Xu’s mother was like a butterfly, flitting through the crowd, clapping her hands in delight as she boasted about her daughter’s achievements. She spoke with pride about Xu Ying’s first attempt at cooking, her second time attending a wedding banquet where even the big boss had taken a liking to her, and now about her latest success—buying a bicycle and landing a job. She kept talking and talking until her lips turned dry. Finally, she patted her thighs and stood up with a bright smile.
“Alright, enough chatter! Now that we’ve got meat on the table, we have to celebrate our daughter’s new job!”
“Sister-in-law, I brought you some fabric—make yourself a couple of new outfits.” Xu Ying carried out a pile of fabric from the house and handed it to Sister-in-law Xu.
If she remembered correctly, her sister-in-law’s eldest brother was about to get married. She specially handed over a piece of red cloth that would be perfect for such an occasion. Back when the system had given her this red fabric, Xu Ying had wondered when she would ever use it. But now, it turned out to be just the thing.
Her eldest sister-in-law had married into the family long ago, and though she never once demanded anything from her own parents’ household, she often ended up lending things to Xu Ying’s family when they were in need. Now that the Xu family’s fortunes had improved, they could no longer treat her unfairly.
“Sister-in-law, you can use this blue cloth to make yourself a dress. As for the red one—if you feel it’s too bright or flashy, just use it however you like.”
Of course, she knew perfectly well the red cloth would be loved, but she deliberately said this so her sister-in-law wouldn’t feel hesitant or awkward when distributing the fabric.
Sister-in-law Xu frowned slightly. Who would dislike such beautiful fabric? She quickly took the bundle into the house and showed it off to her husband.
“My little sister gave this to me to make clothes,” she said, unable to hide her happiness.
Brother Xu’s face broke into a grin when he saw the pile of fabric. For a grown man, there was no greater joy than seeing his wife get along well with his family. In the past, when his mother and sister had treated his wife poorly, he had felt pained and helpless. But now, as his mother and sister slowly changed for the better, the tight knot between his brows had finally loosened.
He glanced at the stack of fabric and asked curiously, “Isn’t this too much?”
Sister-in-law Xu shook her head with a small smile. “I’ll use the blue one to make myself a dress, and the rest will go to you for a new pair of trousers. My eldest brother’s getting married soon, so I want to give the red cloth to him for his new wife.”
Brother Xu quickly waved his hands. “I just made new clothes recently, I don’t need trousers. You’ve barely had new clothes all these years—make yourself an extra pair of pants.”
Sister-in-law Xu considered it and accepted his suggestion. Setting the cloth aside, she cheerfully announced, “I’d better get cooking. Grandpa, Second Uncle, and Third Uncle’s families will be arriving soon.”
As she spoke, her lips curved into a proud smile. “Our little sister is really something. She’s actually going to work at a state-owned restaurant. From now on, I can tell everyone that our little sister is a big chef!”
“I’ll help you,” Brother Xu offered. Thinking about feeding so many people, he couldn’t bear to let his wife work alone.
As they approached the kitchen, they saw Xu Ying already busy inside. Brother Xu scratched his head and called out, “Little sister, come out! Your sister-in-law and I will handle this.”
Sister-in-law Xu chimed in, “You’ll be cooking every day at work soon—you should rest at home so you don’t get sick of it!”
Xu Ying laughed. “Brother, can you even cook? Why don’t you help by stoking the fire? Sister-in-law, you can prep the vegetables, and I’ll handle the cooking. Otherwise, you won’t get to enjoy my cooking much in the future—if you want to eat like this, you’ll have to go to the restaurant, and that’s expensive!”
Brother Xu chuckled awkwardly. It was true—he really didn’t know how to cook.
Sister-in-law Xu, who was already craving Xu Ying’s cooking, happily agreed to the arrangement.
They had a pheasant at home and fresh fish that Brother Xu had bought, so the meal promised to be a feast.
Soon, Brother Xu called the rest of the family, and relatives from the old house arrived carrying their contributions.
Uncle Xu was a bit puzzled. “It’s not even a holiday, why are we gathering for a meal?” But then he figured, well, it’s a free dinner, and with everyone eating together, it was bound to be good. He happily called over his wife and daughter to join.
“Auntie brought some vegetables and a pound of ribs—see what you can make with them,” Aunt Xu said as she entered the kitchen. She lingered, wanting to help, but when she peeked inside and saw everything under control, she quietly slipped away.
Of course, she didn’t leave empty-handed. She helped herself to some fried peanuts and mushrooms Xu Ying had already made, savoring their aroma.
“Mmm, smells amazing!” Little Xu Sheng drooled, his eyes fixed on the peanuts. “Mom, can I have some?”
Aunt Xu felt a little embarrassed, but Father Xu smiled indulgently at his nephew. “Here, Shitou, go get a bowl and chopsticks for your cousin.”
Shitou obediently ran off to the kitchen, carefully scooping a big portion of peanuts for his first uncle.
“Uncle, enjoy! I’ll come back to check on you later.”
Xu Sheng eagerly dug in, stuffing peanuts into his mouth with chopsticks. Aunt Xu’s eyes reddened a little. “Honestly, you’re such a big boy now, and still so greedy!”
Old Man Xu’s face darkened. “What nonsense are you saying? It’s not Shengshun’s fault. You’re hurting the child with words like that.”
What was supposed to be a joyful gathering was momentarily overshadowed by this exchange, and a gloomy mood crept into the yard.
“Mom, Dad, we’re here!” Third Uncle Xu’s carefree voice rang out as he walked in.
Old Man Xu’s face fell even further. “What are you doing here? You’re really spoiling the mood today.”
But Uncle Xu was unfazed. His father had scolded him plenty of times before. With a grin, he turned to Xu’s father. “Brother, what a great day this is! I could smell the meat from halfway down the road—I was drooling all the way here!”
“Yingying’s starting work at a state-owned restaurant the day after tomorrow,” Xu’s father announced proudly.
Third Uncle Xu had just been about to sit down, but when he heard that, his legs buckled, and he plopped to the ground with a thud. “Brother, are you kidding me? How could Yingying get into a state-owned restaurant? That’s a tough place to crack—it’s not something a little girl could pull off!”
“Third Uncle, come help me light the fire!” Xu Ying’s clear voice called out from the kitchen.
Old Man Xu thought his youngest son would surely refuse. He was about to scold him again when, to his astonishment, Uncle Xu scrambled up and hurried into the house.
Old Man Xu rubbed his eyes in disbelief. It really was his third son!
Madam Xu was just as surprised.
In the kitchen, third Uncle Xu wore a rare solemn expression. “Yingying, tell me honestly—how did you land a job in a state-owned restaurant?” He had made a bet with his niece just days ago, and now it looked like she was about to prove him wrong.
“I got in with my own skills. You’ve eaten my cooking—wasn’t it good?” Xu Ying said calmly as she wielded the spatula.
Uncle Xu nodded. He had to admit, her cooking was top-notch.
But even so, getting into a state-owned restaurant wasn’t easy. These days, jobs were all about connections, not ability. Many factories were filled with relatives up and down the hierarchy. If pure skill was enough, he wouldn’t have fallen on such hard times himself.
“It’s true, it’s hard to get into a good unit now,” Xu Ying continued. “But if you’ve got the talent, there’s still hope. Aren’t you happy for me, Third Uncle?”
Uncle Xu’s serious face softened into a grin. “Of course I’m happy. So, about that promise you made earlier—are you still going to help me find a job?”
With a wink, he transformed back into his usual mischievous self, as if that brief flash of intensity had never happened.