Chapter 37.2

He was only where he was now due to the old man’s support. If the old man abandoned him, his position would soon be lost due to his own limited abilities.

Wu Yunhua, however, chose to ignore him and helped the fuming Commander Li upstairs.

The son tried to follow but was blocked by Xiao Wu. “Please leave.”

Despite his unwillingness, the son and Ye Qiu eventually left.

Their faces were longer than a donkey’s as they departed.

……

On the other side, Ruan Mingfu felt somewhat speechless after learning about the couple’s plans from Xie Yanzhao.

Handing off their mentally challenged daughter to others—was that how people behaved?

If she were to say, Xie Yanzhao was too good-tempered. If she were in his place, she would have taught that shameless couple a lesson. No wonder Commander Li was not happy with the couple. It turned out that they were not humane at all.

“Aren’t you angry?”

Ruan Mingfu looked up, curious about Xie Yanzhao’s reaction.

He smiled and gently patted her head. “What’s there to be angry about?”

It’s all over now.

Besides, Commander Li would never allow these two people to do this.

“Stop patting my head!” She scolded him, irritated. “You’ve messed up my hair.”

The little girl was both delicate and quick to anger.

But her temper was like a gust of wind—strong and fast but gone in an instant.

Xie Yanzhao didn’t reach out again. “I’ll be going out for a bit.”

“Okay.”

Ruan Mingfu responded, indicating that she understood.

The military district is so far away, she doesn’t want to go through the trouble.

“See if you can buy some more meat,” Ruan Mingfu said, with a flash of inspiration, pulling Xie Yanzhao closer and whispering, “Also, buy some pig offal, like pig kidneys and so on…”

Although she hadn’t inherited Mrs. Ruan’s cooking skills, she had spent so much time watching Mrs. Ruan make soup.

Ruan Mingfu had picked up a few recipes herself.

For instance, Angelica and pig kidney soup was particularly good for certain ailments.

She phrased it vaguely, hoping Xie Yanzhao wouldn’t think too much into it. She wanted to test it out first to avoid hurting his confidence and worsening his condition.

“Do you know how to handle it?”

Xie Yanzhao was skeptical about dealing with pig offal.

“You just buy it.”

Look at the sacrifices she made for this dog man’s illness.

She was even willing to handle pig offal, which she hated!

Ruan Mingfu thought for a moment, then continued, “Let’s also buy some dangshen^[1]Dangshen (Codonopsis pilosula): Also known as poor man’s ginseng, this root is often used in Chinese herbal medicine as a substitute for ginseng. It is believed to boost energy, support the … Continue reading and angelica root^[2]Angelica Root (Angelica sinensis): Known as “Dong Quai” in Chinese, it is a traditional herb commonly used in women’s health for balancing hormones, improving circulation, and … Continue reading. They add a nice flavor to the soup. Oh, and don’t forget Solomon’s seal^[3]Solomon’s Seal (Polygonatum): This herb is used in traditional medicine for its nourishing properties. It is thought to promote respiratory health, support the kidneys, and improve joint … Continue reading as well…”

“Okay,” Xie Yanzhao frowned, feeling it was a bit strange but couldn’t pinpoint why. After a moment of silence, he asked, “Is there anything else you need?”

She shook her head.

“Just buy what you think is necessary.”

For a hotpot meal, familiar people were enough. It would be just a small gathering. Since they had just moved in yesterday and had nothing in the house, they needed to shop for essentials.

The afternoon was tight on time.

Xie Yanzhao didn’t delay, sending Ruan Mingfu back before leaving.

In the living room, she looked around the house, increasingly satisfied with it.

“Sister-in-law.”

Ruan Mingfu turned her head to see Hu Wanning and the little chubby boy standing at the door, holding a jar of pickled vegetables she had made herself.

She took the slippers and the jar from Hu Wanning.

“Sister-in-law, why are you here so early?”

Xie Yanzhao had just left.

The little chubby boy blinked his grape-like eyes and opened his arms to her.

“Sister, hug.”

Hu Wanning put on her shoes and patted the child’s chubby bottom. “How many times have I told you that you should call auntie?”

“Calling me Sister sounds better.”

“Aunt” seems so old-fashioned; “Sister” is a nicer term.

Ruan Mingfu put down the jar and picked up the chubby child for a hug.

“Sister-in-law, please sit.”

Xie Yanzhao was older than Xu Zhu, so Hu Waning should call Ruan Mingfu “Sister-in-law.” However, as she was several years older than Ruan Mingfu, she found it awkward. Besides, she had gotten used to calling her “Sister-in-law” recently, so she just continued with that.

To avoid further complications.

Hu Wanning glared at the chubby boy. “Where is Old Xie? Why isn’t he here?”

“He went out to buy some things; he just left,” Ruan Mingfu replied, sitting down beside Hu Waning. “Sister-in-law, why did you come so early?”

Although she needed to cook in the evening, there was no rush.

“Oh, Old Xu went to the army,” Hu Wanning explained. “I was bored staying home alone, so I decided to come over early.”

Xie Yanzhao had a half-month wedding leave but Xu Zhu did not. He still had to go to work.

“Sister-in-law, try this.”

Ruan Mingfu placed the food in front of Hu Wanning.

“This kid is so chubby, stop holding him,” Hu Wanning said, glancing at the plump child nestled in Ruan Mingfu’s arms with disapproval. “Put him down and let him play on his own.”

The floor was covered with a thick carpet, so there was no risk of the child getting hurt.

What a typical mother.

The child gave Hu Wanning a resentful look but then climbed down from Ruan Mingfu’s arms and sat on the carpet.

“I wonder who he takes after?”

He would rather die than speak. There has never been such a weirdo in eight generations.

As someone who had been through it all, Hu Wanning said, “Sister-in-law, you really need to teach your child well. Don’t let him turn out like this little rascal.”

Ruan Mingfu: “……??”

She couldn’t understand why the conversation had suddenly shifted to having children.

“It’s still early,” Ruan Mingfu had a natural fear of childbirth, and just thinking about it made her scalp tingle. She couldn’t say this directly to Hu Wanning, so she just laughed it off. “We’ll talk about it when the time comes.”

Hu Wanning looked at Ruan Mingfu with suspicion and then suddenly seemed to understand.

She leaned in and whispered, “You… you haven’t shared a room with Old Xie yet, have you?”

Although it was phrased as a question, her tone was filled with certainty.

Ruan Mingfu: “……”

The sister-in-law in the family compound was truly bold.

“Don’t be embarrassed,” Hu Wanning said with an experienced tone, “Everyone goes through this.”

She spoke from her own experience with her husband, Xu Zhu.

When they first married, Xu Zhu’s eyes were always full of desire. He wanted to be with her all the time, and she was exhausted every day. It was nothing like Ruan Mingfu’s current state of relaxation.

But… surely Old Xie didn’t have any serious issues?

How could he not be moved by such a beautiful woman lying beside him?

Ruan Mingfu bit her lip, unsure of how to respond.

As an experienced person, Hu Wanning could read her expression and knew exactly what it meant.

“Old Xie… is he really incapable?”

“No, no,” Ruan Mingfu quickly replied, “It’s just… I’m not ready yet.”

Her words were so heartfelt that it almost brought tears to her eyes.

Indeed, she was sacrificing a lot to maintain her husband’s image. Where else could one find such a good daughter-in-law?

Hu Wanning smiled mysteriously.

“I understand.”

Ruan Mingfu’s face turned red with embarrassment, and she quickly changed the subject.

“Sister-in-law, I’ll be counting on you later.”

“It’s nothing,” Hu Wanning waved her hand and said, “Later, Sister Lin and Sister Wang will come over too. We’ll have plenty of help.”

That’s how it was in the family compound.

You couldn’t just come and eat without helping; you had to lend a hand.

“That’s great. I was worried before.”

“By the way, this jar contains my homemade pickles,” Hu Wanning said with a bright smile, “Save it to enjoy slowly.”

Ruan Mingfu opened the lid, and a strong, fermented aroma hit her nose.

“Smells so good.”

Hu Wanning was quite proud of her pickling skills.

Years ago, it was this skill that helped her win Xu Zhu.

“I tasted it when I arrived. This should be the best batch of pickles I’ve ever made.”

“Really?” Ruan Mingfu’s eyes lit up, “I’ll definitely have to try it later.”

*

As time passed, Xie Yanzhao, who had gone out to buy groceries, returned before 4 p.m. He carried a large number of items, looking as if he had brought the entire supply store with him.

In addition to the items Ruan Mingfu had requested, he had also bought two fish.

At a glance, each fish seemed to weigh about one and a half pounds.

Even more impressive, one of the fish was a big head fish.

It was perfect for making a spicy fish head dish.

Ruan Mingfu planned the menu, and Xie Yanzhao took the two fish to the well to clean and prepare them.

“Sister-in-law, you can peel the garlic. We’ve got enough help here.”

The kitchen was bustling with activity.

In addition to Hu Wanning and Sister Lin and Sister Wang, Li Xianglan and He Cuixiang also came. If it weren’t for the spacious kitchen, there wouldn’t be enough room for so many people.

All five were skilled workers, so Ruan Mingfu didn’t need to do much.

Hu Wanning found Ruan Mingfu in the way and assigned her a task to keep her occupied.

As the host, Ruan Mingfu felt awkward leaving.

However, since she really couldn’t be of much help, she took the garlic she needed to peel and reluctantly moved to the doorway.

“Wanning, besides braised pork, what other dishes are there?”

Sister Lin looked at the table piled high with food and was momentarily stunned. Apart from the pork, there was also some lamb.

This was a rarity.

Sister Lin, who grew up in the south, had only had lamb twice in her life.

“Braised lamb, and there’s also chicken. I’ll make a soup, and we’ll stir-fry the vegetables you brought,” Hu Wanning thought for a moment, “The remaining fish can be braised…”

Peeling garlic, Ruan Mingfu quickly suggested, “One fish should be used to make tofu stew, and the fish head should be steamed. For the fish body… let’s stew it together with the other fish.”

She had originally wanted to make boiled fish, but the big head fish was thin and had many bones.

Stewing it would allow everyone to enjoy more meat.

“Alright!” Hu Wanning agreed, “That sounds good. Sister Lin also brought a jar of chopped peppers.”

Counting carefully, there were ten dishes in total, half of which were meat dishes.

This was quite a good spread.

As they were discussing, the person who had gone to clean the fish returned. Xie Yanzhao not only cleaned the fish but also prepared the pig kidneys that Ruan Mingfu had specified.

I have to say, Old Xie was truly considerate.

Hu Wanning looked at the pig kidneys in the bowl, “They’re quite fresh. Using them to make spicy stir-fry with pickled peppers will definitely be very fragrant.”

As soon as the words were spoken, several people couldn’t help but swallow.

“I learned a new soup recipe,” Ruan Mingfu cleared her throat, avoiding Xie Yanzhao’s gaze, and casually said, “I’m planning to give it a try.”