MTLNOVEL Chapter 23: My Wife Brings Everything Home
Chapter 23: My Wife Brings Everything Home
The noodles Lu Yuan had requested soon arrived. There were no dried noodles at his mother-in-law’s house—after all, dried noodles were also made from precious white flour. Instead, these were hand-rolled noodles made from the twenty kilograms of white flour Lu Yuan had brought. A large bowl arrived topped with chopped green onions and an egg, the aroma delightful.
After serving Lu Yuan personally, mother-in-law Zhao Qiaoer handed her daughter two cornmeal pancakes. Su Liyan accepted them without complaint—this was their daily fare at home.
Seeing this disparity, the villagers in the yard couldn’t help but comment: “You’re giving noodles to your son-in-law but only that to your daughter?”
Zhao Qiaoer responded confidently, hands on her hips: “What’s wrong with that? My son-in-law supports this family, so why shouldn’t he eat well? Which provider doesn’t deserve good food? Besides, my daughter eats well every day in the city—is missing one meal such a problem?”
“We’re just joking,” the villagers relented. With a son-in-law like Lu Yuan, a bowl of noodles was nothing. If he wanted meat, they’d rush to town immediately to buy it.
Zhao Qiaoer turned to Lu Yuan at the table. “Yuan’er, taste it for saltiness. I wasn’t sure how you like it, so I didn’t add much salt. If it’s too bland, I have some pickles.”
Lu Yuan sampled the noodles and looked up with a smile. “It’s perfect. Li Yan always said your cooking was delicious, and it’s true—better than any restaurant in the city.”
His mother-in-law beamed. “Eat up, Yuan’er, there’s more in the pot. Liyan, fetch some pickles from home for your husband.”
Su Liyan promptly obeyed.
The villagers watching couldn’t help but notice how different city men were from village boys. Lu Yuan was generous and articulate, while young village men were typically shy and taciturn around others—you couldn’t get a word from them even with eight beatings.
Lu Yuan began eating heartily. With his exceptional physique, his appetite was naturally substantial. His mother-in-law and stepmother, having finished cooking, joined the villagers in the yard to give Lu Yuan peace while eating.
“Go get two small bowls and some more noodles,” Lu Yuan instructed Su Liyan after the mothers had left.
Su Liyan understood his intention. “No need, dear. Just eat until you’re full.”
Lu Yuan raised his eyebrows playfully. “Now that you’re home, you’re becoming disobedient again? I’ll have to teach you a proper lesson when we get back.”
Understanding what kind of “punishment” awaited her, Su Liyan blushed. She whispered “bad boy” in Lu Yuan’s ear before obediently fetching bowls and chopsticks to serve the noodles. When she returned, she called for Su Lina to join them.
The mothers noticed this from the doorway and guessed their son-in-law’s intentions. They’d wanted him to eat alone, but didn’t object—after all, he’d bought the flour, so he could share it as he wished.
Both mothers were extremely satisfied with their new son-in-law. It wasn’t just his financial situation—his genuine care for their daughter mattered most. Rural women who married into the city were typically treated like servants. City men usually valued rural wives for their capacity for hard work. This was the case for virtually every woman from their village who had married into the city.
But their daughter’s situation was clearly different. Look at the gifts Lu Yuan had brought—weren’t they evidence of his love? The new clothes and shoes for their daughter were remarkable too. No village woman who married into the city ever returned wearing new clothes.
Though they couldn’t gauge the exact price of these items, both mothers had once been proper ladies and recognized quality. The material was clearly expensive. A village family of five would need to save for a year to afford those white leather shoes.
For Zhao Qiaoer and Jin Meijing, their son-in-law’s wealth or appearance was secondary. His consideration for others was what truly mattered.
Inside, Lu Yuan and the sisters ate their noodles contentedly. Little Su Lina especially enjoyed the meal, telling Lu Yuan between bites how nice he was. This made him smile broadly as he praised her cuteness.
By mid-afternoon, the onlookers had dispersed, and Lu Yuan and Su Liyan prepared to leave. The mothers packed various items for them—dried peppers and mushrooms. Though not valuable, it was clear they were giving everything they could spare.
Lu Yuan initially wanted to decline, but his wife had no such reservations. When her mother offered something, she immediately packed it into their cloth bag. After loading everything, she still wasn’t satisfied.
“Let’s get some chickens,” she suggested. They kept a few hens at home for eggs, but Su Liyan thought these would make delicious chicken soup for her husband. She immediately began catching them.
She worked efficiently, capturing a hen and tying its wings to prevent it from flapping during the bus journey. Then she bound its feet.
“Liyan, that’s enough. We can’t eat so many…” Lu Yuan protested after she caught two and moved to capture more.
His wife continued her chicken chase, responding sweetly without turning: “It’s fine, dear. We have a small yard at home. If we can’t eat them, we can keep them in cages to lay eggs. Now that the one at home is gone, mother can raise the rest. They’re not valuable.”
The two mothers smiled at Lu Yuan as they continued packing. “It’s alright, Yuan’er. There are plenty of chickens in the village, and they’re easy to raise. Take them home and enjoy.”
There was nothing of value in their home except these few chickens.
Lu Yuan smiled helplessly at the scene before him. His wife really did bring everything home when she had it…
Coming to his senses, Lu Yuan approached his mother-in-law. In his left hand was a ten-yuan bill. In his right, he had prepared another fifty yuan.