"Yun Lao San, I'm not done with you today!" Gao Fengjuan went to grab Yun Sanman's collar without any explanation.
"No, what do you want, you crazy woman?" Yun Sanman pushed her away. "You can't even look after one shop, and you expect me to do everything? Am I your family's slave?"
Yun Sanman held his basket, furious.
His good mood all morning was ruined by this wretched woman...
"Yun Lao San, if you have the guts, say that again?" Gao Fengjuan, unable to pull him, put her hands on her hips and started yelling, "Who gave birth to your son? Who warms your bed every day? Who..."
"Ah, just shut up!" Yun Sanman frowned. Before she could finish, he put the basket on Gao Fengjuan's head.
"Hahahaha!" Yun Si Man burst into laughter.
Third Sister-in-law looked like a plump big mushroom...
"Ahhh! Yun Lao San, I'll fight you to the death! I'll kill you!" Gao Fengjuan was almost driven mad. She picked up a clod of dirt and threw it at Yun Sanman.
Yun Sanman took off running. Anyway, the cabbage was harvested, and it was almost lunchtime. Let this crazy woman throw a tantrum if she wanted to...
When they got to the Yun family's house, Mother would surely make her behave if she glared at her.
So, Yun Sanman ran ahead, with Gao Fengjuan chasing him with dirt clods, not even caring about the cart.
"Dad, how do you think Third Brother has managed all these years?" Yun Si Man asked, crossing his arms.
How could he live with such a half-crazy, half-cunning woman...
Old Man Yun snorted, "You just watch. If one day Sanman gets pushed too far, he'll divorce Fengjuan. If she keeps yapping like this, wouldn't anyone go crazy?"
Just then, Xiao Xi Tian came running back from the cornfield with three little girls.
"Daddy, we caught grasshoppers, look!" Xiao Xi Tian handed over a large jar filled with locusts and grasshoppers.
Old Man Yun smiled and said, "Did my daughter catch grasshoppers to feed the chickens and ducks?"
"No, no, no!" Xiao Xi Tian shook her head. "Daddy, if you pinch off their bellies and fry them with oil, they taste so good..."
Old Man Yun was slightly stunned, "Fried grasshoppers?"
His little daughter always had such odd ideas.
Even in their most difficult times, they had never caught grasshoppers to eat.
He heard that their bellies were full of white, sticky worms. Could they eat that?
The brothers also looked at Xiao Xi Tian with curiosity, wondering if their sister was lacking in oil and fat, which was why she wanted to eat fried grasshoppers...
"Oh, they really are edible!" Xiao Xi Tian stamped her foot. "If you think they're dirty, then I'll eat them myself!"
So, Xiao Xi Tian took the three little girls home.
"Dad, you can't let Sister eat that stuff, it'll give her diarrhea!" Yun Da Man said seriously.
Yun Er Man also said worriedly, "Sister must be craving meat. Dad, I'll go to the county town right away, cut some pork belly and flank steak, and make dry-fried pork belly for Sister when I get back..."
Yun Si Man said, "That stuff won't satisfy a craving. In my opinion, it's better to buy two pig knuckles and stew them. The skin on those knuckles is so smooth, it's very satisfying!"
Old Man Yun had no objections and nodded, "Alright, Er Man, after you finish eating, go to the county town and buy two knuckles, and get some pork belly and flank steak..."
The whole family would suffer, but not Xiao Tian Bao.
She was the family's little lucky star.
Little did they know that Xiao Xi Tian wasn't craving meat at all. She had just eaten roasted lamb legs with the stinky boy a few days ago. If she wanted meat, what was missing in her spatial dimension? Wild boar, sika deer, donkeys, horses, cattle, sheep...
She just genuinely wanted to eat fried grasshoppers.
Prefect Qin and Magistrate Chen strolled through the neighboring village for the morning and returned by carriage for lunch.
With the two maids gone, cooking wasn't as fast as before.
Zhao Guihua couldn't manage alone, so Du Tie Shan put down her washboard and went to help in the kitchen...
"Sister-in-law, are these eggs in the bowl for frying with sauce, or for stir-frying?" Du Tie Shan asked.
Zhao Guihua was standing by the iron pot, stir-frying chives, "They're for stir-frying chives. Shan Shan, go help your sister-in-law clean those small miscellaneous fish. We'll fry them for fish sauce later!"
Cleaning miscellaneous fish was time-consuming and laborious. They were already small, and they had to be gutted and their insides squeezed out...
Du Tie Shan smiled and nodded, "Okay!"
She noticed that Sister-in-law Guihua's gaze and tone of speech were a bit off.
So, she had to perform well when it was time to perform.
"You must be Sister Shan Shan, right?" Gao Fengjuan walked in, holding a handful of berries and eating them as she asked, "When did you meet Er Man? You got together before Cui Rong Sister-in-law was divorced, didn't you?"
Du Tie Shan: "..."
The question was so awkward, she didn't know how to respond.
"Before, before we met by chance!" Du Tie Shan twitched her lips and mumbled.
Gao Fengjuan blinked, bit into a berry, and chuckled, "You see, people's destinies are so different. You only met once, and then you got together. Does Er Man treat you well? Have you guys... you know?"
"Fengjuan!" Zhao Guihua turned around with a red face, "If you have nothing to do, go peel the scallions. What's the point of asking so many questions?"
"Hoo, Sister-in-law!" Gao Fengjuan popped the last berry into her mouth and clapped her hands, "It's been a while since I've seen you, and your temper has grown..."
Zhao Guihua frowned, "Shan Shan just arrived at the Yun family and hasn't even had the wedding ceremony with Er Man yet. Where would there be any physical intimacy? Don't spread such talk around. If Shan Shan's reputation is damaged, can you take responsibility?"
Gao Fengjuan was stunned by the retort, then burst into laughter, "Haha, Sister-in-law, no wonder Cui Rong Sister-in-law called you a flatterer back then. It seems she was right..."
She took out another piece of candy from her pocket, peeled it, and put it in her mouth. "Sister-in-law, I can see it clearly. You see, Sister Shan Shan is both capable and obedient and sensible. Are you incredibly jealous?"
"You pretend to be gentle, virtuous, and demure on the outside, but in your heart, you can't wait to get rid of her, can you?"
Zhao Guihua's hand, which was stir-frying, paused. She directly threw the spatula onto the stove, untied her apron, and walked out...
She couldn't finish cooking this meal.
Gao Fengjuan crunched the candy, shook her head, and said, "Sister Shan Shan, see? I hit a sore spot. Hmph, come, I'll help you stir-fry!"
Du Tie Shan: "..."
How did she feel like this sister-in-law wasn't very bright?
"Is the meal ready?" Old Man Yun asked Gu Shi after washing his hands.
With so many people in the family, they hadn't heard the commotion in the kitchen earlier.
Gu Shi patted Xiao Xi Tian, who was holding the jar, "Daughter, go to the kitchen and hurry them up!"
Unexpectedly, as soon as Xiao Xi Tian ran out of the room, she bumped into Xiao Jin Heng, who was returning from the market...