Old Madam Yu heard her granddaughter had returned and loudly called out as she entered the house.
She hadn’t specifically come back because Yu Li was visiting her maternal home today. Rather, she had heard on the way that Yu Li returned carrying a basket. Knowing that the Fu family used to be merchants with a solid foundation, she figured the return gift must be substantial.
Inside the house, Yu Yin’s face was full of panic upon hearing Old Madam Yu’s voice. She was so terrified that she trembled.
Yu Li reached out to steady her and said, “Don’t be afraid.”
Yu Yin said nervously, “Big Sister, Grandma will definitely ask you for the return gift…”
“Mm, I know,” Yu Li said calmly, instructing her to stay in the house while she stepped out herself.
The moment she walked out, she saw Old Madam Yu standing in the courtyard.
Old Madam Yu was short and frail, a typical rural elderly woman. Her complexion was dark and thin, deeply wrinkled, with sparse, graying hair casually tied at the back of her head. She wore a coarse, gray-black linen garment, yet her spirit seemed vigorous.
Seeing Yu Li, she called out, “Li Niang, you’re back! I heard you brought something with you?”
Yu Li didn’t respond but instead glanced toward the kitchen. There, Yu Jin and Yu Zhu had come out, their faces unable to hide their fear and worry.
Although the smell of boiled eggs was indeed enticing, they were afraid Grandma would find out they had eaten eggs and would then scold and beat them—and it would be real beating, with a rattan stick.
Seeing Yu Li remaining silent, Old Madam Yu was somewhat displeased. “I’m talking to you. Are you deaf?”
Yu Li turned her head to look at her and called out, “Grandma.”
“Where are the things?” Old Madam Yu asked directly.
Without a word, Yu Li turned and went back into the house.
Seeing this, Old Madam Yu was quite satisfied. This granddaughter might be like a mute who wouldn’t make a sound even if hit with three sticks, but she was obedient, just as submissive as her mother.
Although Old Madam Yu had married her granddaughter into the Fu family to dispel ill fortune, she believed the girl couldn’t escape her control. After all, she was still her grandmother, and as long as she asked, the granddaughter couldn’t refuse.
Witnessing this, Yu Jin’s eyes showed a hint of helplessness, while Yu Zhu looked reluctant, knowing the remaining cured meat and fine grains in the basket would be handed over and wouldn’t reach the second branch of the family.
Soon, however, they felt relieved.
Thankfully, Big Sister had boiled all the eggs earlier, and the leftovers were hidden in the house. As long as Grandma hadn’t seen them, she wouldn’t know there had been eggs today.
Yu Li quickly came out carrying a basket.
Old Madam Yu immediately rushed over. Though she was skinny, she was incredibly agile, reaching out to lift the coarse cloth covering the basket. But Yu Li swiftly stepped back, nearly causing her to stumble.
“You wretched girl, what are you doing?” Old Madam Yu scolded.
Yu Li stared at her and said, “Grandma, you accepted twenty taels of bride price from the Fu family and sold me to them.”
Old Madam Yu snapped angrily, “What do you mean, sold? Don’t spout nonsense! You married into the Fu family!”
Yu Li replied, “That’s what everyone says.”
Old Madam Yu immediately felt a bit awkward. Usually, she was shameless and unafraid to say anything. She had done her share of disgraceful deeds.
Ever since the eldest branch’s two grandsons began studying under Scholar Chen in the county town, rumored to be exceptionally talented with a chance of passing the imperial exams and becoming officials, Old Madam Yu had been more mindful of her reputation. She feared implicating her scholarly grandsons through her actions.
Selling her granddaughter to marry a dying man for twenty taels of silver was indeed something unpleasant to talk about.
But hadn’t that Fu Wenxiao woken up?
“Who said that? Tell me, and I’ll tear their mouths apart!” Old Madam Yu yelled.
Yu Li didn’t say who it was, but she raised the basket in her hand and said, “This is the return gift my mother-in-law asked me to bring. I’ll give it to you later.”
Old Madam Yu was puzzled. Why couldn’t she have it now?
However, Yu Li had already turned and gone back to the west room, not giving her a chance to speak, leaving her frustrated.
But thinking about her granddaughter’s temperament, she assumed Yu Li wouldn’t dare deceive her. If she wanted her to wait, she’d wait; when Yu Li left, the items would surely end up in her hands anyway.
With that thought, Old Madam Yu didn’t pursue her further. In her mind, Yu Li was still the obedient granddaughter she used to be.
Once Old Madam Yu went back to her room to rest, Yu Li carried the basket to the kitchen.
Yu Jin was chopping a basin of freshly washed greens with rhythmic “chop chop chop” sounds, while Yu Zhu sat by the stove feeding the fire. The kitchen was sweltering hot.
Seeing her enter, Yu Jin asked, “Big Sister, what’s the matter?”
Yu Li opened the basket, took out the bag of fine grain and cured meat, and said to her, “Second Sister, cook this bag of white rice and this piece of cured meat together.”
Yu Jin was stunned. “C-cook them?”
“Yes,” Yu Li said. “Today, you’re all going to eat something delicious.”
Yu Zhu’s eyes sparkled as she looked at Yu Li, excitedly saying, “Big Sister, I want to eat cured meat rice.”
The grain in the cloth bag was fine white rice, milled to perfection without impurities. Cooked white rice was fragrant and soft, something that ordinary farming families would rarely eat. They typically ate coarse grain on normal days.
Yu Li’s eyes lit up slightly, and she made the final decision. “Then we’ll eat cured meat rice!”
Yu Jin glanced at her elder sister, then at her younger sister, recalling what had just happened. She softly said, “Big Sister, didn’t you say you’d give it to Grandma later?”
“Of course!” Yu Li said matter-of-factly. “By the time everyone eats it, it’ll count as giving it to Grandma too.”
Yu Jin: “…..” Is that even possible?
Dazed and unsure if she had been bewitched, Yu Jin actually took the items and started preparing them.
Yu Li stayed in the kitchen, waiting for the cured meat rice to cook, never leaving the stove.
Let alone Yu Zhu—her eyes were practically glued to the pot.
When the cured meat rice was finally ready, Yu Li scooped out six bowls of it, piling them high. She placed them in the basket and carried them back to her room.
The pot was left with just a shallow layer of rice and some fragrant, crispy rice crust.
She actually wanted to eat the crispy crust, but thinking of everyone sharing together, she reluctantly left it behind.
—
By midday, the people working in the fields returned one after another.
Soon, the Yu family became lively.
Yu Lao’er and his wife, upon hearing that Yu Li had returned, were overjoyed. Ignoring their sweat-soaked bodies, they headed straight to the west room.
“Li Niang, you’re back!”
Inside, Yu Li looked at the couple.
At first glance, they were dark and thin, the very image of impoverished rural farmers. Though only in their early thirties, they looked like old farmers nearing fifty.
Especially Liu Shi, whose dark face carried a waxy yellow tint, revealing a frail and unhealthy body.
The couple were both honest and simple people. Seeing their married daughter return, they were excited but didn’t know what to say.
They felt uneasy, worried that their daughter might resent them.
In truth, they hadn’t agreed to marrying their daughter into the Fu family for the purpose of dispelling ill fortune. However, this was a decision made by Old Madam Yu, and with the whole family in agreement, even as parents, they couldn’t oppose it. Old Madam Yu’s invocation of filial piety left them with no choice but to compromise.
They blamed their own uselessness and felt deeply guilty toward their eldest daughter, losing sleep over it for days.
Even hearing that the Fu family’s son had regained consciousness didn’t bring them much joy. After all, he was still a terminally ill invalid. Any loving parents would be unwilling to send their daughter into such a marriage.
Yu Li’s gaze swept over them, and she softly called out, “Father, Mother.”
Yu Lao’er and his wife quickly responded, “Yes!” They opened their mouths but didn’t know what to say.
In the end, it was Liu Shi who asked, “Li Niang, h-how have you been these past few days?”
“Pretty good,” Yu Li replied indifferently.
Perhaps sensing her cold demeanor, the couple, despite having much on their minds, couldn’t find the words to express themselves. They were not eloquent people and rarely interacted with their daughters under normal circumstances. Now, with guilt weighing on their hearts, they were even less able to speak.
Fortunately, at that moment, Yu Zhu came running over, calling them to eat.
The second Yu son and his wife quickly agreed, heading to the courtyard to fetch water to wash their hands and faces before going to the main room for the meal.
In the main room, a large table was set up, and everyone squeezed in to sit together.
Yu Li glanced around, letting her gaze sweep over the people present, matching their faces with her memories. She noticed that the eldest branch of the Yu family was absent.
The eldest son Yu had received some schooling, but unfortunately, he lacked the aptitude. He hadn’t even passed the elementary-level scholar’s exam and didn’t want to return to the village to farm. Instead, he worked as a bookkeeper at a rice shop in the county town, where he ate and lived in the shop’s back courtyard.
Later, when Yu Jingde and Yu Jingli went to the county town to study under Scholar Chen, the eldest Yu son rented a house there and lived with his two sons.
His wife, Chen Shi, stayed in the village with their daughter Yu Qin and youngest son Yu Jingzong to care for their in-laws. Occasionally, she would take her children to the county town to visit her husband and sons, staying there for a while.
Coincidentally, during this period, Chen Shi had taken her children to the county town and wasn’t at home.
Although the eldest branch wasn’t present, there were still quite a few people in the house.
Every mealtime was the liveliest time in the Yu family.
Yu Jin carefully carried in a large basin of vegetable soup. The basin was so big that she had to handle it cautiously, sweat beading on her nose for fear of dropping it.
Yu Li reached out and took the basin from her, carrying it into the main room.
Inside, the people were chatting and preparing to eat. Noticing Yu Li, they didn’t say much, except for Third Aunt Wang Shi, who greeted her.
“Oh, Li Niang, you’re back.” Then she turned to Yu Jin and said, “Jin Niang, your sister’s visiting her maternal home today—why didn’t you make something nicer to treat her?”
She looked at the dishes on the table, which were the same as usual: pickled vegetables, vegetable soup, not even a cheap dish like tofu.
Though she said this, she knew very well that every meal in the household was arranged by Old Madam Yu.
Every morning before leaving the house, Old Madam Yu would measure out the day’s rations for the family and bring them to the kitchen. Everything else was locked away, a precaution against anyone sneaking food.
In Old Madam Yu’s mind, granddaughters were not worth much. It was impossible that she would kill a chicken or slaughter a duck to treat a granddaughter who was married off to dispel ill fortune. They would eat the same as always.
Yu Li placed the basin of vegetable soup on the table and turned to Wang Shi, saying, “Third Aunt is right; Second Sister really did make something delicious today.”
Wang Shi was stunned upon hearing this.
Could it be that the Old Madam actually allowed Yu Jin to make something nice to treat the visiting granddaughter? Impossible, right?
At that moment, Wang Shi’s youngest son, Yu Jingyi, piped up, “What delicious food? I want some too!”
At just six years old, Yu Jingyi was the youngest of the Yu family’s grandchildren and was typically doted on by Old Madam Yu. Whenever there was anything tasty, it would always find its way to him.
Before Yu Li could respond, everyone had already spotted a large bowl of rice crust being brought out. The glossy rice on top and the golden, crispy crust on the bottom were so tempting that, even in the sweltering heat, it made mouths water uncontrollably.
Everyone was a bit confused—where did this rice crust come from?
As they were wondering, Yu Li came back carrying a basket. She removed the cloth covering it and took out six bowls of cured meat rice, each piled high, and placed them one by one in front of the second branch of the family.
There were six members in the second branch, and there just happened to be six bowls of cured meat rice.
Yu Li turned to the second branch and said, “Father, Mother, Second Sister, Third Sister, Little Sister, let’s eat.”
Everyone: “…”