Chapter 16

Cao Yunxia was stunned.

She didn’t expect that Ho Jincheng would say such a thing! She stared blankly at Ho Jincheng, unable to help herself and shouted, “Ho Jincheng!”

“What are you shouting for so early in the morning?!” Yao Guizhi came out of the room, looking at Cao Yunxia with displeasure.

Cao Yunxia turned to look at Yao Guizhi, feeling a little aggrieved. “Mom, it’s bad enough that that little vixen Lan Yun’er said I’m ugly, but now Jincheng… he also—”

“What vixen? What are you calling her that for? She’s your sister-in-law! How can you say something like that? Is this how a proper sister-in-law should speak?!” Yao Guizhi frowned, reproaching her.

“But Lan Yun’er…”

“Mom, you’re up! Is Dad awake? I’ve made breakfast, we can eat now,” Lan Yun’er came out holding a plate, smiling brightly as she walked toward Yao Guizhi.

Yao Guizhi glanced at the plate in Lan Yun’er’s hands. Her eyebrows shifted, and a smile appeared on her face. “Did you make breakfast this morning, little Yun’er?”

“Yes,” Lan Yun’er nodded, her smile becoming even brighter. “But I’m not sure if I made it to your taste. If it doesn’t suit you, please don’t mind it.”

“Don’t mind it, don’t mind it. Of course not,” Yao Guizhi said with a smile, her expression filled with satisfaction. Lan Yun’er had actually gotten up early to make breakfast; it seemed like she was truly committed to living well with Jincheng. She then looked at Ho Jincheng, feigning displeasure as she scolded him, “Why are you just standing there? Hurry up and take the plate from your wife. She got up early to make breakfast, and you’re still asleep.”

Ho Jincheng’s gaze was fixed on Lan Yun’er. Looking at her bright, beautiful smile, it felt like seeing a field of blooming flowers—radiant and captivating.

He stepped forward, reached out, and held his hand toward her. “Give me the plate.”

Lan Yun’er glanced at him, then gave a shallow smile. “You haven’t washed up yet. You should go wash up first.” She then gently pushed him with one hand. “Hurry.”

Ho Jincheng gently took her hand in his. Her hand was soft and small, and holding it gave him a feeling that almost melted his heart. He gazed deeply into her eyes, his voice becoming gentler. “Okay.”

Zhong Cuitao hurried into the kitchen and brought out a large plate of wild vegetable pancakes. The scent was mouthwatering, stirring everyone’s appetite.

“Smells good. It looks so delicious,” she exclaimed.

Cao Yunxia, seeing Ho Jincheng and Lan Yun’er’s affectionate behavior, felt extreme jealousy. As she heard Zhong Cuitao praise Lan Yun’er’s cooking, her expression grew cold, and she couldn’t help but sneer, “So what if it smells good? Smells good, but it still needs to be able to go down your throat. I wonder what she put in it to make it smell like that. Be careful, you might get sick from it!”

She shot a glare at Lan Yun’er and continued, “I think she doesn’t even know how to cook. She’s just wasting food.”

Both Ho Jincheng and Lan Yun’er’s faces darkened.

Yao Guizhi shot an angry glare at Cao Yunxia and sternly said, “Shut up! Lan Yun’er woke up early to make breakfast, and you’re not even grateful. Instead, you’re over here complaining. If you think the breakfast is so bad, then you make it tomorrow morning!”

Cao Yunxia: “…”

She was blocked by these words, not knowing how to respond.

Ho Jincheng glanced at Cao Yunxia and coldly said, “If you’re afraid that the food Lan Yun’er made is poisonous, then don’t eat it later.”

Cao Yunxia was once again blocked, and she ground her teeth in frustration, wanting to say something but not being able to. Eventually, she reluctantly sat down at the table.

At the table, Ho Tianhe looked at the wild vegetable pancakes, swallowing his saliva. He reached out to grab one and was about to put it in his mouth when Cao Yunxia quickly stopped him.

“Don’t eat that! Be careful, it might upset your stomach!” She quickly grabbed the pancake from him and threw it into Lan Yun’er’s bowl. “You eat first. If there’s no problem with yours, then we’ll eat.”

It made it seem as if she, Cao Yunxia, were the emperor, and Lan Yun’er was her servant, testing the food for poison.

Lan Yun’er smiled sarcastically and glanced at Cao Yunxia. Then, in a calm voice, she said, “I’d advise you not to eat it. With how suspicious you are, what if eating it makes your paranoia worse?”

“What did you say?!” Cao Yunxia glared at her and angrily yelled.

Before Lan Yun’er could respond, Ho Jianzhang slammed his hand on the table and glared at Cao Yunxia, saying, “Enough! If you’re not going to eat, then get out!”

This outburst even made Ho Jianzhang angry, and Cao Yunxia, for a moment, felt a bit intimidated. She lowered her head weakly. “Dad, I’m just worried that there’s something wrong with the food. I’m just thinking of everyone’s health, I…”

“You’re always causing trouble! When will you stop? Haven’t you learned your lesson from last night? Don’t you know why you were bitten?!” Ho Jianzhang scolded, his dislike for his eldest daughter-in-law growing stronger.

Recalling last night’s events, Cao Yunxia still felt uneasy.

She immediately fell silent and didn’t dare speak further.

Lan Yun’er raised an eyebrow and glanced at Cao Yunxia.

It seemed that the lesson she gave Cao Yunxia last night wasn’t enough.

Suddenly, Yao Guizhi picked up a wild vegetable pancake and quickly took a few bites. She looked down at the pancake and, in confusion, said, “This pancake…”

“What’s wrong with it?” Ho Junda asked, his eyes fixed on Yao Guizhi. “Is it not good? If it’s not tasty, Mom, don’t eat it. Looks like Yunxia was right, letting Lan Yun’er cook was just a waste of food.”

Lan Yun’er sneered at Ho Junda and didn’t even bother replying to him.

Ho Jincheng’s voice became stern. “Big Brother, it’s clear that everything this morning is made with wild vegetables, and these wild vegetables were picked by me and Yun’er together. Since we picked them, how can you say it’s a waste of food? Are we wasting your food?!”

These words left Ho Junda speechless, his face instantly turning awkward.

But he stubbornly defended himself, “Even if you picked them, so what? Since they’re for the whole family, what’s wrong with me saying that? I…”

“Shut up! You should be embarrassed! I’m embarrassed for you!” Yao Guizhi scolded, giving Ho Junda a fierce glare.

After glaring at him, she turned to Lan Yun’er and smiled. “The pancakes are really delicious. I was just thinking, how can they taste so good? Yun’er, how did you make them?”