Chapter 20

Chapter 20

"Look, the land wasn't just given to the eldest branch recently. We two branches have been farming it for quite some time now. It wouldn't be fair to make us give it back.

However, my sister-in-law is struggling with two nieces. Why don't we two branches compensate with the silver we've saved up?"

Uncle Lin's words immediately eased the tense atmosphere.

Mrs. Zhang did some quick calculations. When they bought the land, they had only paid about half the price. If they were to pay the remaining half, it would add up to around two or three strings of cash.

Thinking this, she smiled slightly.

Uncle Zhang and Little Uncle Zhang’s faces changed instantly. Little Uncle Zhang grinned, "I always knew your family was honorable. After all, my sister has been married into your family for so many years; even if she hasn’t contributed much, she has endured a lot."

Uncle Lin felt like he was caught in the air, looking at Uncle Lin in disbelief, unable to understand what the second branch was up to.

Everyone's attention was on him, making him feel uneasy.

He wanted to agree but feared that Li Shi would cause trouble if she found out.

If he didn't agree, it would seem like he was being unreasonable under everyone's watchful eyes.

Uncle Zhang had already stood up and sat next to Uncle Lin. Being considerably older, he kept calling him "little brother," while Little Uncle Zhang wore a half-smile, seemingly harboring some mischievous plan.

"Well... alright then."

It took Uncle Lin a long time to utter these words.

Lin Chunyan breathed a sigh of relief and placed the tofu on a plate, asking Lin Taohong to take it out.

If only there was some wine.

The people in the courtyard also wished for wine. Uncle Lin had already asked Aunt Lin to go buy some. On the other side, Uncle Zhang draped his arm around Uncle Lin, acting as if they were close friends.

"Oh, how delicious!"

Ma Shi, smelling the fragrant fried tofu, started salivating. Seeing the atmosphere ease, she decided to lighten the mood.

Her and Hu Shi's goal was the same: as long as Mrs. Zhang had a place to live and didn't come back to sponge off her family, their purpose was achieved.

"Yan Niang's cooking skills are truly remarkable." Hu Shi raised an eyebrow, admitting that Lin Chunyan was indeed talented.

She glanced at Mrs. Zhang, surprised that she was fortunate enough to rely on her daughter after her husband left.

Hearing that the house and land were secured, Mrs. Zhang felt a weight lifted from her chest. Hearing everyone praise the tofu, she quickly fetched some chopsticks from the kitchen for everyone to taste.

"Don't leave today; let's celebrate together."

"Sure!"

"I see those chickens look pretty plump..."

Mrs. Zhang, who had just agreed readily, looked at her two chickens when she heard this.

The chickens, sensing her gaze, flapped their wings and scurried away, fearing another inspection of their behinds.

Mrs. Zhang felt a pang in her heart but didn't want to spoil the joyous occasion.

"Let's kill them!"

In the kitchen, Lin Taohong's cheeks puffed up as she stuffed some freshly fried tofu into her mouth, burning her throat. Hearing that they were going to kill the chickens, her eyes lit up.

"Yan Niang, can you make some appetizers?" Mrs. Zhang asked Lin Chunyan, knowing that skilled cooks in their village were often hired for feasts, requiring extra payment beyond the ingredients.

Some even took some wine and sweets as they left.

Mrs. Zhang's intentions were clear to Lin Chunyan—she wanted to save money.

Lin Chunyan thought for a moment and said, "I can do it, but I want all the earnings from the stall to be mine."

Mrs. Zhang was taken aback and whispered, "What do you need so much money for? You're still young; I should save it for you."

Lin Chunyan refused, "Then get me a cart. I asked before; a used one costs only two or three strings of cash, which is exactly what we got today."

Mrs. Zhang's face darkened, and if not for the relatives present, she might have resorted to violence.

"That money can't be touched."

"Then I'll keep the earnings from the stall and cook this meal for you."

Mrs. Zhang had no choice; Hu Shi and Ma Shi were already looking over. She reluctantly agreed.

"Kill the chickens later; you decide how to prepare them. We won't buy any meat."

Outside in the courtyard, the topic shifted from Old Lin to Lin Chunyan.

"This child has changed a lot."

Aunt Hu spoke first, and Ma Shi chimed in, "How did she learn these skills? This fried tofu tastes better than what many shops offer."

Noticing the attention on Lin Chunyan, Mrs. Zhang naturally explained, "This child has always loved helping in the kitchen. When my father-in-law was alive, she was the one who helped the most."

Being the oldest, Lin Chunyan used to help her grandfather with peeling garlic and stoking the fire, likely picking up a few tricks from him.

Nor does it matter whether others believe it or not; Mrs. Zhang says she'll let them taste Lin Chunyan's cooking soon, and it will be delicious.

The chicken was killed by Uncle Zhang Xiao, and his movements were swift. The chicken didn't seem to suffer much, only squawking a few times before going still.

Only Mrs. Zhang turned her head away, unable to bear watching any longer.

Losing one egg-laying hen means losing quite a few eggs.

Eggs can hatch into chicks, which then turn into hens that lay more eggs...

Mrs. Zhang felt a pang in her heart.

Hu Shi and Ma Shi helped pluck the chicken, with Aunt Lin Er assisting on the side. The three women weren't very familiar with each other, but fortunately, Aunt Lin Er was talkative and skilled at conversation, so the atmosphere wasn't awkward.

In the kitchen were only Lin Chunyan, Lin Taohua, and Lin Cuixiang, who had just been called over by Aunt Lin Er.

Everyone else was fooled, but Ma Shi was still curious about how Lin Chunyan had learned to cook. She kept glancing towards the kitchen while plucking the chicken, wondering if Mrs. Zhang was exaggerating again.

Noticing Aunt Lin Er's gaze, Ma Shi chuckled nervously, "Shouldn't we adults go in to help? Only the young ladies are in there, isn't that a bit too much?"

Ma Shi always knew how to speak well; Hu Shi couldn't match her. In the past, Old Lady Zhang and Old Man Zhang favored Uncle Zhang Xiao's family.

Later, when Old Man Zhang fell ill, Ma Shi didn't offer much help, only being good at talking her way out of things, which made Old Man Zhang think less of her.

Hu Shi felt very relieved back then, even feeling as if the wind was at her back when she walked.

Now that Ma Shi brought up this topic again, Hu Shi sneered inwardly but still echoed her words.

Aunt Lin Er shook her head, "I went into the kitchen earlier and asked. It's not that we don't want to help, but the kitchen is so small that having more people would only get in Yan Niang's way."

As for whether Lin Chunyan could prepare this feast, Aunt Lin Er wasn't very confident.

She had only tasted the small braised fish in a clay pot, but those were simple dishes, nothing compared to a proper feast.

Most of what Mrs. Zhang said earlier was likely just boasting.