Although Li Shu lied with her eyes open, Zhu Ping'an did not expose Li Shu's evil intentions for the sake of his mother Chen's happiness. He even brought her a stool to prevent the spoiled young lady from getting sick from squatting.
While Li Shu and her mother Chen were picking vegetables with laughter, Zhu Ping'an was not idle either. He had just learned from his father that his mother Chen had fallen ill due to worrying about him. He took this opportunity to boil a dose of Chinese medicine prescribed by the doctor.
"Mom, take the medicine while it's hot. It's all my fault. I've been worried about you."
After Zhu Ping'an boiled the Chinese medicine, he put it in a bowl and brought it to his mother Chen. Because he was worried that the medicine would be bitter, Zhu Ping'an also brought a bag of candied fruits. After his mother drank the Chinese medicine, she could eat some candied fruits to change the taste.
"Seeing you and Shu'er return safely, mother's health has long been healed. Why does she still need to take medicine?" Chen shook her head with full energy. In her opinion, Zhu Ping'an and Li Shu were panaceas. When she saw Zhu Ping'an and Li Shu return safely, Chen felt that the huge stone pressing on her heart disappeared.
"Mom, I heard from Dad that you haven't eaten for several days because you were worried. You are very weak. You still need to take medicine."
Zhu Ping'an insisted on holding the bowl of medicine. Although he could see that his mother Chen was in much better spirits now, and he also knew that his mother's worries would disappear and the root of the disease would be eliminated after his return, but after all, his mother's health had been severely damaged due to worry in the past few days, so he still had to take the necessary medicine.
"Listen to his nonsense..." Chen glared at Zhu's father who was implicated from a distance and shook her head.
"Mom... good medicine tastes bitter but is good for the disease." Zhu Ping'an advised again.
"Mom, your husband is worried about you too. You will be better after taking the medicine, and my husband and I will feel relieved." Li Shu washed her hands in the basin, dried them with a handkerchief, then took the medicine bowl from Zhu Ping'an and persuaded Chen to take the medicine in a gentle voice.
"Okay, mother will listen to Shu'er." Upon hearing this, Chen agreed immediately.
Zhu Ping'an's persuasion was useless for so long. Li Shu only said this sentence, and Chen agreed immediately. When Chen drank the medicine, Li Shu looked at Zhu Ping'an with a smug smile, her watery eyes sparkling.
"Mom, have some candied fruit." After his mother Chen finished drinking the medicine, Zhu Ping'an handed her the candied fruit like a lackey.
"My love for you is not in vain." Mother Chen took the candied fruit and nodded with satisfaction.
At this time, Zhu Ping'an glanced at Li Shu inconspicuously, as if he had won the game, which made Li Shu roll her eyes.
As the sun gradually rose to the middle of the sky, the Zhu family began to prepare lunch. Originally, mother Chen was going to cook by herself, but Li Shu and sister-in-law Juan'er thought of Chen's weak health and did not let her do it. The two of them took over the kitchen.
In the end, it was Li Shu who took charge of cooking, with her sister-in-law Juaner helping her.
At first, Chen was worried that Li Shu, such a pretty young lady, couldn't cook. But after watching Li Shu skillfully light the fire and cook, Chen felt relieved. Then, watching Li Shu skillfully cook, Chen's satisfied smile never stopped. Zhu Ping'an was a little worried that his mother would laugh until her joints were dislocated...
Even while cooking, Chen even went out with a scallion in her hand to chat with Aunt Li next door. Not long after, almost half of Xiahe Village knew that the cooking of Chen's new second daughter-in-law was delicious, much better than that of the restaurants in town...
While Comrade Li Shu was sharpening her knife and cooking in the kitchen, Zhu Ping'an took a pair of scissors and rushed to the black cow... Snap, snap, he cut a tuft of black hair from the cow's tail, which was just enough to make a brush.
Zhu Ping'an cut the ox's tail to make a brush.
The brush that Zhu Ping'an often used for practicing calligraphy was lost in the sea. The brush was handmade by Zhu's father. He had used it for almost ten years, from when he went to school to take classes when he was a child until it was lost in the sea. He was heartbroken for a long time after losing it.
But it doesn't matter.
I have a big black cow at home, so I just ask my father to make one for me.
After learning about Zhu Ping'an's idea, Zhu's father happily agreed and even cut a tuft of hair from the big black cow's tail to make two brushes for Zhu Ping'an, so that even if one was lost, there would still be one. When they were still in the old house, Zhu's father also made a brush for his eldest brother Zhu Shouren, but his eldest brother Zhu Shouren disliked it and never used it, which made Zhu's father a little disappointed.
Now, seeing that his son, who had passed the imperial examination and ranked top in the imperial examination, likes to use the brushes he made so much, Zhu's father is very happy. He feels that the brush-making skills he had worked so hard to learn are finally coming in handy.
So, out of joy, Zhu's father made two brushes.
After making the brushes here, lunch was ready in the kitchen. Li Shu cooked six dishes and a soup in one go in the kitchen, all of which were made with common dried mushrooms, bamboo shoots, green vegetables, etc., but the dishes were all delicious and appetizing, making people hungry just by looking at them.
"Sister-in-law, you are such a great cook." Sister-in-law Juan'er looked at the table full of food and praised Li Shu's cooking skills from the bottom of her heart.
"No way, I still have to learn from my sister-in-law. My sister-in-law cuts vegetables quickly and well, and I'm far behind her. I have to teach me a few more tricks." Li Shu was very humble and was eager to learn, asking her sister-in-law Juan'er for tips on cutting vegetables.
The two sisters-in-law got along very harmoniously in the kitchen, and worked together to bring the prepared meals to the dining table in the living room.
After the meal was brought to the table, Li Shu took the initiative to serve the rice. She first served her mother Chen and Zhu's father, then her eldest brother and sister-in-law, and then served a bowl of rice to Zhu Ping'an, calling him "husband" in a tender voice.
Finally, Li Shu served herself a small half bowl of rice.
"Shu'er, why do you eat so little? Give her more." Seeing that Li Shu had only served half a bowl of rice, Chen couldn't help but ask Li Shu to eat more out of concern. In Chen's eyes, this half bowl of rice was too little and it was not enough to fill her up.
"Mom, Shu'er has a small appetite." Li Shu smiled faintly and shook her head.
"That won't do either. You're eating too little. When he was little, he could eat a full bowl of rice. Come, let me serve you more." Mother Chen stood up and said this, wanting to serve Li Shu more rice, very enthusiastically.
"Mom, it's really not necessary." Li Shu's face flushed under Chen's enthusiasm.
"Be good, eat more. Only by eating more can you give me a big fat boy." Mother Chen was very enthusiastic and was already looking forward to holding her grandson. In her opinion, although Li Shu had a big butt and was good for childbearing, she was still a little thin.
Give birth to a big fat boy...
Upon hearing this, Li Shu's pretty face instantly turned red with embarrassment. Even Zhu Ping'an, who was standing next to her, felt a little overwhelmed by what his mother said.
As Chen spoke, she reached out and picked up Li Shu's bowl, ready to serve her some rice.
"Mom... I'll do it myself." Li Shu's pretty face flushed, and she shyly stretched out her slender hand to take the bowl from her mother Chen.
"It's okay, mom will be here." Chen was very enthusiastic, but she let go because of Li Shu's insistence, but she reminded her, "Be sure to serve more."
"Um."
Li Shu nodded, then picked up the bowl again to get the rice. In order to avoid her sleeves falling into the soup bowl, Li Shu rolled up her sleeves slightly, then stretched out her slender hand to get the rice, and accidentally revealed the scar on her wrist.
"Shu'er, what's wrong with your wrist?"
Chen's sharp eyes saw the hideous wound on Li Shu's wrist. Although it was a little scarred, it was still very conspicuous. (To be continued.)