134 Being Humbled
Madam Kong kept quiet after she heard Zhao Chuchu say this.
Since the latter had made up her mind, Madam Kong saying any more would serve to get on her nerves.
Zhao Chuchu knew that Madam Kong and her daughters-in-law would be thrifty. Hence, she did not leave the kitchen when they were stir-frying the vegetables. She was afraid that Madam Kong would even skimp on the oil.
As expected, Madam Kong only used a little oil when stir-frying the vegetables.
!!
Zhao Chuchu suspected that no trace of oil could be seen after the dish was ready.
“Use more oil. The vegetables won’t taste nice without it,” instructed Zhao Chuchu from the side.
Madam Kong poured a little bit more in.
Zhao Chuchu was speechless.
“Put half of what you added just now.”
“We must save oil. We usually eat it this way.”
Madam Kong was in pain.
She could cook several meals with this amount of oil.
“Everyone is tired from manual labor. They can only replenish their strength with more oil in the dishes.”
When Zhao Chuchu saw that Madam Kong was reluctant to pour in the oil, she did it herself.
Madam Kong said, “That’s more than enough!”
Why was this child so stubborn?
They could cook many meals with this much oil.
“Aye, Chuchu. Even if you have the money, you should be thriftier. Da Lang treats you well by giving you money. However, if you spend it so frivolously, what if he doesn’t like it?” Madam Kong said in a low voice. “Women need to manage the family well and not let the men worry.”
Zhao Chuchu knew that Madam Kong meant well.
However, her mindset was from a different period compared to Madam Kong’s. She merely acknowledged the latter verbally.
Madam Kong thought that Zhao Chuchu took it to heart, so she began to teach her ways to control her husband. She told Zhao Chuchu to have Xie Heng’s child sooner to tie him down and prevent him from being snatched away by sly vixens during the Imperial Examination.
She even told Zhao Chuchu, in front of her daughters-in-law, what position was easiest to conceive.
Zhao Chuchu was speechless.
She always believed herself to be a seasoned veteran on the topic of sex, but she was being humbled now.
Even Madam Kong’s two daughters-in-law were embarrassed just from listening.
“Chuchu, men hate the old and like the new. Think about it. You don’t have any family to back you up. In the future, when he has achieved great things, if he becomes an ungrateful bastard, you won’t be able to do anything. With a child, things will be different. Even if he doesn’t care about you, he will still think about the child.”
Madam Kong sincerely spoke from the heart to Zhao Chuchu.
The latter was very embarrassed.
From her own point of view, children were not ropes to tie down a man. If a man had a change of heart, even if she had ten children with him, he would still leave.
Zhao Chuchu did not retort. After all, they had different mindsets. She would not go about brainwashing people to believe in gender equality.
Madam Kong thought she was silent because she was shy.
Fortunately, Niu Tongsheng and the others returned, and it became lively outside. Madam Kong ended the topic there.
Zhao Chuchu quickly found an excuse to leave the kitchen.
She had skipped past romance, proposals, and marriage and jumped straight to being told to have children!
Once she emerged from the kitchen, her eyes met Xie Heng’s.
She immediately heard Madam Kong’s lecture urging her to have children ringing in her ear. She shifted her gaze away in embarrassment.
Was she a beast? How could she have such thoughts for a minor?
“What’s cooking? Smells good,” said Niu Tongsheng as he came in. “It seems that we are in for a treat today. Is it the braised pork head from last time?”
Zhao Chuchu nodded and replied, “That’s right. Aside from pork head, we also have trotters, eggs, and duck.”
“Let me tell you. Chuchu’s pork head dish is absolutely delicious. Last time, she gave us some, and even now, I still long for it!” said Niu Tongsheng as he turned toward the other villagers. “All of you will find out in a moment.”
“I am hungry from just smelling it.”
“Chuchu, how do you manage to come up with so many dishes?”
“I passed by a tavern in the city once, and even then, I did not smell such fragrant dishes. Chuchu, would you consider starting a food business?”
Zhao Chuchu smiled and said, “Where would I find the time? Da Lang needs to study, and I need to care for Junjun. Right now, I want to focus on looking after the crops, so I will pass on starting a business.”
Xie Heng, who was setting up tables, added, “Chuchu’s medical skills are more important. I will find her some medical books over the next few days. Having a business cannot compare to having good medical skills.”
Since Xie Heng had said so, Niu Tongsheng and the others did not pursue the matter further. They all went over to help him out.
Madam Kong finished the other two dishes and served them.
Aside from the braised meat and vegetables, Zhao Chuchu also took out a roasted duck and preserved meat from her carry-on space. Hence, almost all of the dishes on the table were meat dishes.
Since when had the villagers of Lengshui Village seen so many delicacies in one place?
They lost all restraint and began to eat heartily. Two large tables laden with dishes were cleaned off thoroughly.
“Thanks to you, this is the first time I have had such a delicious meal in my life.”
“The braised meat and the roasted duck were perfect. The skin of the roasted duck was especially delectable. It was so aromatic and crispy. Chuchu, how did you make it?”
“Chuchu, if I may be so bold to ask, could I take back some of the master stock?”
…
...
After their meal, they remained in the Xie residence courtyard, praising the lunch they had just feasted on.
There was still some master stock left over. Seeing everyone enjoying it, Zhao Chuchu divided what remained and gave each a bowl to take back home.
The villagers were extremely grateful. They had an even better impression of Zhao Chuchu and Xie Heng.
Madam Yang and Madam Ma just happened to pass by the Xie residence. When they saw Zhao Chuchu distributing stuff, they felt irritated.
Madam Ma said in a low voice, “Mother, let us leave quickly. Don’t let Zhao Chuchu think we are here to cause trouble and act against us.”
Madam Ma was afraid of offending Zhao Chuchu. If that happened, Zhao Baogen would end up bedridden for the rest of his life.
Madam Yang furiously said, “If your daughter had not tried to kill Zhao Chuchu, would she keep her distance from us now? Look at what she is giving out to others. Meat. All of it is meat! We can’t even afford to have meat once a year!”
Madam Ma did not dare to retort.
This mother and daughter-in-law duo only dared to complain about Zhao Chuchu privately. They had lost the courage to criticize her to her face.
The incident of Niu Ziming would forever be etched in their memory.
Zhao Chuchu noticed the two of them when they passed by the entrance. Of course, she overheard their conversation.
...
The corner of her lips curled up as she thought to herself, “Now, they know better than to mess with me!”
The villagers still had to work in the field past noon, so they didn’t stay long in the Xie residence.
Madam Kong and her daughters-in-law helped with the clean-up. Then, they went home.
Xie Jun hung around Zhao Chuchu, asking whether they could eat roasted duck for dinner.
Zhao Chuchu looked at this little glutton and said helplessly, “You have yet to recover. You can’t eat too much unhealthy food.”
Recently, she had been controlling the poison in Xie Jun’s body with medicine. She had yet to issue him the antidote because the weather was still cold. The antidote would not be as effective if she gave it to him now.
After all, medicinal herbs were precious. They had to be used to the fullest and could not be wasted.
Xie Jun was somewhat disappointed. However, he had always been obedient. Even if he could not get his way, he would not make a fuss about it.
Just as Zhao Chuchu was planning to say that he could have roasted duck a few days later, Old Mrs. Chen, who had just left not long ago, returned.
In her booming voice, which did not sound like an old person, she said, “Chuchu, my brother has completed the stone mill you wanted. It is now at the entrance of the village. Where should we put it?”
Zhao Chuchu opened the door and nearly crashed into Old Mrs. Chen.
The two of them went to the entrance of the village together. When the villagers heard that Zhao Chuchu wanted to send the stone mill to Zhao Guitang’s house, everyone looked at her in horror.
Someone asked, “Chuchu, are you going to smash Zhao Guitang to death with the stone mill?”
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