“Shushu! This, this table of dishes, you made them?!”
Old Lady Qiao stared at the sumptuous dishes on the table before her, nearly fainting on the spot.
When she looked at Qiao Shu standing innocently to the side, she felt even more like she was dreaming—it was so unreal!
Her own granddaughter, who had never lifted a finger for housework, had actually made such a lavish meal…
It was truly—
“What a sin! Eggs, meat, fish! How much of our stuff did you waste!”
Old Lady Qiao clutched her chest and spoke with heartache.
She had already let it slide that the water she drank today was cooled boiled water sweetened with sugar, but today wasn’t any special occasion—just an ordinary day, neither New Year’s nor a festival. Yet her granddaughter had made such a huge table of lavish dishes!
Over ten dishes in total! With fish, meat, and eggs! Even more sumptuous than their New Year’s Eve dinner!
Seeing her grandma like this, Qiao Shu was genuinely a bit stunned.
“Grandma, I didn’t waste any food. The dishes I made are delicious—tasty and nutritious.”
Qiao Shu set down what she held in her hands somewhat at a loss, then hurried to Old Lady Qiao’s side and linked arms with her, quickly soothing the old lady who looked heartbroken.
“Grandma, I just thought you and Grandpa eat too plainly every day, without much nutrition. So before I marry into another family and leave home, I wanted to cook a few good meals for you, to nourish you and Grandpa…”
Although Qiao Shu from her previous life had been an orphan with no family and had grown up in an orphanage without ever acting spoiled toward anyone,
the original owner was different. She had grown used to coquettishly wheedling with the elders who doted on her and was skilled at saying sweet words to coax people.
That was precisely why she was the most pampered granddaughter among the Qiao family’s granddaughters.
So this girl had been spoiled into being willful and capricious by the Qiao family since childhood, with some flaws in her personality.
Now, after transmigrating and inheriting all her memories, Qiao Shu had also inherited this ‘special skill’ of acting spoiled.
Sure enough, in her anxiety, she subconsciously adopted the original owner’s usual posture of saying sweet words and coquettishly coaxing with a little daughter’s charm.
And it really worked, this skill of sweet-talking and acting spoiled.
Old Lady Qiao, who had been full of heartache over her granddaughter squandering so many ‘good things,’ suddenly wasn’t angry anymore.
Especially when she saw her most beloved granddaughter blinking her big, watery eyes, looking up at her with full dependence and adoration in that pitiful yet pretty appearance—her heart melted instantly.
“You child, your grandpa and I are healthy enough. We don’t need you making all this to nourish us—it’s such a waste…”
Old Lady Qiao stroked Qiao Shu’s head, which looked so soft to the touch, and sighed lightly as she spoke.
“Grandma, try this. It’s the fish soup I specially made for you and Grandpa—super fresh!”
Qiao Shu deftly ladled a bowl of fish soup and held it to Old Lady Qiao’s lips.
After being personally fed a mouthful of fish soup by her precious granddaughter, Old Lady Qiao’s last bit of heartache over the overly lavish lunch completely vanished.
Because—that fish soup was truly too delicious!
“Oh my! Shushu, how did you make this fish soup? How can it be this good!”
Old Lady Qiao, who had originally been force-fed the fish soup by her granddaughter, lit up the moment she tasted it—fresh enough to melt one’s tongue, impossibly delicious. She grabbed the bowl and gulped it down in one go!
Meanwhile, the Qiao family’s eldest daughter-in-law Xu Cui and second daughter-in-law Xu Laidi were stunned by Old Lady Qiao’s actions.
How delicious must it be!
Subconsciously, both women’s gazes turned to the table of food that already smelled incredibly appetizing, and they couldn’t help swallowing.
“Grandma, Big Aunt, Second Aunt, go wash up first. I’ll go call Grandpa and the others back for lunch—the food won’t taste good if it gets cold.”
Hearing Qiao Shu’s words, Old Lady Qiao finally snapped out of the divine fish soup. She waved her hand. “It’s such a hot sun—don’t let yourself get sunburned! Eldest Daughter-in-law, Second Daughter-in-law, you two go call everyone back for lunch.”
“Got it, Mom. I’ll go with Second Sister-in-law right now!”
Xu Cui, ever perceptive, pulled Xu Laidi along and left. Being sent on the errand by the old lady’s blatant favoritism didn’t bother her.
After all, her mother-in-law had always favored her youngest son, and by extension, doted on Qiao Shu, his daughter and her youngest granddaughter.
She had long grown accustomed to the old lady’s loving attitude toward this granddaughter.
But Xu Laidi, who came from the same village as Xu Cui and was distantly related, wasn’t as nonchalant.
‘Just a girl who’s about to marry into another family and become someone else’s—why does Mom treat her so well? Doting on her more than on the boys at home…’
Hearing Xu Laidi start muttering such words again, Xu Cui frowned helplessly.
This distant cousin of hers was far too sexist. Though Xu Cui herself favored sons, she still loved her own daughters and planned for them.
But the second family…
“Second Sister-in-law, daughters aren’t really that much worse than sons. Your two girls are both good children—Chunhua is diligent and filial, Xia Hua is smart and sensible. They’ll take care of you and Second Brother in your old age; you’ll be living well. Lighten up, and in the future, don’t say such things. Treat your two daughters better…”
Xu Cui sincerely advised Xu Laidi. After all, they weren’t just sisters-in-law but distant relatives from the same village—she truly meant well.
Unfortunately, Xu Laidi didn’t appreciate it.
“How can daughters compare to sons? The difference is huge! You say it so easily now, but that’s only because you had two sons…”
Seeing Xu Laidi’s resentful and jealous expression, Xu Cui could only sigh, knowing deep down that she truly couldn’t persuade her second sister-in-law.
But she wasn’t angry; she understood. Among the Qiao family’s three daughters-in-law, both she and the third had borne sons, but only Xu Laidi had given birth solely to daughters, without producing a grandson for the Qiao family.
Whether it was her own sexist nature or the village gossip, it had all forced her into this state.
“Alright, alright, enough of that. Hurry and call everyone back for lunch.”
…
At that moment, Xu Cui was calling the Qiao family members home for lunch.
Meanwhile, her daughter Qiao Hui was using money she’d sneaked from home to eat pork fillet noodles at the State-run Restaurant!
“Strange… where is he…”
In the bustling State-run Restaurant, Qiao Hui’s eyes stayed glued to the entrance, as if searching for someone.
From her furrowed brows, it was clear she hadn’t found the person she sought.
“Little girl, if you don’t eat that noodles soon, it’ll clump up.”
The auntie at her table couldn’t stand seeing food wasted and couldn’t help reminding her.
Hearing the auntie’s voice, Qiao Hui finally pulled her gaze from the restaurant entrance.
But since she hadn’t found the person she wanted, she had no appetite for the noodles.
She remembered Qiao Shu had met him right here at the county’s State-run Restaurant…
Why hadn’t she run into him?
Qiao Hui pursed her lips tightly, recalling every detail of Qiao Shu and that man’s encounter.
Though back then, in her excitement to marry Feng Xiao, she’d focused all her attention on the Feng family and hadn’t paid attention to Qiao Shu’s affairs.
But she vaguely remembered that Qiao Shu had met that man right around the time she was waiting to marry into the Feng family…
Maybe he hadn’t arrived yet…
With that thought, Qiao Hui grew annoyed.
She had specially come to the County Town’s department store today to buy things to spruce herself up, dressing all pretty just to make a good impression on him.
And it had all been for nothing…
After gloomily finishing all the pork fillet noodles in her bowl, Qiao Hui suddenly had a ‘reliable’ idea.
That was—
Since Qiao Shu had met that man in the County Town in her previous life, why not play the waiting game this life? Whenever Qiao Shu planned to come to the County Town, if she went that day, she was sure to run into him!
The more she thought, the more Qiao Hui felt this plan was perfect.
The only drawback was how to stop Qiao Shu from coming to the County Town…
After all, in the previous life, that man had fallen for Qiao Shu at first sight. She had no confidence she could make him overlook Qiao Shu, let alone prevent him from falling for her at first sight…
While Qiao Hui racked her brains over how to keep Qiao Shu from the County Town, the other party, Qiao Shu, was enjoying a delicious and nutritious lunch with the Qiao family!
When the Qiao family members were called home early for lunch, everyone was puzzled, wondering why lunch was ahead of schedule.
When they learned lunch had been moved up entirely because Qiao Shu had made it, they were utterly incredulous.
When they returned home and saw the full table of sumptuous dishes, with such rich aromas of rice and food, they were even more shocked, jaws dropping.
But no matter the shock, it couldn’t compare to their feelings after tasting Qiao Shu’s cooking.
Because… it was just too, too delicious!
So delicious that the Qiao family felt their previous meals had been pig slop!
“Oh my god, Shushu, when did you learn to cook? And with such great skill! You could open a restaurant in our county with this! With this taste, business would boom every day—you’d definitely strike it rich—!”