Chapter 21 – Mom-in-law and Daughter-in-law Open Their Hearts

After stir-frying a plate of garlic lettuce, Ye Tao was scrubbing the wok.

Huo Tingjie poked his head in, saw the wok empty, and his face fell. “Only vegetables?”

Liu Wenxiu handed him the dish and told him to bring it to the main hall.

Still doubtful, Huo Tingjie twitched his sharp nose—he was sure he’d smelled meat. Only when he walked into the hall and saw a plate of rabbit stir-fried with red and green peppers, the golden-brown meat gleaming appetizingly, did he realize his nose hadn’t lied.

He quickly wiped the drool from his mouth, hurried to wash off the mud on his body, and prepared to dig in.

There had been thirteen rabbits in total. Two were kept alive, one had been sent to Tingting’s family, four were cooked today, and six were reserved for cold stir-fried rabbit.

That dish kept well—even in hot weather it would last three to five days—and it was just as fragrant eaten cold.

Everyone sat down. Unable to wait, Huo Tingjie grabbed a piece of rabbit and stuffed it in his mouth.
“Mmm! Delicious! Mom, your cooking gets better and better!”

Liu Wenxiu smiled. “Today, your second sister-in-law cooked.”

Startled, Huo Tingjie looked at Ye Tao. “Second Sister-in-law, you made this?”

Ye Tao nodded.

“It’s amazing!” he said, and kept eating.

The rabbit was tender and crisp, the chilies making it so addictive that the more one ate, the spicier it felt—yet the spicier, the more one wanted to eat. He could barely keep up, alternating between rice and meat.

Not only him—Huo Xiaolin was also deeply moved. His daughter-in-law had set aside a special share of meat for him. Combined with the fact that the dish suited his taste perfectly, his impression of her improved greatly.

Ye Tao herself also ate with great enjoyment.

By the end, all three large plates had been wiped clean, even the sauce soaked up with rice.

Afterwards, Ye Tao poured each person a bowl of chrysanthemum tea. It cleared the palate after the rich food.

When they woke from their midday nap, the mushrooms Ye Tao had picked that morning had dried a bit. She placed a chopping board over a big basin and diced them finely.

Huo Tingwu came in carrying a slab of pork.

“Where’d that come from?” Ye Tao asked.

“The neighboring brigade’s pig died from an accident. Dad told me to buy some. He said we should make pork buns to take on the road.”

He covered the meat in the kitchen to keep rats away, then joined Ye Tao outside under the tree. Sitting on stools, they diced mushrooms together. She noticed his knife skills were even better than hers and asked him how he practiced.

“In the army, I got used to using blades,” he replied.

Ye Tao: …Well, clearly not that kind of blade.

Since they needed both buns and steamed bread, Liu Wenxiu mixed up all the white flour in the house. “When you’re out, everything costs money. Better to prepare as much as we can now.”

“Second son, come knead the dough!” she called.

With his strength, Huo Tingwu made quick work of the heavy dough, turning it into smooth, round balls in no time.

Ye Tao was amazed—looked like the task of steaming mantou could safely be entrusted to him in the future.

Meanwhile, she focused on making cold stir-fried rabbit, putting to use the dried chilies hanging in the kitchen. The chewy, spicy dish came out wonderfully. She offered a taste to her Mom-in-law.

Liu Wenxiu nodded repeatedly. “Delicious! Taotao, you’re so clever.”

Ye Tao smiled. “I just happened to read about it in a book.”

Since no one knew how well the original Ye Tao could cook, she claimed to have learned from books—just in case.

Sure enough, that night’s dinner was once again a hit. With mushroom paste and cold stir-fried rabbit, Ye Tao happily devoured a big steamed bun, eating until she had to stroll around the courtyard, stuffed.

Then Liu Wenxiu pulled her aside and pressed a small cloth pouch into her hand.

“What’s this, Mom?” Ye Tao asked curiously.

“Open it and see.”

Inside was a stack of money. “Mom, this is…?”

“This is what the second one has sent home over the years. Your Dad-in-law and I saved it all, then added a bit to round it up. We’re still capable of working, so you two should take it with you. Life outside isn’t the same as at home.”

“Mom, I can’t. This is Tingwu’s filial piety to you and Dad. You should keep it,” Ye Tao insisted.

But Liu Wenxiu tucked it into her bedding, only for Ye Tao to stuff it right back into her pocket.

“Mom, please don’t argue with me. If Tingwu finds out, he’ll be upset. This money is for you both—use it with peace of mind.”

Her firm refusal left Liu Wenxiu no choice but to keep the money. “Alright then. But you must take the money for the watch back.”

“She paid it?” Ye Tao asked—deliberately avoiding calling Ding Yuxiang “Mom.”

Liu Wenxiu didn’t blame her. She’d known Ding Yuxiang for decades and never liked her. “You don’t know her. I went to her door to demand it. If you’d already left home, she’d never admit the debt. So I went when everyone was just getting off work—whether she wanted to or not, she had to pay.”

That was true. Both Ye Hongjun and Ding Yuxiang cared too much about saving face. If word got out that they hadn’t paid their married daughter’s dowry money, they couldn’t show themselves in the brigade.

Right on time, Huo Tingwu brought over the herbal medicine. Ye Tao now managed to pinch her nose and gulp it down in one shot. Immediately, someone popped a hawthorn candy in her mouth, the sweet-sour taste washing away the bitterness.

“Mom wanted to give me the pension money you sent home, but I didn’t take it,” Ye Tao told Tingwu later. They were still young, and his salary was enough—depending on their parents wasn’t right.

“Mm. Should we send money to your parents’ side?” he asked after a pause. He knew she disliked them, but wanted her opinion.

“No need. I do want to check on Xiao Song later though. I worry about him being alone at home, especially with his studies.”

“Alright,” Tingwu agreed.

Since it was still early, they told the family and went out together.

Ye Song had just finished his homework and was playing outside with friends when he spotted two familiar figures approaching. His face lit up.

“Second Sister!” he shouted happily.

Ye Tao and Huo Tingwu hurried over. Ye Song grabbed his sister’s hand affectionately, making Tingwu glance at him deeply.

Noticing the look, Ye Song straightened his back, lifted his chin, and tried to act unafraid.

“My sister came to see me. Let’s play tomorrow,” he told his friends before dragging his sister home.

“Why’s the house empty?” Ye Tao asked when they arrived, seeing the main room dark.

“Dad and Mom went to Uncle’s place. They’re not back yet.”

“Have you eaten?”

“I had two sweet potatoes,” Ye Song admitted.

That wasn’t enough to fill him. Ye Tao had Tingwu take out some buns.

“Here—eat.”

Ye Song took one and, with sincere gratitude, called out, “Brother-in-law.”

Huo Tingwu smiled. Clearly, good food was the surest way to win someone’s heart.