Since there wasn’t much stuff, there wasn’t much to tidy up after moving here. Before this, Zhang Yuzhi and Liu Chunyu had already cleaned the house once, so they saved a lot of effort, giving Beisitian time to prepare dinner. Pulling back the curtain of the west room, Beisitian heard the conversation between the two boys and chuckled, "You can come every day, bring your sister along too." Liu Chuncai cheered immediately upon hearing that. Mrs. Qin and Zhang Yuzhi came in from outside, watching the two boys run out wildly before laughing and reprimanding them lightly. They were there to help Beisitian. "Earlier, Sister Qin mentioned your excellent cooking skills, and I was skeptical, but now I believe it. Just looking at your knife skills, few can compare!" Zhang Yuzhi remarked, looking at the array of ingredients on the stove with a smile. Luo Er’s family is doing much better than before, as evidenced by the food on this table, which includes not just seasonal vegetables but also chicken, duck, fish, and meat. The main dishes are mantou and baozi, which Mrs. Qin had steamed earlier. "Mom, should we have cornmeal sweet potato porridge tonight or some winter melon meatball soup?" Beisitian asked with a smile. Zhang Yuzhi couldn’t help but feel amazed; with Beisitian being so capable and good to her family, who wouldn’t cherish her! "Winter melon meatball soup, Little Tian’er’s soup is simply fabulous!" Mrs. Qin loved this soup. They used to often have cornmeal sweet potato porridge at home, which was a rather common porridge, but Beisitian highly advocated it, drinking it several times a week, especially for breakfast, claiming it’s nutritious! Whole grains cleanse the intestines, sweet potatoes nourish the body, and Beisitian thought this combination was an excellent choice. "Aunt, is there anything else I can help with?" Zhang Yuzhi asked, looking at the abundance of ingredients, suddenly unsure where to start. "There’s nothing much to do here, but we’ll be eating in the yard later. Could you ask Uncle Liu to help hang the light bulb in the yard?" Beisitian said. This house was bigger than the last one, but space was still limited. If they set a big table outside, there’d be no room for chairs. With the Carpenter Liu Family coming over and both Luo Aiguo and his son coming too, they could only eat in the yard. Soon after, Carpenter Liu shuffled in wearing cloth shoes, carrying his tobacco pipe, followed by Liu Chunyu. Carpenter Liu wasn’t much of a talker and appeared lean but was quite strong. His dark face never showed much expression; those who knew him knew this was just his way, and he seldom laughed, except the time Beisitian rescued Zhang Yuzhi, which made him smile. "Little Tian’er!" Liu Chunyu ran inside first. Because they were helping move Luo Er’s family today, she was excused from digging for wild vegetables but still had to help with chores at home. Seeing that Beisitian had mostly prepared everything and was just waiting to cook made her feel a bit guilty. "I let you do all the work," Liu Chunyu said, rolling up her sleeves to help with the cooking. Beisitian laughed at this, "We’re hosting, so why the guilty look!" Liu Chunyu thought so too and laughed foolishly along. Beisitian cleaned the pig intestines and cut them into small pieces, readying them for the pot. Carpenter Liu unfurled the twisted electric wires, climbed on a stool, and hung the light bulb on the clothesline in the yard. After checking the light switch, he saw it worked fine, took one last glance at the stove brimming with food, and a smile flashed in his eyes; tonight would be a feast. Even with quick hands, it still took a while to prepare all the dishes, but thankfully, with Zhang Yuzhi and her daughter, along with Mrs. Qin helping, everything was on the table by six-ish. At six, it was not completely dark yet, but not as bright as during the day. Soon, Yu Fenglian, Liu Chunshu’s wife, came over with their two children. Although her relationship with Zhang Yuzhi was mediocre, she had helped a lot today, with house chores shared between herself and Liu Chunyu. "Fenglian’s here, find a spot to sit," Luo Anguo said with a smile from the doorway. "Uncle, your leg looks even better than last time I saw it," Yu Fenglian, known for her flattering style, complimented. Luo Anguo was pleased to hear that, promptly taking out some candy from his pocket and handing it to the two children, one just over one year old and the other just over two years old. Yu Fenglian let the children play in the yard upon arrival and joined in the preparations. Carpenter Liu also came in shortly after with two kids who couldn’t stop playing. Without a prompt, they’d probably still be running wild. The two boys immediately gravitated towards the table, their stomachs growling as their eyes lit up at the sight of the dishes. Luo Aiguo and Luo Xuqiang were the last to arrive. Luo Aiguo looked a bit disgruntled, indicating some disagreement before heading out, most likely involving Qin Hongmei. At home, Qin Hongmei was sulking: how could they set up a table and dine without telling her? "Mom, look, wouldn’t informing family come first when there’s a feast? What’s the deal with serving outsiders first?" she complained. ʀᴇᴀᴅ ʟᴀᴛᴇsᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀᴛ 𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙡•𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙚•𝙣𝙚𝙩 Old Mrs. Luo was initially annoyed, but upon hearing Qin Hongmei complain, she glared at her. "Luo Er is hosting people who helped; you’ve been idle all day and not helped at all, so why should you be invited?" Old Mrs. Luo snorted coldly. Qin Hongmei was left fuming but had no counter-argument. She used to easily manipulate Old Mrs. Luo, but now it seemed the latter had suddenly wised up. Old Mrs. Luo was now particularly cautious of Qin Hongmei’s schemes; she paid full attention whenever Qin Hongmei spoke. At the Liu Family’s backyard, the men sat at the table first; it was customary for women to sit last, or not at all if there were too many men, waiting to see if there were leftovers to eat or making something simple for themselves. Beisitian strongly disagreed with this; for all the dishes were prepared by women, why should they eat last! However, no one would make Beisitian wait; she was held in different regard, albeit inexplicable, probably due to her usual conduct. Beisitian invited Mrs. Qin and Zhang Yuzhi to the table, pulling seats for Liu Chunyu and Yu Fenglian as well. While the two older women were a bit embarrassed, they didn’t refuse. Liu Chunyu and Yu Fenglian felt more self-conscious. Even though the men wouldn’t say anything, outsiders might mock their lack of wifely virtue. "My home doesn’t adhere to such rigid rules. If you’re at my place, follow my household’s ways." Upon hearing Beisitian’s words, both women glanced at the men, who showed no objections, and sat down. "Little Tian’er’s cooking is truly remarkable!" Carpenter Liu praised with a slight inhale. Luo Aiguo had brought a bottle of Erguotou, pouring it for everyone, "Today, my brother moved into a new home. Thank you all for coming to help! As the elder brother, I thank you all!"
