Chapter 34: Watching and Waiting

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Su Jinyu finally understood where her uncle had inherited his temperament from. Li Tianhe’s reckless nature was exactly like that of his fiery mother-in-law.

“Grandma, it wasn’t Uncle Zheng. It was his wife who ordered Wang Dagui to do it.” Su Jinyu hurriedly explained.

She was afraid that if she spoke too slowly, her grandmother would rush over and beat the wrong person. By then, it would be too late.

Granny Wang had already risen to her feet, planting both hands on her hips. “Liu Qionghua only favors her own flesh-and-blood son. She resents you for saving her stepson, but what reason did that bastard Wang Dagui have to harm you? Don’t tell me he and Liu Qionghua are carrying on together?”

The entire Li family then watched as Su Jinyu truly nodded.

“Grandma, you’re brilliant!”

Su Jinyu quietly instructed them, “There’s no need for you to avenge me just yet. That pair of vile adulterers are planning to make another move against me tonight. When the time comes, I’ll put on a grand show for them. Just wait and enjoy it. Once I’ve vented my anger and feel better, you can go beat them up.”

“Fine. We’ll do as Jinyu says.”

As long as Su Jinyu was happy, the Li family would let her do whatever she pleased. After she had finished venting, they could take care of their own share of the score.

Inside her space, Su Jinyu bought mushrooms to cook with the chicken. Chen Shulan had her eldest son, Li Zhean, cut the chicken into pieces so that the braising sauce would soak in more thoroughly.

“Mother, do the mushrooms really have to be cut into such small pieces? Won’t they fall apart when the meat is stewed?”

The warmth vanished from Chen Shulan’s face at once. “If I tell you to cut them, then cut them. Why are you asking so many questions? Are you unhappy that your mother told you to chop vegetables?”

“No, no!”

Li Zhean hurriedly shook his head. He absolutely could not make his mother angry. His father was frightening, but his mother was even worse. If he angered his father, he would merely receive a beating. But if he angered his mother, both parents would join forces to beat him.

Chen Shulan turned and ordered her second son, “And you, Erniu, hurry up and wash the scallions and garlic. I’ll need them for the fish soup later!”

“Big Ox, Second Ox, listen to your mother. Even men need to know how to cook. After you marry, your wives may become exhausted from preparing every meal. If you don’t know how to cook, won’t you make them go hungry alongside you? If you can’t even take care of your own wife, what sense of responsibility do you have? How could you ever become an upright, dependable man?”

“A man who knows how to cook is loved by his wife. When I’m cooking, keep your eyes wide open and learn properly. One day, your mother will be waiting to eat the meals you make.”

Chen Shulan’s unsentimental approach to raising her sons was approved by Wang Qiaohui and Li Yongzhi, Li Tianhe’s parents. Li Tianhe was also thoroughly henpecked, so naturally he listened to his wife.

Seeing that even his elder brother was working obediently, Li Chuxiu did not dare challenge his mother’s limits either.

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“We’ll all listen to Mother!”

The Li family’s practice of treating boys and girls equally in their upbringing surprised Su Jinyu.

In the other families in the village, daughters were generally not valued. Even households that did not mistreat their girls would teach them to handle more of the housework, while the boys were instructed to concentrate on their studies and pursue official honors.

“Jinxiao, go stand beside your aunt and watch. You should learn too.”

Su Jinxiao had been catching crickets on the ground, but the moment he heard his sister call him, he obediently went over to learn alongside the others.

Without his own parents around to guide him, Su Jinxiao was at an age when his values were gradually taking shape. It was just right for him to receive Chen Shulan’s instruction and absorb her influence from an early age.

Once the free-range chicken with mushrooms and the clear-braised fish soup were ready, their fragrance drifted through the entire forest. The other villagers ate their own meals while breathing in the irresistible aroma of Su Jinyu’s family’s chicken. They could only eat coarse grains, wild vegetables, and preserved fruit. Their envy was beyond words.

Village Head Yang noticed that dinner included a large bowl of fish soup, even though his two sons had gone to fetch water and had not brought any fish back. Puzzled, he asked his eldest daughter-in-law about it.

“Where did the fish in this soup come from?”

Madam Luo smiled broadly. “That girl Jinyu gave it to us. She caught an entire basket of fish and gave one crucian carp to each of us who had gone wild-vegetable gathering with her. I have to say, that girl Jinyu is capable, and she certainly knows how to conduct herself!”

Village Head Yang was not surprised when he heard this. That girl was indeed worthy of praise. He smiled and told his family to continue eating.

After lunch, all the villagers rested briefly, then gathered their luggage and continued on their journey.

The path in the afternoon was easier to travel. There were almost no major obstacles such as fallen trees, boulders, or tall thickets blocking the road. As a result, the village procession advanced smoothly. Shortly after noon, everyone arrived at the great mountain cave Elder Liu had mentioned.

The cave mouth was enormous, wide enough for five people to stand shoulder to shoulder. Clusters of vines hung down from above like tangled spiderwebs, densely covering the entrance.

Yang the Elder Brother lifted the curtain of vines and peered inside. When he stuck his head through, he discovered that the cave was so deep its end could not be seen.

To make sure no animals were still living inside, Yang the Elder Brother and several other men lit torches and cautiously entered to inspect it.

“The cave is empty. We didn’t find any snakes, though there are quite a lot of insects and ants. Once everyone goes in, light fires and gather near them. Then the insects won’t dare come close.” Yang the Elder Brother emerged and told everyone what he had found.

Su Jinyu chose a spot near the cave entrance. She disliked hiding behind others. If danger came, she would not even have a chance to react.

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Li Tianhe and his three sons carried the luggage over and set it on the ground. The family settled down there to rest. Village Head Yang’s family and two other households also chose places near the entrance.

“Auntie, what are we having for dinner tonight?” Su Jinxiao was young and quickly grew hungry. He clung to Chen Shulan’s leg and refused to let go.

“Your uncle said we’re having grilled fish. He’ll be the cook tonight.” Chen Shulan carefully removed her nephew’s hands so he would not trip over her.

“We’re having grilled fish! Grilled fish smells so good!” Su Jinxiao immediately danced with delight and even wanted to help grill it.

Li Tianhe took four fish to the river, washed them clean, and then taught the three boys how to skewer them. Later, he would teach them how to grill them as well.

Su Jinyu went to find Zheng Dali and gave him some medicinal plaster for bruises and injuries.

“Uncle Zheng, apply one patch every day for at least seven consecutive days. The weather is turning cool, so you need to be careful that the wound does not become infected.”

“Jinyu, thank you. I don’t even know how to repay you. Huzi, go bring that sack of coarse flour over and give it to your Sister Jinyu!”

The moment Zheng Dali finished speaking, his wife Liu Qionghua’s expression became as colorful as fireworks.

“That’s the flour from my household! Why should I give it to her?” Liu Qionghua snatched the sack from Zheng Hu’s hands and glared furiously at Su Jinyu, her eyes seeming to devour her.

“Zheng Dali, have you become so impressive now? We can barely get by, and you’re handing our food out to other people. You don’t care about your wife or son anymore—you’re only trying to show off in front of outsiders! Let me tell you, there’s no chance of that. I’m still the one who runs this household!”

Zheng Dali gritted his teeth. “Liu Qionghua! We still have plenty of food at home. What’s wrong with giving Jinyu one sack of coarse flour? She brought me medicine for my injuries. I owe her that much!”

“Forget it, Uncle Zheng. Keep the coarse flour for yourself. My family isn’t short of food for now. Just remember to apply the medicine on time. I’ll be going.”

Su Jinyu returned without taking the flour. Whether it was used to make flatbreads, steamed buns, or stuffed buns, that stuff tasted terrible. It scratched the throat as well. At most, it was suitable for an occasional change of flavor. Eating it every day would truly be unbearable.

Besides, her family still had twenty pounds of it. Even if they ate it every day, they might not finish it within a month.

Thinking about grilled fish that evening, Su Jinyu decided to make some other grilled skewers as well. She took a bamboo basket and planned to go to the nearby stream to dig for wild vegetables or mushrooms.

She would also buy some other vegetables from her space and bring them back with her.