Song Nianchu didn’t have time to correct Mu Haoxuan before Mu Yongnian smacked the back of his head.
"What nonsense are you spouting? This is our sister-in-law!" Mu Yongnian said anxiously.
He couldn’t let their sister-in-law think the men in their family were all smooth-talking and unreliable.
"What nonsense? Didn’t Second Sister say Big Brother refused to marry into her family? If he won’t, I will! I’m also a man in this family, and Dad says I’m the handsomest. When I grow up, I definitely won’t be uglier than Big Brother!" Mu Haoxuan declared confidently.
"Shut up already!" Mu Yongnian was sweating bullets. He resorted to physical intervention, clamping a hand over Mu Haoxuan’s mouth and dragging him into a tight hold.
"Sister-in-law, the water vat isn’t full yet. I’ll take Haoxuan to fetch more water," Mu Yongnian forced a smile at Song Nianchu. Without waiting for Mu Haoxuan’s consent, he hauled him away, carrying the shoulder pole and buckets.
Watching their antics, Song Nianchu couldn’t help but laugh, her earlier melancholy vanishing instantly.
She had always believed in mutual willingness. Besides, Mu Shi'an was sharp-minded—if he truly wanted to leave, she wouldn’t force him to stay.
If it came to that, she could always settle for a business partnership. After all, making money was even more important than having children.
Song Nianchu stepped into the kitchen. With time to spare today, she decided to cook something special.
At the market, she spotted fresh clams and bought two pounds. They were delicious but tedious to clean, with little meat, which was why most people avoided them. That also made them dirt cheap.
She poured the clams into clean water to purge the sand, then rinsed rice for steaming.
With so many clams, she planned to make stir-fried clams and a clam vermicelli soup—enough for the three of them.
After finalizing the menu, she lit the fire, stacked the wood, and prepped the ingredients.
She had a small bundle of vermicelli left at home, which she soaked. For seafood dishes, plenty of scallions, ginger, and garlic were essential. But these weren’t staples, and with everyone pinching pennies, only Song Nianchu would splurge on such luxuries.
When Mu Yongnian and Mu Haoxuan returned with more water, a rich aroma greeted them.
"Big Sister’s cooking!" Mu Haoxuan dropped the bucket and dashed into the kitchen.
Mu Yongnian couldn’t stop him in time, so he lugged the half-filled bucket to the vat alone. Seeing it nearly full, he finally smiled.
"Wow, Big Sister, what’s this dish? It smells amazing!" Mu Haoxuan’s excited voice rang from the kitchen.
Mu Yongnian swallowed hard, hesitated, then followed.
"Stir-fried clams. They’re spicy, but you can try one," Song Nianchu said, ladling out the clam vermicelli soup.
Mu Haoxuan eagerly reached for a clam, but Mu Yongnian stopped him.
"Haoxuan, you haven’t washed your hands!"
"Oh, right!" Mu Haoxuan hopped off the stool and sprinted outside to wash up.
When he reached for the food again, Mu Yongnian intervened.
"Use chopsticks!"
"Okay." Mu Haoxuan, wholly absorbed by the food, obeyed without protest. He picked up a loose clam meat and popped it into his mouth.
"Mmm! So good!" His round eyes widened further, making him even more endearing.
"It’s quite spicy, so don’t eat too much. Try the clam vermicelli soup instead," Song Nianchu said, setting a bowl before him.
"Okay!" Mu Haoxuan fanned his mouth after eating, clearly feeling the heat. He hastily scooped soup into his bowl and gulped it down.
"Hot!" Song Nianchu warned, but it was too late. Mu Haoxuan stuck out his tongue, panting.
"Why the rush? The food isn’t going anywhere." She poured him a glass of cool water.
Mu Haoxuan downed it without a word.
Watching this, Mu Yongnian flushed with embarrassment. His brother was utterly shameless—thankfully, their sister-in-law didn’t mind.
"Feeling better?" Song Nianchu asked once he’d drunk the water.
"Much better," Mu Haoxuan nodded vigorously.
"The soup just came off the stove. I meant for you to let it cool first." She served three bowls of soup.
"Drink slowly this time. No more burns," she reminded.
"Mm." Mu Haoxuan nodded obediently.
"You too, take your time," she added, turning to Mu Yongnian.
"Okay," he replied.
Only when they were eating properly did Song Nianchu pick up her spoon.
The first sip of soup was intensely savory—proof that quality ingredients could compensate for sparse seasoning.
The meal left all three thoroughly satisfied.
Afterward, Mu Yongnian volunteered to wash the dishes. Song Nianchu didn’t refuse—an eight-year-old could handle it safely.
As she watched his small figure, her thoughts drifted to Mu Shi'an. This was usually his chore.
She wondered if he was eating well at the hospital.
Her reverie was interrupted by loud, impatient knocking at the gate.
Who could it be at this hour? And with such rudeness?
A face flashed in her mind. Mu Yongnian and Mu Haoxuan looked up at the noise.
"Don’t worry about it. Finish the dishes. I’ll see who it is," she told them.
"Okay," they chorused.
After reassuring the boys, Song Nianchu went to the gate and cracked it open. Outside stood Mu Jingmei and Mu's mother.
Her guess had been spot-on.
"What brings you here?" Song Nianchu kept the gap narrow, her tone icy.
"What kind of attitude is this? My mother is practically your mother-in-law. Shouldn’t you invite us in?" Mu Jingmei’s face darkened at the audacity of this country-bred fisher girl.
Song Nianchu nearly laughed at the absurdity.
"Are you still living in your spoiled-miss fantasy? Maybe grow a brain along with those curves."
Mu Jingmei turned red with rage. How dare this peasant insult her intelligence? She pouted at Mu's mother.
"Mom, look at her! It’s her lack of upbringing that’s corrupted Big Brother and the boys!"
