Chapter 50: Cooking Together

Chen Feng smiled and said, “Mom, didn’t you see the expression on Uncle Wu’s face?”

Mrs. Wang thought about the carpenter Wu’s stern expression and felt deeply disappointed, her eyes turning slightly red.

Chen Feng advised, “Mom, I’ve only just recovered from my illness. There’s no rush for this matter.”

Chen Ming also believed that it wasn’t possible for Wu Chanshen to become their son-in-law. He was initially worried that Feng might consider this and be disappointed in the end. Seeing her response, he was glad that she was approaching the matter with a clear mind.

He said, “A’Feng is right. Chanshen’s background is too good, and his family wouldn’t agree to him becoming a son-in-law.” He glanced at Chen Feng and added, “A’Feng is beautiful, intelligent, and capable. There’s no doubt she will find a good young man. It’s best to find someone with good personal qualities but a less affluent family.”

Chen Feng nodded, acknowledging the truth in Chen Ming’s words. Wu Chanshen was a good person, but not someone she could consider.

On the 28th of July, it was time to move.

After breakfast, Chen Feng, Chen Dabao, Chen Ming, and Mrs. Wang began moving pots, bowls, bedding, and clothes to the new house. This day marked the beginning of Chen Feng and her son living independently.

Although Chen Ming and Mrs. Wang smiled, their eyes were red. Lu, more direct, had already wiped away tears.

Chen Feng smiled and embraced Chen Lu, saying, “Silly little brother, I’m not getting married and leaving home. We live so close and will still share meals. My home is your home. You can come over whenever you want, just like when I come here.” Her words were also meant for Chen Ming and Mrs. Wang to hear.

Chen Dabao added, “Uncle A’Lu, think of it this way: it’s not that my mom and I are moving to a new house, but that our family has gained a few new rooms. If you want to come and stay, you can live in the western room and keep company with Golden Treasure and the others.”

This statement turned Lu’s tears into laughter, and Chen Ming and Wang also chuckled.

Chen Feng gave Dabao a knowing look. He was indeed a cunning kid.

Qiqi and Gray found the chaos of moving unpleasant and had already flown off to the woods in the morning.

At noon, Chen Feng’s family had a communal meal. Initially, she didn’t want to invite anyone, but at Chen Ming’s insistence, they invited Grandma Chen to bring some liveliness to the new home and to make her happy, letting her know that Feng still held her in high regard.

This time, not inviting Mrs. Hu, the main wife, wouldn’t cause any offense, as it was customary to bring a gift when attending a communal meal.

Chen Ming specifically told Grandma Chen not to inform Chen Ye about Feng’s moving out from their household at the time being, as he would surely make Hu buy a congratulatory gift. Mrs. Hu was unpleasant even when not spending money, and it would be worse if she did. After all, moving to a new home was a joyous occasion, and they didn’t want any ill feelings.

Grandma Chen was aware of Hu’s nature, which distressed her deeply. After all, she wanted to preserve her eldest son’s dignity and didn’t want to embarrass him, so some things couldn’t be explicitly stated.

Chen Ming and Mrs. Wang’s gifts consisted of a bag of fine rice, ten young chickens, and even Lu brought in four delicate porcelain bowls.

At noon, Grandma Chen arrived, bringing four coarse porcelain large bowls. She also mentioned that she didn’t know how Gui found out about Feng’s move, with Gui quietly asking her to bring a porcelain soup basin to congratulate Chen Feng.

The old lady initially entered the room in high spirits but upon seeing the new furniture throughout the house, her expression darkened.

She exclaimed, “Oh, with so much new furniture, how much money must have been spent? A’Feng, your parents have raised you through hardship, and they still live in such difficult conditions, with old and worn-out furniture. How could you bear to buy such good furniture? Even if you bought it, you should have let your parents use it first. How could you show no filial piety?”

Chen Ming quickly interjected, “Mom, you’ve misunderstood A’Feng. She earned the money to buy the furniture herself, and she even gave me some to live comfortably. But I didn’t want to spend it right away. I used a portion for A’Lu’s leg treatment and set aside some for his education. A’Lu is very bright, so once his leg is better, I will send him to a private school.”

The old lady remained silent after hearing this but her expression did not improve. She felt that Chen Feng should have given the good furniture to her own son first.

Chen Feng felt extremely helpless, but out of respect for Chen Ming, she didn’t want to argue with the old lady.

For lunch, she prepared six dishes and a soup: braised fish, braised pork with green beans, stir-fried pork slices with green peppers, scrambled eggs with Chinese chives, stir-fried cabbage, cold cucumber salad, and radish and pork bone soup, accompanied by white rice.

The meal was meant to symbolize harmony and good fortune.

Seeing such a sumptuous spread, the old lady felt a pang of discomfort, always feeling that Chen Feng’s life was better than that of her own son.

As the dishes were being served, there was a knock at the door. It was Changgen’s wife with Shitou and Wu Xiaoqing. Shitou’s younger sister, Wu Xiaoqing, had just turned three. Although she was a bit dark-skinned, she had an endearing appearance.

Changgen’s wife said with a smile, “We heard from Shitou that you were moving house today, so we’ve come without an invitation. Don’t laugh at us for being greedy.”

She also brought a wooden barrel and two pairs of chopsticks as gifts.

Changgen’s wife got along well with Mrs. Wang and Chen Feng, and Chen Feng’s family warmly welcomed them.

When the family of three arrived, they were about to sit at separate tables. Chen Ming and the old lady ate at the kang table, while the others ate at the large table on the floor.

Changgen’s wife, enjoying the food, remarked, “No wonder Shitou often says that Aunt Feng’s cooking is great. It’s true.”

Grandma Chen also agreed, saying, “Indeed, the food in your home is delicious.” She thought to herself that this young girl was indeed blessed. Once she recovered from her illness, not only could she earn money and cook, but even her second son’s condition had improved significantly. Thinking this way, her resentment dissipated.

Chen Ming then asked Changgen’s wife about some details regarding the private school in Shanghui. He was considering sending Chen Lu to study there once he recovered from his illness.

Among the three nearby villages, only Shanghui had a private school, funded by the master of Tangyuan. Shanghui’s private school was not only close by, taking just over fifteen minutes to walk to, but it was said that the two teachers there were very knowledgeable.

Proudly, Changgen’s wife said, “The teacher at the private school, Mr. Jiang, is a scholar and extremely knowledgeable. He even topped the county examinations in the past. Unfortunately, he had a stroke of bad luck and later broke his leg, becoming a cripple, so he couldn’t continue his official examination. Over a decade ago, Madam Chu, the lady of the Chu family, funded the establishment of this private school and had Mr. Jiang brought in. Tangyuan is a dowry estate from Madam Chu’s family. The steward of Tangyuan, Luo, is a companion brought from Madam Chu’s natal home. Although I haven’t heard that Madam Chu has visited Tangyuan, I’ve heard that Mr. Chu occasionally comes for a visit and stays for a couple of days. I heard he also inquires about the private school… However, children from Shanghui pay less for tuition, while children from other villages pay more. Even so, it’s cheaper than the private schools in town.”

The Wu family felt proud to have such knowledge about their acquaintance with the steward and some insights about Tangyuan.

However, Grandma Chen chimed in, “People say that Shanghui’s private school is good, but I don’t think much of it. Grandson A’Gui studied there for years, and his father spent so much money, but he still didn’t gain much knowledge.”