My 1995 Small Farm.

Chapter 187: Pretending to be disheveled
The meal was ready—white rice—and the dishes were cooked by Wang Susu and Chen Ling together.

The local custom is that on the second day after the homecoming banquet, the daughter should cook a meal for her parents, just like she did when she was a girl before she got married, to show her filial piety.

However, Wang Susu was pregnant and it was inconvenient for her to be busy at the stove amidst the smoke and fire, so Chen Ling had to be the main cook while she assisted.

In addition to a few home-style dishes, Chen Ling also specially made dry pot maocai. In later generations, maocai was not considered a very good dish, but in this day and age, it can be called a powerful weapon. The aroma is even more tempting than instant noodles.

Chen Ling brought a full range of seasonings, and after the dish was cooked, half the village was filled with a rich, spicy aroma that wafted into homes on the wind, making people's mouths water uncontrollably.

Some people even came out of their homes, sniffing and looking around, cursing inwardly, trying to see which house the sound came from.

At this moment, Wang Qingzhong and Guo Xinping returned home, changed into clean clothes, and came out. As they walked this way, they also smelled the strong and enticing aroma. They took a couple of deep breaths, looked at each other, and wondered what kind of dish they were cooking at home that smelled so good.

He quickened his pace and hurried home.

The two had already traveled a long way through the mountains, and were exhausted and hungry. Their stomachs were growling, so they couldn't wait any longer.

"Zhong, why are you walking so fast? Are you rushing home to eat meat?"

"Your sister married someone so close to the county town, her life must be so good, right? She's been cooking meat every day since she came back. It smells so good, it's making my mouth water..."

When are you going to have your brother-in-law treat me to some meat?

A young man of the same generation came out holding a bowl and joked with Wang Qingzhong and his wife.

"You? Eating meat?"

Wang Qingzhong glanced at him sideways and said, "Sure, I still have two lumps of dead flesh on my heels. If you want to eat them, I'll scrape them off and put them in your bowl. Do you want some?"

"You, you, you Ah Zhong..."

The young man was furious, which caused a burst of laughter.

Wang Qingzhong had already hurriedly pulled his wife away.

back home.

They chatted and laughed as they sat down to eat.

The dishes Chen Ling cooked today were all exceptionally delicious.

But unsurprisingly, the most popular dish was the dry pot maocai.

Most of the contents of the wok were poured into a porcelain basin, glistening with oil and steaming hot. It contained quail eggs, meatballs, tofu, vermicelli, potatoes, lotus root slices, and leftover duck intestines, duck blood, pork belly, and ham from yesterday...

The entire porcelain basin was full; the quantity was quite generous.

They picked up a piece with their chopsticks, and the spicy and refreshing taste filled their mouths with fragrance. This kind of deliciousness, which they had never experienced before, immediately won them over.

Whether adults or little kids, everyone was reaching their chopsticks into the porcelain bowl of hot pot. Several pairs of chopsticks were constantly going back and forth, almost fighting each other.

They didn't even have time to talk, they were all focused on eating, and Wang Qingzhong kept saying how delicious it was.

Even the old cat in the house was lying by the table early in the morning, tilting its head back and waiting for someone to feed it.

Even after the pot of maocai (a type of Sichuan hot pot) was emptied, the group was still a little reluctant to leave.

Chen Ling and Wang Susu barely touched their food, focusing on eating light vegetarian dishes while also taking care of Wang Zhenzhen and her two nephews. If they couldn't reach the food, they would put a few pieces into their bowls.

Not only Gao Xiulan and her husband, but also Wang Qingzhong and his wife, were increasingly satisfied with the two of them.

"Mom, your daughter and son-in-law cooked for you today, are you happy?"

Guo Xinping leaned close to her mother-in-law and whispered.

"Of course, I'm overjoyed."

The old lady glanced at her second daughter-in-law, then asked Wang Qingzhong and Chen Ling with a smile, "Why don't you two have a few drinks with your father? There's still quite a bit of food left."

"No, I drank a bit too much last night, I can't drink anymore today..."

Wang Cunye waved his hand and said to Chen Ling, "You drink with your second brother, I'll go get you some wine."

"I'll do it, I'll do it..."

Chen Ling hurriedly got up and followed.

They carried half a jar of wine, poured it into wine cups, and prepared to drink.

Wang Qingzhong raised his glass and said, "Lingzi, your second brother isn't very good at talking. I heard my eldest brother talk about it when he came back before, and I was even planning to have you come with me to sell grain."

"I'm so happy to see you all doing so well. You and Susu should live a good life together from now on. If you need any help, your brother and I will be there whenever you call."

After saying that, he tilted his head back, raised his glass, and gulped down the two-ounce glass of baijiu.

Without saying a word, Chen Ling also drank the cup in one gulp.

"Haha, well done."

Wang Qingzhong smiled and praised, "My brother doesn't like to drink. I've never had a proper drink at home. Let's have a good drink together today."

"Alright, second brother, when you're less busy, bring your wife and Dongdong to visit us for a few days. I'll drink with you every day..."

"OK."

The family chatted as they went about their business, with Chen Ling and his companion occasionally clinking glasses and downing drinks.

Most of the dishes on the table, except for the maocai (a type of Sichuan hot pot), were still untouched.

Braised pig's head meat, stir-fried pork liver with green peppers, Sichuan-style shredded chicken with Sichuan peppercorns, stir-fried duck blood, sweet and sour fish...

Wang Qingzhong had a great time eating and drinking this time.

He kept telling Wang Cunye that he had never fought such a profitable battle before, and that today's success was all thanks to Chen Ling.

As he spoke, he loosened his belt.

He does manual labor year-round and has a large appetite.

Needless to say, Chen Ling's appetite was enormous.

The two of them devoured most of the food while drinking and chatting, saving them from having to eat leftovers that night.

After the meal, Guo Xinping went to the kitchen and busied herself boiling water and making tea for everyone.

Then the whole family, the women with the baby, sat around the bed, looking at the new photos Wang Susu had brought, as well as the old photos that had been sent back before.

Wang Susu stood beside them, pointing to the people and scenery in the photos, and enthusiastically telling them about the interesting things that happened when the photos were taken. Gao Xiulan and Guo Xinping were captivated by what she was saying and often burst into laughter, asking questions incessantly. It was truly a joyful occasion.

Chen Ling, his father-in-law, and his brother-in-law sat in the main room drinking tea. The three of them chatted about all sorts of things, from grains, herbs, hunting, and all sorts of strange mountain secrets, to the War of Resistance against Japan, great men, and various national affairs.

They were chatting animatedly when Guo Xinping came out to refill their teacups and brought out brown sugar from the kitchen, adding extra sugar to Chen Ling's and Wang Qingzhong's teacups.

"You two brothers drank quite a bit at noon, have some brown sugar tea, it'll soothe your stomach and warm you up..."

"Otherwise, once winter arrives, it gets cold quickly on the mountain after noon, and you'll feel unwell at night if you catch a chill."

"Thank you, sister-in-law."

"Oh, we're family, no need to thank me."

Guo Xinping turned around with a smile and called out, "Zhenzhen, bring them out for a drink of water. The food at noon was too salty, and they'll get a sore throat if they don't drink water..."

"I added saccharin to it, it's not hot now, come and drink it."

"Second sister-in-law, why didn't you ask me what I wanted to drink when you poured the water..."

"When I came back, I brought orange powder, malted milk powder, and soy milk powder, all of which taste much better than water made with saccharin."

Wang Zhenzhen came out with her two nephews and said unhappily.

"Alright, alright, our Zhenzhen is all high-class now. If she doesn't want saccharin, she doesn't want saccharin. Your sister-in-law will pour her some more..."

"Tell me, which one do you want to drink?"

Guo Xinping smiled.

She had watched her sister-in-law grow up. Although they were sisters-in-law, she sometimes took better care of her than she would her own son. Of course, she was also very close to her sister-in-law.

So this little girl didn't dare to whine or make demands to her parents, older brother, or sister-in-law.

But when it comes to that couple, I always like to throw a little tantrum.

"Um……"

Wang Zhenzhen thought for a moment, not knowing what to drink, so she turned to her two nephews and asked, "What do you two want to drink?"

"I drink orange powder."

"I drink that milk powder..."

Two little children held up their hands, each wanting one thing.

Seeing this, Wang Zhenzhen said, "Then I'll drink malted milk powder. That way we'll be different and can switch between the two."

Guo Xinping was both amused and exasperated, and was about to go and prepare the food for them.

Wang Cunye stood up to stop her, his face stern as he said to his youngest daughter, "You'll be behaving like this as soon as you get back. I think you want a beating..."

“Xinping, if you ignore them and indulge their every whim, they’ll become more and more spoiled.”

"What's the big deal, Dad? It's just a cup of sugar water."

Guo Xinping smiled and said, "Zhenzhen has been gone for three months and has only been back for two days. Don't scold her all the time." Then she looked at her sister-in-law, who was already pouting, and said, "Our Zhenzhen is the most sensible. She can even write essays now. Isn't that wonderful?"

Then he went to pour drinks for the three little ones.

Seeing this, Wang Cunye sighed helplessly and said to Chen Ling with a headache, "See? We spoil her. We won't be able to manage her when she grows up."

Chen Ling offered a few words of comfort, then called Wang Zhenzhen and her two little nephews over, quickly making the three children happy.

After spending the last two days together, he had come to understand the true nature of his father-in-law's family.

Whether it's the two elderly people or their son and daughter-in-law, they are all very upright and traditional people.

My brother-in-law and his wife are gentle and upright, highly educated, and kind-hearted.

My brother-in-law and his wife are easygoing, forthright, and have the typical characteristics of a typical farming couple.

Chen Ling felt warm and welcome from both families.

At the same time, I feel very lucky to have such a good family, which saves me a lot of trouble.

As the saying goes, to know a daughter seven or eight parts well, look at her mother's heels first.

This saying means that when a man is looking for a wife, before he knows the girl well, he should first check if the girl's heels are clean.

If they are not clean, it means that the person has not washed their feet for a long time, indicating that the family is slovenly.

A slovenly mother will inevitably have a slovenly daughter.

Being slovenly isn't just about being unclean; it also includes being careless in managing a household, lacking patience in caring for children, and several other aspects.

The reverse is also true.

The family that raised Wang Susu must be quite remarkable.

At this moment, Wang Zhenzhen became lively again, taking turns drinking beverages with her two little nephews, squatting on the ground playing with wooden tops. With a twist of her little hand, the wooden tops started to spin. The three little guys counted, and whoever spun the top the shortest time lost. The loser drank water, and the winner drank a beverage.

They had a lot of fun.

"Zhenzhen is very smart. She could write letters before she was in third grade, and in the last six months she has even learned to write compositions. When Susu and I picked her up, the teacher praised her several times."

Chen Ling said to his father-in-law, "Dad, Zhenzhen is indeed a girl with potential. Study hard, and she will definitely be able to get into university in the future..."

"Hmph, she thinks she can even take the college entrance exam? She's like a little monkey, do you think she can do it?"

Wang Cunye, with a puff of smoke from his pipe, then picked up his teacup, took a sip, and asked Chen Ling, "Did the teacher really praise her?"

"Really, Susu was just telling my sister-in-law about it, it happened several times."

Chen Ling nodded.

Wang Qingzhong laughed from the side, "Dad, have you forgotten? With my brother and sister-in-law teaching her, Zhenzhen could read the newspaper in second grade."

"They're not the same. Writing an article and reading a newspaper are two completely different things..."

Wang Cunye glanced at his youngest daughter and saw her eavesdropping furtively with her ears perked up, so he immediately changed the subject.

"She's being taught by your older brother and sister-in-law, so who knows what she'll be like in the future? Let's wait and see when she goes to middle school."

The words say so.

Actually, he was proud.

My youngest daughter has been very sensible since she was little.

Although her whole family doted on her and spoiled her, they didn't spoil her badly.

Not only is she sensible, but she is also smart and resourceful.

By second grade, students can read newspapers and write letters.

When she was in school in town, she secretly wrote letters and sent money to Wang Susu, and even had the teacher mail them for her. This is something that would be hard for other girls her age to do. Most girls her age are still only interested in playing.

It was only after Wang Susu sent a letter that the whole family learned what had happened.

This little one is so tiny, yet he dares to write a letter.

"That's true, but I think that Zhenzhen is so smart, she definitely won't fall behind in her studies."

Chen Ling said with a smile.

Although his father-in-law didn't say anything, Chen Ling could tell from the upturned corners of his mouth that the old man was secretly pleased.

It's just that it wasn't said outright.

The second brother-in-law, Wang Qingzhong, was a little drowsy and started to doze off. He quickly opened his hazy, drunken eyes and echoed, "Yes, yes, yes."

"Sister-in-law, we've finished our drink again. Could you please refill it for us?"

After playing with the spinning top until they were tired, Wang Zhenzhen also filled the bellies of her two little nephews so much that they kept running out to pee.

"Finished again? What would you like to drink this time?"

Guo Xinping asked with a smile.

"Just plain water, my brother-in-law said that drinking too much sweet water will cause worms in your teeth, which will hurt a lot."

Wang Zhenzhen thought for a moment, then said that she had had enough drinks and had satisfied her craving.

"Oh, so you actually listen to your brother-in-law."

Guo Xinping glanced at Chen Ling, then went to pour water for the three little ones.

Wang Zhenzhen also looked at Chen Ling with a grin. As soon as she saw him, she widened her bright eyes as if she had discovered a new continent and exclaimed, "Hey, brother-in-law, why aren't you using the new cup? Why are you using Dad's cup instead?"

"Didn't you complain that Dad's cup wasn't clean?"

Because Wang Susu was returning to her parents' home, the elderly couple prepared all new things for them, including small items such as bowls, chopsticks, and tea sets.

However, Chen Ling wasn't using a new cup; instead, he was using an enamel mug from the main room, which was quite old and had been there for many years. Wang Zhenzhen found it very strange.

Her startled reaction took Chen Ling by surprise. He then said, both amused and annoyed, "You, really, all my good intentions for you earlier were for nothing."

"Dad is right, you deserve a good beating."

Upon hearing his son-in-law's words, Wang Cunye couldn't help but burst into laughter.

"Now you know how hated she is, right?"

Seeing Chen Ling's somewhat embarrassed expression, his father-in-law chuckled again, "I almost forgot about it. I remember when you and Su Su got engaged, your father said that you always had your own bowls and chopsticks, and you wouldn't even use the ones your parents had used, saying they tasted weird after getting saliva on them..."

Wang Cunye didn't care about such a trivial matter; on the contrary, he found it amusing: "I heard that your grandma teased you later, saying, 'Look how strange my kid is. Does he expect to bring his own bowl and chopsticks to his mother-in-law's house after he gets married? Don't anger your mother-in-law, or she'll kick you into the pigsty.'"

I couldn't help but laugh again as I said this.

This is indeed a true story.

When they got engaged, Chen Ling didn't want to drink water from his father-in-law's teacup, which made Chen Jun feel awkward, so he explained the situation.

"Is it corrected now?"

"Hey, I've corrected it a long time ago. I've had this habit since I can remember..."

Chen Ling smiled.

At this moment, Wang Susu and the other two also came out.

Hearing them talking, I sat down next to them and listened.

“When I was a little over one or two years old, I would run around everywhere all day long. I would run to wherever there was excitement, whether it was building a house, digging a sweet potato well, or cutting down trees. If I was not allowed to go, I would cry and make a fuss. I couldn’t eat properly at mealtimes.”

“My grandma and my mom would follow me around with a bowl, trying to feed me. But I kept running around, and the food in the bowl would get cold quickly. Knowing that babies have weak stomachs and are easily sick from eating cold food, my grandma and mom would chew the food and hold it in their mouths so that it wouldn't get too cold and they wouldn't catch a cold.”

"When they caught up with me, they would grab my head and force-feed me. Even after I could remember things, they still did it. I couldn't stand it, so I gradually felt that things used by adults were not clean and refused to use them anymore."

This method was taught to his mother by his grandmother. Later, he also heard about it from Aunt Wang from Wang Lixian's family. It has to be said that Chen Ling's previous obsession with cleanliness was indeed greatly influenced by this.

After he finished speaking, the others realized what he meant and said, "No wonder."

Just thinking about feeding someone like that makes me feel awkward.

Wang Qingzhong also forced his drunken eyes open and slurred, "Is that so? No wonder..."

He's just getting drunk.

Gao Xiulan quickly said, "Xinping, help him to bed and get some rest. He drank quite a bit at noon."

"Oh...no need...I'm not drunk...that little bit of alcohol is nothing...it's like rinsing my mouth..."

Wang Qingzhong waved his hand and stood up unsteadily: "Lingzi, come on, I'll take you to catch snakes."

Before he could finish speaking, he slid down the chair and fell to the ground, mumbling scriptures.

His actions made Wang Zhenzhen and the two little children giggle non-stop.

Wang Susu couldn't help but smile. She hadn't seen her second brother like this in a long time; he only acted this way when he was happy and had drunk a lot.

Chen Ling was surprised to see this side of her brother-in-law, so she quickly helped him up and, together with Guo Xinping, helped him to bed.

After Wang Qingzhong lay down, Guo Xinping was still muttering, "Your second brother only knows how to show off, especially when he's drinking. That's a real bad habit."

(End of this chapter)