Chapter 17: Can She?

Jiang Xia shot a glance at Tian Caihua: "If Sister-in-law thinks this house is better, I can swap with you."

Tian Caihua: "..."

At that moment, Mother Zhou walked in carrying a red, white, and blue striped bag and asked casually, "Swap with your sister-in-law for what?"

Tian Caihua immediately replied, "Nothing, Jiang Xia was just joking. Mom, is there anything else to move? I'll go do it!" Having said that, she ran out.

Perplexed, Mother Zhou didn't bother with her and handed the large bag to Jiang Xia. "These are Ah Lei's clothes. Put them back in your room."

"Okay." Jiang Xia paused for a moment before agreeing.

When Zhou Chenglei was cleaning the house today, he had spoken to her. Fearing his parents wouldn't agree to the family separation, he hadn't mentioned their divorce, only the separation, and asked her not to say anything for the time being.

Jiang Xia had no choice but to take the bag and bring it into her room.

After thinking for a moment, she decided not to help him organize them.

The bed and wardrobe in Jiang Xia's room were brand new. Mother Zhou had also cut out various sizes of "Double Happiness" characters from the leftover red paper used during their wedding and pasted them on the walls, windows, and doors, making it look like a newlyweds' room.

Jiang Xia's dowry was complete, including thirty-six pieces of traditional items, two Phoenix brand bicycles (one for a man and one for a woman), a Huanan brand sewing machine, a Shanghai brand watch, and a Red Star brand radio.

It was only the early 1980s, so this dowry was already quite prestigious, especially in the countryside. Of course, in the cities, some people's dowries already included televisions instead of tape recorders.

In a few years, washing machines, refrigerators, and televisions would become the high-end standard for marriage.

Jiang Xia took her clothes out of her red leather suitcase and placed them in the wardrobe.

Mother Zhou entered carrying a black plastic bucket with a long-handled wooden lid. She said to Jiang Xia, "Xiaoxia, take Ah Lei's clothes out and give me the bag. I'll use it to hold the quilts."

Jiang Xia had no choice but to open the striped bag and take out Zhou Chenglei's clothes as well.

Most of them were white shirts and military uniforms, along with boxers and undershirts. Jiang Xia quickly stuffed these personal items into the wardrobe as if they were red-hot.

Only after taking everything out did Jiang Xia hand the bag to Mother Zhou. Her face was slightly flushed, but seeing Mother Zhou place a black bucket behind the door, she asked curiously, "Why put the bucket behind the door?"

Mother Zhou: "That's a chamber pot for nighttime use. The urine can be used to water the vegetables."

Jiang Xia: "..."

Wouldn't it smell if a chamber pot was kept in the room?

Seeing Jiang Xia's surprised expression, Mother Zhou thought of the fact that Jiang Xia was from the city and asked, "Do you want one in your room too?"

Jiang Xia shook her head hurriedly. "No need."

Zhou Chenglei walked in at that moment.

Jiang Xia quickly changed the subject. "Great-grandmother and Big Brother's family helped us work all day today. Go buy some seafood, and I'll cook two tables of food to thank them and celebrate our move into the new house."

Even if Jiang Xia hadn't mentioned it, Zhou Chenglei had intended to do the same. He had come in to tell his mother he was going to buy seafood and to ask her to pick some vegetables from the garden.

Jiang Xia's suggestion caught him a bit off guard.

Mother Zhou was also surprised that Jiang Xia would think of such things. As for the two tables of food, Mother Zhou didn't take it to heart.

She smiled and said, "I'll go to the garden to pick vegetables right now. Ah Lei, you go buy the seafood."

Zhou Chenglei nodded. "I was just about to go."

Then he said to Jiang Xia, "Let Mom handle the cooking. Don't get your hands wet."

Jiang Xia nodded. "I know."

Hearing her son's words, Mother Zhou glanced at Jiang Xia and then carried the chamber pot out.

Her son was indeed good to her, but she wondered if his sincerity was misplaced.

As for letting Jiang Xia cook? Could she even do it? Mother Zhou didn't dare hope for much!

The fact that she was helping with small chores today without making a fuss was enough for Mother Zhou to say "Amitabha."

Mother Zhou didn't know that Jiang Xia was responsible for clearing a portion of the yard, otherwise, she might not have thought this way.

Next, Zhou Chenglei went to buy seafood, Mother Zhou went to pick vegetables, and Jiang Xia washed the pots, wiped down the stove, then rinsed the rice to cook. Tian Caihua washed the dishes for later use; these utensils hadn't been used for a long time and were covered in dust.

Great-grandmother brought over a piece of pork belly, over three pounds, along with a few fresh cucumbers. Jiang Xia felt quite embarrassed.

Great-grandmother said happily, "Take it. Make some braised pork for everyone tonight. A new house move means a prosperous home and a flourishing life."

Since Great-grandmother had said so, it wouldn't be polite to refuse. Accepting Great-grandmother's kindness, Jiang Xia smiled and took it. "You are too kind, Great-grandmother. I will make braised pork for you."

Great-grandmother laughed. "My teeth aren't good; I love braised pork that melts in my mouth the most."

"I guarantee it will melt in your mouth!" Jiang Xia smiled.

Great-grandmother went to start the fire with a chuckle.

Making melt-in-your-mouth braised pork wasn't difficult, but it required time.

Zhou Chengxin came home and brought over a large iron pot. Using two iron pots together made cooking much faster.

When the family split, each household received one large iron pot.

Worried that Jiang Xia wouldn't know how to cook, Tian Caihua said, "I'll do the cooking, you do the washing and vegetable prep!"

Jiang Xia smiled. "It's fine. Sister-in-law worked hard today. I'll do the stir-frying, and you can help me with the prep."

Tian Caihua didn't insist after hearing this. It wasn't her family hosting, so if the food was bad, she wouldn't be the one losing face.

Besides, cooking for so many people meant inhaling a lot of oil smoke, which would ruin her appetite.

Mother Zhou happened to return with two large baskets of vegetables, including green beans, eggplant, cucumbers, sponge gourds, and bok choy.

Tian Caihua went out to wash the vegetables.

Seeing Jiang Xia taking charge of the kitchen, Mother Zhou looked at Tian Caihua. "Why are you letting her cook? Can she even eat it?"

Tian Caihua: "She won't let me help; she insists on doing it herself."

Tian Caihua felt her mother-in-law was biased and went to wash the vegetables with a dark expression. Great-grandmother's daughter-in-law was also helping with the washing; since she didn't want to show her displeasure in front of outsiders, she didn't throw a tantrum.

Mother Zhou hurried in to help.

Jiang Xia was making smashed cucumbers. She had known what to make as soon as she saw the vegetables Mother Zhou brought back.

She had already soaked the uniformly cut pieces of pork belly in lightly salted water. Meat soaked in salt water becomes tender, cooks faster, has a better texture, and the salt helps draw out the blood to remove any gaminess.

While waiting for the meat to soak, she made a side of cold tossed cucumbers.

Seeing Jiang Xia acting so professional—not getting the salt and sugar mixed up, nor the wine and vinegar—Mother Zhou was somewhat surprised, then went back out to wash vegetables with peace of mind.

Once the pork belly had finished soaking and the water was drained, Jiang Xia poured the meat into the heated iron pot. She didn't add oil, instead stir-frying it over low heat to render the fat until the surface of the meat turned golden.

Jiang Xia scooped out the excess oil, which would be very fragrant for frying eggplant or stir-frying vegetables later.

Then, she added ginger, scallions, dried chilies, sugar, salt, soy sauce, and other seasonings to the braised pork. She continued to stir-fry until the rock sugar had completely melted and the pork was well-colored. She then added water and wine, and once it boiled, she transferred it directly into a clay pot to simmer slowly over a small fire next to the stove.

Jiang Xia cleaned the large iron pot, fried the eggplant in oil, and then cooked it with green beans and perilla to make a dish of braised eggplant with green beans and perilla.

When Tian Caihua brought the washed vegetables in and saw how much oil she was using to fry the eggplant, she clicked her tongue in surprise!

My goodness, is she eating eggplant or oil?

Fortunately, the family had split; if they hadn't, she wouldn't have dared let Jiang Xia cook.

However, it smelled amazing! Truly amazing!

Looking at those purple eggplants and green beans glistening with oil, she just wanted to eat.

Zhou Chenglei had also returned with the seafood: prawns, green crabs, grouper, mud pomfret, small red squid, and white clams.

Seeing Jiang Xia at the helm, a flash of surprise crossed his eyes. His gaze then fell on her fair, small hands. Thinking of the blisters on her hands, he walked over and reached out to take the handle of the spatula. "I'll do it."

As his tall figure suddenly approached, Jiang Xia instinctively turned around to look. Her elbow accidentally bumped his waist, and because of this sudden turn, Zhou Chenglei's large hand caught her small hand.

(End of Chapter)