After Lu Zhenping finished cooking, he carried all the dishes into the main room. Thanks to Shen Meng’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 Meng 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 meat, how can we not share some 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 some 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 Meng said it, Mingyang would definitely listen. He immediately ran to the kitchen, brought back a medium-sized bowl, and handed it over to Shen Meng.
Shen Meng didn’t hesitate. Today, Lu Zhenping cooked sour cabbage with vermicelli and spare ribs, stir-fried mushrooms with chili and cured meat, 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 meat on the side, and some spinach and a bit of scrambled eggs on the other.
"Okay, you guys start without me, 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 Meng flicked her hair and sashayed out.
Men/Children: "...."
You don’t seem like you’re going to show filial piety, more like you’re going to stir up trouble!!!
When Shen Meng 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 moment.
"Oh my, uncle, aunt, cousin, and cousin-in-law are here. Look at me, I didn’t even know, I didn’t cook much for lunch. We didn’t have much meat so I cooked some cured meat, Mom and Dad, your eldest daughter-in-law has come 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 meat? 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 meat 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 Meng 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—shameless.
In front of outsiders, when Shen Meng 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 came 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 Meng, almost everyone present apart from Liu Sanjin rolled their eyes in silence. Good grief, what a sweet talker—an old man wanting to come over and freeload, if not why every visit coincides with food distribution in summer 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 Meng 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 meat is just too fragrant." He picked up two slices of cured meat, 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 me to see you not enjoying your food."
"What a good child. If only my few brats were as considerate of me, I’d wake up smiling even from a dream."
The people of the Lu Family were used to this by now. Every time 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 meat while chatting than to fuss over these comparisons.
As they served themselves, Shen Meng stood by with a smile, not interrupting. Wu Xianglan glanced her way several times, wanting to speak, but Liu Sanjin was talking too much and too loudly today, so she couldn’t get a word in.
Finally, Shen Meng 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 something here?"
"No, Mom, you guys go ahead. I just came 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 me 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 Meng 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 someone be so calculating and shameless?
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 moment, Wu Xianglan wished she could hug Shen Meng 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 Meng’s arm from her shoulder, she heard her lean in and whisper, "Lanhua, I just remembered, if your big brother could find a job for you, he could also take it away, you know what I mean?"
Lu Lanhua shuddered at her words, stiffly smiled and pulled out two yuan from her pocket to give to Shen Meng.
"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 some 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 immediately thanked her profusely.
Lu Lanhua angrily bit into a steamed 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 Meng 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?