The Lucky Wife of the Era Married a Rough Man With Space
Chapter 211: Marriage fraud
Grandma Xu's eyes crinkled with pure delight as she savored the beef from her son's hand. A single bite unleashed a symphony of flavors, tender and aromatic. But it was the addition of sesame sauce that elevated it to an ethereal experience, leaving her utterly captivated.
Known for her usual stern demeanor, Grandma Xu's face now bore a rare expression of surprise, her voice brimming with uncharacteristic enthusiasm. "This hot pot is delicious! Don't just sit there stunned, hurry and eat!" Her eagerness alone was a testament to the meal's extraordinary taste.
A scramble ensued as everyone, fearing they'd miss out, swiftly claimed their seats. "Those who like spice, come here. Those who don't, over there," Xu Ying directed, pointing to the simmering pots.[Read More Here]
The Xu family, with the exception of the children, generally embraced fiery flavors.
To everyone's astonishment, Grandpa and Grandma Xu gravitated towards the spicy pot too . Xu Ying, however, intervened immediately. "Grandpa, Grandma, this mushroom and chicken pot base is specially made for you two. It's a wonderful tonic for the elderly."
Third Uncle Xu also echoed her sentiments, his voice tinged with concern. "Yes, , you're not young anymore. Too much spice will upset your stomachs and harm your health." He then, with a mischievous grin, helped himself to a piece of beef from the spicy pot, savoring the delicious, satisfying burn.
Grandma Xu, however, was not easily swayed. Her face, etched with stubbornness, protested, "Why can't we eat it? A little bit won't hurt." She clearly felt her granddaughter and son were being overly protective, despite their good intentions.
Grandpa Xu, equally unyielding, brazenly squeezed his third son out of the way. "Why can't we eat spicy food?"
Xu Ying's eyes welled up, a hint of redness around them as she pleaded, "Grandpa, Grandma, please try this non-spicy one. It's delicious too. You're getting old, and spicy food can easily cause inflammation, upset your stomachs, and even hurt your intestines." Her voice grew more dramatic. "My third uncle has just found his footing, and he's eager to be filial to you. If anything were to happen to you, he'd be heartbroken! And I'm still hoping to take you to live in the city! If something happens to you, what will we, your juniors, do? You're the backbone of this family. What would we do without you?"
Father Xu, glancing at his emotional daughter, chimed in, "Yes, please go easy on the spicy food. You know how good Yingying's cooking is. This mushroom soup is excellent too."
Realizing their juniors were genuinely looking out for them, Grandpa and Grandma Xu, though visibly disappointed, finally nodded and settled by the mushroom soup.
As the entire family took their places, Father and Mother Xu finally got to dig in. Their third brother had already been enjoying the spicy pot, but they hadn't even touched their chopsticks yet. A mouthful of duck intestines, spicy, crispy, and infused with the rich aroma of duck meat, was so good it was impossible to stop.
"Ha~ it's spicy!" Xu Shengshun exclaimed, his tears streaming from the heat. Second Aunt Xu, realizing her son was at her table, quickly ushered him to the next. "Go sit with your grandma!"
Xu Shengshun, looking around with a terrified expression, blurted out, "Fire, burning to death, fire, burning people, medicine, there is medicine."
Second Aunt Xu fixed her son with a serious gaze. "Who told you this?" Though he'd suffered a head injury and was intellectually challenged, he was typically well-behaved and never spoke nonsense.
Xu Shengshun's eyes widened with fear. "No, I can't say, yes, I'll fight Shunshun."
Xu Ying, a touch embarrassed, approached her cousin, offering a comforting smile. "Cousin, it's alright. Our whole family is here. Even if a bad person comes, we'll fight them off."
Grandpa Xu chimed in, "Shengshun, don't be afraid. Look how many of us there are in our family. If there are bad guys, our whole family will definitely be able to beat them. No one can threaten you. Just tell us who that person is."
Xu Shengshun shook his head, then nodded again. "Someone outside said they drugged my sister's house and said my sister was bad and we had more fish."
Father Xu's face immediately darkened. "Many fish" could only mean the people from Lijia Village. He hadn't expected them to stoop to such despicable tactics. In previous years, when the Xu family caught plenty of fish, no one from Lijia Village uttered a word. [Read More Here]
But this year, with their own poor catch, they were resorting to dirty tricks. Father Xu angrily slammed the table. "No one in Lijia Village is any good. Thankfully, I didn't get carried away and give them fish this afternoon. I will never relent to such selfish people in the future!"
"Dad, listen to what my cousin said, these people might act tonight," Xu Ying warned.
Father Xu nodded. "Eat first. After we finish, I'll take your eldest and second brothers to keep watch. We'll see how these people operate. If we catch them, they're going straight to the police."
"Really?" Xu Ying asked, hoping her father wouldn't soften when those people started crying about their hardships.
Father Xu straightened his back, a hint of pride in his gaze. Did his daughter not believe him? "Really!"
Xu Ying smiled, picked up her chopsticks, and happily resumed eating the hot pot. On a cold winter day, a pot of hot pot truly warmed you from the inside out.
"Yingying, when will you make hot pot again? It's so delicious!" Xu Jingjing exclaimed, rubbing her round belly with a satisfied burp.
Second Aunt Xu rolled her eyes at her daughter. "Look at you, so undignified! You're already a young woman, and you don't care about your image."
Third Aunt Xu's curiosity was piqued at this as she asked . "Didn't you say Jingjing's marriage was settled?"
Second Aunt Xu shook her head. "No, people just talk nonsense. They only met once, and that man isn't a good person."
Second Aunt Xu bristled with anger, recalling the last time the man had tried to take advantage of her best friend.
"Second Aunt, was the matchmaker last time named Sun?" Xu Ying's eyes lit up, remembering Matchmaker Sun had arranged her cousin's previous match.
"Yes, all the villages around here have marriage plans arranged by Matchmaker Sun, but this one's not a good one," Second Aunt Xu said, casting a discreet glance at Third Aunt Xu.
Noticing the underlying drama, Xu Ying immediately leaned in closer.
Xu's mother shot the two of them a look of mild disgust.
Second Aunt Xu, now fully in her element, began to spill the tea. "Your third uncle's marriage was introduced by Matchmaker Sun. At first, Matchmaker Sun praised your third uncle like he was perfect. Your third aunt had just gotten married, but her natal family wasn't that great either. Even if your third uncle didn't live a good life, it was still much better than when she was at her natal home."
Xu Ying's face held a knowing expression. Matchmaker Sun was indeed a professional matchmaker when it came to relationships.
"But your third uncle has changed his ways now, and your third aunt's life will be better in the future," Second Aunt Xu concluded.
After eating and drinking his fill, Third Uncle Xu pulled out a wad of money from his pocket and handed it directly to Grandma Xu. "Mom, here you go, take it to buy some food for the New Year. This is the money your son has earned these days, and it comes cleanly."
Grandma Xu, initially annoyed, had been prepared to scold him, assuming he'd been gambling again. But at his words, her eyes instantly reddened, and a wave of warmth spread through her heart as she forcefully took the money.
"Just give me one yuan, and give the rest to your wife to buy some New Year goods."
Grandpa Xu's eyes widened at the sight of the money in his wife's hand. "How much did you earn when you went out?"
Comments
Recommended for You
Post a Comment