Chapter 6: Shut Your Mouth

Aunt Li was soaked through and jumped up in anger.

“You wretched brats! You heartless, worthless lot, it’s no wonder you lost your husbands and fathers. Have you forgotten how my Dazhu and my daughter-in-law looked after you? You can’t even spare a bit from such a big wild boar. It’s a waste of their kindness toward you…”

Aunt Li’s incessant nagging made Yun Cuihe tremble with anger, leaving her unable to speak.

Fearing for her well-being, Chu Yue supported her and shouted at Aunt Li, “Shut your mouth!”

That shout did indeed silence Aunt Li and drew everyone’s attention to the Lu family’s new daughter-in-law.

There weren’t many who could shout Aunt Li, the shrew, into silence. Impressive.

Though this girl was fiery, her arrival coincided with Lu Xinghe bringing back a wild boar, indicating she might be quite lucky. Perhaps the Lu family’s fortunes would turn around with her presence.

Lu Xinghe, Lu Xingping, and Lu Xing’an were also somewhat surprised as they looked at her.

The girl in front of them, although still small and thin, suddenly seemed much more formidable in their eyes.

Several women began to speak up in support of Yun Cuihe’s family.

“Old woman, if you want to eat meat, go buy some yourself. Why should Xinghe’s wild boar be shared with you? Are you particularly good-looking, or did you pay them? Besides, Dazhu and Luo Shi have helped Yun’s family, but whenever they have any problems on their garments, who do they ask to mend them if not Yun?”

“Exactly, you’re so tactless. It wasn’t their choice for the man of the house to pass away, so why rub salt in their wounds?”

“If it weren’t for Dazhu and Er Zhu’s wives being so good-natured, if my mother-in-law were as shrewish as you, I’d probably raise a ruckus.”

These people often sought help from Yun for mending, so naturally, they spoke in her defense.

Hearing the comments of the women, Aunt Li was furious and, in her anger, sat on the ground and started to throw a tantrum.

“Oh, how miserable my life is! Worked like a horse when I was young, and now that my husband is gone, I’m bullied by so many people. Is there no justice?”

However, everyone just looked at her without sympathy, all with expressions as if watching a show.

“Heaven knows, none of us are bullying you. You’re the one looking for trouble here.”

“Mother!”

At that moment, a man and a woman with darkened expressions walked over; it was Sun Dazhu and Luo Shi, who had heard the commotion.

Originally, they felt embarrassed and didn’t want to come, but since their mother’s antics had become so shameful, they had no choice but to step in.

“‘What are you causing a scene for here?’

Seeing her son, Aunt Li felt as if she had found support.

“Dazhu, your mother is suffering, they’re all bullying me.”

As she spoke, she pointed in Chu Yue’s direction.

“Especially that daughter-in-law of the Lu family. I didn’t even touch Yun’s clothes, yet she said if anything happened to Yun, it would be my fault. And those two little brats of Yun’s, look at how they splashed me. Just because your father died, does that mean your mother is easy to bully…”

Sun Dazhu and Luo Shi, looking at Aunt Li crying and making a scene, felt deeply embarrassed. They each took her by an arm to lead her home.

However, Aunt Li refused to leave and scolded her son and daughter-in-law for being ungrateful, accusing them of siding with outsiders.

Sun Dazhu felt a bit helpless.

“Mother, let’s talk about this at home. Please don’t embarrass yourself in public.”

Aunt Li cursed, “How am I embarrassing myself? Your mother has suffered such an injustice, and you won’t even stand up for me. Raising you was a waste…”

…

Yun Cuihe watched the three of them argue and walk away, breathed a sigh of relief, and then looked at the women who had just spoken up for her.

“Thank you all for what you did just now.”

The women waved it off nonchalantly.

“It was nothing much,” they said, then turned to Chu Yue. “But your daughter-in-law is quite interesting, Cuihe. You’ve endured so much, and now it seems your hard times are finally over.”

Yun Cuihe quickly agreed.

After exchanging some small talk, as it was nearing mealtime, they each returned to their homes to cook.

After seeing everyone off, Yun seemed exhausted, her face even paler than before.

Chu Yue noticed this and felt concerned.

“Mother, why don’t you go rest for a bit? We’ll take care of dinner. I often did these things at my parents’ house, so I know how.”

Yun Cuihe didn’t insist and nodded.

“Okay.”

Chu Yue helped Yun Cuihe to sit down in the house and then quickly took out the wild vegetables and herbs from the two baskets. She set aside some of the wild vegetables to be washed and cleaned, while the rest were loosely placed back in the basket, sprinkled with water, and stored in the corner of the kitchen.

She also took a bamboo tray from the kitchen and spread the herbs out to dry in the courtyard.

With the weather having been dry for so long, there was no fear of rain in the courtyard.

As soon as the argument ended, Lu Xing’an returned to the kitchen to start a fire and cook.

Lu Xinghe didn’t stay idle either. While he couldn’t participate in the argument as a man, he was efficient in his tasks. While Chu Yue was sorting the vegetables, he first cleaned and prepared the fish, then brought out a wooden board to place the wild boar on it, before heading to the kitchen to get a knife.

Taking advantage of the fact that the wild boar hadn’t been dead long, he collected a large bowl of pig’s blood.

Throughout the process, Lu Xingping was there assisting him.

After Chu Yue finished drying the herbs, she went to the kitchen, where Lu Xing’an’s coarse rice porridge was almost ready.

With only one pot in the kitchen, Chu Yue scooped the porridge into a large bowl and rinsed the pot with clean water before starting to fry the fish. For convenience, she didn’t stir-fry the wild vegetables separately but instead added them directly into the fish soup, making a large pot of fresh fish and wild vegetable soup.

The milky white soup was fragrant and delicious, with green wild vegetable leaves scattered on top, making it very appetizing. To add some saltiness, Chu Yue also put the leftover pickles from lunch into the fish soup.

The village wasn’t large, and many families hadn’t had meat in a long time. Smelling the aroma of fish soup wafting from the Lu family, people couldn’t help but salivate. Some women even started urging their husbands to try fishing in the nearly dried-up pond the next day.

If the Lu family could have fish, there might still be some in the pond. At the very least, finding a couple of small crucian carp in the mud would be good.

Aunt Li next door smelled the aroma and, looking at the plain soup and water in front of her, lost her appetite entirely. She angrily threw down her chopsticks and went to lie down in her room.

Luo Shi frowned in displeasure and wanted to get up to call her, but Sun Dazhu stopped her.

“Missing a meal won’t hurt. If she doesn’t eat, we will.”

“After speaking, he divided the porridge from Aunt Li’s bowl among the three children in front of him.

…

Chu Yue carefully ladled the fish soup out of the pot and brought it to the table.

Lu Xing’an had already set the table with bowls and chopsticks.

“Mother, eldest brother, Xingping, dinner is ready.”

Soon, the three of them came into the room, and Yun Cuihe was smiling.

“I could smell the fish soup from inside the room. I didn’t expect Yueyue’s cooking to be so fragrant. We’re in for a treat.”