Tang Youyou entered the kitchen, shooed her two sons away, and peered into the pot with a sigh. One single pot for both porridge and stir-fry—what a disaster.
She looked at her youngest son. "Xiaosi, get the fire going."
Crouching down, she opened her Virtual Panel and spent six copper coins to buy two taels of lard. She dropped half of it into the pot, only then realizing she hadn't chopped the water celery yet, and she was hardly an expert at stir-frying anyway.
Just then, Lin Huahua stepped into the kitchen. "Mother, let me handle it."
Tang Youyou breathed a sigh of relief and gestured to the stack of bowls. "Where did those come from?"
Lin Huahua chopped the vegetables as she replied, "Hehe... they’re all chipped. Aunt Yu next door said she was giving them to us."
Tang Youyou searched her memories, feeling a bit awkward. Sister-in-law Yu next door was an honest, sturdy woman whose family made their living selling tea by the government road. Tang Youyou had previously argued with her over the private plot of land behind their yard. *Pah, pah, pah*—what did she mean by "she"? That wasn't her; that was the original owner of this body.
The sound of sizzling brought her back to reality.
Lin Huahua sprinkled in some salt, picked up a piece with her chopsticks, and held it to Tang Youyou’s lips—the implication was clear. Tang Youyou felt somewhat speechless; it was just salt, what was there to taste? Still, she gave the girl face and took a bite.
Her eyes widened, and she nodded repeatedly. She felt as though she must have lost her mind, for the water celery tasted incredibly fresh and tender.
"Mother, you used so much lard! That’s enough for a dozen stir-fries." Lin Huahua assumed the lard had been brought over by her maternal grandmother’s family, so she didn't ask further questions.
Tang Youyou’s mouth twitched. A dozen times? Would you even taste the fat? She didn't stop her hands, busily rubbing the fish mint. "Huahua, stir-fry this watercress too, and use up the rest of the oil!" After all, with that much watercress, what would be the point if it lacked flavor?
Lin Huahua paused, words dying on her lips. She sighed. *Is Mother thinking of eating it all in one go? And then drinking cold water for the rest of the time?* She had heard about the conflict between her mother-in-law and her own family after marrying in, and she figured her mother-in-law must be incredibly happy today. *Oh well, I’ll just have to indulge her.* She dumped all the remaining oil into the pot.
After the time it took to finish a bowl of tea, the meal was served.
The three Tangs stared in confusion. *Why is the child using the fine white rice? And these three large platters of vegetables smell so fragrant, glistening with oil—what a wasteful girl.*
"Gurgle, gurgle..."
Tang Youyou looked at them. "What are you all standing there for? Dig in!"
Old Man Tang thought about it, then decided to wait until the younger ones weren't around to lecture her. He picked up his chopsticks and took a bite of the watercress. The moment it hit his tongue, his eyes popped open. "Delicious! Everything is better with plenty of oil."
Tang Youyou smiled and placed some water celery in his bowl. "Father, if you trust me, try this. It isn't poisonous; it’s delicious."
Old Man Tang was caught between laughter and tears. People had eaten this before and ended up with violent vomiting and diarrhea—it was surely toxic. But seeing everyone at the table staring at him with such burning intensity, he gritted his teeth. *Fine. So much oil was used on this; if I get sick, so be it. At least she won’t eat it again.* With a look of resignation, he took a bite.
His expression, a perfect picture of "accepting death," made Tang Youyou laugh. She calmly took a bite herself before Mother Tang could stop her.
"You child, spit it out!"
Old Man Tang felt a pang of heartache, realizing he was the one who was meant to suffer. He gritted his teeth and swallowed. He couldn't stop nodding, reaching out for more. "Old woman, try this! This 'poisonous herb' is actually quite fragrant!"
Mother Tang threw him an annoyed look, then cautiously placed a few strands in her mouth. The surprise on her face was clear. "Who would have thought this poisonous plant could taste so good!"
Tang Youyou chuckled. "Mother, I told you, it’s not poisonous. It’s called water celery. It’s harmless; someone must have misidentified it before." She then placed some fish mint in her bowl. "Mother, try this fish mint. Do you like the taste?"
Mother Tang hesitantly took a bite and chewed. "It’s not bad, though it has a strange flavor."
Tang Youyou placed some in Lin Huahua’s bowl. "Huahua, eat more of this; it’s good for your wounds."
"Thank you, Mother!"
Lin Huahua was surprised. Her mother-in-law had never mistreated her, but she had never shown her any care either—they had been like strangers living under the same roof. This change was so unexpected that she couldn't help but blush.
Bai Ruosi pouted. "Mother, you’re playing favorites."
She laughed and placed some water celery in his bowl, too.
Everyone ate with different thoughts.
Mother Tang: *My daughter must have eaten these things often in the past, even the poisonous ones, to be able to tell the difference.*
Old Man Tang: *This child has suffered so much. I’ve been a fool; even if she wouldn't contact her family, shouldn't I have come to see her myself?*
Tang Wen: *My sister has suffered. She was once such a proud person, only to be ground down by that wretched old hag. Just wait—I’ll make sure to get justice for her later.*
The children: *The white rice porridge is so fragrant, and these vegetables are so oily and delicious. If we could eat like this every meal, dying would be worth it.*
Tang Youyou: *What’s going on? Why is everyone looking at me? Do I have flowers on my face?*
By the time the meal was over, she realized there wasn't even any washing up to do—everything had been licked clean, not a single grain left.
Suddenly, a scream from the courtyard startled them. "Sister Tang, come quick! Your parents-in-law are getting beaten up!"
*Whoosh!*
All eight people at the table stood up. Aside from Bai Ruosi, everyone had eyes gleaming with excitement.
Tang Youyou pressed a hand to her forehead. Truly, from ancient times to the present, everyone had a gossip-loving heart.
Old Man Tang touched his beard awkwardly. "Let’s go take advantage of the chaos... ahem, I mean, let’s go pressure them to sever ties. Bah! I... I just want to go witness this joyous occasion."
The children’s mouths hung wide enough to fit an egg; their grandfather was quite the character.
Tang Youyou took charge. "Eldest, Fourth Child, Huahua, stay and guard the house. We’re going to see what the commotion is about."
The young couple didn't object; after all, the food their grandfather had brought needed someone to look after it. And so, the six of them hurried off toward the Bai Family Old Residence.
The courtyard was packed three layers deep with onlookers, and the sound of chatter was chaotic.
"That devilish Old Man Bai! He actually tried to force his daughter-in-law into a ghost marriage. He dares to do such a heaven-defying thing!"
"Tsk, tsk. I used to laugh at the Tang woman for being stupid, walking away with nothing but her children just to live on her own. Little did I know, this whole family has been abusing her all along."
"Pah, what do you know? According to the rumors, she was forced into a corner and had no other choice. It’s said she asked for money and farmland at the time, but Old Man Bai wouldn't budge, leaving her with no other option."
"Oh? Bai Yulian, how do you know all this? Tell us more..."
A group of women retreated to a circle, whispering to each other.
A man scoffed. "None of them are good people. Their house has been torn down—they deserve it."
Someone agreed. "Evil people eventually get their due. The eldest son of the Bai family died so young; maybe he did something that angered the heavens."
"Shh! Stop talking! She’s here!" Someone with sharp eyes whispered a warning.
The crowd instinctively cleared a path for them. Tang Youyou raised an eyebrow and walked to the front. Seeing the state of the courtyard, she felt a wave of relief, as if a long-held grudge had finally been purged.