After Lu Zhenping finished cooking, he carried all the dishes into the main room. Thanks to Shen ng’s training, he was getting pretty good at cooking. Although he couldn’t quite match up to her, his skills were still impressive among ordinary people, and he owed it to the training he received in the army.
Humming a tune, Shen ng made her way to the dining table. After taking a few bites, she turned to Lu Zhenping with a serious look.
"Lu Zhenping, don’t take it the wrong way, but during the New Year’s celebration, when we eat at, how can we not share so with your parents? Especially today when uncle, aunt, and my cousin are here. You’re grown up yet you’re clueless. All right, I won’t nag you anymore. Mingyang, go get a bowl for mom, I’ll dish out so food for your grandparents."
Lu Zhenping: "...."
Such sudden filial piety—I’m afraid your father-in-law and mother-in-law wouldn’t dare to eat it, my dear!!!
No matter what, if Shen ng said it, Mingyang would definitely listen. He imdiately ran to the kitchen, brought back a dium-sized bowl, and handed it over to Shen ng.
Shen ng didn’t hesitate. Today, Lu Zhenping cooked sour cabbage with vermicelli and spare ribs, stir-fried mushrooms with chili and cured at, and spinach with scrambled eggs; all delicious dishes. She filled the bottom of the bowl with vermicelli and sour cabbage, then topped it with two pieces of spare rib, added a few pieces of red chili and mushrooms, a good handful of cured at on the side, and so spinach and a bit of scrambled eggs on the other.
"Okay, you guys start without , don’t wait up, I’m off to deliver the food to the old house, cough cough, to show a bit of filial piety."
Shen ng flicked her hair and sashayed out.
n/Children: "...."
You don’t seem like you’re going to show filial piety, more like you’re going to stir up trouble!!!
When Shen ng arrived at the old house, she didn’t even knock; she just walked in with a smile, which made the relationship between the two families seem particularly close. When the people in the room, who were being called for dinner, saw her, the atmosphere fell silent for a mont.
"Oh my, uncle, aunt, cousin, and cousin-in-law are here. Look at , I didn’t even know, I didn’t cook much for lunch. We didn’t have much at so I cooked so cured at, Mom and Dad, your eldest daughter-in-law has co to bring you food."
Lu Changzhu: "..."
Liu Sanjin: "...."
What kind of over-the-top act is this, speaking like that!!!
"Elder sister-in-law is here, why did you bring so much at? Elder sister-in-law, you’re really filial. Among all of us daughters-in-law, you’re the one who always thinks of mom and dad. Look how thickly cut the at slices are. Mom and Dad, see how much your elder sister-in-law cares about you, the dishes are oozing with oil, for sure she’s picked the best to bring over to you."
Lu Lanhua had just received her job notice from the textile factory and didn’t need to cling to Shen ng anymore. Besides, how could she have the face to say those words? The dishes were clearly made by her eldest brother, and now here she was, trying to curry favor with their parents—shaless.
In front of outsiders, when Shen ng could say such words, Liu Sanjin and Lu Changzhu felt proud, especially Liu Sanjin. All the daughters-in-law were thinking of honoring her, which made her stand tall in front of her relatives.
"The eldest daughter-in-law is here, did Mingyang tell you? Hehehe, we just ca to see your mom, she’s always busy at work, haven’t seen her for a while, missed her a lot!"
Liu Debao, Liu Sanjin’s elder brother, with those words, not just Shen ng, almost everyone present apart from Liu Sanjin rolled their eyes in silence. Good grief, what a sweet talker—an old man wanting to co over and freeload, if not why every visit coincides with food distribution in sumr or winter? Couldn’t be more obvious what he was after.
Liu Sanjin was deeply moved, watching his brother and his nephew, he kept urging them to eat more, and even put the dish Shen ng had brought directly in front of his nephew.
"Da Zhuang, eat more, you’re so thin, it hurts my heart to see you like this."
"Thank you, auntie. Wow, the dish our cousin-in-law made is so delicious, and this at is just too fragrant." He picked up two slices of cured at, and his wife nudged him. He hastily raised his head and added a chopstick-full to Liu Sanjin’s bowl, "Auntie, you should eat too, it upsets to see you not enjoying your food."
"What a good child. If only my few brats were as considerate of , I’d wake up smiling even from a dream."
The people of the Lu Family were used to this by now. Every ti they visited, Liu Sanjin would compare her sons to Liu Dazhuang. After decades of this, they no longer paid much attention. They figured it was better to eat a few more pieces of at while chatting than to fuss over these comparisons.
As they served themselves, Shen ng stood by with a smile, not interrupting. Wu Xianglan glanced her way several tis, wanting to speak, but Liu Sanjin was talking too much and too loudly today, so she couldn’t get a word in.
Finally, Shen ng had satisfied her mother-in-law’s need for attention. Liu Sanjin looked at her and was very pleased with her behavior today.
"Elder daughter-in-law, you haven’t had dinner yet, do you want to eat sothing here?"
"No, Mom, you guys go ahead. I just ca to check on Uncle and Auntie. By the way, Dad and Mom, why did you give Mingyang’s kids so much New Year’s gift money? It made a bit embarrassed. It’s just the New Year, not a big deal, you spoil the kids too much. Sigh, I asked them how much their grandparents gave, and they ran off faster than rabbits. Uncle, Auntie and cousin didn’t give any, did they? They are just kids, there’s no need for New Year’s gift money. Yong Qiang, Yong Li, when Grandpa and Grandma offer you New Year’s gift money, you mustn’t just take it!"
Shen ng crouched next to Lu Lanhua as she spoke and turned to her, "Young sister-in-law, you didn’t give any, right? Miaomiao should also keep a tight hold on her purse, don’t let those boys swindle her."
Everyone: "...."
Despite saying not to give, her words clearly hinted at wanting New Year’s gift money for the children. How could soone be so calculating and shaless?
Only Wu Xianglan rolled her eyes wide in disbelief. Her elder sister-in-law’s children had already received New Year’s gift money, but her own Yong Qiang and Yong Li hadn’t yet. Now, her sister-in-law had the nerve to make such a claim, wasn’t it just to fight for fairness for the three of them?
For a mont, Wu Xianglan wished she could hug Shen ng and kiss her, to sincerely thank this good sister-in-law.
Lu Lanhua was seething with anger. That woman was so greedy. Just as she was about to shake off Shen ng’s arm from her shoulder, she heard her lean in and whisper, "Lanhua, I just rembered, if your big brother could find a job for you, he could also take it away, you know what I an?"
Lu Lanhua shuddered at her words, stiffly smiled and pulled out two yuan from her pocket to give to Shen ng.
"Really, I forgot to give the children New Year’s gift money when visiting my brother and sister-in-law. Sister-in-law, please accept these two yuan, buy so sweets for the kids."
"Oh my, how can I accept this? Lanhua, you really care for your nephews, but you’ve got to be fair like pouring water evenly. Look at Yong Qiang and Yong Li, their eyes are practically drilling holes."
Lu Lanhua gritted her teeth and handed one yuan to Wu Xianglan, who imdiately thanked her profusely.
Lu Lanhua angrily bit into a stead bun, cursing her own hand’s folly, why should she give 50 cents to a child, such a lot of money for those little brats, what do they need all that money for!
The folks from the Liu Family had faces turning red, feeling like the Lu Family had sent Shen ng over just to swindle them. They hadn’t even started eating, hadn’t started asking for money or food yet, and they were already expected to pay up. What kind of logic was that?
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