Chapter 326
Since she knew in advance that Jiang Yexun and his mother were visiting today, Mrs. Su left work early to prepare a special dinner. Regardless of how the conversation would go later, she at least wanted to thank them for taking such good care of her daughter, keeping her looking healthy and glowing. She’d prepared an impressive spread: white cut chicken, eight-treasure duck, sweet and sour ribs, braised pork, four-happiness baked gluten, grass head rings, smoked fish, pickled fresh meat, and crab meat lion’s head…
Nine dishes and a soup for six people—this was more extravagant than their New Year’s celebration. The neighbors, catching the aroma from next door, felt their stomachs rumbling with envy, but they understood. Both her daughter who had been sent to the countryside and son, a soldier, had returned; of course, a lavish meal was in order.
As they turned back to prepare their own dinners, they spotted a man entering their building with an older woman, carrying bundles of gifts. A man bringing his mother and carrying gifts—it had to be a marriage proposal! So, whose daughter was getting married?
Curiosity overtook the neighbors, who craned their necks for a better look. They watched as the pair entered a unit and quickly ran through the list of ten families in that block, guessing which household had a daughter of marriageable age. They came up with three, but none of them were Su’s family.
After all, when Su Xiaoxiao was about to be sent to the countryside, matchmakers had nearly worn a path to their door. However, the Su family had insisted on her going, refusing to let her stay and marry in the city. The neighbors had been baffled by this choice, assuming the Su family didn’t care as much about their daughter as they’d thought.
But what they hadn’t considered was the type of suitors who’d come around back then. Many had poor family situations and hoped to marry into Su’s family for support, demanding an apartment from Su’s parents, a thousand-yuan dowry, and, when restrictions lifted, a job for their son. Those with better circumstances were often arrogant, acting as though marrying their son was Su Xiaoxiao’s salvation, demanding a dowry of only 120 yuan while implying the Su family owed them a lifelong debt of gratitude.
As much as Su’s parents hated to see her endure hardship, they’d never consider marrying her off to someone who would treat her family’s pride and dignity so callously. And Su Xiaoxiao herself had a fierce temper. She’d rather exhaust herself in the countryside than marry anyone who disrespected her family. At the very least, she knew that her parents and brother would gain respect and honor from her contributions as an educated youth, something that might even help them in their careers.
Sitting on the sofa watching TV, Su Xiaoxiao leapt up at the sound of a knock on the door. Mrs. Su watched her dart toward the door like a gust of wind.
“Auntie, Yexun, you’re here! Please, come in!” Su Xiaoxiao’s dark eyes sparkled as she greeted them with a bright smile.
Jiang Yexun’s eyes lit up when he saw her.
“A girl at her own home always seems more radiant,” Aunt Guo joked as she and Jiang Yexun brought their things inside.
Mrs. Su greeted them warmly, “Hello, I’m Su Xiaoxiao’s mother. You must be Yexun’s mother. I’ve heard Xiaoxiao speak highly of you and your care for her while she was away. We’re very grateful.”
Aunt Guo quickly downplayed it, “Oh, not at all. Xiaoxiao worked hard, but we didn’t make her do anything too strenuous. She’s very diligent and did her share of work. We didn’t do anything extraordinary.”
“Yes, Xiaoxiao had a hard time. The village doctor said she was exhausted and needed to recover and nourish herself properly,” Jiang Yexun added, referring to Doctor Cui’s advice.
Compared to having his future mother-in-law upset with him for not taking good enough care of Xiaoxiao, Jiang Yexun was more concerned that the family would take special care of her during these few months she was back home, helping her to recover her health.
Mrs. Su immediately looked at Su Xiaoxiao with worry and slight disapproval. “You went through something so serious, and you didn’t even mention it to us when you came back?”
Su Xiaoxiao shot a quick glare at Jiang Yexun and gave her mother an awkward smile. Before she could explain, her mother lightly scolded, “You’re blaming Jiang? Health is no small matter. Not telling us—do you think we’d just ignore it?”
“No, it’s not that,” Su Xiaoxiao hurriedly explained. “When I first arrived in the countryside, I was doing regular labor shifts, so I did get a bit weak. But after the first month, I didn’t have to do much work. I’ve just been eating and relaxing at home, and I’ve even gained three kilos. And because of the anemia, Brother Yexun even got me some donkey-hide gelatin, and Auntie made me snacks with it and peanuts and sesame. I’ve been eating them every day, so I’m sure I’ve recovered by now!”
Donkey-hide gelatin was certainly an effective but pricey supplement. Thankfully, Jiang Yexun had the means to obtain it; even with money, it wasn’t something they could easily buy themselves. Still, Mrs. Su was not fully reassured about Xiaoxiao’s health.
“Let’s have dinner first, and tomorrow I’ll take Xiaoxiao to the hospital for a full check-up.”
Su Xiaoxiao’s eager smile froze. “Mom, isn’t that a bit much?”
“It’s not too much at all,” her mother shot back, giving her a sharp look. Then, turning to Jiang Yexun and Aunt Guo, she smiled politely. “Please, have a seat. I have two more dishes to finish. Once those are ready, Xiaoxiao’s father and brother should be back.”
“Auntie, let me help,” Jiang Yexun quickly offered, stepping forward with polite earnestness.
“Oh, no! This is your first visit to our home; you’re a guest!” Mrs. Su declined, waving him off.
But Jiang Yexun was not about to let this opportunity to make a good impression slip by. Aunt Guo joined in, saying, “Oh, Xiaoxiao’s mother, let him help out a bit. If there’s anything left, he can make a dish or two for you all to try. Or you could teach him one of your family recipes. You’ve raised Xiaoxiao for eighteen years—she’s surely most accustomed to the flavors of home. If he learns a couple of dishes, he can cook them for her in the future.”
“Jiang can cook?” Mrs. Su looked a bit surprised.
Xiaoxiao nodded eagerly from the side. “Yes, yes! He’s pretty good with basic home-cooked dishes, and he learns really fast.”
Her mother squinted slightly, eyeing her daughter. “So, you’ve been bossing Jiang around, making him cook for you over there?”