??70: Chapter 70: Courting Favor _1
70: Chapter 70: Courting Favor _1
Li Qiao chatted with the girls for a bit before heading ho.
On the way, she ran into Dong Lai, who was leading a bucket.
“Qiaoqiao, what good timing to run into you.
Jinhua has gone to school, why haven’t you?”
“Is there sothing you need?” Li Qiao asked, slightly on guard.
Dong Lai said with a smile, “What’s the matter, can’t I visit your in-laws’ place without an excuse?
Wasn’t it just a while ago your dad was Digging River Ditch, and caught quite a few eels?
I specifically picked out five big ones for Jin.”
Li Qiao’s brows furrowed slightly—could you truly be this kind-hearted?
She glanced down subtly, and out of the corner of her eye, she indeed saw that the eels were quite large.
Unwarranted offers of help imply ulterior motives!
“No need, you should keep them for yourselves.”
Dong Lai said, “You child, are you still mad at ?
I was deceived by your sister, too.
That wretched girl, I don’t know what ca over her, she just has to make things difficult for you.
As the older sister, be generous and don’t lower yourself to her level.”
Li Qiao was silent.
Dong Lai looked around furtively and lowered her voice on purpose, “Eels are good for n, very nourishing.
You and Jin have been married for so ti now, and still haven’t had a child.
He needs to get more nourishnt so you can get pregnant sooner.
Old Mrs.
Qin isn’t getting any younger, the old lady must be eager for a great-grandson.
As the daughter-in-law, you should fulfill her wishes, shouldn’t you?”
Li Qiao felt puzzled at heart.
In the village when scolding, she had only heard of won being denounced as hens that can’t lay eggs.
Nourishnt was also for the woman’s sake.
Yet Dong Lai actually suggested Qin Jin should get nourishnt.
And if they counted precisely, they had been married only three months.
What’s the hurry?
Wasn’t she afraid that her pregnancy would prevent her from attending university?
“Take it, you child,” Dong Lai shoved the bucket at her, having planned to sit a while at the Qin family ho, but worried that Li Qiao would snub her, making her lose face in public.
“Qiaoqiao, I have other matters, so I won’t visit your ho right now.
I’m off.”
Li Qiao humd in acknowledgnt and carried the bucket ho.
Dong Lai took a few steps then looked back, seeing that Li Qiao really had left her behind; she stomped her foot in frustration, but thought better of it and held back.
That cursed girl Jinhua said Li Qiao’s grades had improved by leaps and bounds, directly climbing to the top of her year, making her university acceptance a sure thing.
This ti she even got five pounds of pork and a two-yuan prize.
In the past, Li Qiao surely would have shared half of the pork with them.
This ti she didn’t.
It must have been because she was livid from Jinhua’s earlier provocation.
Blaming her.
Lai vented her frustrations about the difficulties of being a stepmother to her brother and sister-in-law back at her parents’ ho.
Raising children for over a decade, all for naught.
When the ti cos for university acceptance, she might even take her father to the city.
Then what would beco of the three of them?
Her brother and sister-in-law at her parents’ ho told her about soone from the village who had previously been recomnded for university but never received the notice.
It turned out the notice was intercepted by his cousin, who impersonated him to attend the university.
When the incident ca to light, the cousin’s family coughed up two hundred yuan to settle the matter.
This in mind for Li Qiao—
If Li Qiao got pregnant, even if she did pass, she likely couldn’t attend.
After all, who goes to school pregnant?
How embarrassing?
By then, promising a benefit to let Jinhua take Li Qiao’s place under Li Qiao’s identity would be perfect, wouldn’t it?
In this way, she could not only nd her relationship with Li Qiao but also enable her useless daughter to attend university and possibly marry into a good family in the future.
She thought this sche was brilliant.
And so, she brought over so eels.
Once Qin Jin ate them, surely he’d be energetically up to the task.
With his youthful vigor, there was no worry that Li Qiao wouldn’t conceive.
…..
Li Qiao carried the eels ho.
It was then that Old Mrs.
Qin lifted the lid of the pot to put the noodles in, “Where did you get that bucket from?”
Li Qiao: “Mom sent so eels.”
“Where is she?”
“She said she had sothing to do and wouldn’t co sit for a while,” Li Qiao spoke the truth.
Old Mrs.
Qin called Qin Jin to clean up the fish and shrimp and take care of the eels.
Li Qiao finished his noodles and ca over to him, whispering, “I heard this is good for n when eaten, I’ll stew so for you tonight.”
Qin Jin replied without looking up, “I don’t want to drink it.”
It was the weekend today, and she wasn’t going to let him touch her again tomorrow when she went to school.
The last ti he drank eel soup, it made him restless and hot all over, unable to sleep at night, both tired and uncomfortable.
He didn’t want to go through that again.
Li Qiao asked in surprise, “Didn’t you really like it last ti?
Well, if you don’t want it, I’ll just turn it into canned food and take it to school.” It would save a few days’ worth of al money.
When Qin Jin heard the word “canned”, he suddenly looked up.
The girl’s pale cheeks were tinged with a soft peach blush, and her eyes sparkled.
Why was she so endearing?
He couldn’t help but swallow, “You know how to make canned food?”
“I saw the procedure in a book,” Li Qiao said as an excuse.
Qin Jin chuckled lightly, it was from a book again, who would believe that?
…..
After the aunts in the yard dispersed in the evening.
Li Qiao prepared the ingredients for stead fish, braised river shrimp, and eel canned food.
The neighbor Yu Feng, drawn by the aroma, ca by again.
“What are you cooking at your place?
The scent carries for miles.”
Old Mrs.
Qin said, “Qiaoqiao is making fish and shrimp.
Have you all eaten already?”
“Not yet, my daughter-in-law is cooking.
A daughter-in-law should be put to work doing household chores, looking after the whole family.
We went through the sa thing back in the day, and now that we have a daughter-in-law, we can enjoy so peace.
I told you before, let Qiaoqiao do it, you just wouldn’t listen.
Now look how much easier it is for you when she learns to cook.
And Jin, a man shouldn’t touch the kitchen; it’ll lead to no success.
Co over and chat with ; let your wife handle it,” Yu Feng said, taking on the air of soone with experience.
Qin Jin was blunt, “What could you and I possibly have to chat about?
Your son doesn’t touch the kitchen either, and I haven’t seen him achieve much.
He’s just like , digging ditches and farming the land.”
Yu Feng: “….”
Li Qiao stifled a laugh.
Old Mrs.
Qin continued, “Were you resentful when you had to serve others as a daughter-in-law back in your days?” Empathy was key; if soone constantly bossed her around all day to do this and that, that person would have been cursed dead in her heart long ago.
Yu Feng was confident, “My two daughters-in-law wouldn’t dare to hold any grudges.”
Old Mrs.
Qin thought that Yu Feng’s mother-in-law probably thought the sa way back then.
And with age, isn’t she now at your rcy?
In dealing with people and affairs,
It’s best not to be too harsh.
Anyway, she wouldn’t boss her granddaughter-in-law around.
The child was pretty, did well in school, was smart, and resourceful.
Which man wouldn’t take a second look at her as she walked by?
If she neglected her and the girl ended up going to university and leaving, what would she do then?
The main issue was still that useless boy; he’d been married so long and hadn’t managed to win the girl over completely.
What a waste!
The more she thought about it, the angrier she got, “You useless brat!
After dinner, you’d better comb those bamboo sticks for , one by one.”
“Comb bamboo at night?
Can’t it wait until tomorrow?
I want to cuddle with my wife and go to bed early.”
“Cuddle your head!” cursed Old Mrs.
Qin.
Qin Jin: “…..”
Yu Feng, unable to join the conversation, walked over to the pot.
The bubbling soup was glistening with pieces of scallion and strips of chili, and slled incredibly tempting.
“Is this fried eel strips?”
“Mhm!” Li Qiao picked up a strip of eel with her chopsticks and held it to Qin Jin’s lips, “Try it.
Is it cooked yet?”
Qin Jin bit it and confird, “It’s cooked, tasty.”
Yu Feng asked, “Let
try it too.
I’ve been digging river ditches lately, and we caught a lot of eels.
The soup had a strong fishy taste.
If it’s good, I’ll cook it this way too.”
Li Qiao picked up another pair of chopsticks and handed them to Yu Feng, “Help yourself.”
Yu Feng took a big bite, “Mmm, this is really good.”
She reached for the pot with her chopsticks once again.
Li Qiao blocked her with a spatula and dished out a bowl, “Auntie, thanks for the tip last ti that let
pick so many mushrooms.
Here’s a bowl for you to enjoy, and next ti make sure to get so for .”
Yu Feng’s mood brightened from clouds to sunshine as she replied, “Of course, I’ll keep so for you.” She didn’t care for that mossy, leafy stuff anyway.
Putting down her chopsticks, she said, “I’ll bring the bowl back to you later.” She walked off with her bowl.
Li Qiao ladled out the rest of the eel strips into a dish, and the overflow she packed into empty canning jars at ho to take to school.
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