Chapter 19: Let An Huan Set Off Ge Hongxia

When Yu Baoshan saw Ge Hongying return from next door, he asked, “I thought you didn’t like Young An. You’re seriously throwing a welcome banquet for her?”

Only then did Ge Hongying share her plan with him.

Yu Baoshan was taken aback. Then he frowned. “Why didn’t you discuss it with me first?”

Ge Hongying didn’t understand. “What’s the big deal? It’s such a small matter, do I really need your approval?”

Glancing toward the kitchen where Ge Hongxia was washing dishes, Yu Baoshan pulled Ge Hongying into the room and lowered his voice, “Ling Hansong is notoriously picky. Otherwise, would he still be single at thirty? If Hongxia takes a liking to him but he doesn’t return the interest, how are you going to clean up that mess?”

Ge Hongying wasn’t pleased. “My sister is pretty and hardworking. Back home, people lined up to propose—what makes Ling Hansong think he’s too good for her?”

To be honest, she hadn’t thought much of Ling Hansong at first. She found him a little frivolous and far less dependable than Xiao Zheng, who had both deeper credentials and more military merits. If Xiao Zheng hadn’t fallen through, she wouldn’t even have considered introducing her sister to Ling Hansong. But now that the situation with Xiao Zheng was a dead end, Ling Hansong’s conditions suddenly seemed quite attractive.

Yu Baoshan frowned. “Hongxia’s got good qualities, yes. But she has one fatal flaw—she’s uneducated. Some people don’t care, sure, but Ling Hansong’s number one requirement in a partner is education.”

Ge Hongxia wasn’t just uneducated—she couldn’t even write her own name properly.

Ge Hongying dismissed it. “You marry a wife to run a household, not to read the newspaper. Look at the one next door—so what if she’s educated? Is Xiao Zheng having an easy time with her?”

Seeing that he couldn’t reason with her, Yu Baoshan gave up on arguing.

Still, he thought to himself, it wouldn’t hurt to test the waters. It’s not like they’d announce it publicly. If Ling Hansong wasn’t interested, no harm done. But if it worked out, Ling Hansong could be a valuable ally in the future.

The thought made him sigh again. If Xiao Zheng had married into his family, becoming his brother-in-law, Yu Baoshan’s influence within the regiment would’ve completely overshadowed Chen Gang’s.

What a missed opportunity.

—

The dinner was scheduled for the evening. Ge Hongying took leave early and came home to prepare, leading Ge Hongxia in organizing the meal. Their busy preparations caught the attention of the neighbors, and several women came over to help.

An Huan thought about it and decided she should at least make a polite gesture by offering to help.

By etiquette, Ge Hongying should’ve declined. After all, the dinner was in An Huan’s honor—how could a guest be asked into the kitchen?

Unexpectedly, Ge Hongying’s eyes lit up and she nodded, “Sure. This is a great opportunity for Young An to show us some of her cooking skills.”

Cooking skills? An Huan nearly burned the kitchen down once—word of that had already spread throughout the Courtyard! Zhou Meihua immediately sensed Ge Hongying’s bad intentions.

She spoke bluntly, “Director Ge, you know very well Young An doesn’t know how to cook. Now you want her to show off her skills? Aren’t you just setting her up?”

Ge Hongying’s expression didn’t change. “It’s just a casual dish—nothing serious.”

Zhou Meihua wanted to protest further, but An Huan tugged her sleeve.

An Huan said, “Since Director Ge insists, I’ll make something simple then.”

Intentions are revealed through actions. If Ge Hongying was so determined to have her cook, she clearly had a reason.

An Huan scanned the kitchen and saw that the main cook for the evening was Ge Hongxia. Combining this with the strangely over-the-top welcome banquet, she came to a conclusion.

Ge Hongxia was here to find a husband. If the plan to marry Xiao Zheng fell apart, the next logical step was to scout out a new target.

Ge Hongying had invited quite a few people to tonight’s dinner—supposedly to welcome her, yet many had no connection to her whatsoever. Clearly, the banquet was just a pretense. The real goal was to boost Ge Hongxia’s reputation and perhaps even showcase her to a potential match.

Asking An Huan to cook was meant to make her a foil to Ge Hongxia.

That’s right—Ge Hongying had just thought of it on the spot when An Huan offered to help. If An Huan made a terrible dish, it would provide a perfect contrast. She could then drive home the message that what matters most in a wife is her virtue and competence—not her education. After all, you can’t eat a diploma.

Catching the meaningful glint in Ge Hongying’s eyes, An Huan’s gaze turned cold.

It was one thing to want a good marriage for your sister—but using someone else as a stepping stone?

…Since that’s how it is, then don’t blame her for ruining their little scheme.

—

“What should I make?” An Huan asked, feigning hesitation.

Zhou Meihua offered a suggestion, “Just smash some cucumbers, sprinkle on salt and sesame oil. Easy and done.”

A woman friendly with Ge Hongying chimed in, “That’s too simple. At least stir-fry something to show some actual skill.”

Zhou Meihua shot her a glare. “Zhang Zhaodi, no one would think you’re mute if you shut up for once!”

Zhang Zhaodi didn’t back down. “I’ve got a mouth and I’ll use it!”

An Huan stopped the argument. “How about this—I’ll make my signature dish. But I’ll need a whole chicken. Is that alright, Madam Hongying?”

Her signature dish? The one that nearly burned down the kitchen? Zhang Zhaodi couldn’t hold in her laughter. Zhou Meihua glared at her again.

Ge Hongying hesitated. She had indeed bought a chicken today—cost six yuan. Letting An Huan mess it up would be such a waste.

But quickly, she hardened her heart. Letting An Huan ruin a prized ingredient would only make her look worse—perfect.

“What do you mean ‘mess it up’? I trust you,” she said with a smile that sounded sincere but was anything but.

An Huan beamed, “Then I thank you for your trust.”

For some reason, a sliver of unease crept through Ge Hongying’s chest.

An Huan turned to Zhou Meihua. “Sister Meihua, I don’t know how to kill a chicken. Can you help?”

Zhou Meihua was more than happy to assist.

Then An Huan called over Zhou Meihua’s son, Shi Xiaojun, and whispered something in his ear.

Shi Xiaojun slapped his skinny chest and shouted, “Mission guaranteed, success assured!” Then he dashed out the door.

Once the chicken was cleaned, An Huan began poking tiny holes all over it with a toothpick.

Zhou Meihua watched, puzzled. “What are you doing?”

“I’m marinating it first so the flavor goes in deeper,” An Huan replied.

Zhang Zhaodi slapped her thigh. “Hey, that’s a great trick! I’ll try that next time I marinate meat.”

Zhou Meihua gave her a sidelong glance and asked, “What’s the point of marinating? Chicken’s already flavorful on its own. What are you even planning to make?”

An Huan smiled, “You’ll see when I’m done.”

Playing mysterious now?

She rubbed seasoning into the chicken, massaging it thoroughly. Then she stir-fried minced pork with diced mushrooms and dried bamboo shoots in lard and stuffed the mixture into the chicken’s belly. Covering the chicken with a basin, she left it to marinate.

Then she dashed out the door again—no one knew what she was up to.

Ge Hongying no longer cared to keep track of her and focused on helping Ge Hongxia instead.

She whispered in Ge Hongxia’s ear, “Don’t be nervous. With An Huan there as contrast, you’re guaranteed to shine. No way Director Ling won’t notice you.”

Ge Hongxia blushed and quickly turned to chop vegetables, her movements swift and practiced.

A long while later, An Huan returned, trailed by Shi Xiaojun and Dongdong, each holding large lotus leaves.

In An Huan’s hands was a basin filled with yellowish… mud?

She dipped the lotus leaves in hot water, then wrapped the marinated chicken in them, tying it securely with string before coating it with the yellow mud and tossing it into the stove’s hearth.

Ge Hongying sneered internally. An Huan didn’t know how to cook, so she was just making something flashy to draw attention. But food is judged by taste, not appearance. Only good flavors win in the end.

As work hours ended, guests began to arrive one by one.

When the baked chicken was pulled from the hearth, its outer shell of clay was cracked and dusty—hard to associate with anything delicious.

Ge Hongying’s heart settled completely. Tonight, An Huan was destined to be nothing more than a foil for her sister.