Reborn as the Villain's Wife, I Shine in 80s-Chapter 140: Pointing to the Mulberry Tree

There were quite a lot of relatives in Boss Lin’s family—immediate relatives, extended relatives, adding up to more than twenty people. Including other friends and acquaintances, as well as their relatives, the tables filled up the entire courtyard.

Firecrackers burst with a fiery bang, and the atmosphere was lively. Children ran around the courtyard, each holding several pieces of candy wrapped in red packaging, grinning cheerfully.

But those scenes came later. Tian Sangsang arrived earlier because she needed to help with cooking.

When she arrived, there weren’t too many people yet, but she saw Xu Yiyuan, Yao Fangfang, and others.

Xu Yiyuan was holding Xu Xixi, standing in his usual gentle and poised manner next to his mother, who was exchanging pleasantries with Boss Lin.

Upon seeing her, Xu Yiyuan smiled faintly.

Tian Sangsang froze, glancing around to confirm he was greeting her, and only then nodded slightly before heading into the kitchen to help.

In the kitchen, some of Boss Lin’s relatives were helping wash vegetables, which made things quite convenient. Though the space was small, it was well-equipped. One dish to be prepared was stir-fried rice cake, a popular local snack.

Tian Sangsang donned an old-fashioned apron. Her stature was tall and robust. The relatives originally felt displeased that Boss Lin would rather hire outsiders than trust them, his own kin, to cook. But once they saw her standing there—strong, steady, and deftly scooping a spoonful of lard into the large wok—they had to admit she was serious about her work. As the lard melted, it sizzled and popped, releasing a tantalizing aroma that filled the air...

Despite the seemingly ordinary actions and cooking process, her unremarkable physical appearance somehow exuded professionalism and inspired a sense of trust, like she really had the air of a master chef.

To put it plainly, what stood out most was the sense of reliability she conveyed.

Tian Sangsang poured the beaten egg mixture she had prepared earlier into the wok, where the lard had already been heated to perfection. As soon as the eggs hit the wok, they puffed up and expanded. With a quick stir-fry, the eggs broke apart into fine, small round fragments. Then, she added the boiled rice cake along with shredded carrots, green vegetables, bean sprouts, shredded pork, dried shrimp, mushrooms, and other ingredients to mix and stir-fry all together...

Soon, the stir-fried rice cake was ready to serve. It didn’t stick to the wok or become overly mushy. The heat was perfectly controlled; the rice cake wasn’t scorched but carried just the right amount of golden crispness that made it irresistibly appetizing.

You should know that rice cake is highly absorbent, and to stir-fry it so that it’s both dry and tender requires a certain level of skill.

One of the earlier women helping took the dish out with a sense of awe, clearly feeling reassured by Tian Sangsang’s skills.

Tian Sangsang moved on to the next dish. The ventilation in the cramped kitchen wasn’t great, and there was no range hood. Smoke from cooking filled every corner of the space. Without even looking, she knew she must be greasy and slightly sooty all over by now.

The woman hadn’t returned yet, so during a brief moment while waiting for the water in the pot to heat, Tian Sangsang decided to wash the fish.

"Do you need this?" Suddenly, a pair of clean, pale hands reached out in front of her, offering a basin containing a freshly cleaned crucian carp.

Tian Sangsang blinked mechanically. "Mr. Xu?"

"There aren’t enough people, so I thought I’d help out." Xu Yiyuan smiled gently and asked, "Is there anything else I can do for you?"

"No, no, I can handle it myself." Tian Sangsang glanced at him a few times, drenched in sweat. "Don’t you find the smoke in here overwhelming?"

Her implication was clear—someone like him wasn’t suited to be in the kitchen, and he should make a speedy exit.

"It’s not too bad." Xu Yiyuan responded lightly, handing her a wet towel. "Here, wipe yourself off."

"Thank you." Tian Sangsang instinctively took it and wiped her forehead.

"You cook your dishes; I’ll do my own," Xu Yiyuan said softly in a matter-of-fact tone, not looking at her again as he started working with the ingredients.

Tian Sangsang murmured an "Oh." At that moment, the water started boiling. Neither spoke further, and the only sounds in the kitchen were the clinking of utensils. During a quiet lull while cooking, Tian Sangsang couldn’t help but glance over at him. She saw Xu Yiyuan slicing vegetables—layering each slice neatly—and his cuts were clean and precise.

"Mr. Xu, you seem very skilled at this. Do you enjoy domestic tasks in your spare time?" Tian Sangsang tried to strike up a conversation.

"I do enjoy life," Xu Yiyuan replied in a low tone. "Which specifically are you referring to?"

"Cooking, of course."

Xu Yiyuan paused momentarily and broke into a wistful laugh. "Quite the opposite, actually. I rarely cook. Most of the household cooking was taken care of by my mother."

...

At one of the tables outside the kitchen, Shui Lian tasted a piece of rice cake, lowered her head, and remarked with a smile, "She’s truly skilled at cooking, almost like a professional chef. Here, Qianqian, eat some more."

Xu Xixi was busy gnawing on a drumstick while her bowl had been piled high with rice cake, almost resembling a small mountain. Her chubby cheeks were puffed up, and she didn’t pay the slightest attention to the subtle dynamics among the adults.

Earlier, her aunt had warned her that eating anything made by the "black auntie" would make her sick, but her father assured her it wouldn’t. Though she still disliked the "black auntie," she had no problem eating her fill now.

"Fangfang, what’s wrong? You barely ate anything," Shui Lian asked with concern.

Yao Fangfang glanced at the silent Xu Mother before replying to Shui Lian, "I just don’t have an appetite; I don’t like the food."

She swore she wouldn’t be won over by Tian Sangsang’s cooking skills!

Xu Mother, who could easily be described as a homemaker, nodded approvingly. "Her cooking is indeed excellent." As for other matters...

"Where’s Yiyuan? He said he was in the kitchen, but he still hasn’t returned." Her expression remained unreadable as she continued.

Shui Lian immediately offered, "Auntie, shall I go check on him?"

"Sit down and eat properly; I’ll go myself." Xu Mother decisively stood up and headed towards the kitchen.

"When I was a child, my mom asked me to pluck a scallion, but I ended up pulling out a leek."

"Hahaha... Mr. Xu, you’re quite funny."

"And you? To master such cooking skills, you must have put in a lot of effort."

"Not really. Back then, I was clueless... To get to my current level, the most important factor was talent."

"You’re certainly... not modest."

"Haha."

"Yiyuan." Xu Mother entered the kitchen unnoticed, her face revealing no emotion.

"Mom." Xu Yiyuan paused his movements.

"Qianqian is outside waiting for you to accompany her." Xu Mother stated flatly, "A man doesn’t belong in the kitchen. Since your uncle-in-law chose someone to cook, it means he trusts them to handle things here. I’ll lend a hand myself, so you should leave."

"Alright." Xu Yiyuan replied softly.

Tian Sangsang was making braised fish, and the next dish on the menu was soybeans stewed with pork trotters. She couldn’t deny that the feast was quite elaborate.

Xu Yiyuan’s mother gave off an impression of being rather stern and humorless. Being in such close quarters with someone like her, even with two lifetimes of experience, Tian Sangsang couldn’t help but feel a little uneasy.

While washing pork trotters, Xu Mother said, "You know, I’m older than you, but my dishes can’t compare to yours in flavor."

Tian Sangsang responded with a faint smile, sensing a hidden meaning behind her words. Sure enough, she continued, "When Yiyuan got married, we hosted the banquet at home. We specifically invited a relative who was skilled in the kitchen. But as it turned out, that person—probably seeing that they were among family—became rather slack, slow in their actions, and kept shirking their work in the kitchen."

"Which goes to show that what matters isn’t just someone’s skill but their character." Tian Sangsang chuckled awkwardly. For some reason, she felt Xu Yiyuan’s mother didn’t think highly of her.

Don’t ask why—it was a woman’s intuition.