Xiaoxiao sat on the ox cart and noticed Cheap Husband forcing a smile, the corners of his mouth twitching unnaturally! This must be a serious affliction.
Could it be that Cheap Husband cannot smile? Does he twitch every time he tries? Just writing a love poem made him twitch uncontrollably, what if she did this, that, and then that again...
In the afternoon, when they got home and there was nothing much to do, Xiaoxiao suddenly remembered the sauerkraut she had pickled over a month ago. She immediately went to check on it, and sure enough, it was perfectly pickled. She decided to show off her cooking skills that evening, delighted at the thought of eating the sauerkraut. She wondered, does this count as self-sufficiency?
"Third sister-in-law, what on earth have you made? This smells quite potent!"
The second sister-in-law spoke while pinching her nose with one hand and waving the other in front of her face, showing clear disdain.
"Second sister-in-law, today I’m going to treat you to one of my specialties. Just you wait and see!"
Xiaoxiao elongated her words, her eyes twinkling with confidence.
As they looked at the sauerkraut Xiaoxiao scooped out from the tub, and the white foam floating on top, they felt a bit nauseous. It felt like the invention had gone bad. Could it even be edible? The sisters-in-law exchanged glances, incredulous.
"Big sister, second sister, let me handle dinner tonight. You’ve been exhausted from making spicy cabbage all day. Go rest; I can manage on my own."
As she spoke, Xiaoxiao ushered her sisters-in-law toward the door. The three sisters-in-law had been living together for a long time, so without any protest, they left as advised.
Xiaoxiao got busy in the kitchen. Suddenly, the door to the kitchen creaked open. Thinking her sisters-in-law had returned, she didn’t stop what she was doing and simply said,
"Didn’t I say I could handle it? Why are you back?"
When no one responded, Xiaoxiao turned around and, to her surprise, it was Cheap Husband!
Yang Ming had been in the house since the afternoon, wondering what Xiaoxiao had been so busy with all day. Seeing her not returning even as dinner time approached, he decided to check on her.
Entering the kitchen, he saw Xiaoxiao busy by herself, truly a woman capable of managing a household.
Yang Ming didn’t respond and directly went to help Xiaoxiao with the fire.
This temperament, can’t we just have a peaceful conversation?
"Then help me chop those ribs,"
Xiaoxiao thought, why not utilize free labor if it’s available?
Receiving Xiaoxiao’s order, Yang Ming began to chop noisily.
"Scald this with water!"
"Rinse this multiple times!"
The kitchen echoed with Xiaoxiao’s directives.
Yang Ming wasn’t upset, just did as he was told, thinking he shouldn’t let her get too tired, now that he was home to help.
Xiaoxiao, working on the sauerkraut and feeling blissful, occasionally burst into song.
Around our area, everyone is from the Northeast
Around our area, Korean Ginseng is a local product
Around our area, pork stewed with vermicelli
Around our area, everyone is a living Lei Feng
Listening to the strange lyrics coming from Xiaoxiao’s mouth and the peculiar tune, Yang Ming unexpectedly felt that this kind of life was not too bad.
Perhaps influenced by the atmosphere, Yang Ming’s mood also improved, completely letting go of the issue with his younger brother.
Xiaoxiao, immersed in singing, finished the dish, and as the song came to its climax, she suddenly shouted, "Cuihua, bring out the sauerkraut!"
Cuihua? Who’s she calling?