Mr. Xu was also getting angry; his daughter, no matter what, was his precious treasure.
Xu, seeing his mother angry and fearing that his wife would be hit, quickly stood in front of his wife, "Mom, she didn't mean it that way."
"Then what did she mean?" Mrs. Xu was about to explode; no one could talk about her daughter, even if she was lazy.
"Mom, I didn't mean it, I know I was wrong, it's my eyes that are blind, unable to see little sister's goodness.
I think my little sister is not only pretty but also cultured, and most importantly, she cooks delicious food and knows how to take care of us. Little sister is the best," Eldest Sister-in-law Xu hastily wiped her tears and explained.
Mrs. Xu's expression softened quite a bit.
Xu Ying knew her sister-in-law had been dissatisfied with her before, but it had indeed been her own fault, so she didn't mind what her sister-in-law had said at all.
Now that she had corrected herself, it was all good.
"Mom, let's eat quickly; the chicken soup won't taste good if it sits for too long."
Xu Ying changed the topic.
Mrs. Xu then hurriedly took her daughter into the room.
Mr. Xu, along with the rest, entered the room as well.
As soon as they walked into the room, the rich aroma of the chicken soup hit their noses instantly.
"Close the door," said Mrs. Xu, pressing down on the lid of the pot.
Second Brother Xu immediately closed the door.
Only then did Mrs. Xu lift the lid; instantly, the pot released an especially rich fragrance that filled the room and whetted appetites.
The large ceramic pot was filled with chicken and radishes. Mrs. Xu, holding a spoon, pushed aside the golden-hued droplets of fat floating on top of the wild chicken pieces, revealing the snow-white soup below.
"Quickly get your bowls for some soup," Mrs. Xu said as she ladled a full bowl of chicken chunks for her daughter.
"Mom, I want to eat some radishes; they're delicious, and I want some of the soup too. The chicken has been cooking for so long, the nutrients and flavor are all in the soup."
As soon as these words were uttered, Mrs. Xu immediately scooped a large spoonful of chicken soup for Xu Ying.
There was a particularly large amount of chicken soup in the big ceramic pot; the eight members of the family each got a full bowl, and there was still plenty left in the pot.
"Shitou, go and get the wild chicken eggs out of the pot; one for each," Xu Ying commanded.
Upon hearing this, Shitou scampered off to fetch the eggs.
The wild chicken eggs were quite small, gone in just one bite.
After swallowing a wild chicken egg, Mr. Xu blew on the soup in his bowl, then slurped down a mouthful of the wild chicken soup.
A shiver ran through his body; the delicious taste of the chicken soup lingered in his mouth.
"Our daughter's cooking is just too good; this wild chicken soup is the best I've ever had."
Although Mrs. Xu was somewhat disgruntled, she could not deny this fact. Fortunately, it was her own daughter who was so skilled; she would've been green with envy if it had been someone else.
"I think so too, our daughter is naturally talented at cooking," Mr. Xu remarked, feeling moved by the comment but said nothing more.
Xu and Second Brother Xu, slurped down the chicken soup, savoring the deliciousness with their eyes closed in enjoyment.
Eldest Sister-in-law Xu took a sip of the soup and then fed a spoonful to her young son.
Shitou crunched on the chicken meat, a face full of happiness.
This meal was even better than what they ate for New Year's.
"Little aunt, can we eat like this every day?" The moment Shitou said this,
Xu and Second Brother Xu looked at Xu Ying, excited and curious.
Mrs. Xu rolled her eyes, "Eat like this every day? In your dreams!"
"The wild chickens on the mountain would be in a frenzy if they heard, accusing us of wiping out their generations by eating their eggs," Xu chuckled.
Mr. Xu also grinned, "You wish it could be like this every day, don't you? I'd love to eat like this daily too.
"But such good days are hard to come by; I'd be content if we could have a meal like this once a month."
The Xu family enjoyed their meal thoroughly, leaving not a single drop of chicken soup in the large pot.
By the end of the meal, they had all gained a great deal of goodwill value.
Xu and Second Brother Xu had plump bellies and let out satisfied belches.
Eldest Sister-in-law Xu also felt a bit overfull as she burped and quickly started cleaning up the dishes, taking them to the kitchen to wash.
Xu stepped outside, noticed that the water vat was low, and carried a bucket to fetch water from the river in the village.
Mrs. Xu felt a bit too full as well and stood in the courtyard, walking off the meal.
Xu Ying also ate a bit too much today, so taking advantage of the moonlight, she went for a stroll with Shitou and Hu Zi.
Just as they left the village, Xu Ying was stopped by a young woman who blocked her path, "Yingying, is your second brother at home? I have urgent business with him."
On recognizing the voice, Xu Ying's heart fluttered with excitement, "Sister Qiu Ye, you're looking for my second brother? Wait a moment, I'll call him out for you."
Xu Qiuye smiled at her and stood waiting for her to return.
Shitou and Hu Zi stood by, eyeing Qiu Ye curiously, "Aunt Qiu Ye, what do you want with Uncle Second Xu?"
Qiu Ye's cheeks turned a touch red as she replied, "I just have a question for him."
Shitou voiced with curiosity, hinting at the relationship between his uncle and Qiu Ye, "Aunt Qiu Ye, do you like Uncle Second Xu? He sure likes you a lot."
At these words, Qiu Ye's face turned beet red, and a pulse of joy erupted in her heart; holding back her excitement, she questioned, "Shitou, don't talk nonsense. How do you know your uncle likes me?"
Shitou grinned broadly, "My uncle said so himself; he said he wants to marry you."
"Qiu Ye, did you need me for something?" Second Brother Xu approached, scratching his head and looking embarrassed.
Xu Ying motioned to Shitou and Hu Zi to follow her, and the three of them hid to the side to watch.
Qiu Ye glanced at the three, hesitant to speak.
Recognizing the situation, Xu Ying tactfully led the two boys along the opposite path.
Yet inside she was a bit thrilled, for Sister Qiu Ye to come looking for her second brother so late at night surely meant something was up, a fact she could hardly deny.
Sister Qiu Ye and her second brother had grown up together like two peas in a pod.
Later on, Sister Qiu Ye was admitted to high school and left for further study.
Her family wasn't well-off, and Second Brother Xu didn't initially want to go to school; plus, their cousin from the uncle's side had a car accident, and her father spent all the family money on hospital bills.
As a result, there wasn't enough money left for Second Brother Xu to continue his schooling, and he dropped out to start working in the fields.
Sister Qiu Ye was an excellent student, and after graduating, her father pulled some strings to get her a job at the supply and marketing cooperative. She is now a full-time worker earning thirty-eight yuan a month.
Besides her salary, she received grain distributions and various types of ration coupons.
Even Sister Qiu Ye's parents were regular workers at the textile factory in town.
As kids, the two spent a lot of time playing together, but as Sister Qiu Ye entered high school and her father was allotted a factory apartment, their family moved to live in the factory's residential area in town.
Though the apartment was small and the family lived there all crammed together, it was quite a matter of pride to discuss.
Mr. Qiu Ye had high aspirations, wanting Sister Qiu Ye to find a well-matched family in town for marriage and not considering Second Brother Xu, a mere farmer, a suitable match at all.
Therefore, Second Brother Xu and Qiu Ye didn't keep in touch much, but their feelings remained intact all along.
Now, with Sister Qiu Ye coming to seek him out late in the evening, Second Brother Xu felt a mix of surprise and fear, worrying that something might be amiss with her.
Qiu Ye and Second Brother Xu walked toward a stone stool at the side, where she glanced at him and stammered, "My mother's coworker brought up a potential match for me.