy.”
The three of them ate heartily.
Not one person mentioned Zhang Yuying.
Already hungry…
The delicious smells only made things worse.
Her chest rose and fell violently.
She trembled with anger.
So they’re trying to provoke me.
Just wait.
I, Zhang Yuying, have backbone too.
If they really starve their own wife to death…
I’d like to see how Xie Fusheng explains himself afterward!
…
Night gradually settled over Dali Village.
The village slowly fell silent.
There was no oil lamp burning in the room.
Alone in the darkness…
Zhang Yuying lay on her bed, staring toward the moonlit window.
Everything outside was quiet.
Both of her daughters were married.
There were enough rooms in the house that Xie Fusheng didn’t have to return to their shared bedroom.
Tonight…
He was sleeping in the western side room—the room that had once belonged to their younger daughter before she married.
Just then…
Her stomach growled loudly.
She’d eaten nothing since breakfast except a bowl of brown rice porridge.
Even the teapot on the table was empty.
She hadn’t had so much as a sip of water all day.
Honestly speaking…
After the family divided into separate households…
Life had actually been rather comfortable.
Apart from feeling that her parents-in-law favored the eldest branch…
The two old people rarely interfered with her life.
She managed most household affairs herself.
Her daughter-in-law happened to be her own niece.
The two got along well.
Her son was reasonably filial.
Neither daughter had married into wealthy families…
But both lived peaceful lives and occasionally brought gifts home.
Even during last year’s terrible hardship…
She had never gone hungry.
Having lived comfortably for so long…
The hunger now was unbearable.
It spread through every part of her body.
Her limbs felt weak.
Cold sweat beaded across her forehead.
It was awful.
Absolutely awful.
In the end…
Pride…
Resentment…
None of it mattered anymore.
Trembling, she slowly sat up.
Even standing made her dizzy.
Feeling her way through the darkness, she quietly crept into the kitchen like a sneaky little mouse.
She carefully lifted the lids from two cooking pots.
Both were empty.
Unable to hold back any longer, she cursed.
“That bastard!”
“He really wants to starve me to death!”
“Mother?”
“Is that you?”
The sudden voice behind her startled Zhang Yuying so badly that she dropped the wooden pot lid.
It hit the floor with a loud clatter.
“You little girl!”
“You nearly scared me to death!”
She wanted to scold Zhang Qiuxia…
But worried the noise would wake everyone else.
That would be far too embarrassing.
Suppressing a smile, Qiuxia walked closer.
“I got up to use the bathroom.”
“I heard noises from the kitchen.”
“I thought a thief had broken in.”
“So I came to take a look.”
“It turns out it was you, Mother.”
Being caught red-handed by her daughter-in-law…
Zhang Yuying’s old face burned with embarrassment.
She stammered,
“A thief?”
“How could there be a thief?”
Qiuxia couldn’t help laughing.
“Mother, you’re hungry, aren’t you?”
“I’ll get it right away.”
“Father was worried you’d go hungry.”
“He told me to save your dinner.”
Without waiting for a reply…
She hurried out.
Moments later…
She returned carrying a large bowl.
It was filled to the brim with brown rice.
On top lay slices of pork belly, wood ear mushrooms with scrambled eggs, and leafy greens.
The pork alone covered nearly two-thirds of the bowl.
Qiuxia smiled warmly.
“Eat.”
“I was afraid you’d be hungry.”
“There wasn’t enough time to heat it up.”
Then she added cautiously,
“Father saved at least half the pork.”
“He really does care about you.”
“So…”
“Please stop being angry with him.”
Zhang Yuying was far too hungry to stand on ceremony.
She took the bowl and chopsticks.
Standing right there in the kitchen…
She shoveled rice, meat, and vegetables into her mouth one mouthful after another.
She had been starving.
At that moment…
It felt like she’d never eaten such delicious food in her entire life.
Especially the pork belly.
It was unbelievably good.
Why is it so delicious?
After finishing half the bowl…
Her stomach finally felt full.
Only then did she feel truly alive again.
Watching her mother-in-law eat with such satisfaction…
Qiuxia quietly covered her mouth and laughed.
Zhang Yuying muttered,
“He wasn’t worried about me.”
“He hid this food on purpose.”
“He just wanted to make a fool of me.”
Then she put on a stern face.
“And you.”
“You teamed up with your father to trick me.”
“I’ve spoiled you for nothing.”
“Yes, yes.”
“It’s all your daughter-in-law’s fault.”
Qiuxia admitted her “mistake” without resistance.
The joy in her voice couldn’t be hidden.
“Mother…”
“The stir-fried pork turned out wonderfully, didn’t it?”
“These past two days feel like a dream.”
“It’s all thanks to Jinxiu.”
“If only we could eat meat every day…”
Zhang Yuying’s chopsticks suddenly stopped.
“Take your time eating.”
“I’ll go pour you some water.”
Qiuxia knew she’d said enough.
She turned and walked out.
Just outside the kitchen…
She nearly bumped into Xie Fusheng.
“Father…”
He quickly placed a finger to his lips.
“Shh.”
Then he nodded toward the kitchen.
Qiuxia broke into a grin and nodded back.
Xie Fusheng finally relaxed.
With his hands clasped behind his back…
He happily returned to his room.
…
Inside the kitchen…
Zhang Yuying lowered her head and looked at the half-finished pork in her bowl.
Her emotions were a tangled mess.
She stood motionless in the darkness.
Only a quiet sigh escaped her lips.