Chapter 3: Want to stay and drink chicken soup? I think you are dreaming

Because the family had been so poor at the time, nearly all the money her parents had managed to save was spent on her. This caused her younger brother to only marry at the age of twenty-five. Fortunately, her sister-in-law (Wu Hongmei) truly loved him and, despite her own family’s objections, insisted on waiting for him.

After they married, the couple lived a few happy years. But since her brother kept giving financial support to her, it eventually led to Wu Hongmei’s resentment. In the tenth year of their marriage, unable to bear Tang Huaixu being such a “sister-supporter,” Wu Hongmei divorced him.

Thinking back on her past life, Tang Wanning wished she could slap herself—because of her own selfishness, she had dragged down the whole family.

When Tang Huaixu noticed that his sister was no longer staring at the calendar but instead staring at him, his heart skipped a beat. No way, no way… Had his sister fallen on her head from heatstroke and gone silly? At the thought, he nervously waved his hand in front of her eyes.
“Sis, sis, what’s wrong with you? Don’t scare me!”

Seeing his hand waving quickly in front of her face, Tang Wanning couldn’t help but feel both amused and exasperated. “I’m fine, what nonsense are you thinking, worrying for nothing.”

Seeing that she was back to normal, Tang Huaixu patted his chest in relief. “That’s good, that’s good. Don’t do that again, you almost scared me to death.”

“I’ll go make dinner. You just focus on your homework.”

“Sis, I’ll do dinner, you should go rest.”

“I’m fine, keep writing.”

“But Mother said you should rest mor—” Before he could finish, he saw his sister’s face harden, and he could only change his tune helplessly. “Alright, alright, I’ll keep writing. But if you need anything, call me.”

“Okay.”

With that, Tang Wanning carried the bowl into the kitchen. Thinking that Bai Xiuying would soon bring chicken soup, she steamed a pot of rice. She also picked a few eggplants from the garden, steamed them until soft, tore them into strips, drizzled on her favorite sauce with scallion, ginger, and garlic, mixed it all together—and it was ready.

—Meanwhile, back at the Xu house, Bai Xiuying lowered her voice and cursed under her breath:
“That wretched brat! Fainted from a little heatstroke, and yet I have to kill a chicken and make soup for her? Not afraid of bursting from it, is she?”

Still, Bai Xiuying didn’t dare actually pull any tricks. After all, she and old Xu were counting on Tang Wanning to care for them in their old age. She couldn’t ruin everything over a moment’s spite. So not only did she have to kill the chicken, she also had to cook it with care. Then she’d make sure everyone knew, so the whole village would see how good she was to her daughter-in-law.

Suppressing her irritation, she began plucking and stewing the chicken. The fragrance of the rich broth made her swallow hard—this was a whole chicken! She and Xu had never been willing to eat it themselves, yet now it was being given to the girl who had “killed” their son. No way she was letting all of it go. She decided to sneak some aside for herself and Xu. As long as the head, wings, and feet were still there, she could claim it was a whole chicken. A few missing pieces of meat wouldn’t be noticed.

Happily, she filled a small bowl with several pieces of meat and half a bowl of broth. Only then did she pour the rest into a basin and carry it out with exaggerated pride toward the Tang house.

Just as she stepped outside, the neighbor Zhang Chunhua poked her head out.
“Sister Bai, what are you making that smells so delicious? The fragrance is killing me!”

Normally, Bai Xiuying hated Zhang Chunhua—whenever anything happened at her house, that woman would climb up the wall to peek and then spread it through the village. But today, seeing her, Bai Xiuying felt no annoyance. She even walked over eagerly.
“Wanning fainted from heatstroke, so I thought I’d make some chicken soup to nourish her. Poor girl, she’s had it tough. She married into our family, and right away our Zhenhua… Ai. This past year she’s worked herself to the bone caring for me and old Xu. We’ve long since regarded her as our own daughter. One chicken is nothing. If she wanted to eat meat and drink chicken soup every day, we’d find a way to provide it.”

Zhang Chunhua thought: Did I ask where you were bringing the soup? Why are you rattling on so much? Afraid no one will know you’re cooking chicken soup for your daughter-in-law? Just fishing for praise. Hah! No way I’ll give you the satisfaction.

But on her face, she showed nothing and replied,
“Too true. Ever since Wanning married in, she’s worked tirelessly, taking care of both of you, handling everything inside and out. I still remember when you and old Xu were both sick—she was there day and night, even watching over you at night by your bedsides…”

Hearing Zhang Chunhua praising Tang Wanning instead of her, Bai Xiuying almost choked with rage. Shouldn’t the compliments be about what a good mother-in-law she was? She had sacrificed a chicken she wouldn’t even eat herself to make soup for that wretched girl who had cursed her son—wasn’t that worth recognition?

“Well, anyway, Wanning’s waiting for her soup. I’ll be off.”

“Go on, go on.”

But as soon as Bai Xiuying was gone, Zhang Chunhua spat in her direction.
“Pah! If you really treated Wanning well, how could she have ended up like this? That girl used to be the village beauty—now look at her, sallow, thin, skin rough, darkened by a whole shade!”

—At the Tang house—

“Wanning, I’ve brought the chicken soup. Hurry and drink it while it’s hot!” Bai Xiuying called out with a smile, loud enough for the whole world to hear.

Rolling her eyes, Tang Wanning quickly went out to meet her. “Thank you, Mother. You’ve worked hard.”

“Not at all, not at all. This is what I should do.” Bai Xiuying made to carry the soup into the room. “Since you’re not feeling well, let me bring it inside for you.”

“No need, Mother, I can manage myself.” Tang Wanning took the soup from her. “Father’s still busy in the fields, right? You’d better hurry home and make dinner. Otherwise, when Father finishes and comes back, he won’t even have a hot meal.”

Bai Xiuying was stunned. What? After all that work, she wouldn’t even get a taste of the soup herself? Luckily, she’d been clever enough to set some aside earlier. Otherwise the whole chicken would have gone to waste on that brat. But what Tang Wanning said was true—if Xu Dingbang came home to no hot meal, he’d scold her. He never cared who cooked, only that he had food when he returned.

Forcing a smile, Bai Xiuying nodded. “Alright then, rest well. I’ll head back.”

“Take care, Mother.”

Watching her mother-in-law leave, glancing back every few steps, Tang Wanning kept smiling pleasantly, her lips clamped shut like a clam. Stay for chicken soup? Hah, in your dreams!

Only after Bai Xiuying had fully left the yard did Tang Wanning happily carry the soup back into the main room. Not long after, Tang Dehou and Su Meijuan came home carrying their hoes.