Chapter 10

Chapter 10

"Sis, you've used too much oil!" Lin Taohong lowered her voice and glanced nervously at the door, afraid that Mrs. Zhang might rush in at any moment.

"It's fine; I bought pork." Lin Chunyan calmly placed the sliced pork into the pan to fry, and soon the skin turned crispy, filling the kitchen with a rich aroma of meat.

Lin Taohong inhaled deeply, her eyes filled with delight.

If Lin Chunyan wasn't afraid, she had no reason to be either.

It was so fragrant.

After finishing the braised pork with preserved vegetables, Lin Chunyan heated up the steamed buns that Lin's Second Aunt had brought. The buns absorbed the oil from the pork, making them even more delicious.

Mrs. Zhang, sitting inside the house, couldn't sit still anymore. She tiptoed to the window to peek outside, wondering when someone would call her for dinner.

She couldn't bring herself to go over directly.

But despite waiting, she could only hear Lin Taohong eating voraciously and no one came to call her.

Those two girls!

Unable to bear it any longer, Mrs. Zhang, smelling the delicious scent in the air and fearing that the two in the kitchen would finish everything, finally went over herself.

Lin Taohong had already eaten several slices of meat with a large bun, her belly full but still unwilling to stop.

Lin Chunyan was more restrained, but she hadn't tasted such delicious food in a long time and ate more than usual.

Seeing Mrs. Zhang's sulky face, as if someone owed her hundreds of dollars, Lin Chunyan ignored her completely.

"Eat, eat, look at how you're eating!" Mrs. Zhang looked around and slapped Lin Taohong's hand as she reached for another piece of meat. "What will happen if you can't find a husband tomorrow?"

Lin Taohong didn't get angry; she continued her actions, adding a large slice of meat to her bun and taking a bite, savoring the flavor.

Mrs. Zhang winced in pain, "Two wasteful brats..."

How much money did this cost!

Lin Chunyan didn't even lift an eyelid. After swallowing her mouthful, Lin Taohong offered Mrs. Zhang a bun. "Do you want some? If not, my sister and I will finish it."

Her tone was already somewhat like Lin Chunyan's.

Mrs. Zhang took the bun and added several slices of meat, mimicking Lin Chunyan by including some preserved vegetables. After taking a bite, she was stunned by the flavor and couldn't utter any complaints.

It was so delicious, she wished she could swallow her tongue.

Mrs. Zhang lowered her eyes, her hands moving continuously, while her mind pondered why Lin Chunyan could be so assertive. Indeed, she had real skills.

She should have boasted more about her daughter's abilities.

After finishing her meal, Lin Chunyan didn't leave immediately. She waited until Mrs. Zhang finished her bun before packing away the remaining meat and buns.

Mrs. Zhang watched helplessly as she packed everything away, her eyes filled with reluctance.

Lin Taohong felt a bit smug; she had eaten two large buns and several pieces of meat.

Indeed, it was unwise to go against Lin Chunyan.

After finishing, Lin Chunyan didn't rush to leave. She felt it necessary to give Mrs. Zhang and Lin Taohong a warning.

Mrs. Zhang shifted uncomfortably, feeling uneasy despite being the elder. She couldn't meet Lin Chunyan's eyes without feeling intimidated.

"What does Yan Niang plan to do?"

When Mrs. Zhang asked, Lin Chunyan dropped her pretense and directly asked, "How much money do we have left?"

Mrs. Zhang frowned unhappily, "Why are you asking about this, child?"

Like many parents, she never disclosed their earnings to the children, especially not their private savings.

Lin Chunyan remained unperturbed, "From now on, there will only be the three of us. We need to know our finances and find a source of income. Otherwise, we'll starve."

Mrs. Zhang couldn't hide her embarrassment, "We are just women. Where can we find a source of income? I think it's better to find a son-in-law who can support us."

Lin Taohong blinked, listening to their conversation. When she heard about finding a son-in-law, her eyes lit up.

She had previously wanted to become a mistress out of fear of ending up like Mrs. Zhang. However, she knew that if she really became a mistress, Mrs. Zhang would beat her to death.

If they found a son-in-law, she wouldn't have to worry about that, and she could still control the household.

Lin Chunyan saw the expression on Lin Taohong's face and immediately slapped her back, making her calm down. She then asked, "Think about it, how many good men would agree to be a son-in-law?"

This wasn't an exaggeration. In current times, anyone who could manage would never agree to be a son-in-law.

Only lazy men or those with too many brothers unable to afford wives would take such a role.

And none of them were particularly good, relying solely on luck.

Lin Chunyan never believed in luck.

Lin Taohong, accustomed to being hit, didn't dare to argue and looked at Mrs. Zhang instead.

Mrs. Zhang refused to give up on the idea of a son-in-law, "There are only three women in this house. How can we survive without being bullied?"

"We've lived in this village for generations, and there are two uncles nearby. We should try to get along with them for now; the villagers won't dare to mistreat us too much."

Lin Chunyan then mentioned her plan to buy a cart. "I've made up my mind about this. If you two want to take in a son-in-law, I'll go out on my own."

After saying this, Lin Chunyan stood up, stretched, and ignored the two people in the room.

She wasn't one to be patient, and no matter how much she talked with Mrs. Zhang, it didn't help. So she simply drew some well water, took a bath, and went to bed early.

Inside the house, Lin Taohong and Mrs. Zhang exchanged a glance. Mrs. Zhang felt a surge of anger, thinking that since Lin Chunyan refused, she would find a son-in-law for Lin Taohong.

However, Lin Chunyan did have a point: the money they had was indeed not much.

Previously, she had been used to spending freely, thinking that with just two daughters, once they were married off, there would be nothing else to worry about.

Who knew that fate would play such a cruel joke on her.

That damned man!

Lin Taohong felt the kitchen was stuffy and, seeing that Mrs. Zhang had no intention of speaking anytime soon, she stood up.

"Taohong, why does Chunyan seem like a different person?" Mrs. Zhang suddenly asked.

Lin Taohong paused mid-yawn, taking a moment to understand what Mrs. Zhang meant.

This question had been asked by her before.

Lin Chunyan had changed, that was certain. She never used to act so directly or speak so bluntly.

And Lin Chunyan's skills weren't this good either.

Thinking back to when her mother received the divorce letter and Lin Chunyan immediately went to catch fish and shrimp to sell in town, Lin Taohong felt a pang of sadness.

"Mama, don't keep blaming Eldest Sister. We can't all lie in bed waiting to die."

Mrs. Zhang opened her mouth but couldn't say anything, only sighing at the empty table.

Yes, regardless of whether the potential son-in-law was any good, even her carefully chosen husband had caused such a scandal.

Men cannot be relied upon.

She had never realized this so clearly before.