Chapter 16:
Li Zhenzhu got up, huffing and puffing as she ran to the kitchen: “Eldest sister-in-law, so early in the morning and I can hear you making a racket!”
“Do you even want people to sleep anymore?”
Xiao Zhou Shi was so angry her eyes turned red. She was busy to death, but they thought she was disturbing their sleep…
They were all women, did those from Old Li Family have to act so superior?
“Really, with your temper, why not just go back to Old Zhou Family? We at Li Family can’t afford to host you!”
“Zhenzhu, you need to speak with a conscience. Whether I go back to Old Zhou Family or not isn’t for a spinster like you to say. Besides, you are someone who will get married off someday, heh! Who will be the master of Old Li Family is still uncertain!”
“What did you say?”
“When you get bullied at your husband’s home, don’t come crying back to maternal family shouting for Old Li Family people, asking your oldest brother to back you up!!!”
“Eldest sister-in-law? Are you disgusted that I eat and drink for free at home and want to chase me away?”
“That’s right!”
“My oldest brother is my own oldest brother. It’s right for me to call him to back me up. What right do you, an outsider, have to stop it?”
“Then let’s wait and see!”
Li Zhenzhu was so angry she started crying, covering her mouth as she ran out…
“Tch! Fighting with me, and not even knowing what she is!”
Day after day at home, eating the grain grown by brother and sister-in-law, spending the silver earned by brother and sister-in-law, and still having to treat her like an ancestor.
They didn’t dare say it, but she did!
She was just too angry, momentarily blinded without thinking of the consequences!
Li Gui went to the latrine and happened to run into Li Zhenzhu crying!
“Zhenzhu, what happened to you again?”
“Fourth brother, do you also dislike me eating and drinking for free at home without earning money?”
“Uh…”
Li Gui stared at Zhenzhu. To be honest, Zhenzhu was quite annoying usually, already so old and still not married.
Whenever mother had something good, she had to share it with him too!
Wasn’t it said she would marry a powerful master in the future?
Hurry up and marry, then she could help him, whether with money or career, give him some support.
He had seen through the facial expressions of these people at home; they probably couldn’t give him much silver support. If she was sensible, he wouldn’t mistreat her in the future either.
Luo Zhi’er cut the pig lungs into pieces, added ginger slices, and blanched them in clean water.
She called Miaomiao’s father to find some corn wine…
Luckily, when Second Brother came back before, the family had brought a little. Li Sanmao ran outside Second Son’s Family and shouted for Chen Shi to pour a small spoonful…
Though pitifully little, it was better than none…
Chen Shi was sly too. Though no one had eaten this pig offal before, the food made by this Luo Zhi’er was indeed delicious.
If Zhou Shi scolded her later for not helping with work and dared to give her attitude, she could just see how it turned out. Maybe she and the kids could have some!
Luo Zhi’er scooped up the pig lungs and set them aside…
Then she put oil in the iron pot, added garlic and ginger shreds, stir-fried them, then poured in the cut pig lungs…
Stir-fried a few times, added white wine, star anise and such, then added several ladles of clean water. The soup instantly turned milky white, filling more than half the pot…
She covered it with a large wooden lid. “Miaomiao’s father, turn up the fire!”
“Okay! Got it, wife!”
Li Sanmao added a few pieces of firewood, held Miaomiao and sat in the kitchen to help her watch the fire, watching her make pig lung soup…
The family of three was very harmonious. While stir-frying, father and daughter had already smelled the alluring fragrance!
“Wife, why does this soup smell not fishy at all? It’s making my mouth water…”
“Hehe, then drink a few more bowls later. They don’t want to drink it, so don’t let it go to waste! Besides, this pig lung soup clears cough and generates fluids; it’s good for the body…”
“I heard you coughing last night. Did you catch a cold?”
“This pig lung soup will be good for you!”
Li Sanmao’s face reddened. It had been several days; that day hunting right after rain, the forest had soaked his clothes completely!
He just thought a big man with a cold was no big deal?
He could tough it out; no one cared about him before, and Luo Zhi’er didn’t care about him either…
“Hehe, wife, you’re so good to me!”
“What are you saying!” She shot him a glance.
“Hehe!”
“But yeah, we really wasted a lot of ingredients before!”
“Didn’t we?”
Her stomach growled nonstop. She saw a few shriveled sweet potatoes in the corner by the wall, picked them up, and threw them into the stove cavity to roast…
She cut white radish and carrot.
Seeing dried green vegetables hanging on the bamboo pole in the yard, she took some down, washed and cut them, and added them to the pot with the radishes to stew…
Once it boiled in the pot, she skimmed off the foam, added white radish, carrot, dried vegetables…
Father and daughter ate sweet potatoes, so she took the pig large intestines and such, cut them into segments.
She instructed Li Sanmao to fire up the small cauldron stove used only in winter after eating the sweet potatoes.
She took out the matching small iron pot, placed it on top, and started braising large intestines, small intestines, and such…
