Chapter 16: The Homewrecker

The atmosphere in the Jiang family home today was as lively as during the New Year. When the family of four arrived, the delicious scent of meat filled the air, making everyone’s stomachs rumble.

In the yard, Father Jiang was puffing on his tobacco pipe while weaving bamboo baskets with his two sons, planning to take them to the market to exchange for some goods.

“Dad, Big Brother, Second Brother,” the young couple greeted, walking into the yard where the three men were working.

Father Jiang and his two sons looked up at them.

“You’re here. Where’s your mom?” Father Jiang asked, glancing behind them.

Jiang Hong frowned. “Isn’t Mom back yet? She should have come before me.”

Father Jiang waved his hand, taking a puff of his tobacco pipe. “Don’t worry about her. She’s probably chatting with someone on the way back. She knows how to get home.”

Li Yiyi realized that since the yard was full of men, it wouldn’t be appropriate for her to stay there alone. Hearing someone cooking in the kitchen, she rolled up her sleeves and said to the three men, “Dad, you all keep talking. I’ll go help in the kitchen.”

Without waiting for a response, she quickly walked toward the kitchen.

The four pairs of eyes followed her into the kitchen.

“Third sister-in-law has really changed. I didn’t believe Mom when she said it, but now I do. She used to avoid the kitchen as much as possible, but now look at her!” Second Brother Jiang said, rubbing his chin and analyzing the situation.

Father Jiang took another puff from his pipe. “Your third brother’s wife is a good woman. We misjudged her before. She even bought me tobacco. I’ve lived for so many years, raised three sons and a daughter, and never got such a treat, but now I get it from my daughter-in-law.”

Meanwhile, Li Yiyi entered the kitchen, unaware that she was being praised. She found her two sisters-in-law staring at a plate of raw meat.

“Big Sister-in-law, Second Sister-in-law, is there anything I can help with?” She asked as she approached them.

Big Sister-in-law turned to look at her, immediately thinking of the meal Li Yiyi had served the family the day before. It had been fragrant, and the children were fighting over it.

“Third Sister-in-law, do you know how to cook meat?” Big Sister-in-law asked, almost pleadingly, pointing to the plate of raw pork.

“Braised pork, is that okay?” Li Yiyi suggested, thinking of her specialty.

“Braised pork! That sounds delicious. Is it difficult to make?” Second Sister-in-law licked her lips, practically salivating at the thought.

Li Yiyi explained how to make braised pork and what it tasted like. As she spoke, both Big Sister-in-law and Second Sister-in-law felt as though they might drool.

“Enough, stop talking, I can’t take it anymore,” Second Sister-in-law interrupted, trying to hold back her hunger.

Li Yiyi smiled, secretly enjoying their reaction. She had always thought that her sisters-in-law were difficult to get along with, based on the memories of the original owner. But now, she realized that the reality was different.

“Let’s make this. It’s rare that we get to eat meat, so let’s make it taste really good. No more boiled meat, we always eat it the same way. Today, let’s have a change,” Big Sister-in-law said with a smile.

“Alright, I’ll make the braised pork. There’s also a duck here. How about we stir-fry it together?” Li Yiyi suggested, pulling a duck out of her bag.

“You even brought a duck?” Big Sister-in-law exclaimed, shocked by the sight of the duck.

If anyone tries to talk bad about her third sister-in-law from now on, she’ll defend her. No one can say anything bad about her now.

“I’m feeding four people today, so I can’t just eat for free,” Li Yiyi joked with a smile.

Afterward, she rolled up her sleeves and began to cook.

Since there were no seasonings, Li Yiyi could only make a simple braised pork. However, the aroma still wafted through the yard, causing the men sitting outside to glance toward the kitchen every so often.

“Who’s cooking today? Why does it smell so good all of a sudden?” Father Jiang licked his lips and asked.

Just then, Big Sister-in-law, who had gone outside to gather firewood, overheard and stopped in her tracks. With a smile, she said to Father Jiang, “Dad, it’s Third Sister-in-law. She made braised pork for us, and it smells amazing, even the sauce.”

Without waiting for the reactions of the four men, she hurried off toward the backyard.

“I didn’t know Third Sister-in-law could cook. She’s full of surprises,” Big Brother Jiang commented, laughing.

Jiang Hong didn’t say anything but occasionally turned to look toward the kitchen.

The three women worked quickly. In less than half an hour, two large bowls of meat, two plates of vegetables, and a big bowl of coarse wheat buns were ready.

Just as they walked out of the kitchen, they heard the angry voice of Mother Jiang.

“Who do they think they are? Do they really think the Jiang family is easy to bully?” Mother Jiang stormed in, out of breath, muttering angrily as she walked inside.

Father Jiang looked up at his wife. “What’s wrong? Who annoyed you?”

Mother Jiang fanned herself with her hand and sat down, her face red with anger. “Yang Tao! I’m so glad your third brother didn’t marry her. If he had, she would have turned this house upside down!”

Jiang Hong frowned at the mention of Yang Tao. “Mom, what are you talking about?”

He turned to see Li Yiyi standing there and calmly walked over to her.

“Let me take that. You might burn yourself,” he said, taking the dish she was holding.

Big Sister-in-law and Second Sister-in-law looked on with envy as the couple interacted, before turning their attention to their own husbands, who were still sitting there doing nothing. They both felt exasperated.

Mother Jiang noticed Li Yiyi standing behind her and quickly stopped herself from saying anything further.

“Dad, Mom, today we’re having braised pork, and Third Sister-in-law made it. It smells amazing,” Big Sister-in-law said with a smile.

When Mother Jiang heard that her third daughter-in-law could cook, she gave her an extra look of appreciation.

“Third Aunt is really impressive,” Jiang Jianguo clapped his hands, calling out enthusiastically.

The children in the Jiang family, having grown closer to Li Yiyi after the candy incident, weren’t as afraid of her as before.

“Thank you for the praise, little Jianguo. I’ll keep trying my best,” Li Yiyi said with a wink.

Having spent more time with the children recently, Li Yiyi felt a surge of maternal love and found the well-behaved children especially endearing.