"Everyone, eat and drink to your heart's content."
Gui Xiang greeted the crowd with a warm smile, while Boss Qian and Lianxiang handed out wedding candies.
"From now on, we’re sisters. Since I’m older, you should call me 'Jiejie'!"
Qian Jiabao sat beside Qingqing.
"Elder cousin," Qingqing said softly.
"Calling me 'Jiejie' sounds closer. From now on, at school, I’ll have your back!"
No sooner had Qian Jiabao finished speaking than she coughed twice. Qingqing quickly handed her a glass of water.
"No one bullies me at school. Here, drink some water."
Qingqing observed Qian Jiabao, who was slightly thinner and shorter than her, despite being older. She had known Qian Jiabao ever since Aunt Lianxiang saved her life.
Qian Jiabao’s reputation at school was neither good nor bad—she was often called the "delicate beauty." Her grades were average, and due to her poor health, she ended up in the same grade as Qingqing, though not the same class.
After all, Qingqing consistently ranked first in her class and within the top ten of the entire grade. She cherished every learning opportunity, and Gui Xiang and her husband took Qingqing’s education very seriously.
"Ah, I knew it—everyone looks down on me, thinks I’m a burden, and doesn’t want to be around me."
Qian Jiabao pretended to be heartbroken. Qingqing, tender-hearted by nature, couldn’t bear to see her upset.
"That’s not true. I don’t look down on you."
"See? You still won’t call me 'Jiejie.'"
Qian Jiabao gave Qingqing a pitiful look.
"Jiejie… is this better?" Qingqing relented.
"Mhm, much better!"
Qian Jiabao immediately brightened.
"Then hurry up and eat, or we’ll be late for school."
Qingqing urged her. Though Qian Jiabao’s grades were mediocre, she took her studies seriously and quickly finished her meal.
"Dad, Aunt Lianxiang, Qingqing and I are heading to school now."
Once done eating, Qian Jiabao grabbed Qingqing’s hand and bid farewell.
"Be careful on your way," Lianxiang reminded them gently.
Boss Qian was delighted to see his daughter in high spirits, and his gaze lingered on his new wife, utterly satisfied.
"Now that Lianxiang’s married, will you hire someone else for the shop, or…?" Yang Yufen asked Gui Xiang.
"Lianxiang may be married, but she didn’t move far. Besides, Qingqing and Jiabao go to the same school. Lianxiang will keep working at the shop. A woman shouldn’t just hold out her palm for money after marriage. It took her years to regain her footing—better safe than sorry."
Gui Xiang had discussed this with Lianxiang, who had expressed her wish to continue helping at the noodle shop. If Ershun recovered fully in a couple of years and joined the shop, she’d look for other work then.
"Ershun prefers farming. This year, instead of beans, he planted watermelons. The students teaching him were so kind—they didn’t hold back when showing him grafting techniques. Now he’s out in the fields every day, even more diligent than his father, terrified something might ruin the melons."
"That’s good. The agricultural students are easygoing. The more Ershun interacts with them, the better."
"Exactly. I was thinking of sending him to help at your orchard, but the old man twisted his ankle, so Ershun’s been stuck at home keeping an eye on things."
Life always throws a few unexpected hurdles your way.
The two old friends chatted for a while, savoring this rare chance to sit and catch up.
"Changshun planted watermelons too—on the hillside, though. He couldn’t bear to use the fertile land meant for grain."
Gui Xiang sighed after mentioning her second son, her thoughts inevitably drifting to her eldest.
"Planting on the slope? If the melons grow, you’ll have to be careful—those round melons will just roll right down the hill. Lose one melon, and you might end up pulling out the whole vine."
Aunt Wang couldn’t help chiming in.
"Oh! I never thought of that. Ah, my brain—I knew something felt off at the time! I was just worried about wasting such good melon seeds. Planting on a slope isn’t as good as the fields. Intercropping would’ve been better—even if the yield is lower, it’s still something. Thank goodness, thank goodness. I’ll call Changshun tonight to remind him."
Gui Xiang slapped her thigh.
"There’s still time, still time."
Aunt Wang reassured her. The melons weren’t that big yet—even if they rolled, they wouldn’t damage the vines.
"That chicken you brought yesterday was so tender when stewed! I thought such a big one would take forever to cook, almost overdid it. Good thing you warned me—I kept a close eye on it."
Gui Xiang changed the subject.
"I was just about to ask—how did you marinate that chicken? It was so fragrant!"
Aunt Wang was curious too. Though it wasn’t smoked, the marinated chicken tasted great even cold. She’d noticed everyone seemed to enjoy it, especially the kids gnawing on the chicken feet—adorable.
"Oh, I didn’t marinate it. It was Lianxiang’s doing. She said since it’s hot, she used spices and sauce to stew the whole chicken, let it soak for ages, then hung it in the well to chill. Only took it out to shred right before serving."
Gui Xiang laughed.
"Lianxiang knows how to do this? Impressive!"
Yang Yufen was surprised.
"Lianxiang used to help out in kitchens to earn extra money. She picked it up watching the banquet chefs work."
"Let’s ask Lianxiang about it later. I think this flavor has potential—we could even try smoking and coloring it."
Aunt Wang took another bite and glanced at Yang Yufen.
"Agreed. It’s delicious."
Yang Yufen nodded.
After seeing off the guests, Gui Xiang called Lianxiang over. Without hesitation, Lianxiang explained the recipe in detail—what to use, how much, everything.
"We can’t just take this recipe for free. How about we test it in the canteen? Lianxiang, could you help out for a few days?"
Aunt Wang suggested.
"No problem at all. Besides, I learned it from someone else."
Lianxiang flushed slightly.
"If it were just for personal use, we wouldn’t mind. But we’re planning to sell this—that’s different."
Aunt Wang clarified.
"Sell it?"
Lianxiang was stunned, then realized—if noodles and buns could be sold, why not marinated meat? Chicken was meat too.
"Of course! These white-feathered chickens grow fast. We’re just worried about not selling them all at once, so we’re thinking of more ways to move them."
Aunt Wang smiled.
"Aunt Wang, I don’t want money. I… I want to start my own business. Build some savings. I know working here is just my aunt’s way of helping me. Now that I’m married, I don’t want to keep asking others for money. I—"
Lianxiang hesitated.
"You want to marinate and sell them yourself? Go ahead! The capital’s big enough. If you’ve got the skill, don’t waste it. Aunt Yang and I mainly raise chickens and grow fruit—if you succeed, it’ll actually lighten our load."
Aunt Wang couldn't help but smile—the orchard was their true focus. Raising chickens served two purposes: self-sufficiency and, more importantly, providing fertilizer for the land.
Yet she found herself hesitating after her dear friend Yang Yufen mentioned she’d be returning to the family dormitory in the evenings from now on.
