Chapter 4: Considerate

Chapter 4: Considerate

Thud, thud, thud—

The heavy knocking on the door interrupted their conversation.

"Brother Shen, open up! Brother Shen, Monkey’s in big trouble!"

Shen Caisheng had meant to mention the rumors outside, but now he couldn’t care less about that.

"I’ll be out for a while."

He tossed the firewood aside and strode out of the kitchen.

Yuan Lingling placed a hand on her racing heart and let out an "Oh," but when she looked up, he was already gone.

Monkey was a drifter who lived in the alley west of the brewery. He had lost his family at a young age, leaving only a younger brother. The two of them lived a hard life, and Monkey himself was a bit of a deadbeat. Usually, only Shen Caisheng and Ma Jie from next door were close to him.

Ma Jie was the one banging on the door, and judging by the noise, something serious must have happened.

Yuan Lingling stood and peeked out the kitchen door. There were only footprints in the yard, and the gate remained untouched.

What’s with him always climbing over the wall?

But he’s pretty nimble.

The rice wasn’t fully cooked yet. Yuan Lingling lifted the lid; it was already bubbling away.

Looks like she’s on her own.

Drawing on her childhood memories, Yuan Lingling scooped out some rice water, placed a cotton cloth on the aluminum pot’s divider, poured the half-cooked rice over it, flattened it, poked a few holes with chopsticks, and then covered the pot, leaving it to chance.

As the rice steamed, she fished out the meat from the stove to let it cool. Using the time wisely, she sliced two potatoes, minced the ginger, garlic, and chili that Shen Caisheng had prepared earlier, and cut the meat into slices.

Once she finished prepping the ingredients, the rice in the pot was almost done.

Well, she’ll just assume it’s done...

Yuan Lingling didn’t lift the lid but moved the pot to the stove to simmer slowly.

Taking a quick look at the sky, Yuan Lingling wasn’t in a hurry to stir-fry the dishes. She crept through the snowy yard and went next door to the Ma family.

She knocked on the gate, rubbing her hands and breathing out a puff of white mist. In just that short time, her face had frozen stiff, and her hands felt numb.

The north is freezing.

"Who is it?" A woman’s booming voice came from the yard—it was Ma Jie’s mother, Yang Ying.

Her loud voice was famous around the brewery.

"Auntie Yang, it’s me."

Yang Ying was surprised to see her.

Yuan Lingling was usually cold and aloof, not one to socialize much. Plus, her ambiguous relationship with Xie Guanglian made the neighbors look down on her.

At this time, when every household was busy cooking, Yuan Lingling’s sudden visit was even stranger. But since you don’t hit someone with a smiling face, Yang Ying didn’t give her a hard time, though her tone was still somewhat distant.

"Shen’s wife, what’s up?"

Yuan Lingling pretended not to notice her attitude, "Hey Auntie, hope I’m not interrupting. I just came to ask what happened earlier. Caisheng left in a hurry, and I don’t know if they’ll be back for dinner."

Hearing her question, Yang Ying’s expression softened a bit, and she sighed, "Those troublemakers, they’ve been a handful since they were little. Just carry on with your day."

Originally, Yang Ying had been quite disdainful of Yuan Lingling’s usual demeanor, but now that she thought about it, Shen Caisheng was always out and about—how could he expect the girl to stay home waiting for him?

She’s got it rough too.

Kids these days don’t give a hoot about marriage, leaving her at a loss for words.

Still, she couldn’t quite warm up to Yuan Lingling. She figured they were two peas in a pod.

Seeing Yuan Lingling looking clueless, she couldn’t help but add, "Listen, keep this under your hat. Word is Monkey got knifed and rushed to the hospital."

She gestured to her stomach, "Right here, a gaping wound."

Yuan Lingling gasped, "Are Caisheng and Ma Jie gonna be safe heading over there?" Someone got stabbed, and she’s acting like it’s a show?

"No big deal, they’re all locked up. Heard it was about Monkey’s place—those cowards!" Yang Ying was furious. In situations like this, only her boy and Shen Caisheng could step up.

Luckily, with Shen Caisheng there, they’d hold their own.

This made Yang Ying feel a little awkward around Yuan Lingling. Shen Caisheng had always looked out for her son, yet she had been cold to his wife. Her tone softened as she asked, "You eaten yet? Come on over and grab a bite."

Yuan Lingling was flattered, "Oh, no thanks, I’m just fixing something up." With that, she bid farewell and left.

Yang Ying didn’t insist, saying cheerfully, "Alright, take it easy and get some rest. The snow’s coming down hard."

As Auntie Yang had said, the snow had just stopped by evening, but as soon as it got dark, it started falling again. By the next morning, the yard was covered with another layer of snow, and the sky was gloomy.

After breakfast, Yuan Lingling considered heading out to get the scoop, but seeing the weather, she decided against it.

Eh, she just couldn’t be bothered.

Even with the info, there wasn’t much she could do. But if she fell and hurt the baby, she’d be in trouble.

Speaking of the baby, Yuan Lingling was still troubled.

Shen Caisheng was always a ghost, making her divorce plans a nightmare.

Maybe she could claim she was lonely and let him go?

But what if it backfired, and he came home more, making things worse? That would be even worse.

As she was lost in thought, there was a knock at the gate, "Caisheng’s wife, are you home?"

"Yes!" Yuan Lingling responded, quickly getting up to open the door. Her yard was usually deserted. Though the people in the alley were usually loud and boisterous, when they actually encountered Shen Caisheng, they all shrank back.

From this perspective, Shen Caisheng’s villainous traits were already starting to show.

Only the Xie family, bold and reckless, dared to mess with his wife.

The visitor was Yang Ying, and Yuan Lingling had already recognized her voice before opening the door.

Sure enough, as soon as the door opened, she was met with a bright smile, tinged with a hint of teasing, completely different from her cold demeanor the day before.

Wait, teasing?

"Caisheng sent me with some grub, said he didn’t want you starving." Yang Ying was genuinely surprised.

Others might not know, but she was well aware of how the Yuan family's daughter had come to be married. It was something not to be spoken of, and she had witnessed many such schemes, which she truly looked down upon.

Usually, Shen Caisheng didn't treat his family very well, but who would have thought she had misjudged him?

"There are still some vegetable leaves here. He said there are chickens at home and worried you wouldn't know how to care for them. Just give them some leaves and cornmeal now and then," Yang Ying said, her gaze already falling on the chicken coop in the corner of the yard.

It was the one Shen Caisheng had made with small wooden planks just yesterday.

The small wooden house with a slanted roof nestled against the tree trunk, resembling a cartoon house from a textbook. He was really skilled with his hands.

"This was made by Caisheng, wasn't it? He's always been good with his hands," Yang Ying said, tossing a handful of vegetable leaves into the chicken coop and carefully examining the little wooden house.

"I wonder where he picked that up. His parents wouldn't know such things. It's really impressive."

At the time, the Shen couple worked in a factory, doing simple tasks like packing beer into boxes.

As the saying goes, like father, like son. The Shen family must have accumulated great virtue in their past life to have such a capable descendant like Shen Caisheng. It's just a shame the child wasn't raised properly, and the Shen couple didn't have the fortune to enjoy it.

As she spoke, Yang Ying's face showed regret, and she looked at Yuan Lingling with more sympathy.

"Go on and eat before it gets cold."

"It's too much to ask of Auntie. I still have some food at home. Let me get some for you."

Yuan Lingling was still a little out of it. Shen Caisheng had asked Auntie Yang to prepare food for her. Why? Was it because she mentioned yesterday that she couldn't cook?

Was he really that considerate?

Just as Yuan Lingling was about to enter the house, Yang Ying stopped her.

"No need. Do you think I'd let myself be shortchanged? Your man gave me money, enough to cover everything. Just holler across the yard if you want something to eat or not."

When she mentioned "your man," Yuan Lingling felt oddly embarrassed. She smiled to cover her awkwardness, "Alright, then I won't stand on ceremony."

On a cold day like this, Yuan Lingling was glad to skip cooking, but she felt it was already quite troublesome to have someone else help. She wouldn't dare to actually order dishes.

Truth be told, Yuan Lingling wasn't fussy about good food.

Auntie Yang had made braised pork and winter melon soup today, paired with round, fluffy steamed buns. In these times, it was already a fine meal.

Yuan Lingling sat on the kang, picking up a piece of braised pork with a perfect balance of fat and lean. It was soft, tender, and fragrant, rich but not greasy. The thick broth paired with a bite of the hearty steamed bun was truly satisfying!

When she was almost done eating, she had a bowl of hot winter melon soup. Only those who had truly tasted it would understand the value of this meal.

After finishing every last drop of the broth in the lunchbox, Yuan Lingling still felt unsatisfied. She joked that she wasn't carrying two babies, but two little piggies.

Hmm, she craved green rice cakes, sticky rice cakes, and rice cakes...

Yuan Lingling licked her lips, washed the lunchbox, and began rummaging through the kitchen.

After a while, she finally turned her attention to the pile of sweet potatoes in the corner. She settled on making sweet potato pancakes.

These sweet potatoes had been carried back by Shen Caisheng last month. They were so sweet, she figured they'd make tasty snacks.

She picked out a few of the largest ones that were hard to roast, washed and peeled them, then cut them into thick slices. She put them on a plate and steamed them on high for about ten minutes until done.

Since there was no glutinous rice flour at home, Yuan Lingling had to use regular flour. It wouldn't have the chewy texture she adored, but the taste shouldn't be bad either.

She reminded herself that in these times, being able to eat so well was a blessing. She shouldn't complain.

Yuan Lingling kneaded the sweet potatoes into the dough, quickly forming small balls. She wasn’t planning to steam them but instead brought out the oil jar from home.

Since she had already started, she figured she might as well not skimp.

She poured two spoonfuls of oil into the pan, and as the firewood was added, the oil started crackling. Yuan Lingling flattened the sweet potato balls and placed them one by one into the pan. Before long, the smell was wafting out.

In these times, you couldn’t hide it when someone had something good to eat. Everyone was so used to poverty that their noses seemed to have gotten sharper, becoming unusually sensitive.

Naturally, Yang Ying next door also caught the scent. She didn’t bother to go out and check, not realizing it was coming from Yuan Lingling's house, but she couldn’t help but comment to her husband, "That smell, I wonder how much oil they used. Who could it be? They must be living in a bubble."

As soon as she finished speaking, her son Ma Jie rushed in from outside. She hurried over to brush the snow off him.

"How is it? What's the situation?" Yang Ying asked anxiously.

"Everything’s under control. Brother Shen chased them off, and the monkey is out of danger," Ma Jie said as he took off his coat. "Brother Shen’s at the hospital with him."

Hearing this, Yang Ying sighed in relief and said, "Cai Sheng always pulls through. What are you digging around for? You’re turning the place upside down."

"Where’s my old puffer jacket? Brother Shen has been busy all night, and you said the snow in his yard’s piled up high. I'm going to help shovel it."

Yang Ying pushed him aside, "Tearing the place apart looking for clothes. Isn’t it right here? Shovel it clean, don’t leave a mess!"

"Don’t worry."

-

Yuan Lingling carried a plate of sweet potato cakes and had just opened the gate when she bumped into Ma Jie coming her way.

"Sister-in-law," Ma Jie greeted her. He wasn’t very tall but was quite fair-skinned, looking as if he wasn’t in the best of health, much like Yuan Lingling.

Seeing him, Yuan Lingling was slightly surprised, "Were you looking for me? I just whipped up some sweet potato cakes and was planning to bring them to your house."

As she handed the plate to Ma Jie, she spotted two figures approaching out of the corner of her eye.

"Ling Ling, what delicious thing are you eating?"

As they spoke, Xie Aihe and her mother had already come close.

"Why aren’t you saying anything?" Xie's mother spoke with a sarcastic tone, "People might think you’re too cheap to share a bite."

Xie's mother, named Jiang Liping, was quite attractive. Though she was no longer young, she still had a certain charm about her. Because of this, she often looked down on people, especially Yuan Lingling.

She thought Yuan Lingling was small-minded and tacky, but her own actions proved she was the kind of person she despised the most.

Yuan Lingling slightly turned to shield Ma Jie behind her. How could she let them have the food she had worked so hard to make?

She didn't want to give it to them.

"I am stingy. I've never heard of anyone who has to share their food with others just because they made it."

As soon as she said this, both mother and daughter's expressions changed.

They both knew Yuan Lingling was someone who cared about face. In the past, because of Xie Guanglian, she had never been rude to them, even if she didn't go out of her way to please them.

Jiang Liping snorted. She was right; this woman was no good. Could it be that she had her eyes on Ma Jie now?

"That's true. After all, Ling Ling, you're already married. Whether you're generous or stingy, it doesn't matter anymore."

"I'm not worried about marriage. But has Xie Aihe's marriage been settled yet?" Everyone in the neighborhood knew that Xie Aihe was the most miserly. How dare she insinuate that others were stingy?

In both her past and present life, Yuan Lingling never liked to provoke trouble, but if it came to her doorstep, she wouldn't back down.

"You!" Xie Aihe was furious. How could she not detect the mockery in Yuan Lingling's tone?

She no longer cared about her appearance, ready to lunge at Yuan Lingling and rip her mouth off. If it weren’t for Yuan Lingling, she would be the one living in this courtyard now, and everything belonging to the Shen family would be hers.

This is all Yuan Lingling’s doing!

However, as soon as she rolled up her sleeves, Ma Jie stepped in front of her. "Sister Aihe, let’s talk this out calmly."

"Back off! I’ll scream for help if you don’t move."

Ma Jie didn’t budge, smiling, "Sister Aihe, don’t be angry. Come and try the sweet potato cakes Sister-in-law made. They smell amazing."

Yuan Lingling was stunned. Is this guy clueless? At least check whose favor you’re currying.

"Smelling good doesn’t mean tasting good. Let me try." Jiang Liping couldn’t wait, not giving Xie Aihe a chance to act.

Seeing this, Xie Aihe hurriedly stuffed one into her mouth, as if worried Ma Jie might take it back.

Immediately, the only sound was the two of them devouring the cakes.

They moved so quickly that Yuan Lingling didn’t even have time to stop them.

Seeing this, Ma Jie also took a piece to taste, and his face lit up. "So delicious, Sister-in-law, you’re amazing!"

After saying that, he swallowed it whole, paying no heed to the hopeful stares of the Xie mother and daughter, and ran off with the plate.

"Sister-in-law, wait for me! Brother Shen asked me to help fetch water and sweep the snow!"

His frantic energy made Yuan Lingling unable to blame him.

It’s a shame the mother and daughter got the upper hand.

"Yuan Lingling." Xie Aihe glared at her fiercely. "Because of you, my second brother can’t even walk anymore, and you’re not going to see him, still eating and drinking here. How can you be so heartless?"

"Can’t even walk anymore?" Yuan Lingling was shocked, a shiver running down her legs.

She just wanted to shift the blame, but she didn’t expect Shen Caisheng to be so ruthless. Could he have broken someone’s leg?