Chapter 4: Considerate

Bang! Bang! Bang!

A heavy knocking on the door interrupted their conversation.

“Brother Shen! Open the door! Something happened to Houzi!”

Shen Caisheng had originally planned to discuss the rumors outside, but now, he had no time for that.

“I have to go.”

Tossing aside the firewood, he strode out of the kitchen.

Yuan Lingling clutched her pounding chest and mumbled an acknowledgment, but when she looked up, he was already gone.

Houzi was a street loafer who lived in the alley west of the brewery. He had lost his family at a young age, leaving behind only a younger brother. The two of them lived a hard life, but he himself was incapable of making anything of it. On most days, the only people who kept close to him were Shen Caisheng and Ma Jie from next door.

The one who had just pounded on the door was Ma Jie. Judging by the noise, something big must have happened.

Yuan Lingling got up and peeked out from the kitchen doorway. In the courtyard, there was nothing left but a trail of footprints, while the courtyard gate remained completely untouched.

What kind of habit was this? Why did he always like climbing over the wall?

At least he had some skill.

The rice in the pot wasn’t done cooking yet. When Yuan Lingling lifted the lid, the water was already bubbling away.

It seemed like she would have to rely on herself.

Relying on childhood memories, Yuan Lingling first scooped out some rice water, placed a cotton cloth on the aluminum pot’s separator, then poured the drained, half-cooked rice on top. She flattened it, poked a few holes with her chopsticks, and finally covered the lid—leaving the rest to fate.

While the rice was steaming, she took the meat out of the stove to cool. Taking advantage of the free moment, she sliced two potatoes and set them aside. She also finely chopped the ginger, garlic, and chili that Shen Caisheng had prepared earlier before slicing the meat.

By the time all the ingredients were ready, the rice in the pot was almost done.

Well, close enough…

Instead of uncovering the lid, Yuan Lingling moved the pot onto the stove to let it simmer slowly.

She glanced outside at the sky. Instead of rushing to cook, she tiptoed through the snow-covered courtyard and headed next door to the Ma family.

Knocking on the courtyard door, she rubbed her hands together and exhaled a breath of white mist. In just this short moment, her face had gone numb from the cold, and her hands felt completely frozen.

Northern winters were truly bitter.

“Who is it?” A strong, energetic woman’s voice quickly came from inside—it was Ma Jie’s mother, Yang Ying.

Her loud voice was well-known around the beer factory.

“Aunt Yang, it’s me.”

Yang Ying was a little surprised to see her.

Yuan Lingling was usually cold and aloof, not one to socialize much. Moreover, her ambiguous relationship with Xie Guanglian had made the neighbors look down on her.

Now, when every household was busy cooking dinner, her sudden visit seemed even more unusual. However, it was hard to turn away someone with a smile. Though her tone was still somewhat distant, Yang Ying did not make things difficult.

“Caisheng’s wife, do you need something?”

Yuan Lingling pretended not to notice her attitude. “Sorry to disturb you, Auntie. I just wanted to ask what happened earlier. Caisheng left in such a hurry, and I don’t know if they’ll be back for dinner.”

Hearing this, Yang Ying’s expression softened a bit. She sighed and said, “Those troublemakers never let anyone have peace. You should just go about your own business.”

She had always disapproved of Yuan Lingling’s usual behavior, but thinking about it now, Shen Caisheng was out all the time—why should anyone expect this girl to just sit at home waiting for him?

She was pitiful in her own way.

Young people nowadays didn’t even take marriage seriously anymore, leaving Yang Ying at a loss for words.

Even so, it was impossible for her to completely change her opinion of Yuan Lingling. She simply felt that this couple was well-matched—they both weren’t good people.

Seeing Yuan Lingling’s confused expression, she finally couldn’t resist adding in a low voice, “I’m telling you this, but don’t spread it around. I heard that Houzi got stabbed and was taken to the hospital.”

She gestured toward her own stomach, “Right here, a bloody hole.”

Yuan Lingling let out a small gasp. “Caisheng and Ma Jie went over there—will they be okay?” Someone had been stabbed, yet she sounded like she was just watching the drama unfold.

“They’ll be fine. The ones who did it have already been caught. Apparently, it was over Houzi’s house. A bunch of bullies who only pick on the weak!” Yang Ying said angrily. Right now, it seemed only her son and Shen Caisheng could be of any help.

Luckily, Shen Caisheng was there. At least they wouldn’t suffer a loss.

Thinking of this, Yang Ying suddenly felt a little guilty. Shen Caisheng had been looking out for her son, yet she had always treated his wife so coldly. So, she softened her tone and asked, “Have you eaten yet? If not, come have some food at my place.”

Yuan Lingling was taken aback by the unexpected kindness. “No need, no need. I’m cooking right now.” She quickly made her excuses and left.

Yang Ying didn’t insist. She simply said, “Alright then. Take care of yourself. Get some rest early—the snow isn’t stopping anytime soon.”

Just as Aunt Yang had predicted, the snow that had paused by dusk started falling again as soon as night fell. By the time Yuan Lingling woke up the next morning, another layer of snow had covered the courtyard, and the sky remained overcast.

After breakfast, she thought about going out to gather some news. But looking at the gloomy weather, she decided against it.

Well, truthfully, she just didn’t feel like moving.

Even if she found out something, there wasn’t much she could do about it. But if she slipped and hurt the baby in her belly, she would be the one suffering in the end.

Speaking of the baby, Yuan Lingling still felt troubled.

Shen Caisheng was always coming and going like a ghost, making her plans for divorce increasingly difficult.

Should she just say she felt lonely and wanted to set him free?

But what if that backfired, and he started coming home every day to argue? That would be even worse.

As she was lost in her thoughts, a knock sounded from outside.

“Caisheng’s wife, are you home?”

“I’m here!” Yuan Lingling quickly responded and got up to open the door. Hardly anyone ever came to her courtyard. Though the people in the alleyway were always loud and lively, they all cowered when faced with Shen Caisheng.

From this perspective, Shen Caisheng’s villainous nature was already starting to show.

The only ones who dared to provoke his wife were the reckless members of the Xie family.

She recognized the voice even before she opened the door—it was Yang Ying.

Sure enough, as soon as the door opened, she was met with a smiling face. But unlike yesterday’s cold attitude, Yang Ying’s smile now carried a hint of amusement.

Wait, amusement?

“Caisheng asked me to bring you some food. He was worried you’d go hungry,” Yang Ying said, genuinely surprised.

Others might not know, but she knew very well how Yuan Lingling had married into the Shen family. She had seen such underhanded methods before and never thought highly of them.

She had also noticed that Shen Caisheng didn’t seem to care much about his home life. But now, it seemed she had misjudged him.

“There’s also some vegetable scraps here. He said since you have chickens, you might not know how to feed them. Just give them some leaves and crushed corn.” Yang Ying’s gaze had already shifted to the chicken coop in the corner of the yard.

It was the same coop Shen Caisheng had noisily built yesterday with wooden planks.

A small wooden house with a slanted roof, nestled against a tree trunk—it looked just like a cartoon house from a children’s book. He really had a knack for handiwork.

“Caisheng made this, didn’t he? He’s always been good with his hands,” Yang Ying commented while tossing some leaves into the coop, taking a closer look at the little wooden house.

“I wonder where he learned these skills. His parents never knew anything like this—really impressive.”

Back in the day, both of Shen Caisheng’s parents had worked at the factory, doing nothing more than packing beer into boxes.

People often said that dragons birthed dragons and phoenixes birthed phoenixes, but the Shen family must have accumulated good karma in their past life to have such a capable son. It was just a shame that he hadn’t been raised properly. The Shen couple would never get to enjoy the fruits of their hard work.

As she spoke, Yang Ying’s expression turned regretful, and she even looked at Yuan Lingling with a bit of sympathy.

“Come on, hurry up and eat before it gets cold.”

“This is really too much trouble for you, Auntie. We still have some food at home—I should give you something in return,” Yuan Lingling said, still a little dazed.

Shen Caisheng had asked Aunt Yang to bring her food? Why? Was it because she had said she couldn’t cook?

He was actually being thoughtful?

Just as she stepped back inside, Yang Ying stopped her.

“No need. Do you think I’d let myself suffer a loss? Your man already paid for it—eat as much as you want. If you ever need anything, just holler from across the yard.”

Hearing her mention “your man,” Yuan Lingling felt inexplicably flustered. She forced a smile to cover her awkwardness. “Alright then, I won’t be polite.”

With the weather so cold, she was more than happy to take a break from cooking. But she wasn’t thick-skinned enough to actually start ordering meals.

The truth was, Yuan Lingling wasn’t picky when it came to food.

Today’s meal was braised pork belly and winter melon soup, served with big, round steamed buns. In these times, this was already an excellent meal.

She sat on the heated brick bed, picked up a piece of tender, juicy pork, and took a bite. The rich, savory flavor melted in her mouth. The sauce, thick and fragrant, paired perfectly with a fluffy bite of the steamed bun…

After finishing most of her meal, she had a steaming bowl of winter melon soup. Only those who had truly tasted it would understand the real value of this meal.

She carefully scraped up every last bit of sauce from her lunchbox, yet Yuan Lingling still felt unsatisfied. She suspected that instead of carrying two babies, she might have two little gluttons in her belly.

Mmm… she suddenly craved qingtuan, glutinous rice cakes, and niangao…

Licking her lips, Yuan Lingling washed her lunchbox before rummaging through the kitchen.

After searching for a while, she finally set her sights on a pile of sweet potatoes in the corner. Making sweet potato pancakes would do.

These sweet potatoes were brought back by Shen Caisheng last month. They were incredibly fragrant and sweet, so they would surely make delicious snacks.

She picked out a few of the biggest ones, as they were harder to roast evenly. After washing and peeling them, she sliced them into thick pieces, placed them on a plate, and set them in the steamer. Once the water boiled, she steamed them over high heat for about ten minutes until they were fully cooked.

There was no glutinous rice flour at home, so Yuan Lingling had to use regular flour. The texture wouldn’t be as soft and chewy as she preferred, but at least the taste should still be good.

She kept reminding herself that in this era, being able to eat something decent was already a blessing. She shouldn’t be too picky.

Yuan Lingling mashed the sweet potatoes into the flour, quickly kneading them into small dough balls. Instead of steaming them, she carried out the oil can from the kitchen.

Since she was already making them, there was no point in being stingy.

She poured two spoonfuls of oil into the pan, added firewood, and as soon as the oil started sizzling, she flattened the dough balls and placed them in the pan one by one. The delicious aroma quickly filled the air.

In these times, if a family cooked something delicious, it was impossible to keep it a secret. Everyone had been poor for too long, and it seemed their sense of smell had evolved to be especially sharp when it came to food.

Naturally, Yang Ying from next door also caught a whiff of the fragrance. She didn’t step outside to check, nor did she expect it to be coming from Yuan Lingling’s house. She simply sighed to her husband, “Smells like they used a lot of oil. Who could it be? Some people really don’t know the hardships of life.”

Just as she finished speaking, her son rushed in from outside. She quickly stepped forward to pat the snow off Ma Jie’s clothes.

“What happened? What’s the situation?” Yang Ying asked anxiously.

“It’s fine now. Those troublemakers were chased away by Brother Shen, and Houzi is out of danger,” Ma Jie said while taking off his coat. “Brother Shen is still at the hospital with him.”

Hearing this, Yang Ying breathed a sigh of relief and remarked, “As expected of Caisheng. What are you rummaging around for, making such a mess?”

“Where’s my old cotton-padded jacket? Brother Shen was up all night, and didn’t you say his courtyard is covered in snow? I’m going to help him shovel it.”

Yang Ying pushed him aside. “You’re tearing the house apart looking for it. It’s right here. Clean the snow properly and don’t make a mess!”

“Don’t worry, I got it!”

—

Yuan Lingling was carrying a plate of sweet potato cakes when she opened the courtyard gate, only to come face-to-face with Ma Jie.

“Sister-in-law,” Ma Jie greeted. He wasn’t very tall, but he had fair skin, making him look just as frail as Yuan Lingling.

Seeing him, Yuan Lingling was slightly surprised. “Looking for me? I was just about to bring some sweet potato cakes to your house.”

Just as she handed the plate to Ma Jie, she caught a glimpse of two figures walking toward them.

“Lingling, what are you eating?”

Before she could respond, Xie Aihe and her mother had already approached.

“Why aren’t you saying anything?” Mother Xie sneered, her tone dripping with sarcasm. “If I didn’t know better, I’d think you were too stingy to share a bite.”

Mother Xie, whose real name was Jiang Liping, still had a refined beauty despite her age. Because of her looks, she had always held herself above others, especially Yuan Lingling.

She considered Yuan Lingling to be petty and unsophisticated, yet her own actions often proved that she was exactly the kind of person she despised.

Yuan Lingling slightly shifted, shielding Ma Jie behind her. She had worked hard to make these treats—why should they get a share?

She had no intention of giving them any.

“That’s right, I’m stingy. I’ve never heard of a rule that says I have to share just because I made something to eat.”

At her words, the mother and daughter’s expressions changed instantly.

They knew Yuan Lingling valued her pride. In the past, because of her relationship with Xie Guanglian, she had always been polite to them, if not overly flattering.

Jiang Liping snorted coldly. As expected, this woman was no good. Could it be that she had her eyes on the Ma boy now?

“That’s true,” Jiang Liping sneered. “After all, Lingling, you’re already married. Whether you’re generous or stingy doesn’t really matter anymore.”

“I’m not worried about getting married, but does Xie Aihe have a marriage prospect yet?”

In this neighborhood, everyone knew Xie Aihe was the stingiest person around. How dare she call someone else petty?

In both her past and present lives, Yuan Lingling had never been one to stir up trouble. But if someone came looking for it, she wouldn’t hold back.

“You—!” Xie Aihe fumed. Of course, she understood the jab.

She didn’t care about appearances anymore. She just wanted to tear Yuan Lingling’s mouth apart. If it weren’t for her, she would be the one living in that courtyard, and the Shen family’s wealth would be hers.

It was all Yuan Lingling’s fault!

Just as she was about to roll up her sleeves, Ma Jie stepped in front of her. “Aihe, let’s talk this out.”

“Move aside, or I’ll scream that you’re harassing me!”

Ma Jie didn’t budge, only smiling. “Aihe, don’t be mad. Here, have a taste of Sister-in-law’s sweet potato cakes. They smell amazing.”

Yuan Lingling was speechless. Was this guy dense? At least check whose food you’re offering before playing peacemaker.

“They smell good, but let’s see if they taste as good,” Jiang Liping said, grabbing one before Xie Aihe could react.

Seeing this, Xie Aihe hurriedly took one too, as if afraid Ma Jie might change his mind.

The next moment, the only sound was of them gobbling down the food.

They ate so quickly that Yuan Lingling didn’t even have time to stop them.

Seeing this, Ma Jie took a piece for himself, his eyes lighting up as he ate. “This is delicious, Sister-in-law! You’re amazing!”

Without another word, he wolfed it down and, ignoring the expectant looks from the Xie mother and daughter, grabbed the plate and ran.

“Sister-in-law, wait for me! Brother Shen told me to help fetch water and clear the snow!”

His hurried departure made Yuan Lingling reluctant to blame him.

Unfortunately, those two had gotten a free meal out of it.

“Yuan Lingling!” Xie Aihe glared at her. “My second brother can’t even walk because of you, and here you are feasting like nothing happened! How can you be so heartless?”

“He can’t walk?” Yuan Lingling was shocked, suddenly feeling a chill in her legs.

She had only meant to shift the blame. She didn’t expect Shen Caisheng to be so ruthless.

Did he actually break his legs?!