Chapter 14: As If Handling a Priceless Treasure

Su Lüyun had no idea her cousin had woken up hating her.

It was already the 1980s; the times were vastly different from before.

After the new policies were enacted, a fresh breeze swept across the land.

However, it was still early, and many market supplies still required coupons.

For instance, eggs still needed egg coupons. Su Lüyun used a coupon for one jin (half a kilogram) to buy a jin of eggs.

Eggs required coupons, but fish didn’t.

Seeing the particularly fresh crucian carp, Su Lüyun immediately thought of crucian carp tofu soup.

This was very nourishing.

She bought a few crucian carp, then some tofu, along with cucumbers and tomatoes—all her favorites, which she could also wash and eat directly when she had nothing else to do.

Pork was unavailable because she had no coupons, so Su Lüyun didn’t buy any more meat. These purchases were enough.

She walked back home with her basket, still encountering some neighbors. After greeting them, she returned home.

The first thing she did after closing the main door was go inside to check on Zhou Changdong, then she came out to make breakfast.

Frankly, if she were alone, she’d be too lazy to cook and would just buy ready-made food outside. But wasn’t she trying to establish a persona of a virtuous wife and good mother?

Besides, she was currently idle, with no phone, no TV, not even a radio.

What to do at home? Stare blankly?

These tasks were doable, it didn’t matter.

The “paper character” knew how to cook. Her cousin had given her the persona of someone who loved to eat and was lazy.

Though lazy, she loved food, so she would cook to appease her stomach, and she was quite good at it!

And Su Lüyun herself could cook too.

Although in her previous life, she was a true “delicate flower” who never lifted a finger, she once participated in a lifestyle reality show.

To avoid being criticized by the audience for being useless, she undertook intensive training before accepting the show.

However, she was currently using a coal stove, so she had to take it slow. Combining what the “paper character” knew, she wasn’t completely clueless.

She kneaded and proofed the dough, and while the dough was rising, she started preparing the crucian carp. She killed the fish, then gutted and cleaned them.

Although she was a bit clumsy and unskilled, she managed to successfully kill the fish. After cleaning them thoroughly, she lightly fried the crucian carp in a pan.

After frying both sides until golden, she transferred the crucian carp to a stew pot to simmer!

The tofu didn’t need to be added so early; she would add it later when it was almost ready.

Seeing the dough had risen, she began kneading and cutting it into small portions. After a second rise, she steamed them.

Once all this was done, she saw it was still early, so she began doing Baduanjin exercises in the courtyard.

After completing a set of Baduanjin, the steamed buns were ready, and the crucian carp tofu soup was also done.

She lifted the lid and saw the milky white soup. She added a bit of salt, tasted it, and it was perfectly seasoned, not too salty, not too bland!

Su Lüyun immediately couldn’t help but praise herself, “I’m amazing!”

How long had it been since she last cooked? Yet, look, this was almost as good as the crucian carp tofu soup made by the old chef who taught her!

Not only did it look good, but the taste was also incredibly authentic!

Su Lüyun, in a very good mood, ladled a bowl of soup to feed Zhou Changdong.

She placed the bowl on a cabinet nearby, then brought her own pillow to prop up Zhou Changdong’s head slightly.

She really could take care of a comatose person like this, because she had previously filmed a drama.

Although it was fiction, the production team was truly dedicated to making a serious drama, filming it very conscientiously.

Su Lüyun was fully immersed, so she was actually quite experienced in caring for a comatose person like Zhou Changdong.

After propping his head up slightly, she opened his mouth and fed him.

The speed was slow, but she succeeded. Some of it still spilled out, but Su Lüyun showed no impatience. She wiped it away while saying, “Slowly, we’re not in a rush, take your time.”

She was incredibly gentle.

Halfway through feeding him the soup, Zhou Quansheng and Chen Aihong arrived, bringing their unwilling grandson, Zhou Yongshun.

Su Lüyun opened the door for them and saw Chen Aihong carrying two food containers.

Su Lüyun smiled and said, “Mom, what did you bring?”

Chen Aihong smiled, “Mom made you some egg porridge and boiled some rice oil for Changdong.”

The thick rice soup made from boiled rice was called “rice oil” in their area.

The egg porridge was for Su Lüyun, and the rice oil was, of course, for her son Zhou Changdong, who could only have liquid food in his current state.

“There’s no need for you to wake up early and busy yourself, Mom. I’ve already made crucian carp tofu soup and am feeding it to Changdong now,” Su Lüyun said as she led them inside.

Zhou Quansheng and Chen Aihong came in and saw the half-fed bowl of soup.

Su Lüyun moved a stool for them to sit on, then continued to feed Zhou Changdong the crucian carp tofu soup.

As she fed him, she said, “Dad, Mom, Yongshun, would you like some crucian carp soup? There’s more in the pot.”

“No!” Zhou Yongshun pouted; he didn’t like this little aunt!

“We already ate at home,” Chen Aihong also said.

Su Lüyun nodded. She carefully but diligently fed Zhou Changdong the tofu crucian carp soup.

This scene moved Chen Aihong, her mother-in-law, to tenderness, but also a pang of bittersweet emotion.

Not just her; wasn’t it the same for Zhou Quansheng, his father? His heart was filled with complex emotions and sighs.

He truly hadn’t expected their third daughter-in-law to actually go this far!

They didn’t disturb her, just watched as their daughter-in-law fed their son fish soup. The speed was slow, and some still dripped, but she was truly patient, without a hint of impatience.

It was completely unlike her previous proud and arrogant demeanor!

But undoubtedly, she had truly taken their third son as her dear husband to heart!

After Su Lüyun finished feeding him this bowl of crucian carp tofu soup, she then took the rice oil that her mother-in-law handed her; it was about two bowls’ worth.

Su Lüyun worried if Zhou Changdong might be drinking a bit too much?

However, she looked at his forehead, and it hadn’t yet said he was full, so she continued to feed him.

It was easy to imagine that Zhou Changdong had a big appetite; otherwise, how could he have grown to such a height?

So, she fed him all of it.

Then, a line of text appeared on Zhou Changdong’s forehead: [Wifey, thank you.]

He truly hadn’t expected that after returning this time, his wife wouldn’t leave, and that she would be so gentle and patient with him, a comatose man who couldn’t wake up.

It was as if she were treating some priceless treasure.

His wife was truly, exceptionally good!

Su Lüyun’s lips curved upward. She used a towel to wipe his mouth, looking at his handsome lip shape and lines, and her eyebrows subtly lifted.

For now, she’d leave it at that, but later, she would definitely arrange other “scenes” for him, like—a kissing scene.

But there was no rush; she’d take her time.

Su Lüyun collected her thoughts and said to Zhou Quansheng and Chen Aihong, “Dad, you still have to go to work. Go ahead and be busy. You don’t need to worry about Changdong; I’m here. And you too, Mom. You must have been scared yesterday, right? You go back and rest well. Don’t worry about Changdong; I’ll take good care of him. You can come see him when you’re well-rested!”