So when it was time to cook dinner that evening, Gu Jinfeng took the initiative first. “Xiao Yue, come help me in the kitchen tonight,” she said.  

Having just eaten canned fruit, Chi Yue felt a little guilty about always eating food prepared by others, so she went to the kitchen.  

But when it came to her cooking…  

“Aiyo, Xiao Yue! How can you use so much oil?”  

Chi Yue moved quickly, dropping a large chunk of lard into the pan to melt. “Mom, we’re frying peanuts—it won’t taste good without oil!”  

Gu Jinfeng sat there feeling like she was about to have a heart attack. Of course, everyone knew food tasted better with more oil!  

But if they used this much oil for every meal, how were they supposed to make ends meet?  

Gu Jinfeng didn’t say another word, remaining silent even as dinner was served.  

The meal was simple: steamed buns, peanuts, and porridge.  

Since it wasn’t anything complicated, the thought of that huge chunk of oil made Gu Jinfeng even more upset.  

She was so upset that she barely ate anything at dinner.  

Zhong Meixian, of course, had no idea about this. All she knew was that her daughter had successfully gotten the new daughter-in-law to help with cooking, which meant the two new brides weren’t as difficult to handle as she’d thought. Tomorrow, she’d call on Wen Tang to do the same.  

She’d start with cooking. Over time, once they were properly trained, they’d naturally take over all the household chores.  

Wen Tang, unaware of the mother and daughter’s scheming, simply poured the remaining half-bottle of canned fruit into a large porcelain bowl and placed it on the dinner table.  

“This was brought back for my mom this afternoon,” she announced. “Mom was so considerate of Yueyue and me that she let us open it early to try.”  

As soon as Gu Juyuan heard this, he immediately looked at Zhong Meixian. He was skeptical of Wen Tang’s words—after all, he knew his wife better than anyone.  

She had been frugal her entire life. Even during the New Year, if they bought some candy, she would calculate how to ration it so the kids could have some until the wheat harvest.  

Would she really let them eat a can of fruit that cost a couple of yuan?  

Sure enough, Zhong Meixian’s face clearly showed her distress.  

So when Wen Tang said, “There’s some left—everyone should try it. It’s really sweet,” Gu Juyuan immediately shook his head, saying he didn’t like sweet things.  

Since Gu Juyuan refused, Lin Liansheng, the son-in-law of the Gu family, also declined.  

But Lin Jingshen, the eldest grandson of the Gu family, was used to getting the best of everything at home. Without hesitation, he picked up a piece with his chopsticks.  

“Mmm, it really is sweet,” he said, nodding, before immediately grabbing another piece and placing it in Chi Yue’s bowl.  

Meanwhile, Gu Yanli silently picked up two pieces and put them in Wen Tang’s bowl.  

Then, as if to preempt any complaints from Zhong Meixian, he also gave her two pieces—before she could refuse, they were already in her bowl.  

He even casually gave two pieces to Gu Jinfeng, who had been sitting there looking sullen.  

Only one piece remained in the large bowl.  

Lin Jingshen glanced at it, then picked up the last piece and gave it to Chi Yue.  

What had seemed like a tricky situation to divide fairly was suddenly resolved neatly and efficiently.  

Zhong Meixian stared at the two pieces of orange in her bowl, opening and closing her mouth, too choked up to say anything.  

She had actually wanted to speak up.  

She had wanted to say: I’m not greedy. I’m perfectly happy with steamed buns and porridge. Things like canned fruit and candy are for children—what kind of adult eats that?

She thought that if she said this, Wen Tang wouldn’t dare to be so gluttonous next time, snacking on whatever good things came into the house.  

But instead…  

Zhong Meixian shot a glare at Gu Yanli.  

But Gu Yanli didn’t even look at her—he was too busy picking out peanuts for Wen Tang!

The peanuts stir-fried that evening were fragrant and crispy—Gu Yanli could tell with just one bite.  

Zhong Meixian was fuming!  

And her determination to make Wen Tang cook grew even stronger.  

Wen Tang, oblivious to her mother-in-law’s thoughts, leaned closer to her husband after he gave her two pieces of sweet orange. “Want to share one?”  

“I don’t like sweets. You have it.”  

“Then I’ll eat them both?”  

“Mhm. If you like it, I’ll buy you more tomorrow,” Gu Yanli said.  

Wen Tang was delighted by his words. Zhong Meixian, on the other hand, felt like she was having a heart attack.  

She didn’t dare scold her son, but she would lecture her daughter-in-law tomorrow.  

Running a household required careful budgeting. Sure, her son’s military allowance was decent, but that didn’t mean they could indulge like this!  

A can of fruit cost one or two yuan—even if they didn’t eat it often, having it two or three times a month was too much!  

How were they supposed to live like that?  

And what about when they had kids in the future?  

The old woman had it all planned out in her head.  

But reality had other plans.  

The next morning, Wen Tang was nowhere to be seen at the breakfast table.  

Neither was Chi Yue—she hadn’t gotten up either.  

Zhong Meixian couldn’t help but mutter, “People who take life seriously can’t just sleep in like this every day!”  

Gu Yanli raised his eyes slightly at her words. “If it bothers you, I’ll submit a request for her to join me at the military base when I go back.”  

Zhong Meixian: “…”  

“…Wh-what do you mean?”  

“Accompanying the army.”  

Zhong Meixian: “…”  

“But what about when she gets pregnant? Or gives birth—”  

“If you want to go take care of her, fine. If not, discuss it with her mother and see if she will.”  

Zhong Meixian: “…”  

This was a disaster!  

“…But won’t people talk?”  

“You know how nasty the gossip will be!”  

Gu Yanli didn’t even look up this time. “Well, if you can’t stand her, you can’t possibly expect me to divorce her over it, right?”  

Zhong Meixian: “…”  

The weight of that accusation—  

“I… When did I ever tell you to divorce her? I—”  

“Fine. I won’t say another word. If I bring this up again, I’m an idiot.”  

The old woman angrily turned her face away.  

After breakfast, Zhong Meixian was sitting in the yard doing laundry when a stylish, pretty girl peeked in from the gate.  

Before she could even see who it was, the girl called out, “Is anyone home?”  

Hearing the voice, Zhong Meixian rinsed her hands in the basin and stood up.  

Then she saw Luo Tian standing at the gate, holding gifts.  

Luo Tian had the kind of looks that fit the current beauty standards—almond-shaped eyes, an oval face, and a healthy, rosy complexion.  

Plus, she was dressed nicely. Zhong Meixian took an instant liking to her and unconsciously softened her tone. “Who are you looking for, dear?”  

Luo Tian smiled sweetly. “Auntie, I’m Luo Tian, from the educated youth station. I’m here to see Comrade Gu Yanli—is he home?”  

Hearing that she was here for her son, Zhong Meixian hesitated as she studied Luo Tian’s appearance. She wasn’t sure whether to let her in.  

What if Luo Tian had feelings for Gu Yanli?  

That would be awkward—after all, he was already married.  

Sure, it was flattering that her son was so popular, but still…  

While Zhong Meixian was hesitating, Luo Tian had already stepped into the yard.  

“Auntie, I came to thank Comrade Gu for saving me yesterday. If it weren’t for him, I wouldn’t be standing here safe and sound today.”  

“I meant to come yesterday, but something came up, so I’m here now instead.”  

As she spoke, she handed Zhong Meixian the gifts she was holding—two packs of brown sugar, two cans of fruit, and a bag of walnut cookies.