After the two one-of-a-kind cats left, the restaurant did get a bit busier, but!

It wasn’t too bad—not as hectic as when they first opened, when they were running around nonstop with no time to rest. It wasn’t that bad, mainly because the “one-of-a-kind Tieniu” had picked up the slack and learned how to prepare some side dishes.

But after just a few days, Tang Xianling was already starting to feel sorry for his Tieniu.

“It’s true—a good husband is always a source of concern for his wife,” Big Boss Tang sighed as he sat on the veranda.

Hearing this, the “good husband” Tieniu couldn’t help but let a slight smile play at the corners of his mouth. Huangfu Tieniu knew his husband meant every word, which is why he felt both happy and touched. Bursting with energy, he said, “I’m not tired.”

“You’re not made of iron,” Tang Xianling said, then declared with absolute authority, “We’re going to the matchmaking agency this week. No matter who they recommend, we’re taking them.”

After all, he had a “golden touch”—if they tried to steal his techniques, so be it. As for anyone trying to sabotage his own restaurant—he’d just have to keep a closer eye on things.

Huangfu Tieniu agreed, promising to follow his husband’s every word.

But before the weekend even arrived, Chef Tian sent Da Yuan on an errand to pick up a note, adding, “My master says Boss Tang is short-staffed here. Are you interested in taking on an apprentice?”

Huangfu Tieniu looked at the note and said, “Master Tian went to the village to cater a banquet. There’s a very pitiful family there—the old and the young have died one after another from illness, and the eldest son was abducted. Now there’s only a little boy, four or five years old, left. He’s been relying on the kindness of neighbors for food in the village for quite some time. After so long, many people have started to look down on him. It’s truly pitiful.”

Da Yuan nodded repeatedly beside him, his eyes reddening slightly.

“Four or five years old, huh?” Upon hearing the age, Tang Xianling realized that bringing a child of that age here meant he was a child laborer—a true child laborer—and that he couldn’t really help him at all. Chef Tian must have had other intentions, so he couldn’t help but look at Da Yuan: “Your master has a kind heart.”

Da Yuan couldn’t hold back and wiped away a tear, choking out, “My family used to be so, so poor—we were nearly starving to death. My master took me in as an apprentice, and it’s only in recent years that things have started to get better.”

“Tell your master that whether it’s you or Xiao Mi who wants to come work as a kitchen helper for me, I’m fine with either. This time, I’ll pay you as a kitchen helper—we can discuss the details and benefits later,” said Tang Xianling.

Chef Tian must have had this in mind.

Word on the street was that Chef Tian was a skilled cook who took on many banquets and earned a good living, but this was all just word-of-mouth advertising to build his reputation—it meant everyone was seeking him out, so his cooking skills couldn’t be bad.

But last month, as far as he knew, Chef Tian had taken on no more than five days’ worth of banquets.

Da Yuan and Xiao Mi were growing boys, right at the age when they had hearty appetites. Tian Chuzi also had to support his family and save for the children’s dowries; some months they had enough to eat, others they went hungry—there was no certainty. There were quite a few chefs like Tian Chuzi in Fengyuan City who took on banquet jobs.

Now, Chef Tian felt sorry for that orphaned child, but supporting another child on his own was difficult and burdensome. On top of that, Da Yuan and Xiao Mi were growing up, and as their master, he had to plan for their futures.

“True Brothers in the Banquet Business”—if Chef Tian were to hand over all the clients he’d built up to his two apprentices, there was no guarantee they wouldn’t end up at odds over it in the future; after all, they were all in the same line of work.

After much deliberation, he thought of them.

Tang Xianling didn’t object. For him, it was better to rely on someone he knew than a stranger, and the “Unparalleled Cat” master and apprentice duo were quite to his liking—though he’d have to explain things in detail, since both kids were single-minded and stubborn.

“Your master has truly been good to you two—he’s been sincere and has poured his heart and soul into you,” Tang Xianling said.

Although Da Yuan was a bit more reserved, upon hearing Boss Tang’s words, he began to sob, “I know all that. Master isn’t abandoning us; it’s not that he only cares about our little junior brother—our little junior brother is pitiful too.”

“……” Tang Xianling: Good grief, even the little junior brother has accepted it, and now he’s delivering messages and child laborers.

Da Yuan had let it slip. With tear-filled eyes, he cautiously looked at Master Tang, his expression saying, ‘Oh no, I’ve messed everything up.’ Then, with a thud, Da Yuan dropped to his knees before Master Tang and began kowtowing repeatedly.

Tang Xianling was startled. What on earth was he doing?!

He almost wanted to kneel down too.

Huangfu Tieniu grabbed his Fulang’s arm with one hand and pulled Da Yuan to his feet with the other, saying earnestly, “Mr. Tang doesn’t like it when people kneel before him.”

Da Yuan immediately realized he might have messed things up again, so he sniffled and sobbed, “I’m sorry.”

“Wipe your tears,” Tang Xianling said.

Da Yuan haphazardly wiped his tears with his sleeve, obediently following Boss Tang’s instructions.

“I’ll say it again: go back and talk it over with Xiao Mi. If you’re going to be a full-time kitchen helper, I need one person here.” He wasn’t going to let Chef Tian go alone either—he had to handle banquets on his own—and the rest was just a child apprentice around four or five years old.

Da Yuan froze, tears welling in his eyes. When he realized Boss Tang wasn’t blaming him, he was overjoyed and kept saying, “Boss, I’ll do whatever you say from now on. Whatever you tell me to do, I’ll do it. I won’t cause any trouble.”

“Mm-hmm,” Tang Xianling nodded. “Go back now. Come back once you’ve discussed it.”

Da Yuan left, bowing respectfully before he went.

Tang Xianling sighed, “Chef Tian is a bit shrewd and cunning, but how should I put it—”

“They’re all honest folk,” Huangfu Tieniu interjected.

Tang Xianling gave a soft “Mm-hmm.” Back in modern times, calling someone “honest” was practically an insult, but since arriving in the Rong Dynasty and living here for so long, he’d come to realize that ordinary people at the bottom of society, despite the hardships they endured just to make a living, were still kind-hearted and had a conscience.

A conscience is so important.

Having reflected on this life lesson, on Saturday, Boss Tang ran into an unscrupulous broker—

“They won’t give me a single money back!!!” Boss Tang gritted his teeth in anger.

He’d paid the recruitment agency one liang of silver, and they had found him some candidates, but none of them were any good. Their background checks weren’t even as thorough as the information he’d gathered by asking his regular customers. That would have been one thing, but now that he had a kitchen helper and no longer needed their services, he went to the agency to let them know he wasn’t looking anymore.

Not only did they refuse to refund his money, but they even tried to charge him another half a silver coin.

Tang Xianling：……

He was furious!

Huangfu Tieniu stepped forward at that moment, asking why they wanted half a tael of silver and under what pretext. He’d brought the written agreement drawn up that day, and it made no mention of it.

The recruitment agent grinned and backtracked, saying he didn’t want it anymore—he’d made a mistake—but a full refund was out of the question. After all, he’d gone to great lengths to search for candidates over the past month; it was Boss Tang who’d refused them, deeming them unsuitable, so he couldn’t be held responsible.

Tang Xianling had come to the agency looking for workers and had even gone on about how “agencies are still very necessary.” Now he was furious, on the verge of rolling up his sleeves to fight—he’d already started rolling them up—but then he remembered the five lashes Tieniu had received, and he forced himself to let his sleeves fall back down.

Huangfu Tieniu argued with the agency staff and obtained a written receipt. However, at the time, Tang Xianling had only been thinking about the agency’s recruitment services and after-sales guarantees; he hadn’t anticipated that he would later decide to terminate the agency’s services, so the receipt didn’t include any mention of his cancellation or a refund.

Tang Xianling dragged Tieniu outside. “…We got ripped off this time, but we’ll be wiser next time.” 

He patted Tieniu’s chest—it was rock-hard—and seeing that Tieniu was pretty upset too, he soothed him, saying, “Don’t get mad, don’t get mad. It’s all right.”

Huangfu Tieniu had been pretty angry at first, but his husband kept rubbing his chest and even tickled him a bit. 

Huangfu Tieniu: ? 

He looked down at his husband.

The moment their eyes met, they couldn’t help but burst into laughter again—for no apparent reason.

With that laugh, all their anger vanished into thin air.

Tang Xianling grumbled, “Can’t we just look at each other without laughing?”

“There’s something funny about my face, isn’t there?”

Tieniu said, “There’s nothing funny about your face—you’re just naturally beautiful. Especially those eyes—they look good whether you’re angry or trying to coax me.”

“…Hehe.” Tang Xianling’s lips curled up at the compliment. It was broad daylight, and he felt a bit awkward, so he slapped Tieniu on the chest in a “we’re buddies” sort of way and said cheerfully, “Let’s go—you’re treating me to a sweet drink!”

Huangfu Tieniu quickened his pace to catch up. “Sure.”

Life is never without its bumps—Tang Xianling and Tieniu’s conflicts all stemmed from outside influences, but the two of them were actually getting along better and better.

On the weekend, Chef Tian showed up with his three apprentices. Tang Xianling wasn’t particularly surprised—the man had come to “apologize” to him. But since everyone was rather reserved, and the incident wasn’t really a big deal, Chef Tian brought along his newly recruited young apprentice so Tang could see for himself that he hadn’t lied and hadn’t really been trying to trick Boss Tang.

The little apprentice was four or five years old, skinny as a rail, with thin arms and legs. To Tang Xianling, he looked a whole size smaller than his eldest sister’s son, Sanlang—he was just too young.

Jiang Yun’s heart softened instantly, and she gave the child some food.

The child was a bit shy, but after his master gave him a pat on the back of the head, he stepped forward again and thanked Grandma.

Jiang Yun smiled cheerfully, “No need to thank me. I’ll get you some more food so your master can talk properly.”

“Xiaomao, you talk to Grandma Jiang first,” said Chef Tian.

Tang Xianling: “…So his name is Little Cat?”

“He was as skinny as a kitten. The first time I saw him, we’d just finished clearing the banquet table, and some kids were circling my stove. I usually give them the leftovers, but he looked so pitiful I gave him a little extra. He’d been bullied—a bunch of older kids were reaching into his mouth to snatch his food.”

As Chef Tian recounted the story, he felt he had been the one to bring misfortune upon Xiaomao.

“That kid’s got a stubborn streak, though. He just swallowed it whole. After taking a few punches, he curled up in a ball on the ground. When Da Yuan, Xiao Mi, and I were pushing our cart past, he was panting weakly. Later, I asked around and found out no one wanted him, so I took him in.”

At this point, Chef Tian looked at Mr. Tang. “I really didn’t mean to pull the wool over your eyes, Mr. Tang.”

“I know.” Tang Xianling poured tea for Tian Chuzi. The man had the petty schemes of a commoner, but his heart was in the right place. “You’re a man of honor.”

“I wouldn’t dare claim that. I’m just a soft-hearted fool—I feel sorry for everyone I meet,” Tian Chuzi said, raising his teacup in a toast. Boss Tang was also a man of great generosity—he’d said that before, and he had to say it again now.

Then they got down to business. Back when Da Yuan and Xiaomi worked here, they were apprentices—their “tuition” was learning a few tricks from their master. Now that they’re working as kitchen help, it’s a different matter; business is business, and personal matters are personal.

Chef Tian swore an oath: “If Xiao Mi works here, Boss Tang, you can rest assured. I guarantee I won’t ask a single question about how the dishes are prepared, and I won’t let her leak any secrets. If any of the dishes I serve at a banquet resemble those from Brother Tang’s restaurant, I’ll smash my own stall to pieces.”

“I trust you,” Tang Xianling nodded. “Is Xiao Mi working for me?”

Chef Tian nodded. “Da Yuan is the senior apprentice, and Xiao Mao is still so young. I have to take on jobs here and there, so I’m counting on this kid—he’s reliable.” He was getting on in years, and eventually, he’d pass the family banquet business down to Da Yuan.

As for Xiao Mi, he’d have to help him find his own path.

Tang Xianling had no objections to the master-apprentice arrangements. Both Da Yuan and Xiao Mi were fine—they’d both been taught the same way by their master: honesty, diligence, and a single-minded, unyielding determination.

It didn’t matter who came here.

Later, Tang Xianling discussed Xiao Mi’s working conditions with Chef Tian: he’d get two days off a month, just like the restaurant staff. He’d start work early in the morning—at eight o’clock—since there was prep work to be done, like slaughtering chickens and ducks, as well as grinding rice flour and sifting it, all of which were Xiao Mi’s responsibilities.

He’d finish work a bit earlier.

A-Liang and Mrs. Tong were in charge of washing dishes and cleaning up; they finished work later and started a little after nine.

The kitchen assistant’s salary was initially higher than Mrs. Tong’s and A-Liang’s, as the job required specific skills. Mrs. Tong and A-Liang each earned 550 wen per month. Tang Xianling had added full-attendance bonuses and various allowances to their pay; originally, they were set at 400 wen, but since both worked exceptionally well and were very dedicated and conscientious, he gave them both a raise.

Xiao Mi’s monthly wage is tentatively set at 500 wen, which is half a tael of silver.

“…Once he’s worked for three months, his pay will go up by another 100 wen.”

“As for other employee benefits—such as clothing, shoes, holiday leave, and food allowances—everyone is treated equally.” After saying this, Tang Xianling asked Tian Chuzi if he had any objections.

Chef Tian was Xiao Mi’s guardian.

Xiao Mi would only turn fourteen at the end of this year; he was, in fact, a child laborer—but given the current circumstances, there was no other choice.

As Mr. Tang spoke, Chef Tian was taken aback again and again. He knew Mr. Tang was magnanimous, but he never imagined the treatment of his staff would be so generous—not to mention holidays, but they even provided clothing? And no pay deductions for time off?

“Do you have anything to bring up?” Seeing Tian Chuzi staring blankly, Tang Xianling wondered if he’d left anything out in his explanation and added, “Meals are included—all meals are covered.”

Chef Tian quickly replied, “No, no, everything’s fine. I feel at ease knowing Xiao Mi is in your care.” This time, it was Chef Tian who willingly addressed Mr. Tang as “you.”

Tang Xianling didn’t care about the use of “you” or not; he followed Tian Chuzi’s lead in drafting the employment agreement, signed it, and agreed to pay wages twice a month—mid-month and at the end of the month—which would be handed directly to Xiao Mi.

Hearing this, Chef Tian smiled. “Pay him—fine by me.”

Tang Xianling smiled as well.

Chef Tian caught the implication in his words. Xiao Mi was still young, but since his wages would go directly to him, if he respected his master and willingly handed them over, Tang Xianling wouldn’t be able to intervene. However, since Xiao Mi was now his employee, it was out of the question to pay his wages to a family member or elder.

Tang Xianling was also looking out for his employee.

Chef Tian genuinely cared for his apprentices; he wasn’t the type to exploit them for personal gain.

The two talked it over quickly, and the matter was settled in no time. When Chef Tian led his apprentices out of the Tang family’s gate, all three of them reached into their pockets to show their master what they had.

Chef Tian took one look and thought, “My, my!” 

All three of their pockets were bulging—especially Xiao Mao’s, which was filled with red dates, peanuts, and rice cakes.

“Auntie Jiang gave them to us,” Xiao Mao said.

Da Yuan and Xiao Mi nodded. They’d already eaten plenty and felt too embarrassed to take more, but Aunt Jiang had filled their pockets herself, saying, “He’s small but he eats a lot. You’re just kids yourselves—take these along for the road.”

Chef Tian looked at them and said earnestly to Xiao Mi, “Your master here doesn’t have much to offer. When you and Da Yuan grow up and start your own families, the money from catering banquets won’t be enough to support two households. You two will have to split up eventually—it’s better to do it now.”

“Da Yuan, don’t blame your master for bringing Xiaomi here.”

Da Yuan’s eyes filled with tears as she said firmly, “Master, I love catering for banquets. Please don’t say that. I have no complaints—I love this work.”

Chef Tian nodded, then continued to Xiao Mi, “Now that you’ve accepted Mr. Tang’s wages, you’re part of the Tang Family Restaurant. From now on, you mustn’t tell anyone—not even me or your senior apprentice—what dishes the Tang Family Restaurant prepares or how they’re made.”

“I understand, Master. I know you’re only looking out for me and my senior apprentice brother.” Xiao Mi was on the verge of tears.

Chef Tian chuckled happily. “All right, just remember that. Go on, go on.”

So Mr. Tang, who hadn’t been busy for a week, was able to “relax” again. The weather had cooled considerably by now; autumn had truly arrived, and it was time to eat chestnuts. Tang Xianling replaced the ginger duck with braised chicken with chestnuts, and the osmanthus-infused rice cake with chestnut cake.

When the leaves had all fallen and the cold wind was howling, it would be time to eat mutton.

One day, Tieniu drove the cart back to the village, but Tang Xianling didn’t go with him this time. Tieniu was going to buy duck eggs. It was getting dark quickly, and it was cold. The cart had no covered compartment, and Huangfu Tieniu felt the cold wind cutting into his face like a knife. He thought it would be too miserable to have to spend the night outdoors if he got delayed on the way.

So he wouldn’t let his husband come along.

Tang Xianling was initially annoyed—it wasn’t as if he couldn’t handle hardship, so why say such things!

But eventually, Tieniu managed to coax him into changing his mind.

Tieniu said, “Aren’t you supposed to be arranging winter uniforms for the staff? You need to take care of that, and you’ll have to run an errand for the household supplies too. You’ve been doing so much hard work; I’m just going to buy some duck eggs. I’m not very good at enduring hardship—I’m too delicate.”

Tang Xianling：……

All right, all right—so that’s the routine, is it?

“Spoiled Tieniu.” When Tang Xianling teased him about this, Huangfu Tieniu laughed and agreed to the nickname “Spoiled Tieniu.” Tang Xianling immediately lost his composure; all his anger vanished, leaving only embarrassment and frustration as he elbowed his husband Tieniu.

A little playful banter.jpg

Actually, duck eggs can be bought anywhere, but Xu Village is too far away. If they didn’t buy them, it would be really tough for the villagers to rely solely on walking—that’s the first reason.

Second, Uncle Zhang was an outsider; unlike the local villagers—who were all related in some way—he didn’t fit in. Although Xu Village had a good, simple atmosphere, people are social creatures, and when living together, they naturally help each other out with small matters. In the past, Uncle Zhang and Uncle Wang had been somewhat “loners” in the village.

Ever since his family started buying duck eggs from the village—with Uncle Wang taking the lead—things have suddenly changed.

Since they needed the duck eggs anyway, Tieniu wasn’t afraid of the hard work. Having the excuse of buying duck eggs also gave him a reason to return to the village from time to time to check on Uncle Zhang and Uncle Wang—which helped strengthen their bond.

Even if there’s affection in their hearts, without frequent visits, they’ll grow distant over time.

While Tieniu returned to the village to buy duck eggs, Tang Xianling went to the East Market to shop. He took a taxi to a fabric store, where he ordered custom-made fall and winter uniforms for his employees: padded cotton jackets and pants, as well as thick, coarse-cloth cotton shoes.

“Mr. Tang is here?” The store staff recognized Mr. Tang and invited him to sit down and have some tea while they called the tailor over to speak with him.

Tang Xianling sipped his hot tea, and before long, the tailor arrived. The two spoke for a while, mainly to pass along the measurements for his employees’ clothes. The style was to be the simplest possible, though the embroidery on the aprons would take a few days.

Autumn and winter clothes aren’t cheap, especially those with cotton padding—it was quite a substantial purchase.

The tailor shop Tang Xianling had initially approached was relatively small.

In addition to the employees, his family of three also had new clothes made. Tang Xianling had gained a bit of weight; his old winter clothes were tight and too small, and they didn’t have much cotton padding—they’d been washed until they were faded and worn out, offering little warmth. This time, he ordered plenty.

“Also, do you have any fine fabric? I’d like to have some bodysuits made for the children,” Tang Xianling asked.

The tailor replied, “Yes, of course. I know what a belly wrap is, but what style of onesie are you looking for?”

Tang Xianling gestured to illustrate—they were for a newborn baby.

“I can make them. It’s very simple, and this style is convenient and quite suitable,” the tailor nodded in understanding. Since Tang Xianling was a regular customer, he asked casually, “Mr. Tang, is there a new addition to the family?”

Tang Xianling smiled and waved his hand. “Not me—a friend of mine is about to give birth. I’ll give him this outfit once it’s ready.”

Douzi is about to give birth.

The tailor hurriedly said, “Mr. Tang, you’re truly a kind man—always thinking of your friends in every way.”

Tang Xianling smiled without saying more, paid a large amount of money, and got up to leave.

The tailor had just looked flustered, as if he’d said the wrong thing. It took Tang Xianling a second to realize: Oh—he’s a husband; he can have children. The tailor had been congratulating him, but his congratulations had fallen flat.

He didn’t think much of it, though. The tailor had expressed sympathy for him, almost saying, “Don’t worry, you’ll have a child sooner or later.” 

Tang Xianling wasn’t in a hurry, but after leaving the tailor shop, he bought a bag of candied chestnuts from a street vendor. As he ate them, he found himself wondering what it would be like to have a child of his own.

…For some reason, Tieniu came to mind.

He suddenly felt that having a child might actually be quite nice.

Back when he first arrived, the fact that he could have a child had been a huge shock—it had blown his mind. But now—sure enough, with life becoming more comfortable—he found himself thinking about “a wife, a child, and a warm brick bed”; and Tieniu, after all, was his husband.

Big Boss Tang thought this to himself, then crunched his way through half a bag of chestnuts. Not satisfied with the taste, he bought another basket, planning to roast them himself when he got home.

He then headed to the East Market to pick out a sheep, settling on a lamb. Tomorrow was Monday, the first day of business, so he planned to add some lamb dishes to the menu: grilled lamb ribs and legs, clear-simmered mutton soup, and lamb rolls—

No rush on that, though. Once it snows, he can freeze the lamb, and then he’ll be able to serve lamb hot pot.

That means he’ll have to order the small hot pots and stoves ahead of time.

Thinking of this, Mr. Tang paid the money and said, “I’ll come back later to pick up the lamb.” Then he hurried straight to the pottery shop to order custom-made small stoves and clay pots.

All those little expenses added up to a hefty sum.

Tang Xianling didn’t bat an eye at the cost; he was just itching to get started—eager for the snow to fall, winter to set in, and the time to dive into lamb hot pot. As for the broth, since a spicy red oil base wasn’t an option right now, he’d make bone broth, pickled cabbage broth, and mushroom broth instead.

Then there were the dipping bowls and sesame paste and some more sesame seeds—they ground and made their own sesame paste right in their shop. Since the red oil broth was out of the question, they had to pay extra attention to the dipping sauces; only by standing out from the competition could they keep their customers coming back.

Fengyuan City has always had a tradition of eating lamb in the fall and winter. Hot pot, for instance, is a common sight in the East Market and the West Market as well as in the small shops along Main Street. Locals enjoy lamb offal soup, dipping frozen tofu, napa cabbage, and potato starch noodles—they throw just about anything into the pot, eating until they’re sweating and feeling all warm and toasty.

As for dipping sauces, sesame paste is the most common choice.

For Mr. Tang to offer small hot pots wasn’t exactly a unique innovation on his part, but when it came to soup bases like pickled cabbage, mushroom broth, and bone broth—plus specially prepared dipping bowls—that was something else entirely!

After a thorough shopping spree, Tang Xianling paid a delivery man to bring everything right to his doorstep.

Jiang Yun stayed home to mind the house and chatted with Zou Ling. After a while, Wu-ger came back.

“I’ll go answer the door. You just stay seated—it’s fine, it’s fine,” Jiang Yun called out to Zou Ling, urging her to stay put.

Tang Xianling walked through the courtyard gate and reported today’s work progress to his mother, chattering on and on. Jiang Yun, a smile in her eyes, said, “You really worked hard today.”

“That’s for sure. I even bought some chestnuts, though they’re not as good as the ones I roast myself. I’ll roast a whole pot just for us later—we’ll have them for dinner tonight,” Tang Xianling told his mother.

Jiang Yun: “Just chestnuts? That won’t do. You need to eat a proper meal. Ever since Tieniu left, you haven’t been eating properly.”

“He’s got no say over me,” declared Tang—the macho boss.

Jiang Yun was amused. Tieniu wasn’t one to speak harshly, but he knew exactly how to handle his Wu-ger.

“Then let’s make some vegetable soup. We still have some potato starch left—let’s throw it all in. It’d be great if Tieniu could bring back some more potato starch when he comes back,” Tang Xianling said, his eyes lighting up as he spoke. This potato starch was a gift from a villager when they bought duck eggs last time.

Don’t let its plain appearance fool you—it’s absolutely delicious.

This time, when Tieniu went back to the village to buy duck eggs, he forgot to remind him!!!

Tang Xianling was practically beating his chest in frustration—all his macho pride had flown out the window. If Tieniu could buy him some potato starch, Tieniu would be his very own wife.

The mother and son bantered back and forth, their conversation full of humor. Just then, Zou Ling emerged from the main hall, exchanged greetings with Aunt Jiang and Mr. Tang, and announced she was heading home. Tang Xianling glanced at Zou Ling. Her eyes were slightly red—not as if she’d been crying, but as if she’d been thinking about something heartbreaking, her eyes reddening as she held back her tears.

Tang Xianling was vaguely aware of the conflict between the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law next door, but he hadn’t expected that Zou Ling had been married into the Lu family for less than half a year. When she first arrived, she’d been a lively young girl who seemed innocent and straightforward, but now there was a hint of bitterness in the corners of her eyes.

How quickly time has passed.

“Actually, I’d like to ask you and Sanniang for a favor,” Tang Xianling said after a moment’s thought.

Zou Ling had been about to leave, but upon hearing this, she stopped in her tracks and asked what it was about.

“Douzi is about to give birth. Do either of you know how to sew? I bought some fine cloth—could you help make some little baby vests or something? I’m great at cooking, but sewing is a real struggle for me. Once everything’s settled, I’ll treat you both to a meal and give each of you twenty wen.” Tang Xianling seized on the ready-made excuse.

Zou Ling smiled. “Sewing baby vests? They won’t last long anyway. Why pay us for that? I’ll go back and talk to Sanniang”

“No rush, no rush. I have the weekend off next week. You two should come over during the day when the weather’s nice—don’t strain your eyes sewing in the dark,” Tang Xianling said. He hadn’t even bought any fine cloth yet—what was there to sew now?

Zou Ling agreed, and as she walked back, her steps were a little lighter.

After closing the door, Jiang Yun looked at Wu-ger. 

Wu-ger had gone to the tailor shop, and before leaving, he’d mentioned wanting to buy a belly band and a onesie for Douzi’s baby. Just now, when Wu-ger spoke to Zou Ling on the phone, it was precisely because he wanted to help her.

But how could he help?

The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law situation—

“Their courtyard is tiny. Every time Lu Erlang comes back, he stays with his older brother, leaving Zou Ling and Lu Sanniang crammed into one room. And Lu Dalang is such an overly dutiful son. Zou Ling may be called a daughter-in-law, but in my view, she’s practically just a laborer working for the Lu family—without getting a single penny in return. She endures all this humiliation and has no outlet for her frustration,” Tang Xianling asserted.

After all, to outsiders, the Lu family seemed like decent, honest people. They had plenty to eat and drink, and since they were all family, what’s the big deal about doing a little work for the family?

“Once we’re both gone, this shop will belong entirely to Dalang and you.”

Having heard his parents say this so often, Lu Dalang also felt he was getting the lion’s share and owed a debt to his younger brother. He felt indebted to this person and that person, but not to Zou Ling—and yet they were making her share in the compensation as well.

Zou Ling couldn’t say anything back—if she did, she’d be labeled unfilial, accused of driving a wedge between brothers, and deemed unworthy of her role as an elder sister-in-law who couldn’t tolerate her younger sister-in-law.

Sigh.