Qi Zhenzhen raised an eyebrow, "Are you feeling a bit sensitive? What's got you thinking about learning to cook? Who was it that swore so vehemently before?"
Song Mingyue's face fell, "That was then, this is now. It's a long story."
"Let me guess, it has something to do with your cousin?" Qi Zhenzhen asked with a teasing smile, "Are you preparing to cook for him?"
Song Mingyue sighed, "I don't know what my cousin's intentions are, but during the New Year, my aunt visited. My mother had me cook a dish. Although it was a bit disappointing, it was quite good for me. My aunt didn't say anything at the time, but yesterday, she sent a message. She was very tactful, but the underlying meaning was that my cooking skills are poor. What's worse, my mother was originally going along with me, but after receiving my aunt's letter..."
Song Mingyue held out her hand for Qi Zhenzhen to see, "Look, my hand is blistered where I grip the knife, and it burns like fire. Zhenzhen, you're so good with a knife, teach me, won't you?"
"This isn't something you can learn in a few days. Didn't you ask your mother to tell your aunt that they could bring their cook? That way, it wouldn't matter if you could cook or not," Qi Zhenzhen said, giving her a look. "That would be much more reliable than you honing your cooking skills."
Song Mingyue sighed, "Why didn't I say that? My aunt said that, but I can't do nothing. Besides, my aunt said the Ge family is a farming family, and it's not good to have such a grand display, lest they be laughed at. Also, using a cook costs money, and it would be quite an expense."
As she spoke, Qi Zhenzhen had finished slicing the fish. She drained some egg white into the fish slices and began to marinate them, saying, "The money for the cook doesn't have to come from the Ge family. You can use your dowry. What is she worried about?"
"My aunt said that the dowry can't be used so casually. Although the Ge family won't use the dowry for daily expenses, your cousin is studying, and he'll need more and more money..." Song Mingyue said listlessly.
"So, they're already thinking about your dowry before you've even entered the door?" Qi Zhenzhen interrupted directly, "Does your mother have any opinion on this?"
"What opinion could my mother have? Your cousin is a good student, and she's overjoyed. I know she's still holding a grudge. My paternal aunt brags about my elder cousin's academic achievements all the time. I don't have a brother, so my mother has always focused her attention on your cousin."
Is it that she doesn't have a son who studies well, so she's found a son-in-law who does?
Qi Zhenzhen felt that Madam Yu had gone too far. Her primary consideration wasn't Mingyue's happiness, but Qi Zhenzhen couldn't say anything about it, so she could only offer a few more suggestions to Song Mingyue.
"Mingyue, there are some things I need to tell you," Qi Zhenzhen said with a serious expression. "I'm not saying your aunt and cousin are bad, but you need to know that your uncle passed away many years ago. It can be said that your aunt raised your cousin through hardship. It's not easy for a woman to live with a child, and your aunt must have suffered a lot. But even so, she let your cousin study, which shows how much she values him."
Qi Zhenzhen paused, then added, "Being a niece is different from being a wife. In your family, your grandmother is a good person, but your mother still has to be careful in her actions. Do you think you can be like your mother when you become a wife?"
Song Mingyue recalled her mother's life at home. She would wake up early to take care of the chickens and pigs, cook for the family, and although she didn't have to work in the fields, she also had to tend to the vegetable patch. In short, from waking up in the morning until after dinner, she still had to clean up the dishes. It could be said that she was busy like a spinning top all day.
Song Mingyue honestly shook her head, "I can't do it."
"I'm not just talking about the chores your mother does, but also how to get along with your mother-in-law. With your temperament, you're like a firecracker. If your aunt says something to you, can you tolerate it?" Qi Zhenzhen continued, "If you talk back to your aunt, do you think your cousin will stand on your side or his mother's side?"
"Even if he stands on your side because he likes you at the beginning, can you guarantee that he will always stand on your side? After all, it wasn't easy for your aunt to raise him through hardship. In Da Feng, filial piety is highly valued. In that case, not only will the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law relationship be bad, but the marital relationship will also be affected. Have you thought about these issues? After a woman gets married, she ultimately lives her husband's life. If your marital relationship deteriorates, and he and his mother are on one side, you yourself..."
Song Mingyue's face turned pale, and her eyes were filled with terror, "Is, is it that serious?"
"If you don't believe me, ask your mother when you get home. But don't say I told you this, or your mother will think I'm instigating trouble. Just say you heard some of the village wives and aunts gossiping, and then you thought about it yourself," Qi Zhenzhen instructed. "In any case, I think you should consider this matter carefully."
Song Mingyue nodded earnestly, "I've got it."
"Although your cousin is very good at studying, and the Ge family might be very glorious in the future, glory is for others to see. Whether one is happy or not is not determined by glory," Qi Zhenzhen said with a serious expression.
"Alas, after you say all this, I feel like getting married is so scary. Even if I don't marry my cousin, if I marry someone else, I might still face these problems, right?" Song Mingyue said dejectedly.
"Silly girl, it's different. First of all, if you marry into another family and are wronged, your family doesn't have to consider many things before supporting you and speaking up for you. But if you marry into your aunt's family, your family will find it difficult to speak up. It could turn a marriage into enmity. Secondly, your family will also have to consider whether your cousin will achieve something in his studies in the future. If he does, they can't offend anyone. In that case, if you are wronged, your parents will have to worry about it, which is really not worth it."
Song Mingyue scratched her head irritably. She wasn't stupid; she understood everything Zhenzhen said. But precisely because she understood, she was troubled. After hearing her aunt's message, she was already a little unhappy, but her mother didn't comfort her. Instead, she said she needed to start training her, which made her feel truly wronged.
"Alright, alright, everything I've said is just speculation, so don't take it too much to heart. What I mean is for you to communicate well with your mother. She will definitely think more comprehensively," Qi Zhenzhen said, setting aside the marinated fish slices. "I'll make spicy fish slices for you later. Cheer up."
Song Mingyue's attention was indeed drawn to the spicy fish slices, and her big eyes lit up, "That sounds delicious!"
She had been very upset just now, but as soon as food was mentioned, she immediately cast her worries aside. With such a simple nature, she was unlikely to cope with a widowed mother who had raised her son through hardship and doted on him. Hopefully, Madam Yu would ponder these words carefully.