Chapter 134: Refusal (Part 2)

Chapter 134: Chapter 134: Refusal (Part 2)

"What are you two hiding over here, laughing so happily about?" Wen Xiu came over carrying a large enamel bowl filled with five or six meat buns and placed it in Zhang Wei Qiang’s hands. "Run these over to your Eldest Uncle. Let him try our Nuannuan’s handiwork too."

"You got it." Zhang Wei Qiang happily took the bowl and was about to leave when he came face-to-face with Zhang Minzhen, who was just walking in. Without a word, he just gave his little sister a big thumbs-up.

"Big Brother?" Zhang Minzhen was taken aback, but he was already gone in a flash. She looked toward her daughter, only to see the girl run over and give her a thumbs-up too. "Mom, you’re the best!"

"You both know?" Zhang Minzhen thought for a moment and realized her daughter must have overheard her conversation with Second Sister-in-law and then told her uncle. That explained everything. Being validated by the two family members she cared about most, she couldn’t help but feel a surge of emotion.

"What’s with all the secret signals?" Wen Xiu asked casually as she walked over.

"Mom, this afternoon Grandma was worried I’d waste that big piece of good pork," Gu Nuan Nuan tattled with a sly smile.

"You little rascal, you really hold a grudge," Wen Xiu said with a laugh, giving her a light pat on the head.

"Grandma, don’t hit my head! If you knock me silly, who’s going to prepare the bun filling for you next time?" Gu Nuan Nuan clutched her head dramatically, wailing as she ducked behind her mother and made a silly face at Wen Xiu.

"Hah, look at you getting a big head," Wen Xiu said, half-amused and half-exasperated. She gave Zhang Minzhen a gentle tap on the head. "I won’t hit you, so I’ll hit your mom instead. How’s that?"

"Hehe, Mom, Grandma’s being scary! You’re on your own. I’m going out to play!" With that, Gu Nuan Nuan scurried away.

"That child... but she really is something else. So capable at such a young age. You’ll know once you try the bun filling she prepared. The flavor is so good, it leaves me speechless." Wen Xiu smiled, clearly in a great mood. "You’ll definitely make money selling these buns. Just don’t forget to remind Nuannuan that this recipe is incredibly important. It’s a family treasure now. Don’t just foolishly spill the beans to anyone who asks."

"I know. The moment I walked in, Second Sister-in-law was demanding the recipe, but I just ignored her." Zhang Minzhen went to the pot, picked up a meat bun that was still warm, and took a bite. As she ate, she recounted what had just happened.

"Bah! The nerve of her to even ask. Utterly shameless. I swear, Third’s wife has been completely led astray by that woman." Wen Xiu gritted her teeth, then looked at her daughter with relief. "It’s a good thing you didn’t agree. I would have died from anger."

"Did Third Sister-in-law do something? We’ve already split the household. What more is there for them to make a scene about?"

While she asked, Zhang Minzhen savored the bun. The filling had an exquisite, savory aroma that exploded in her mouth. It grew more fragrant with every chew. After she swallowed, she found herself desperate for another bite. Before she knew it, the entire bun was gone, but the incredible aftertaste lingered on.

She was a little stunned. ’This flavor really is... it’s not just a little better than He Ji’s. It’s countless times better.’ She seriously wondered if she could ever eat another brand of bun after tasting this. No wonder Second Sister-in-law had been shameless enough to ask for the recipe.

"Delicious, isn’t it? I really don’t know how that child Nuannuan does it. A cooking talent like hers is probably one in a million. It seems we’ll have to give her more chances to show off her skills." Wen Xiu smiled again, momentarily forgetting the drama with her second and third daughters-in-law she had been about to describe.

"Mom, you still haven’t told me why Third Sister-in-law came over to cause trouble." Zhang Minzhen grabbed another bun and took a bite. A quick glance around revealed there was nothing else to eat besides the three or four meat buns left in the pot. She figured this was probably their dinner.

"It wasn’t just your Third Sister-in-law. It was your Second and Third Sisters-in-law who came to raise a fuss together. Heh heh, your Third Sister-in-law is pregnant again," Wen Xiu said, her tone souring.

"Pregnant again? That’s wonderful news! Haven’t she and Third Brother always been hoping for another son?" Zhang Minzhen was initially pleased. Personal feelings and grudges aside, he was still her brother. She was genuinely happy that his wife was pregnant again and had a chance at having the son they had always dreamed of. After all, in a place like this, families without a son were still looked down upon.

"It is a good thing. I was happy for them at first, too. But the child isn’t even born yet, and she’s already started putting on airs. She came over this afternoon saying she’d been to a fortune teller who confirmed this baby is a boy. Then she went on and on about how tired she was. She claimed the fortune teller said this child has a destiny of great wealth and honor, and that the entire Zhang family’s future fortune might rest on his shoulders. That’s why, supposedly, she felt so exhausted the moment she became pregnant... Anyway, she droned on like that for half the day. Her hints were so obvious, did she think I couldn’t read between the lines? She’s treating us all like idiots. The baby is barely a month along, not even properly formed, and he’s already shouldering the future of the Zhang family? And she’s ’especially tired’? Does she think no one else here has ever been pregnant before? So, I just let her talk and didn’t say a word. Do you know what she did in the end?"

"What?"

"Heh heh. When she saw I was ignoring her, she finally got to the point. She said she can’t stand the smell of cooking fumes anymore and wants to come back and eat her meals with us old folks," Wen Xiu said, a sarcastic smile spreading across her face. "Naturally, I refused. When she saw I wouldn’t budge, she went and dragged your Eldest and Second Sisters-in-law over to pressure me. Your Eldest Sister-in-law has always had a good head on her shoulders, so of course she wouldn’t side with them. But your Second Sister-in-law is a shameless opportunist. How could she pass up a chance to freeload? The two of them were here all afternoon raising a ruckus."

"It’s only been two days! They want to undo the family split already?" Zhang Minzhen’s eyes widened in surprise.

"You’re not understanding. They want to keep the households separate but eat all their meals together. They’ve got it all planned out. They said they’d return the grain they were just given and store it here with me. Then, each year, they’d give me a third of their harvest, and we could all go back to eating together like a big, happy family." The sarcastic smile on Wen Xiu’s lips grew wider as she spoke. "They want to keep using your Eldest Sister-in-law and me as their personal servants—servants who have to pay for the privilege, no less! Do they really think we’re that stupid?"

Zhang Minzhen was speechless. "..." The meat bun in her mouth suddenly seemed tasteless. After a long moment, she asked bitterly, "And what did Second and Third Brother have to say about it?"

"What did they say? What do you think they said? The second one claimed he and his wife are too busy with the fields and other work to look after their kids. The third one was even better. He said it was a miracle his wife was pregnant again, that she couldn’t stand the cooking fumes, and what if she worked too hard and something happened to the baby?" Wen Xiu was still seething as she spoke. "I told him right to his face! When I was nine months pregnant with him, I was still working in the fields! How come nothing ’happened’ to him then? If something had ’happened’ to him back then, I’d have a lot less to worry about and wouldn’t be this angry now! She’s barely a month along—it’s just a late period. She just says she’s pregnant, and we’re supposed to believe it?"

"Mom, don’t be angry. It’s not worth getting worked up over them. It’s bad for your health. I want you to live for many more years, so I’ll still have my mom and dad with me when I’m sixty or seventy."

"Are you asking your father and me to live forever?" Wen Xiu laughed at Zhang Minzhen’s words. She poked her daughter’s forehead, her heart filled with relief. ’Not all my children are filial, but at least some of them are.’ "Don’t worry, I’m not angry anymore. Your Eldest Sister-in-law also reminded me that anger is bad for you. Anyway, they can think whatever they want. As long as I say no, there’s nothing they can do about it."

"Mm."