Chapter 17, Chapter 17, 017...

Chapter 17, Chapter 17, 017...

017

It was already noon, and it would take several hours to cook the old hen properly, so they definitely wouldn't be able to eat it for lunch today. Jiang Lai tried to persuade her again and again, but to no avail.

At most, because Jiang Lai said there wasn't enough time to cook it now, You Maidong replaced the old hen with a young rooster that had just grown up, so it didn't have to be stewed for three or four hours like the old hen.

As for Ye Anguo, he has now begun to show his characteristic of listening to his wife. Seeing that Jiang Lai was really insistent, he went along with her and told You Maidong that there was no rush.

However, You Maidong said directly to Ye Anguo, "When your sister-in-law and brother's wife first came to visit, I killed the old hen just like before. If you're not afraid that Jiang Lai will think I look down on her, then you can try to persuade her again."

It can only be said that You Maidong's words hit Ye Anguo's sore spot. Under these circumstances, Ye Anguo could not persuade him any further. Instead, he enthusiastically helped boil water, kill chickens, light the fire, and make sure the firewood burned brightly so that the chicken could be cooked as soon as possible.

The final result was that, whether it was the old hen or the young rooster, one of them was destined to die. Even though Jiang Lai had tried her best to stop them, she still couldn't stop You Maidong, who was determined to entertain Jiang Lai. It can only be said that You Maidong was particularly satisfied with Jiang Lai.

You Maidong's satisfaction with Jiang Lai was out in the open. However, the Ye family had a really good family tradition, and the whole family was very harmonious. You Maidong tried her best to treat everyone equally in her dealings with people.

The Ye family all knew that if You Maidong showed any affection for someone, the chickens they raised would suffer. When Ye Anguo's sister-in-law Li Qingqing and his sister-in-law Yi Qiaoyun first came to visit, You Maidong had already killed an old hen and started stewing it.

You Maidong was persuaded today because Jiang Lai arrived suddenly, and there wasn't enough time to kill the old hen. Old hen soup is very nutritious, but if it's not stewed long enough, it will be tough to chew. So, after some consideration, You Maidong switched to a young rooster.

"Let me help too, Auntie. Is there anything I can do?" Jiang Lai also walked into the kitchen.

"No need, no need, Jiang Lai, you can sit outside. How could I let you help me?" You Maidong said, while handing Jiang Lai a chair so she could sit by the kitchen doorway, where she could talk without being exposed to the smoke and fumes of the kitchen.

Jiang Lai quite liked You Maidong, but she didn't insist on doing any work. Instead, she sat down in front of the stove to help with the fire, sitting with Ye Anguo.

The Ye family always eats together during the busy farming season, so that only one person needs to go home to cook. Everyone finishes work on time at one o'clock, and the Ye family can smell a special aroma even before they get home.

One of the neighbors who came back with the Ye family gossiped and asked Ye Anguo's sister-in-law, Li Qingqing, "Qingqing, is that pretty girl who came to see your Anguo earlier your Anguo's girlfriend?"

"Auntie, I didn't know that. I came back with you, and we haven't even entered the house yet." Li Qingqing completely ignored her aunt's words.

As mentioned earlier, the people in the village are still very simple and honest. No matter how serious the Red Guards' disturbances are outside, the impact on the village is not significant. However, being able to distinguish right from wrong on major issues does not mean that these people are perfect and without any flaws. In fact, some people are particularly gossipy, especially keen to watch other people's gossip and drama, such as the aunt in front of Li Qingqing.

Li Qingqing didn't want her family to become the subject of gossip, so she didn't respond at all. However, whether Li Qingqing responded or not didn't affect the other party's gossip, and even carried a hint of sowing discord.

"Smells delicious, your mother killed a chicken! That's quite a lavish affair. It seems your mother is very satisfied with Anguo's partner. Qingqing, did your mother kill a chicken to entertain you and Qiaoyun when you came to visit back then?"

"Of course there is. When Qiaoyun and I first came to visit, my mother killed the biggest and heaviest old hen." Li Qingqing was a sensible person and of course she wouldn't let herself be easily sown apart over such a small matter. Besides, what she was saying was true. You Maidong was especially good at being fair and impartial, and never gave anyone a chance to find fault with her.

“That’s right. Not to mention that my mother has always treated us equally, even if she didn’t kill any chickens or ducks when I came to live with her family, I wouldn’t care. How can we compare the days when we didn’t even have enough to eat? Besides, Anguo is already twenty-eight years old. That girl looks like a pampered child who grew up in the city. We should treat her even better. My mother would kill a whole pig if she killed a chicken, let alone a whole chicken. I wouldn’t even blink.”

Ye Anguo's sister-in-law, Yi Qiaoyun, chimed in, saying that she actually thought the same thing. She knew what kind of person You Maidong was; even if he killed a pig, he would never leave his two brothers behind. So she spoke with great confidence.

"That's why I said your mother is very satisfied with Anguo's partner." Seeing that Li Qingqing and Yi Qiaoyun were not going along with her wishes at all, the aunt said awkwardly and then left.

"Tch... These people are really something. They can't even sort out their own family affairs, yet they're always eyeing what other people are eating," Yi Qiaoyun scoffed.

"But speaking of which, the smell coming from home is just too good." Li Qingqing took a deep sniff and couldn't help but swallow.

"It seems Mother's cooking skills have improved; it really smells amazing," Yi Qiaoyun chimed in, and the group quickened their pace.

Li Qingqing and Yi Qiaoyun walked very fast, followed by Ye Anguo's elder brother Ye Anpeng and younger brother Ye Anming. The two of them talked about Ye Anguo and Jiang Lai, and they were both happy for Ye Anguo.

Ye Anguo didn't say that he and Jiang Lai were dating again, he only said that he had met a girl. However, in the eyes of Ye Anpeng and Ye Anming, since Jiang Lai had brought gifts to visit their hometown, they must be dating.

"Mother, we're back." Li Qingqing has been married into the family for over ten years and has a very good relationship with You Maidong. She was already calling out to them at the gate of the courtyard.

"Qingqing and Qiaoyun are back. Go wash your hands and change into dry clothes. Dinner's ready," You Maidong called out. However, seeing Ye Anpeng and Ye Anming following behind them but not Ye Yuanliang, she asked, "Where's your father? Why isn't he back yet?"

"Dad went to Uncle Dagen's house and said he'll be back soon." It was Ye Anpeng who spoke.

However, no sooner had Ye Anpeng finished speaking than Ye Yuanliang returned carrying a half-full sack of things. It was unclear what was in the sack, but it contained round, granular things that looked a bit like peanuts.

Ye Anguo quickly took it, only to find it quite heavy: "Dad, what's in this sack?"

"I traded some raw chestnuts with your Uncle Dagen. I'll give them to that girl to take home this afternoon." Ye Yuanliang looked like an honest, simple farmer. He was a man of few words but very decisive.

Others may not know how Ye Anguo and Jiang Lai met, but You Maidong and Ye Yuanliang do. Ye Yuanliang remembered that Jiang Lai was tricked out of the village by Su Erniu under the pretext of going to the mountain to pick chestnuts. After seeing Jiang Lai arrive, he went to Ye Dagen's house in the village, where there were late-ripening chestnuts, and carried back this sack full of chestnuts.

You Maidong's eyes lit up when she heard Ye Yuanliang's words, and she gave Ye Yuanliang a look of high praise: "That's good. Da Gen's chestnuts are the best in the village. Jiang Lai will definitely like them because they are sweet and sticky."

Ye Yuanliang knew You Maidong well. Hearing her speak like that, he knew that You Maidong really liked Jiang Lai. Moreover, You Maidong's obvious joy showed that it had been a headache for the couple. Their second son's marriage was on the horizon, and Ye Yuanliang's eyes lit up.

"Right? I was thinking that the city has everything, while the countryside only has things that grow in the soil." Ye Yuanliang grinned, revealing a set of white teeth.

Jiang Lai is the kind of person who doesn't like socializing and usually stays at home like a homebody. But not liking it doesn't mean she doesn't know how, so when everyone is in the living room, Jiang Lai can't just hide in the kitchen and not come out.

The moment she appeared, she caught everyone's eye. She had an oval face, bright eyes and white teeth, two dimples when she smiled, and her eyebrows and eyes curved, making her instantly likable.

A note from the author:

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