Chapter 41: Bickering

◎ How could one not be likable? ◇

Despite anticipating a restless night, surprisingly, everyone slept well. They had already acclimated to the hard wooden bed frames during their stay at Uncle Two's house. After a day of moving, settling in, and preparing their new home, they were all exhausted, even the twins, who fell asleep instantly and didn't want to wake up the next morning, clinging tightly to their small wooden beds.

More importantly, they were now in their own home. After a long journey and facing unfamiliar surroundings, they finally felt truly settled and secure, allowing them to sleep soundly.

As the sky began to brighten, Yu Lian opened her door to find Grandma Mei, Aunt Mei, and Little Guo'er already awake. They were washing their faces and brushing their teeth in the courtyard using the water they had fetched the previous day; it was now chilly after sitting overnight.

Little Guo'er knitted her brows while wringing out a towel.

Upon seeing Yu Lian, Aunt Mei rushed for help, "The water is freezing cold. Lian-er, please come and lend a hand."

Grandma felt somewhat displeased, "If it's cold, go heat the water. What use is calling Lian-er for this?"

Aunt Mei expressed her dilemma, "Grandma, I don't know how to do it…" Not to mention herself, who in the whole family knew how to heat water? Nobody had likely ever used a rural kitchen stove, except for yesterday afternoon when Yu Lian prepared ginger soup for Hua Zhan. Perhaps she was the only one in the family who knew how.

Grandma responded, "If you don't know, then learn. Nobody is born knowing everything. We can't rely on her for everything just because she knows how. Lian-er is our daughter-in-law, not a servant. You all must learn these things too, not burdening her with everything."

With that, she turned to Yu Lian, who had just approached and taken a seat beside the elderly matriarch. The grandmother smiled and said, "Lian'er, go teach Aunt Mei and also call your mother out. Let them watch and learn together. No one is allowed to be left behind! Now that we're living here, we'll all need to learn about farm life. We can't rely on others to do everything for us; anyone with such thoughts should put them to rest."

Little Guo'er raised her small hand and exclaimed, "Guo'er wants to learn too, Guo'er wants to learn! Yesterday, I learned how to pick and wash vegetables with Sister-in-law, today I'm learning to tend the fire, and tomorrow I'll learn something else. Sister-in-law said even sages love doing small tasks; only by starting with little things can we accomplish great ones."

The grandmother was pleased upon hearing this and felt much comforted. She praised the child with a smile, "Little Guo'er is such a good child, with a high understanding. Quickly, go to your parents' room and wake your mother up. From now on, no one in our family can act like a lord or lady, expecting others to serve them."

Aunt Mei sensed that the grandmother's words were directed at her. While she knew her granddaughter-in-law was excellent, this kind of favoritism was unfair. Yesterday, she received a scolding for a mere title, and today, she was reprimanded again for asking Yu Lian for help. She had known that being a concubine carried a lower status, and the grandmother didn't hold her in high regard. She never intended to compete with others, but feeling constantly lectured by the grandmother still grated on her nerves.

They were now peasants, common folk, yet the grandmother still held on to her noble airs?

Yu Lian was aware that the old madam's concern for her led to such words on the first day, as a precaution against the entire family pushing responsibilities onto her in the future, fearing she would become overworked and exhausted. Her heart warmed by this consideration, she nestled into the old madam's arm, indulging in a moment of coquetry.

Amidst heartfelt conversation, Mrs. Chen emerged, her cheeks flushed as she apologized to the matriarch for being late.

In the old days, when they were still in the Marquis household, the Matriarch was not one to excessively nag or torment others. She only required her daughters-in-law to pay respects and engage in conversation on the first, middle, and last day of each month. For the rest of the time, she left them be. Thus, Mrs. Chen spent her days comfortably in her own courtyard, enjoying a peaceful existence.

Later, the journey back to our hometown was akin to a harrowing escape, with no semblance of a regular routine. Amidst the chaos, I temporarily forgot about the duty to serve my mother-in-law.

Hua Zhan also rose, rinsing his mouth and washing his face with the cold water in the courtyard.

The matriarch declared, "Every one of us, including myself, will go to the kitchen to learn how to build a fire and boil water. No one is exempted."

She looked around, sensing an unusual silence. Then she remembered her grandsons.

"Where are Yan'er and Xing'er?"

"They're still sleeping, haven't woken up yet."

A mischievous smile crept onto Yu Lian's face. She went to the yard, immersed her hands in cold water for a moment, then dashed into the twins' room where the two rascals were sound asleep on their small bed.

Yu Lian slipped her icy hands into the necks of the unsuspecting boys...

After a brief moment...

A deafening scream echoed through the house, followed by complaints:

"Sister-in-law is wicked!"

"What are you doing, Sister-in-law?! Grandma, come quick, stop my sister-in-law, she's being mean! I'm freezing!"

"Father, Mother!"

Moments later, Yu Lian pulled the twins out from under the covers, urging them to dress themselves.

The twins sat on the bed, turning their heads away from their sister in defiance. Both were fuming, their hair seemingly standing on end. Their sister was so wicked, utterly detestable!

Yu Lian tossed the clothes toward them. "You're really not going to wear them? Should I call Father to help you then?"

The twins glanced secretly at her, then puffed up their necks when she looked back. "No, we won't wear them! Give us back our blanket; we want to sleep!"

"This blanket was carried back by us yesterday. It's our blanket, give it back right now!"

"I'm the one who bought this blanket."

The twins turned and roared in anger, "We carried it back!"

Yu Lian called out, "Father..."

Then came the voice of their father, Hua Zhan, "What's happening?"

Twins: !!

The door opened, and Yu Lian emerged from inside, followed by the twins, who had their heads held high in a huff.

A hint of amusement flickered in the old lady's and Hua Zhan's eyes. The old lady then invited the family to the kitchen to witness and learn how to start a fire.

Presenter: Yu Lian.

With a group trailing behind her, Yu Lian led the way to the kitchen. Lighting a fire was a crucial step, as firestones were relatively inexpensive but difficult for novices to handle. Yu Lian had struggled greatly the previous day to ignite a flame. She had thus purchased a few fire tubes, which were more user-friendly; a gentle blow was all it took to produce a flame, making them easier for her inexperienced family to use.

After the fire was lit, they would save a burning ember in the stove, covered with thick ash, to be reused for the next meal. This was an economical method that Auntie Ma had taught her yesterday, and it was a common practice in every household in the village to maintain an unbroken flame.

Taking a bundle of easily combustible dry grass leaves, she ignited them, then added firewood. Once the wood caught fire, the flame would be stable, requiring only periodic fueling to prevent it from dying out.

"Add more firewood for a stronger flame, and for a smaller one, just place a couple of sticks inside to smolder. Keep an eye on it at all times."

The family watched, enlightened. "So that's how it's done..."

Mrs. Chen admired, "Lian'er, how do you know so much? You've learned so quickly."

Yu Lian added another piece of wood to the fire. "Yesterday, while Auntie Ma and the others were cooking for us, I sneaked in to learn. It's not that difficult; you just need to watch and practice a few times. Controlling the heat shouldn't be too hard – the more you do it, the better you'll get."

The elderly lady, having lived such a long life, had never actually tended a fire before and was unaware of its intricacies. Seeing her granddaughter-in-law manage it with ease, she expressed a desire to give it a try.

Yu Lian helped her grandmother sit on a small stool, then instructed her on how to add wood and manipulate the flames for proper heat control.

"I'm still quite new to this myself, figuring things out as I go along. But it doesn't seem too challenging," Yu Lian reassured her.

The old lady tried turning the wood herself. Unaware of the discomfort while standing, she found the experience quite trying. The heat initially singed her face, and then the squatting position required for tending the fire proved unbearable for her back and legs.

After only a short while, she couldn't bear it anymore and asked Yu Lian to help her up. "I'm getting so old, my back, legs, and knees ache after just a moment. These bones truly show their age."

Unable to manage it herself, she encouraged the younger generation to take turns. Each one had to repeat the process of tending the fire until they all had a go, even Little Guo'er and the twins.

Little Guo'er, with her quick understanding and willingness to learn, mastered it after just one attempt. In contrast, the twins needed two tries and still caused mischief, almost causing the fire to spread. Mrs. Chen also struggled to learn.

To avoid wasting time and delaying breakfast, Yu Lian asked Aunt Mei to pour water into the pot, while Little Guo'er and the twins were tasked with washing the rice. They would start by cooking a pot of porridge.

"Yesterday's leftover greens will be washed and stir-fried with eggs for lunch."

The twins asked, "And what about noon? What will we have for noon?"

Yu Lian playfully tapped their heads with one finger, smiling. "At noon, I'll send both of you to learn farming. You'll till the land for our family, becoming little farmers. You'll eat a hearty breakfast, head out with your hoes, and return with them at night. How does that sound?"

The twins promptly hid behind their parents, fearing that their eldest sister might actually make them farm.

Their eldest sister was truly wicked.

So wicked.

She would really do it!

Yu Lian straightened her expression and looked at her parents and grandmother. "After breakfast, let's have a family meeting to discuss our next steps. I've had some ideas lately that I'd like to discuss with Grandmother and both of you."

The old lady nodded. "Do whatever you wish, Lian'er. Grandmother supports you."

Hua Zhan agreed, "That's as it should be. One must always plan ahead; if you don't think about the future, troubles will surely come. It's good to consider things in advance."

The twins poked their heads out and asked, "What's a family meeting?"

Everyone looked over as Yu Lian explained, "Family refers to our Hua family, and meeting means... like when Father attended court in the past, where the emperor and officials held council meetings. When our family gathers to discuss matters, it's called a family meeting. It's a chance for us to bring up any issues and make decisions together. This is the purpose of a meeting. As newcomers to this place, we have many things to decide and discuss from scratch. If possible, I suggest we hold a family meeting every half-month. This will help us bond and resolve many issues collectively."

The twins initially understood a bit but soon lost track, so they simply stopped listening and went to squat by the fireplace, watching the firewood.

Yu Lian's suggestion was novel. The elderly matriarch had come from an aristocratic family in her youth and later managed a large household as a noble wife. She was no stranger to managing affairs, but she had never heard of such a concept. After pondering it, she found it quite reasonable.

"The idea is excellent and quite innovative. I've never heard of it before. In our household, the manager would gather the servants on the day of the monthly salary distribution to give them instructions. However, there has never been a formal gathering of the entire family to discuss matters. Grandmother believes that this method can strengthen familial bonds and unite our efforts to solve problems together. It's a wonderful idea, and Grandmother approves."

Hua Zhan commented, "In court, officials would report matters to the emperor or receive new instructions. There could be unexpected events to discuss or updates on previous assignments. Is our family meeting similar?"

Yu Lian nodded. "Father and Grandmother are right. Although our family is small, there are many issues to handle, especially given our current situation. With everyone's input and collaboration, we'll adapt better to our new circumstances."

"The logic is sound," the matriarch said, increasingly impressed with her granddaughter-in-law. "Lian'er, you're capable enough to manage any noble household."

With her ideas, abilities, compassion, and integrity, Yu Lian was a woman of outstanding character and competence. How could she not win people's admiration?

It was just unfortunate, in the end.

Thinking of Hua'er, she shook her head; what was the point of dwelling on such matters?

For breakfast, they had plain rice porridge with stir-fried vegetables and eggs. Although it was simple, it was considered quite good in their village. Which household could casually afford to fry eggs for breakfast every day? Or have such rich, creamy porridge? Most people made do with gruel mixed with coarse grains, accompanied by pickled vegetables.

After breakfast, Aunt Mei busily cleared the table and washed the dishes. The family then remained seated in the main living room, commencing their "family meeting."