When Aunt Zhang heard what the onlookers said, she turned around and glared at them. They immediately fell silent.
"Is it Chu Xi who cooked lunch today?" Zhang Cuihua curiously looked at the dog bowl and then at Gu Zi, somewhat uncertain.
Chu Xi was the name of the lady who usually cooked for them, and in Zhang Cuihua's memory, her cooking was nothing more than putting ingredients into boiling water. She wondered when Chu Xi had learned how to stir-fry dishes.
"No, I cooked it," Gu Zi explained with a smile. "I just made a couple of simple dishes."
"Oh my, you are truly skilled and lovely," Zhang Cuihua praised. Then she asked, "Did Chu Xi not come to cook today?"
Gu Zi gently shook her head. "No."
Zhang Cuihua frowned and said with a look of disdain, "I knew she was lazy. She took the money from Su Shen and didn't come over to cook for the child. I figured she would be angry and wanted to make things difficult for you. She can't wait for you to leave the Su family, then she'll let her lazy-ass daughter marry Su Shen!"
Gu Zi didn't expect to hear this over a casual conversation. She finally understood why Aunt Chu tried her best to chase her away yesterday.
"Aunt Zhang, I will take good care of the three children. At the very least, I won't let them go hungry," Gu Zi reassured with a warm smile.
When Aunt Zhang heard that, she liked Gu Zi even more.
Although Gu Zi was a girl from the city, she knew how to cook and was especially diligent. Looking at the clean courtyard, it was obvious that Gu Zi had cleaned it up.
Aunt Zhang's gaze landed on Su Le who was in Gu Zi's arms.
Su Le was dirty and smelly a few days ago. Now, she was clean and sparkling, and she could even smell her fragrance.
This little wife of Su Shen was really capable.
"You're a good girl, and Auntie likes diligent and smart girls like you," Zhang Cuihua said with a beaming smile, and then she reminded Gu Zi, "Usually, Chu Xi delivers lunch to Mr. Su first and then comes to take care of Lele. It seems like today you'll have to deliver lunch to Mr. Su."
Gu Zi was slightly surprised. "Deliver lunch?"
"Yes, I suspected that Chu Xi wouldn't tell you about this. The Su Pig Farm is very busy, and it's all men working there. Nobody has time to cook, so the wives usually take turns delivering food. Chu Xi used to do it," Zhang Cuihua explained, her tone tinged with disdain. "She would only come to take care of Lele in the afternoon."
Zhang Cuihua shared this information because she wanted Gu Zi to be cautious and not be deceived by Chu Xi. She often heard Lele crying throughout the day. However, today, Lele had been surprisingly quiet, and Zhang Cuihua had found it strange.
"Thank you, Auntie. I'll go prepare lunch for Mr. Su now, and I might trouble you to look after Lele later," Gu Zi replied warmly.
"Sure, go ahead and take care of your work," Zhang Cuihua agreed readily.
Gu Zi thanked her and then brought Su Le into the kitchen. If she hadn't talked to Zhang Cuihua, she wouldn't have known she needed to deliver lunch to Su Shen.
It was clear now that Chu Xi hadn't mentioned this detail on purpose, likely intending to make things difficult for her. She probably wanted to aggravate the conflict between her and Su Shen and then take the opportunity to chase her away.
In the kitchen, Gu Zi prepared a meal consisting of stir-fried potatoes, reheated buns from the previous night, and tomato and egg soup. Once she had finished, she left the kitchen.
The little fatty, Shi Tou, who was playing next door, smelled the fragrance of meat and immediately looked up at the Su family's courtyard.
Zhang Cuihua was busy washing vegetables in the yard. She saw her grandson drooling as he eagerly stared at the Su family's courtyard. She wiped his mouth with a handkerchief and sighed, "Why are you so helpless?"
"Grandma, the buns smell so good," Shi Tou said, swallowing hard.
"Alright, we'll eat soon," Zhang Cuihua replied with a hint of helplessness. She loved her grandson dearly, but he was quite the glutton.
Just then, Gu Zi emerged from her room and saw Shi Tou looking at her with excitement.
"Fairy Sister!" Shi Tou shouted happily.
After Gu Zi greeted Shi Tou, she walked out of the courtyard. She turned a corner and arrived at Aunt Zhang's courtyard. "Auntie, could you please help look after Su Le for a while?"
"Of course, put her on the cool mat. I'll watch over her and make sure her little dress stays clean," Zhang Cuihua said, her eyes twinkling with kindness.
Shi Tou, eager to interact with his new playmate, quickly dropped the wooden stick he was holding, washed his hands, and sat on the mat. When Su Le approached, he greeted her with a smile. "Sister, I'll play with you!"