CHAPTER 89: CHAPTER 087 YOU AND YOUR MOTHER-IN-LAW HAVE A GOOD RELATIONSHIP

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Seeing Zhang Shanni had slipped away, Liu Guilan wanted her daughter-in-law to help since there were indeed many people who needed to be served lunch. However, she was held back by Zhou Xiuhua.

Speaking of which, what Zhou Xiuhua first found satisfactory about Zhang Shanni, her new daughter-in-law, was her diligent handwork and exceptional cooking skills! After that, Zhang Shanni also showed care for her husband, love for her nephews, and respect for her in-laws... After nearly ten days of living together, her satisfaction with the new daughter-in-law only continued to grow!

"Don’t worry, let Chunling stay and chat with us. You all sit down and try my daughter-in-law’s cooking. I guarantee you won’t want to leave tonight!" Hearing this, Zhou Xiuhua reached out and grabbed Feng Chunling’s wrist, and spoke to Liu Guilan as if showing off.

"Oh? It seems that Zhou Family’s Sister is quite pleased with Shanni as a daughter-in-law, so that puts me at ease."

Liu Guilan is now over sixty years old, and indeed much older than Zhou Xiuhua. But because she lived comfortably and her household was well off, she had a leisurely life and looked about the same age as Zhou Xiuhua. If she hadn’t called Zhou Xiuhua ’Zhou Family’s Sister’ and seen that her own daughter-in-law was also no longer young, looking like a forty-year-old woman, she herself would not have dared to acknowledge it.

"That’s right, my son San’er has the best judgment. I trust him the most!" Zhou Xiuhua, when mentioning her most capable son, displayed a sense of pride and shared honor, with a completely contented look on her face.

"Aunt Zhou is truly open-minded, and I’m also grateful that Chunling has a mother-in-law like you. For us daughters-in-law, having a good relationship with the mother-in-law is such a worry... It’s simply unbearable when you can’t even speak up despite being reasonable!"

As she spoke, Feng Chunling looked grievously at Liu Guilan, which made Zhou Xiuhua giggle. Seeing that their mother-and-daughter-in-law relationship was probably very good, otherwise, which daughter-in-law would dare to talk to her mother-in-law like this? It was so straightforward it made one’s heart flutter!

"Hey, you naughty daughter-in-law, when have I ever been bad to you?" Liu Guilan was not irritated by her daughter-in-law’s joking words. She pinched Feng Chunling’s cheek with a hand and spoke in a slightly annoyed tone.

"Mother~ you’re still saying you treat me well, and here you are, laying hands on me already!" Feng Chunling’s face showed even more grievance, playing the part of a little wife who was wronged, clearly used to teasing her mother-in-law at home.

"Pfft, alright, we get it, you two have a good relationship, no need to show off! Here, your mouths must be tired from all the talking, come and taste Ni’s cooking, my grandson can eat six or seven pieces at a time!"

The last statement was clearly an exaggeration; even if a child could eat that much, adults would not encourage such an eating habit.

"Then we must try it~~" Feng Chunling saw it was the pastry that Xie Jingchen had mentioned before. Previously, everyone’s attention was on Zhang Shanni’s attitude, and they hadn’t spare the effort to try it. Now that the matter was settled and knowing that Zhang Shanni made it herself, they eagerly showed a craving for it.

Looking at Zhou Xiuhua holding a white porcelain plate filled with golden pastries, only upon getting closer could they smell the sweet fragrance. Seeing its golden color with a hint of glistening brown crispiness, each one as big as a grown man’s fist, it looked very appetizing. They had all had a smaller breakfast, eager to meet relatives, and now, inspired by Zhou Xiuhua’s words and the sweet aroma, the four visitors from the Li and Chen families didn’t hesitate to grab one each and take a bite—

Chewy and sweet!

"Mmm~~ Delicious! It’s chewy and fragrant, sweet and sticky!" Feng Chunling took two bites, savored it, and then expressed her opinion.

Hearing her, the other three all nodded with smiling faces. Even Liu Guilan, who had poor teeth and seldom enjoyed pastries over the years, felt this snack was truly excellent. But since she’s old and her teeth were loose, she dared not eat too much despite its tastiness.

The Li Jianfeng father and son both have a sweet tooth, so they each devoured three or four of the sweet potato cakes before stopping.

Zhou Xiuhua also held a piece and ate along with the guests while Feng Chunling, although finding it delicious, felt like facepalming upon seeing the gluttonous behavior of the Li father and son!

Xie Tiesheng and Xie Jingchen, on the other hand, felt closer to the Li father and son because of their unpretentiousness. Their willingness to let their guard down showed a genuine desire to establish ties, not just superficial courtesy.

As guests and hosts interacted amiably, the atmosphere was cordial and welcoming, replete with genuine respect and harmonious like a perfect pair of matched jewels.

Meanwhile, Zhang Shan Ni made her way to the kitchen, where there was an abundance of meat, especially smoked meat that had been well-cured. Unlike in the past years when everything edible or usable belonged to the public and even wild game caught in the mountains was allocated and distributed by the collective village team,

now, food trapped on the mountain belonged to oneself, and the ability to capture wild game depended solely on one’s skill. However, in remote small towns like Qingyun Town, villages would still gather the able-bodied men each autumn and winter to hunt in the mountains. The game hunted in events organized by the village collective would then belong to the village, and only after accumulating the resources would it be fairly distributed.

Of course, having able-bodied members in a family meant receiving a larger share of the distribution—a widely accepted system based on contribution.

Such village activities primarily aimed to eliminate pests for the wild game in the mountains, otherwise, come the following spring, the proximity to the mountains would lead to crops and poultry being plagued by the wild game.

Xie Family lived at the foot of the mountain, and though Xie Tiesheng may have looked like a weak scholar, back in the day he was a tall and robust man, which is why he caught the eye of Zhou Xiuhua, the village’s renowned beauty.

Both good-looking, Zhou Xiuhua was also tall for a woman, standing at over 1.63 meters, and Xie Tiesheng at over 1.77 meters. Consequently, their children never grew to be under 1.78 meters for the sons, and even the shortest daughter, Xie Jingzi, was now 1.65 meters, with Xie Jinghong reaching 1.67 meters, both tall and well-proportioned.

The outstanding stature of Xie Family’s children can be largely attributed to the nourishment from wild game caught on the mountain.

The first in the family to consistently acquire wild game was Xie Jingchen, who at the time was young but daring, observant, and thoughtful. His ability to procure wild rabbits and chickens allowed the family to safely survive the famine years, and his contribution was undeniable.

When the nearby mountains became barren and others were reduced to eating Guanyin Soil, he refused to accept fate and took risks. Using his sharp hearing and keen eyes, he discovered a safe zone deep in the mountains, where his fearless spirit enabled him to regularly procure meat and wild fruit. Back then, he was just a resourceful lad of eleven or twelve.

When other families struggled with hunger, he alone had the capacity to ensure the survival of his entire family, who all grew up to be healthy, allowing Xie Tiesheng to spare the energy to help relatives from his clan. This demonstrated the formidable abilities of Xie Jingchen during that period.

These days, while Xie Jingchen was back home, he not only helped his elderly parents with chores, including building fences, but he also frequently went to the mountains to trap wild animals. Places in the deep mountains others dare not enter, he navigated as easily as his own backyard, returning each time with a sack full of game.

In recent years, with the nation improving, fewer people venture into Qingfeng Mountain. Not to mention entering its depths, Qingfeng has an ample rainfall characteristic of southern locations, providing an excellent environment for wildlife to thrive, with rapid reproduction and no shortage of wild animals in the deep mountains!

The Xie Family, blessed with such advantageous conditions, never lacked for wild game. Otherwise, with only enough to get by at home, how could they have raised their lads to be so energetic, strong, and healthy?