A Good Country Wife

Zhang Chunhua had just set aside her work to make a trip to Zhao Erhu’s house when she saw her mother-in-law carrying in two large baskets. "Mother, why are you carrying such big baskets? What’s inside?"

"It’s what Erhu’s wife sent over. She said to bring it for you. Inside are peach-shaped birthday buns and several cold dishes." Chunhua’s mother-in-law had smelled the aroma coming from the baskets earlier, which was temptingly strong. It wasn’t appropriate to lift the cloth covering the baskets in front of others outside, but now in the kitchen, she put the baskets on the table, lifted the floral cloth, and repeatedly praised what she saw.

"Tsk tsk, how does Erhu’s wife have such good culinary skills? Look, these birthday buns are made to look just like real peaches. And this braised pork and the cold dishes, I wonder what she added to make them so fragrant. Even city restaurants probably can’t compare."

When Zhang Chunhua saw the contents of the two baskets, she understood that Lin Yue had specially prepared these to help her save face in front of her two sisters-in-law. She felt extremely comforted. Hearing her mother-in-law praise Lin Yue, she felt no jealousy but instead replied with pride, "That goes without saying. Erhu’s wife’s culinary skills are not something ordinary people can match. Erhu doesn’t know what good fortune he’s cultivated to have married such a great wife."

Madam Wu, hearing Zhang Chunhua speak this way, feared her daughter-in-law might misunderstand and promptly said, "It’s true that Erhu’s wife is good, but you’re not bad either. Now isn’t the home still supported by your help? As for your eldest sister-in-law, well, let’s not talk about her."

Speaking of her eldest sister-in-law left Zhang Chunhua speechless. Her sister-in-law wasn’t a bad person per se; it was just that she had a difficult temper. When she quarreled with her elder brother, she didn’t even care that today was her father-in-law’s birthday. Just yesterday, she had gone back to her mother’s house and hadn’t returned yet. Otherwise, Chunhua wouldn’t have been this busy. No wonder her mother-in-law disapproved; it was too thoughtless.

"Mother, you know what kind of person my eldest sister-in-law is. When she gets angry, she doesn’t care about anything else. It’s not intentional. Once she cools down, she’ll come back." Zhang Chunhua thought of the generally good relationship she shared with her eldest sister-in-law and couldn’t help speaking a few words in her favor to her mother-in-law.

"You don’t need to speak well of her for me. I don’t have such a daughter-in-law. Who else among daughter-in-laws is like her? Having a disagreement with her husband is one thing, but today is her father-in-law’s birthday, and she actually hides at her mother’s house and doesn’t come back. With such unfilial and disrespectful behavior, she might as well never come back." Madam Wu grew angrier the more she spoke, but in the end, she did not voice the extreme suggestion of her son divorcing his wife.

Zhang Chunhua also knew that her mother-in-law was speaking out of anger and did not dwell on the subject. "Mother, today is Father’s birthday, let’s all be happy. Don’t be angry. I think it’s almost time. Could you help me put the birthday buns and dishes that Yueyue sent onto plates? We can directly serve them later."

"Okay, I’ll get them ready." Madam Wu felt better after venting a bit and, heeding her daughter-in-law’s words, took out plates from the cupboard, divided the birthday buns, braised pork, and several cold dishes into two portions for the plates, and took out another two bowls. She left some of the birthday buns and a portion of each dish aside for Zhang Chunhua. After all the hard work of her daughter-in-law for most of the day, it wouldn’t do for her not to have any good food to eat. All in all, Madam Wu was still a decent mother-in-law.