Madame Zhou entered the kitchen, her hands covered in mud and her face full of anger.
Gu Wan’er timidly called out, “Mother.”
Before Madame Zhou could speak, Li Xingyue said, “Mother, the meat and pork offal we bought yesterday will spoil if we don’t eat them soon.”
Madame Zhou looked at the large pot of pork liver soup, her anger rising.
She was about to scold them, but hearing that the meat she had worked hard to get might go bad, she swallowed her words.
Li Xingyue, seemingly oblivious to the anger on Madame Zhou’s face, served the soup to little Yanran while continuing, “Mother, this pork liver soup is not only delicious, but also very nutritious. It’s especially good for women, children, and those with weak constitutions.”
Madame Zhou just stared at her, saying nothing.
Gu Wan’er quickly scooped some water from the cistern into a wooden basin and said with a smile, “Mother, wash your hands quickly and eat. Sister-in-law’s pork liver soup is really good.”
Seeing Gu Qishan return with a large bundle of firewood, she called out again, “Father, you’re back! Put the firewood down and try the pork liver soup Sister-in-law made.”
Gu Qishan was surprised—he didn’t expect lunch to be ready today.
But the aroma of the meat made him even hungrier.
Li Xingyue served a full bowl of pork liver soup to Gu Qishan, who took it and instinctively swallowed.
When Gu Wan’er handed a bowl to Madame Zhou, she muttered under her breath, “Eat… eat… now you only care about eating. That will give you the reputation of a greedy woman.”
Li Xingyue recognized that remark—it was clearly aimed at her.
She pretended not to hear and said, “Mother, let’s just have three meals a day from now on. Otherwise, by midday everyone is starving.”
Madame Zhou frowned, her anger bubbling up again.
She glared at Li Xingyue and snorted coldly, “Three meals? How much grain would that waste? No family has ever eaten like that—two meals a day is the way it’s always been!”
Li Xingyue remained calm and explained with a smile, “Mother, think about it: having lunch gives everyone more energy in the afternoon and allows them to work harder.”
“Our family members are all pale and thin. Eating more ensures proper nutrition and strengthens our bodies. Besides, we’re not lacking food now, so having an extra meal won’t hurt.”
Only by keeping their bodies strong could they survive the famine road ahead.
Gu Qishan listened and thought it made sense, but he didn’t dare speak. As a lifetime farmer, he knew grain was life—it must not be wasted.
Gu Wan’er nodded in agreement. “Mother, Sister-in-law isn’t wrong. Having one more meal gives me more energy to work in the afternoon.”
Madame Zhou was displeased to hear her daughter siding with her daughter-in-law.
She scowled and said coldly, “What do you know? Eating one more meal a day will consume so much grain. What if the harvest is poor?”
Li Xingyue had anticipated this and calmly replied, “If the harvest is poor, we can save grain then.”
Madame Zhou shot her another glare, her face darkening further. “I see, Yue’nian, you want to take charge of this household in the future, huh?”
This was clearly her anger speaking!
Gu Qishan and Gu Wan’er glanced at Madame Zhou, then at Li Xingyue.
Gu Wan’er knew her sister-in-law was different now—bold and assertive. She worried her mother might argue with Li Xingyue.
Madame Zhou also felt this daughter-in-law was different from before. She had once been timid and indifferent; now she was fearless.
But as the mother-in-law, Madame Zhou still believed she had the right to discipline her daughter-in-law.
Suppressing her anger, she snorted, “Hmph, deciding your own matters now—don’t do anything that will make others laugh at you.”
Li Xingyue smiled faintly. “Mother, don’t worry. I know what I’m doing.”
Madame Zhou glanced at her and noticed her still-flat belly. She shifted the topic. “You should focus on taking care of yourself and the baby.”
“Your priority is to give the Gu family a big, healthy boy. The second branch already has two grandsons. Look at how proud your Second Aunt is every day.”
Thinking of how Madame Qian always paraded her two grandsons in front of her, Madame Zhou felt sick to her stomach.
Li Xingyue could not respond to that. She knew little Yanran often said the baby in her belly was a girl—so this child would likely be another daughter. She couldn’t let Madame Zhou know, or she might faint in anger.
The family began their lunch. The aroma of the pork liver soup filled the air, and everyone ate with satisfaction. Madame Zhou, though still angry, had to admit the soup tasted excellent.
Suddenly, someone called from outside: “Mother Yue, is Mother Yue(Yue-niang) home?”
Li Xingyue recognized the voice—it was Uncle Niu.
She quickly set down her bowl and went outside. The visitor was indeed Uncle Niu, who drove the cattle cart.
“Uncle Niu, are you looking for me?” Li Xingyue asked with a smile. She had guessed it must be Madam Yun from the bun shop sending a message.
Uncle Niu smiled. “The bun shop owner in town asked me to bring a message for you. She wants you to go to town tomorrow.”
Hearing this, Madame Zhou came out, curious. “Uncle Niu, why is the bun shop owner asking Mother Yue to come to town?”
Uncle Niu shook his head with a smile. “The shop owner only asked me to bring the message. I don’t know the reason either.”
Madame Zhou nodded, watching him leave, her face still full of suspicion as she looked at Li Xingyue.