Chapter 012

012

While Qingyin was gathering information about others, they were also digging into her background—or rather, gossiping about her.

“Xiao Qing, are you eighteen yet?” Sister Zhang set down her knitting needles, having finished one sleeve, with the other planned for the afternoon.

“I turned eighteen three months ago. I’m in my third year of high school.”

“Oh, so you’re a top student!” Xiao Li wiped her tears, sniffled, and picked up two strands of hair to use as bookmarks in her novel—she planned to continue reading it later.

“I heard you shut Liu Hongxing down when she tried to steal your job?” This version was relatively accurate.

“And I heard your future mother-in-law stormed into your house and beat up your sister-in-law. Is that true?” This was getting wilder.

“Did she bring any snakes?” Now it was downright absurd!

Qingyin: “???” Who on earth told you that, ladies?!

Both women were older than her. Sister Zhang had a son in elementary school, and Sister Li’s daughter had just started kindergarten, so calling them “sister” was appropriate.

“We’ve all heard about it. You’re quick with your words, and your mother-in-law prefers action over talking—but when she does talk, she’s fierce. She’s the most skilled Snake Catcher in this area. Back in the day…” Blah blah blah. The gossip had been passed through hundreds of retellings, and Qingyin frowned as she listened.

According to factory lore, Auntie Gu was a notorious shrew in the entire district, relying on her boldness and skill.

Well, compared to being bullied by unreasonable people, she quite liked this reputation.

The morning passed easily. As soon as her shift ended and she confirmed she didn’t have to stay late, Qingyin bolted outside, her stomach growling—the bowl of porridge she’d had in the morning had barely lasted until her first bathroom break.

Just as she reached the gate, someone called out from behind, “Xiao Qing, wait up!”

Turning around, she saw the daughter-in-law of the Old Qin Family from the backyard. They hadn’t interacted much before. Qingyin only knew she was the younger daughter-in-law of the Qin household, married half a year ago after moving from the northern district. She couldn’t recall her name.

“Sister-in-law Qin.”

“Why are you in such a hurry? We just got off work. Take it slow—most people around here work at the steel plant. Just follow the crowd.”

Qingyin nodded and walked alongside her, blending into the stream of workers heading home, chatting as they went.

Mostly, she listened while Sister-in-law Qin talked.

“Have you heard? Liu Hongxing’s fiancé works at the Meat Processing Plant. That’s a job you’d be lucky to find even with a lantern! Who knows what kind of luck she had to land such a catch. Once they’re married, she won’t have to go to the countryside.” Not to mention the perks of eating greasy food every day. And if he brought home scraps, their meals would be dripping with oil.

Take Sister-in-law Liu from the compound—her sister-in-law married a Meat Processing Plant worker, so the Liu family often got cheap pig heads and free Blood Curd. That’s how Sister-in-law Liu could help out her own family.

Truly, when one person rises, even their chickens and dogs ascend to heaven.

“Too bad Yang Gang is a butcher—they say he has a heavy Baleful Aura.” Yang Gang was Liu Hongxing’s fiancé’s name.

Qingyin didn’t really believe in things like Baleful Aura, but she loved gossip. With just three simple words—”Really?”—she spurred Sister-in-law Qin to dig up even more rumors about this butcher.

Apparently, he had almost no living relatives—his parents were dead, and he had no siblings. Rumor had it they’d all been “cursed” by him. But he did own two rooms, meaning Liu Hongxing would get to live in a spacious house after marriage. Now that was something to envy!

A good job, a house, being an only child with both parents deceased—such a man would be a “hot commodity” in any era. Logically, there should be many suitors. Liu Hongxing was average-looking, the least remarkable among the Liu family, and crucially, she didn’t even have a job. How did such a “good fortune” land on her head?

Sister-in-law Qin couldn’t figure it out. The only explanation she could think of was that the man had a harsh fate, scaring other girls away from marrying him.

But Qingyin felt it couldn’t be that simple.

However, most people in the compound were too shocked that Liu Hongxing had managed to land such a good catch as Yang Gang to dig deeper into the reasons. Qingyin wanted to uncover the gossip but found no leads, so she reluctantly gave up.

Before parting, Sister-in-law Qin extended an invitation: “Are you going to the Workers’ Club tomorrow morning? Let’s go together.”

Seeing Qingyin hesitate, she explained. It turned out that a female worker from the factory had recently been commended by various departments for her selfless act of saving someone. With such an exemplary case, the factory naturally called for everyone to learn from her and organized all employees to attend the report.

But Qingyin had more pressing matters and politely declined. She had noticed that Lin Suifen and her daughter had been unusually energetic lately, heading out every weekend. Sometimes they carried a salted fish, other times half a pound of eggs, always dressed neatly and beautifully. Qing Huihui even took the trouble to apply light makeup, looking quite pleasing to the eye.

Qingyin knew exactly where they were going, and she was happy to see it.

At least it kept Lin Suifen from staying home, where she only made coarse porridge and boiled vegetables with no trace of oil. Worse, the food carried a faint smell of pig slop. Qingyin found it unpalatable and opted to buy two sorghum buns from the factory canteen, pairing them with one meat and one vegetable dish. It was more expensive, but at least it was nutritionally balanced.

After eating her fill, Qingyin slipped out the back door, donned a hat and scarf, mussed up her hair, and wound through the alleys to a school gate. She handed the guard a cigarette, exchanged a few words, and quickly left.

Just as she reached the entrance of the Gu family’s compound, Auntie Gu called out to her, “Come over for dinner after work. You’re just a kid—no one’s looking after you at home.”

Malted Milk Extract with biscuits was tasty, but it was expensive, required ration coupons, and was prone to causing internal heat. Qingyin readily agreed. After work, she detoured to the market, buying a bundle of vermicelli and two pounds of tofu.

She would’ve liked to buy meat, but it was in short supply. By the time she arrived, even the pig tails were gone.

Entering the Gu family’s compound, the elders teased her when they saw what she was carrying. “Little Qing, here to see your Gu’s Mother? And bringing so much stuff too.”

Most people in the compound sympathized with the Gu family, so Auntie Gu was quite well-liked.

Qingyin greeted everyone as she made her way to the Gu residence in the backyard. Gu’s Mother was kneading dough. “You didn’t have to bring anything. No need to be so formal.”

“I passed by the market and thought of having vermicelli and tofu.”

“You’ve been busy lately. I went to your compound a few times but couldn’t find you.”

Qingyin smiled and said she’d just been idling around. That matter could wait until there was irrefutable evidence.

Gu’s Mother didn’t press further. Once the dough was ready, she carefully took out a piece of meat no bigger than a baby’s palm. It was so small it didn’t take many chops to mince. Qingyin helped light the coal stove and set up the pot. She greased the bottom with a thin layer of lard and placed the tofu slices in to fry over low heat.

The Qing family would fry this dish with several spoonfuls of vegetable oil, enough to submerge the tofu, but the Gu family didn’t have that much oil to spare. Usually, Gu’s Mother couldn’t bear to use so much when cooking.  

Gu’s Mother’s cooking skills were, frankly, not the best. In no time, the tofu had burned and stuck to the bottom of the pan. She winced in distress, but Qingyin quickly volunteered to take over the spatula.  

From a very young age in her past life, she had been responsible for cooking for her grandfather. Even after graduating, she often cooked for herself. Her culinary skills weren’t exceptional, but she could handle everyday dishes just fine.  

“Oh, Yin’er, your fried tofu is so golden—not a single burnt spot!”  

“It smells amazing. I should’ve sprinkled some salt at the bottom of the pan earlier to keep it from sticking.”  

“You’re so good at cooking—must’ve been Lin Suifen’s tough training.”  

Gu’s Mother felt a pang of sadness but quickly added half a kettle of boiling water to the fried tofu, tossed in some noodles, chopped cabbage, and let it simmer slowly.  

The two of them swiftly rolled out dough and wrapped dumplings side by side.  

Neighbors in the courtyard sniffed the air. They had thought Auntie Gu was already going all out by making dumplings with a couple of ounces of meat on an ordinary day, but now there was even stewed tofu! The aroma wafted through the yard, making everyone lose interest in their own cooking.  

The Gu family had really lucked out with this in-law.  

“Oh, Gu An’s back—just in time! Your mom’s about to serve up something good.”  

Gu An sauntered into the house, sniffed the air, and glanced at Qingyin, who was busy cooking. He shot his mother a look: *Has the sun risen from the west today?*  

Auntie Gu rolled her eyes at him. “So you finally decided to come home. Lucky you—Yin’er’s made us something delicious.”  

The fried tofu had soaked up the broth, becoming fragrant and tender, while the noodles were perfectly smooth. Paired with a big bowl of dumplings for each person, it was downright heavenly!  

After finishing his dumplings, Gu An helped himself to a bowl of the stewed tofu soup, thinking to himself—*anything tastes better when it’s not my mom’s cooking.*  

Qingyin was also thoroughly satisfied. She loved the feeling of cooking—making whatever she craved without worrying about others’ preferences or approval. Transforming raw ingredients into steaming dishes and seeing everyone’s contentment filled her with a sense of accomplishment.  

After the meal, Auntie Gu rubbed her aching back and bent down to gather the dishes, planning to wash them outside. Years of trekking through mountains and rivers had taken a toll on her joints, and her rheumatism had been acting up lately. Qingyin could even hear the creaking of her bones as she moved.  

Turning her head, she saw Gu An sprawled lazily on the kang. Without hesitation, she kicked him in the ankle. “Go.”  

Gu An’s eyes widened. “What?”  

“The dishes are right here. Can’t you see?”  

His eyes nearly popped out of his head as he pointed at himself. “You want *me* to… *wash dishes*?!” The last three words were gritted out.  

“Unless you’d rather go take a bath?”  

Gu An: “…”  

He realized Xiao Qingyin had absolutely no fear—daring to order him around, and with *dishwashing*, no less, a chore only women did!  

“Fine, don’t wash them. Just don’t eat anything I or Gu’s Mother cook from now on.”  

Auntie Gu caught on too. Why should she have to both cook *and* wash dishes? She tossed the dishcloth at him. “That’s right—go ahead, starve if you dare.”  

A curse word churned in Gu An’s throat, but with the greatest self-restraint of his life, he swallowed it. He flung the grimy cloth aside and stormed off.  

*Damn it, the woman who could make him wash dishes hadn’t even been born yet!*

Auntie Gu knew his temper and figured he was probably gone for good this time, with no telling when he’d be back next. She could only sigh and resign herself to doing the dishes.  

Qingyin stopped her. “Auntie Gu, don’t indulge him. If he won’t wash them, then let them be.”  

What a spirited young man—skipping chores and refusing to be disciplined. How impressive. Marry him just to get her dowry back? She’d rather lose the dowry.  

But two minutes later, Gu An calmly walked back in carrying a basin of water, still chatting with the auntie outside. “Yeah, washing my feet.”  

“Oh, you silly boy, washing your feet with cold water will give you rheumatism when you’re old!”  

“Don’t worry, I’m not afraid.” He shut the door, set the basin down, crouched, and dumped all the dishes in, scrubbing them with a noisy clatter.  

Qingyin: “…”  

So he washed them in secret after all.