CHAPTER 62: CHAPTER 62: PRELUDE

Han Xue came over and took Gu Xiaoqing’s hand, saying, "Don’t keep yourself busy. We are here to help out, it’s not right for the hosts to be the ones working."

Li Xuemei smiled politely: "Sis-in-law, Dad, and the brothers, including Jianguo and Jianhui, have been working all day. I feel a bit guilty. You all sit, I’ll go cut some meat, and we can have a nice dinner tonight since it’s rare for our family to be together. Let’s enjoy it."

Liu Fen and Han Xue laughed, "Alright, you stop working, we’ll tidy up together, then no one has to feel guilty. Let’s make sure none of us feels bad."

Li Xuemei chuckled.

Her two sisters-in-law were genuinely kind. Most of the time, they turned a blind eye to how her two brothers supported her. If they made a fuss, life would have been unbearable.

So, she was really grateful to her sisters-in-law.

Over there, Gu Ruhai had unloaded the stuff from the cart. He took a sickle and said to Li Xuemei, "It’s still early. I’ll go help in the field. You all make something nice at home, so we can have a good gathering tonight."

With the house full of women, Gu Ruhai felt he was in the way.

So he found an excuse to quickly leave.

Li Xuemei, knowing Gu Ruhai’s honest nature, turned casually to Xiaoqing, saying, "Xiaoqing, what are we eating tonight? You’re the boss of the house, make something delicious to entertain your aunt, or I’ll not let you off."

Though the words seemed fierce, they were filled with affection.

Gu Xiaoqing promptly and brightly agreed, "Sure, leave it to me, Mom. Don’t worry, I’ll whip up my best dishes to ensure grandpa, uncles, aunts, and the brothers are all satisfied."

Han Xue laughed, tapping Gu Xiaoqing’s forehead with a finger, "You cheeky devil, teasing us aunts. Whatever Xiaoqing makes, it’s all tasty."

Liu Fen also had a smile on her face.

Gu Xiaoqing quickly ran to the side, loudly proclaiming, "Alright, I’ll make it less tasty on purpose then, since aunt says everything I make is delicious."

Han Xue pretended to chase after Gu Xiaoqing, but she had already run far away.

Brushing off the dirt, Han Xue told Li Xuemei, "Sis, your Xiaoqing is getting more clever each year. You and Ruhai are really lucky, and the days ahead are bound to get better. But not to lecture you, this time I heard brother-in-law toughened up, so you must make sure Gu Ruhai doesn’t revert to his old ways, or life would be hard again."

Liu Fen, sweeping the yard with a broom, advised, "Yes, before, with your matters, you and your husband couldn’t stand strong, so us sisters-in-law couldn’t say much. But now that you’ve thought it through, hold on tight and with such a capable young one leading, why worry about the future?

We aren’t hoping to take advantage of you, but we do wish for your days to improve, so the three kids can grow up well too. Otherwise, seeing them skinny and small like this, our hearts ache. They’re such good kids, having suffered so much."

Li Xuemei wiped a tear from the corner of her eye, choking, "Sis, don’t say that, I know you’re all looking out for me. You and Big Brother and Second Brother have endured so much because of me. If it wasn’t for me dragging you down, who knows, the family might already have found a wife for Jianguo. It’s thanks to you sisters-in-law over these years, or else my family would have starved."

Han Xue patted Li Xuemei’s shoulder, reassuring, "As long as you’ve figured things out, we’re happy. Don’t cry, this is something to celebrate, let’s all be joyful as a family."

Li Xuemei wiped away her tears and smiled, "Yes, Sis, I’m happy too."

The three women talked and laughed as they headed to the fields to pick vegetables for dinner.

Gu Xiaoqing was coming back with a bamboo tube. A few days ago, she had commissioned the village carpenter, Li Xuewen, to make it, after seeing a model by the river. It happened to be ready for pickup, Li Xuewen charged six yuan, curious about why Xiaoqing had ordered three sets.

Gu Xiaoqing didn’t reveal that this was actually a specialty from rural Shanxi. Although their area was also northern rural, it wasn’t the same, and they really didn’t have this here.

So, it’s kind of like having the copyright.

Hence, Gu Xiaoqing was determined not to disclose it.

This bamboo-made frame can hold the machine for pressing river fishing beds.

It’s also made of bamboo, just with an added manual contraption.

This can save a lot of effort.

Gu Xiaoqing plans to make several kinds of sauces while the aunts are there, prepare a meal tonight for everyone to try, and see if the flavors suit them. If they do, she can teach the aunts step by step tomorrow.

This wheat noodle dish isn’t unusual. It’s the sauce flavor that’s key, with so many variations. The famous "Da Lu Mian" noodles are renowned for their sauce, and many love it for its authentic sauce taste.

She might not have many skills, but in her past life, she dealt most with food.

Almost worked in all kinds of small and large restaurants, and because of her hardworking nature, she was favored by the owners who even taught her their crafts.

This was perhaps her only gain from the past life.

In the aspect of food, Gu Xiaoqing actually had absolute confidence. Her recipes are practically secret formulas.

She could almost compile a comprehensive guide to local delicacies.

This was indeed a blessing in disguise.

Isn’t this like having a golden finger?

They returned.

Li Xuemei, Han Xue, and Liu Fen came back with a basket of vegetables.

Seeing her two aunts, Gu Xiaoqing said, "Aunts, we’re having wheat noodles tonight, and you’ll be my assistants. This is a secret recipe. Try it and see what you think of the craftsmanship."

Liu Fen and Han Xue immediately understood that this noodle dish was likely something Gu Xiaoqing came up with for them to learn and make a business out of.

The two of them became instantly intrigued.

The name alone was something new to them.

Exciting indeed.

Li Xuemei wanted to join in but was quickly shooed away by Han Xue.

The kitchen was small, barely enough room for the four of them.

Gu Xiaoying quickly took Gu Xiaojie to the courtyard to shell peanuts, snickering as they heard their mother get chased away.

Li Xuemei found it amusing. These two had chased away the hostess, wasn’t this taking over the nest?