Chapter 47.2

At the foot of the mountain, they happened to run into Wu Guihua and a few others who had just come down from the mountain as well.

Wu Guihua smiled, “You went up the mountain too?”

Jiang Suihan replied with a smile, “Yes, Xu Zhao had some free time today, so he took us up the mountain for a walk. We picked some mushrooms and wild fruits.”

She didn’t ask Wu Guihua if she wanted any because those things were common on the mountain, and Wu Guihua wasn’t alone. If she gave something to her, she’d have to give something to everyone else, so it was easier to just skip over the matter.

The group glanced at the basket on Xu Zhao’s back. It was covered with a layer of leaves, so they couldn’t see what was inside, but it looked heavy.

With the sun beating down and lunchtime approaching, everyone hurried home to cook. After a brief chat, they all parted ways.

Chen Xiaohong couldn’t help but click her tongue, “If I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes today, I wouldn’t have believed Xu Zhao was so attentive. Instead of resting during the holidays, he takes his wife up the mountain. Xiao Jiang didn’t have to carry anything at all—Xu Zhao carried everything and even carried his brother-in-law. She’s really got it good!”

For women, marrying is like a second life. If your luck isn’t good, what can you do but accept it? But if you’re lucky, like Jiang Suihan, you marry a good man who’s gentle, considerate, and willing to help with the chores. He cooks, cleans, and does the laundry—she’s practically the envy of every woman in the compound.

Many women get married simply to have a partner to get through life with. Their husbands are like most men—flawed, but bearable. Life is uneventful, revolving around the kitchen, with days filled with oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, and tea. And that’s how they get through a lifetime.

Wu Guihua nodded, “Everyone has their own fate. When we were young, weren’t our men just as doting? But now, as we’ve gotten older and seen more of life, the novelty has worn off.”

Her husband, though not as impressive as Xu Zhao, was already better than most of the men in the compound. He cared for the family, loved the kids, and treated her well. Life was tough, but she was content with it.

Chen Xiaohong agreed, “That’s true. Who hasn’t had their youthful days? When I was younger, my old Zhang was all over me, couldn’t get enough of me. My mother-in-law used to constantly find fault with me during that time.”

Wu Guihua frowned—Chen Xiaohong really had no filter, saying whatever came to mind.

Chen Xiuni glanced at the distant figures of the Xu family trio and suddenly had a thought: “Have you heard about Wang Liying’s little sister and Xu Zhao?”

Living in the family compound, how could such big news go unnoticed?

Chen Xiaohong immediately caught on and, with an excited tone, replied, “Who hasn’t? It’s not like I’m saying this after the fact, but I never liked that little sister of Wang Liying. She just gives off a bad vibe. How should I put it…”

Chen Xiuni ventured a guess, “Fake?”

Chen Xiaohong clapped her hands in excitement, “Yes, exactly, she’s so fake! Xu Zhao is handsome—didn’t those girls from the arts troupe used to have a crush on him? But he didn’t give them the time of day. That little sister of the Wang family doesn’t stand a chance. She’s way below Xiao Jiang in every way. Xu Zhao isn’t blind—if I were him, I wouldn’t pick Wang Lijuan either. She’s from the countryside, not as pretty as Xiao Jiang, and not as educated. I really can’t figure out where she gets the confidence to think she can beat Xiao Jiang.”

A normal man would naturally prefer a beautiful woman. If Wang Lijuan and Jiang Suihan were standing together, anyone with a brain would know which one to choose.

Furthermore, when Wang Lijuan first arrived at the army camp, Xu Zhao had no interaction with her. How could he possibly ruin his future for some inexplicable woman who suddenly threw herself at him? However, since the girl had just come from the countryside and hadn’t seen many men, it’s possible she became infatuated with someone like Xu Zhao. It’s not unheard of for a young girl to make a misjudgment.

Chen Xiuni had considered building a good relationship with Jiang Suihan, thinking it might help her get closer to the Xu family in the future. However, Jiang Suihan’s indifferent attitude made it hard for her to lower herself to please a young girl.

When Chen Xiuni heard about Wang Lijuan’s younger sister’s pursuit of Xu Zhao, she almost laughed out loud. See, it’s so easy for a good-looking man to attract attention. Jiang Suihan might even be crying at home.

Chen Xiuni approached Wu Guihua, hoping to get her to visit the Xu family, but Wu Guihua refused, saying it would only cause trouble. She didn’t want Jiang Suihan to think they were visiting under the pretense of offering comfort while actually coming to see the spectacle.

Wu Guihua unintentionally hit on Chen Xiuni’s subtle thoughts, causing her to abandon the idea. She kept a close watch on the family compound’s gossip and learned that the Wang family had closed their doors at noon, and it seemed Wang Lijuan’s sisters had had a big argument.

The walls of the family compound were poorly soundproofed. Neighbors eavesdropped and quickly spread the news. Wang Lijuan’s excuses were met with mixed reactions—some believed her, while others sneered, doubting whether her words matched her true feelings.

Chen Xiuni looked down on Wang Lijuan but disliked Jiang Suihan equally, commenting, “Men always like something new. Even the most beautiful woman will become dull over time. Wang Lijuan’s younger sister isn’t bad-looking; she’s a fresh-faced young girl. I’ve noticed several young men hanging around the Wang family’s area these days.”

Chen Xiaohong clicked her tongue and analyzed with mock seriousness, “After being in the army for a long time, even a pig might seem attractive. It’s normal for those young soldiers to get excited when they see a young girl. I bet Wang Lijuan’s younger sister is more discerning and probably doesn’t care for these rough soldiers.”

Young soldiers are usually new recruits who don’t qualify to bring their families. Although Wang Lijuan is a rural girl, she’s quite attractive, has some education, and came all the way here with hopes of marrying an officer with family-carrying privileges.

Wang Lijuan had secretly inquired about young officers in the camp. She thought she was being discreet, but in the family compound, no secret goes unnoticed. Many people saw her actions, though they didn’t mention it directly in front of her.

Chen Xiuni nodded, “I agree with you. Among the young officers, Xu Zhao is the best-looking and holds a high position. His family is in the capital. It’s no wonder the young girl might be infatuated with him.”

Wu Guihua felt indifferent towards Wang Lijuan but somewhat sympathetic towards her. Regardless, being involved in such matters and being the subject of gossip must be difficult for the young girl.

“Let’s not talk too much about other people’s affairs. After all, she’s still an unmarried young woman. It’s better to be considerate with our words.”

Chen Xiuni muttered, “It’s not just us talking. If you walk around the family compound, you’ll find plenty who know about this. If you don’t want to be gossiped about, don’t do things that attract attention.”

Chen Xiaohong shrugged. She wasn’t avoiding Wu Guihua, she was simply thirsty and wanted to get home to drink water.

Having gained experience from the previous chicken slaughtering, Xu Zhao was quick and efficient this time. The chicken was soon plucked clean.

Jiang Suihan asked him to cut the chicken into pieces—half to be stir-fried and half to make chestnut chicken soup.

She had picked some goji berries on the mountain. After drying them, they could be used to make tea or added to soup. When the chicken soup was almost done, she added the goji berries and turned off the heat.

She also prepared wild onions with scrambled eggs, and stir-fried bacon with cabbage. Three dishes and one soup were ready.

Jiang Suihan served the last dish from the pot and called out, “Wash your hands and come to eat.”

Xu Zhao walked into the kitchen and said, “I’ll serve the soup.”

Jiang Suihan didn’t argue with him, grabbing the bowls and chopsticks and following behind.

It wasn’t too late, and the sky was still bright. They moved the table to the courtyard to eat outside, which was cooler.

Xu Zhao served a bowl of soup with a large chicken leg in front of Jiang Leyun.

The child’s eyes sparkled with joy as he loudly said, “Thank you, Brother-in-law!”

Jiang Suihan tasted the soup. After being simmered for over two hours, it was rich and flavorful, with chestnuts being tender and sweet. Her cooking skills had improved.

Jiang Leyun sat on the stool, swinging his little feet, his face full of delight at the delicious food: “It’s so good. I wish we could have chicken soup every day.”

Children’s wishes are simple—just wanting to eat delicious food.

Jiang Suihan glanced at Xu Zhao and said, “Why are you looking at me? Ask him. He caught the chicken. I don’t have that skill.”

With the responsibility now falling on him, Xu Zhao helplessly rubbed his forehead and said, “I have to go to the army every day. Only on holidays do I have time to go up the mountain. It’s not always easy to catch wild chickens.”

Hunting skills are crucial, but luck also plays a significant role.

Jiang Leyun suddenly turned to Jiang Suihan and said, “We could also raise chickens at home. Brother Xiaojun’s family has several chickens, and they have eggs every day.”

The idea of raising chickens seemed increasingly appealing to him, and he thought he was very clever.

Raising chickens at home would not only provide eggs but also meat—two benefits in one.

“No.”

Jiang Suihan was somewhat resistant to the idea. She had never raised chickens and worried she might accidentally kill them, wasting money and effort. Also, having chickens in the yard, with them leaving droppings everywhere, would drive her crazy.

She didn’t mind growing vegetables or tending flowers, which could be learned slowly, but raising chickens was another matter. If she wanted chicken, she could simply buy it at the market.

Jiang Leyun, thinking of the fluffy little yellow chicks, felt itchy and wished he could buy some the next day. Hearing his sister’s firm refusal, he sounded disappointed: “Why can’t we raise chickens?”

Jiang Suihan counted off on her fingers as she spoke: “First, raising chickens requires feed, and we don’t have extra grain at home. Second, who will take care of them? You’ll be starting school soon, and studying and doing homework will take up all your time. You won’t have any time to look after the chicks. Third, chicks will poop everywhere, making the yard dirty and smelly. Are you going to clean that up? And finally, I’m not going to help you with raising the chicks. You keep saying you’re a big kid now and a man, so you should handle your own stuff. Stop relying on your sister all the time.”

Children often come up with ideas on a whim. Right now, he wants to raise chickens, but once the novelty wears off, those chicks will just be handed over to her, leaving her to clean up the mess.

Jiang Leyun furrowed his brows, realizing from his sister’s explanation that raising chickens isn’t an easy task. Was she trying to scare him?

The child, feeling obstinate, retorted, “If I raise them, I’ll take good care of the chicks and make sure they don’t mess up the yard. I’ll clean up after them.”

Jiang Suihan wasn’t completely opposed to her brother raising chicks; she just wanted him to understand that one should act within their means and see things through to the end.

“Alright, you say so. I hope you can stick to it. Next time we go to the market, I’ll buy you a chick.”

Happy with the answer, Jiang Leyun cheered, almost falling off the stool with his enthusiasm. Fortunately, Xu Zhao quickly reached out to steady him.

Xu Zhao usually stayed out of the way when it came to Jiang Suihan’s upbringing of Jiang Leyun. The siblings had their own way of interacting after living together for several years. As long as it wasn’t a major principle issue, he remained silent and observed the child being influenced by his sister.