Chapter 12: The Start of Prosperity Began with a Hot Pot

Wang Yi stood at the gate like a wilted little cabbage. Her uncle and the others burst out laughing.

Wang Yi looked up at them plaintively. “Why are you pouring salt on the wound? Can we even deal with relatives like this?”

“Auntie, look at my uncle—how can he laugh so loudly? My poor wounded heart can’t heal!” Wang Yi complained to her aunt.

“Yiyi, unlike your uncle, I’ll get you a rabbit. When it’s cooked, you can eat it, no need to catch it again. Your uncle treasures those rabbits too much,” her aunt quickly comforted her.

Wang Yi felt consoled and perked up. Looking at her uncle’s little glint in his eye, he was still as proud as ever.

Her grandmother added, “Right, if you want to eat it, don’t go catch it yourself. If your uncle doesn’t allow it, tell me and I’ll deal with him.”

Wang Yi pretended to be obedient: “Grandma and Auntie are the best.”

“Wang Yi, that’s enough. Don’t act cute after taking advantage. Hurry inside to cook the hot pot, or you’ll get scolded,” her mother’s voice called from behind.

Wang Yi dared not misbehave anymore. She really feared her mother! Ever since her mother had been provoked by her grandmother, she had truly let herself go.

Everyone sat around the table, making their own dipping sauces to taste. It was lively and warm.

“Dad, Mom, elder brother and sister-in-law, Da Di and his wife, I also want to open a farm-style guesthouse. No need to rent, just use our own house, focusing on authentic Northeastern farmhouse cuisine. What do you all think?” her father said, bringing up an important topic before the hot pot was ready.

“I think it’s fine. Tourism has been booming these years, many city owners come here to open businesses,” her grandfather spoke first.

“It’s okay, but we also need to consider the chefs. The dishes must be pure and green, otherwise it won’t be meaningful,” her uncle suggested.

“Dad, elder brother, here’s my thought: Winter Plum and sister-in-law can cook. No need for outside chefs. We’ll make authentic Northeastern farmhouse food ourselves. For noodles, Yiyi and Da Di’s wife can handle them. Young people learn fast, no need to worry about the dishes. Once the greenhouse is built, we’ll have pure, pollution-free vegetables. It’s just a matter of whether we want to do it,” her father said, showing great leadership.

“Eat quickly, the food is ready. This isn’t urgent—we can think about it while eating,” her mother said while serving herself.

Everyone ate happily, taking turns serving each other. Her father offered meat to her mother; her grandfather poured a cup of white liquor for her grandmother, and they clinked glasses. Looking to the left, her uncle served vermicelli to her aunt, her elder brother peeled shrimp for his wife…

Wang Yi felt that the meat in her mouth suddenly lost its flavor.

“Hey, enough showing off. There’s a single dog here too! But a dog’s life is still a life. If you keep showing affection, I won’t deal with you, and you won’t get any of the good food later,” Wang Yi said angrily.

No one paid her any attention. Her mother was the master of sticking the knife in at the right moment.

“If you don’t want to be single, just find someone to show affection to us. Why take this anger?” her mother said, chewing a piece of vegetable her father served.

Wang Yi realized that her small, wounded world was disconnected from the joy of others. She understood she shouldn’t speak—she might as well be an obedient electronic dog. Why speak at all?

“I think my uncle’s proposal is good. Our investment isn’t too big. If it doesn’t work, we won’t lose much. I support it,” her elder brother gave the first vote of agreement.

The younger generation turned their eyes to the elders, waiting for their decision.

Her grandfather put down his cup: “Let’s do it. Our family… back then, things were so hard…”

“…Back then, we were so poor, we didn’t even know if we could support you two brothers. But look, here we are today.”

“Remember, no matter whether we succeed or fail in the future, don’t let money come between us. Failures, we share together; successes, we earn together. When the time comes to go into battle, it’s father-and-son soldiers, close brothers in arms,” her grandfather said seriously, looking at her father and her uncle.

“Don’t worry, Dad. No matter what, we won’t fight over money,” her father and uncle promised.

The women all laughed at the brothers’ promise.

The meal ended with laughter and joy. The initial goals were set; now it was just a matter of implementation.

Wang Yi’s grandfather was the one giving the orders, telling her brother to help her father finish building the greenhouse as soon as possible.

He decided to use the old house for agritourism because it had genuine Northeastern architectural features and didn’t require much renovation to be usable.

Her grandfather asked her uncle and aunt to tidy up the old house, while her mother and sister-in-law would go wherever needed.

Wang Yi mainly handled the cooking for the family.

After the meal, couples returned home together. Wang Yi felt a little envious but knew that love couldn’t be forced—it wasn’t something urgent.

The next morning, sunlight poured into the small courtyard. Wang Yi woke up early to prepare breakfast for the family. Smoke curled from the kitchen, and the clattering of pots and pans created a warm, homey melody.

Her eldest brother and father were already busy at the greenhouse, moving materials and assembling the framework. Though sweating heavily, they were full of energy.

Her uncle and aunt went to the old house to sweep away dust and organize things, intending to showcase its most rustic charm.

Her sister-in-law and mother were busy cleaning as well, discussing how to arrange small decorations to attract visitors.

Meanwhile, the aroma of Wang Yi’s carefully cooked food filled the air. Once everyone finished their morning work, they gathered to enjoy lunch together, sharing funny stories from the morning.

Days passed like this. The greenhouse gradually took shape, and the old house was managed with a unique flavor.

Curious villagers occasionally stopped by to ask questions, and Wang Yi’s family enthusiastically shared their plans, their eyes shining with hope for a better future.

The whole family worked together toward a common goal, not caring about individual effort. The household was filled with a positive, uplifting atmosphere.

Just as everyone was working hard on one task, trouble appeared again—her meddling grandmother had returned.

A picture formed in Wang Yi’s mind: here she comes, bringing problems along.

Seeing the house empty, her grandmother asked the neighbors if her mother was at the old house.

Her grandmother went directly there. Her uncle and aunt welcomed her in.

“Mom, did you need something? You could have just called—it would save you the trouble of coming,” her mother said, knowing her mother’s visit never meant anything good.

“Call? There’s nothing much—I just came to tell you that tomorrow you and Jianguo need to bring back the corn stalks and chop them. I’ll come with you,” her grandmother said matter-of-factly.

Wang Yi saw her mother’s face turn pale—she knew her mother was furious.

Wang Yi took her grandmother’s hand: “Grandma, come with me! Mom has gone back.”

As she spoke, she pulled her grandmother outside. Her grandmother tried to struggle, but Wang Yi had been practicing with the space water recently—her efforts weren’t in vain.

After a bit of dragging and pulling, she finally got her grandmother back to the house.

Wang Yi didn’t know how her mother would react; she hoped her mother would be able to refuse.

Looking outside, Wang Yi felt confused. She wanted her mother to stand up to her grandmother but was afraid of the ensuing quarrel. Her mother was angry, and Wang Yi felt caught in the middle.