Chapter 38: It Smells Good!
Editor: Atlas Studios
When Qiao Zhuang's eldest daughter-in-law heard that there was going to be a wedding, she rushed over in a hurry. When she heard Qiao Qiang's last words, she smiled coldly and said, "Uncle, do you intend to keep your word? Whether we can eat meat or not, we have to wait and hear it from your Qiao Mei's mouth. If we're asked to spit it out right after we eat it, it will be an ugly situation."
Based on her understanding of Qiao Mei, it was totally within her usual behavior.
When she said this, the atmosphere immediately turned cold. Everyone also felt that Qiao Mei was someone who could do such things.
Every year during the new year and festive periods, Qiao Mei would be very anxious about the meat at home. No one was allowed to touch her meat, not even Qiao Qiang.
Who were they to her?
If they were not allowed to eat it after it was cooked, wouldn't that be even more disappointing?
Qiao Mei walked out of the house and smiled at Big Auntie Qiao. "Big Auntie is right. As long as I don't say anything, no one can eat a piece of meat from my house!"
The atmosphere became even colder now. Qiao Qiang's smile froze. Was his granddaughter going to revert to her old self with the food aggression and laziness?
After saying that, Qiao Mei shifted her gaze away from the Qiao family auntie and looked at the people around her. She laughed loudly and said, "Today is my big day and now I will speak. No one can think about going home today. You can only leave after you have eaten your fill at my house!"
"Auntie Dong, I remember that you still have some cabbages at home. Give us two! I'll make some pork stewed with cabbage for everyone," Qiao Mei continued.
Auntie Dong was stunned for a moment when she heard but immediately smiled and said, "Okay, okay, I'll go home and get the cabbages now!"
She had a big family so she needed to store a lot of food. Until now, she still had half a basket of cabbages in the storeroom. It had lasted them until now, so it was not a big deal to take out a few cabbages to share.
Furthermore, Qiao Mei was offering half a pig's worth of pork for everyone to eat, so how could they feel sore about contributing two cabbages?
The Dong family aunt walked back to her house and soon returned with four or five cabbages which still had fresh and tender leaves on them.
On her end, Qiao Mei took the big knife and started to chop through the pork bones. Cleanly and nimbly, she quickly cut up the pork as if she was preparing to cook it all.
It was unlike her to be so generous.
Qiao Mei was really very happy!
Not only was she married, but she was also having children and the two children even had a responsible father.
Feelings could be nurtured slowly after marriage. She believed that with her hard work, her marriage could also get better.
Although she had never been married, she had seen and heard many things in her time. She was confident that she could create a loving family environment for her children.
If they really could not develop feelings for each other… she could just wait for society to evolve before finding a new father for the two children in her womb!
Qiao Qiang heaved a sigh of relief when he saw that his granddaughter was exceptionally forthright and did not revert to her old ways. Now the smile on his face became even brighter.
The courtyard was filled with cheers and laughter. It was livelier than it ever had been.
Only Qiao Zhuang's eldest daughter-in-law could not find the heart to laugh.
She watched as Qiao Mei put all the meat into the pot and started cooking. Her heart ached so much as she had intended to take some pork back with her.
Now that the weather was getting warmer, the pork could not be stored for too long. If Qiao Qiang's family could not finish it, it should not be a problem to give them some pork now, right?
Furthermore, she did not intend to take the pork for free. She would pay for it! Although her family did not have any money now, they would have some spare cash after the autumn harvest and she had intended to owe it until then.
Of course, with Qiao Qiang's health, if he could not wait until then, then it could not be blamed on them.
But now, Qiao Mei had thrown half a pig's worth of pork into the pot and cooked it all with the vegetables.
Her plan failed!
The meat was divided up and used in different dishes. Some were made into braised pork, some were steamed, and some were stewed with cabbage. In the blink of an eye, Qiao Mei had made seven to eight dishes and all the dishes looked, smelled, and tasted good!
The aroma of the dishes wafted up from the stove and it was extremely intoxicating!
It was not only the children playing in the courtyard who peered into the kitchen, but even the adults who were chatting in the courtyard could not help themselves as well. They had never smelled anything so fragrant.
It was simply too aromatic!
Chapter 39: The Actual Day
Editor: Atlas Studios
"Qiao Mei can cook?"
"Oh my goodness, it smells so good. Did she make everything herself?"
"She looks so diligent!"
The seven to eight dishes on the table were all made by Qiao Mei. The people around her were in a flurry as they handed her the ingredients and did not look as nimble as Qiao Mei.
Everyone stood outside the kitchen window and looked inside. They were all so shocked that their teeth almost fell out. Was this the legendary lazy and greedy Qiao Mei?
No one else in the kitchen was as efficient as her. There was no one in the entire village who could cook as well as her.
The Qiao Mei of today really shocked everyone. She had completely refreshed the villagers' impression of her.
When the dishes were ready, the fragrance filled everyone's nose. When all of them tasted the top-notch delicacies on the table, they could not help but give their thumbs up. There were even a few old ladies who regretted not getting Qiao Mei as their daughter-in-law.
In their opinion, when choosing a wife, looks were secondary. The most important thing was that the wife must be efficient in her work and the ability to cook would be an added bonus.
But now, it was no longer possible. Qiao Mei was already married.
…
At the end of the meal, everyone was stuffed to the fullest. Before leaving, they each had a bowl of food to take with them.
Auntie Dong's bowl was especially filled to the brim with pork until it was almost overflowing.
"There's no need for so much. You can keep it for yourself!" The Dong family aunt wanted to decline.
"It's fine, just take it! I can't eat meat anymore." Qiao Mei smiled and said, "If I eat more, my man won't like me anymore."
Hearing this, the smiles of the people around her froze. The way Qiao Mei said it, it was as if the handsome young man had already taken a fancy to her.
By now, everyone knew that Qiao Mei's husband was tall and handsome. They also knew that Qiao Mei and him had been betrothed since they were young, and Qiao Qiang and his grandfather had a life-and-death relationship.
Moreover, everyone knew that today was actually a makeup date. The day that the handsome young man came to the village was the actual day of the wedding. It was written clearly on the marriage certificate.
Unfortunately, he had an important mission that day, so he had to leave first and he left on the next day.
That was what Qiao Qiang and Qiao Mei had told the villagers by way of explanation.
Qiao Mei was particularly insistent on clearly stating the actual day of their wedding. If she did not make it clear that they had already wedded that day, it would be difficult later to explain the children in her womb.
For this, Qiao Mei even pretended to be shy and had secretly asked the older ladies about the matters of the bedroom.
For example, continued bleeding for a few days after they consummated their marriage, was that abnormal?
She had felt pain down there for a few days, was she sick?
These questions shocked the older ladies. They thought that since the man could even accept someone like Qiao Mei, he was really not picky…
After a moment of surprise, they were not stingy at all with their experiences.
A child like Qiao Mei, who did not have her mother by her side to take care of her, was really pitiful… she was even muddled about these basic things!
Everyone believed what the pair of grandfather and granddaughter said together. However, the last point about the handsome lad leaving because he had a mission, no one believed that.
It must be Qiao Mei's looks that sent him away in a hurry.
After all, according to what the villagers said, Xia Zhe had left very quickly. He was in such a hurry to leave that he did not seem like a newlywed…
However, he still completed the marriage registration with Qiao Mei, which proved that he was a responsible man. He even got someone to send so many things and betrothal gifts. What a good man!
All the unmarried ladies in the village were extremely jealous of Qiao Mei for marrying such a good man.
Especially Qiao Yu, who dug in and ate two bowls of rice.
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