Shen Tao rode his bicycle in front to lead the way, with Song Qi following in the middle. After more than half an hour, they finally reached the entrance to Lower River Village.
Shen Moxi nervously clutched Song Qi's clothes, picturing Father Shen and Mother Shen's kind, gentle faces. But then she thought of how their making the original owner marry to bring good fortune had caused her to die for no reason, and her feelings were complicated.
When they reached the house, they got off their bicycles and wheeled them inside. Father Shen and Mother Shen had not yet returned from the fields, and her sister-in-law was not there either. She had probably gone with them.
Shen Yuan and Shen Tao put the things Shen Moxi had brought on the living room table.
Seeing that it was still early, Shen Tao told Shen Moxi to get some rest.
"Big Brother, I'm not tired. Why don't I cook first? Then Mom and Dad can eat as soon as they get back," Shen Moxi said.
"Little Sister, you're visiting your family. How could we make you cook? Your eldest sister-in-law can do it when she gets back," Shen Tao said, shaking his head.
Shen Moxi smiled. "Big Brother, I just called you a model of a thoughtful, caring man at noon. Your wife has been working in the fields all day and still has a child to look after, yet you want her to cook when she gets home? Don't you care about her at all?"
"How do I not care about your sister-in-law? Don't talk nonsense." Shen Tao glared at her.
"All right, it's just one meal. I'll make it. Let me show you my cooking. I've improved a lot." Shen Moxi waved a hand and went into the kitchen.
Song Qi sat chatting with the two brothers. He had thought that since he was not from the same era as them, there would be a generation gap in their communication, but to his surprise, the three of them got along quite well.
Shen Moxi looked around the kitchen. The vegetables were basically the same as those at their house. In this era, people ate seasonal vegetables, not out-of-season ones, because greenhouse cultivation had not yet become widespread, people's techniques were not up to the task, and it cost a lot of money and took a long time.
Thinking of her farm and ranch, she realized she still had not asked Xiao Tao about the auction results. She would ask when she got back and see how much they had sold for.
She picked out a few potatoes, a few cucumbers, some green beans, and eggplants. After another thought, she decided to make tomato and egg soup as well. There was nothing else to make soup with anyway.
Humming a tune to herself, she washed and peeled the vegetables, then cooked. When she finished and checked the time, about an hour and a half had passed.
Everything she made was simple, basic farmhouse fare: hot-and-sour shredded potatoes, moo shu pork, stir-fried green beans with pork, braised eggplant, and tomato and egg soup.
She scrubbed the wok, poured in water, and took out more than ten steamed buns to heat in the steamer. With so many people, they really went through a lot of buns. A whole batch would be gone in less than two days.
With the buns heating, she carried the dishes to the dining table one by one. Shen Yuan, who had been chatting, saw his little sister bringing food over and hurriedly stood to take it from her. "Little Sister, sit down and rest. I'll bring them out."
Shen Moxi nodded with a smile. "All right. Thanks for the help, Second Brother."
Shen Tao looked at the two dishes Shen Moxi had brought out. "Little Sister, you really can cook! Just looking at them makes me hungry. They smell so good."
"Hehe, I told you that you wouldn't regret trying my cooking." Shen Moxi raised her head proudly to look at him.
"Yes, yes, yes. Our little sister is the best. Your big brother is in for a treat today." Shen Tao nodded.
Shen Yuan brought in the remaining dishes together on a large tray. "Wow, Little Sister's cooking is delicious. I sneaked a bite just now. Good thing I managed to stop myself."
Song Qi stood to help take the dishes and set them on the table. "Moxi has been cooking lately. She's very good at it, and my parents love it too."
As they chatted, voices came from the courtyard. Shen Moxi stood up excitedly, and Song Qi rose with her.
"Why is there another bicycle here? Who's visiting?" Father Shen's voice came from outside.
"Could it be one of A Tao's or A Yuan's friends? They're both back." That was Shen Moxi's eldest sister-in-law, Wang Xiaoxia.
"We'll know once we go inside. Why bother guessing?" That was Shen Moxi's mother, Ye Yunjuan.
"Go... see." Her little nephew, Shen Zhixuan, clapped and copied her.
"Mom, Dad, Sister-in-law," Shen Moxi called, walking to the doorway and looking at them.
Song Qi stepped forward and greeted them too. "Uncle, Auntie, Sister-in-law."
When Ye Yunjuan and Shen Xiao saw their daughter and the Song family's boy there, they looked at him in surprise. The boy had actually woken up? Could the marriage to bring good fortune really have worked?
Coming back to her senses, Ye Yunjuan happily hurried over. "Xiao Qi, you're finally awake! This is wonderful. Moxi is a lucky girl. When did you get here?"
"We haven't been here long." Shen Moxi went up and hugged her.
"Auntie, Auntie!" Shen Zhixuan wriggled free of his mother's arms, ran over on his little legs, and hugged Shen Moxi's thigh.
"Oh, Xiao Xuan, you've grown quite a bit taller again." Shen Moxi bent down, picked him up, and kissed him.
"I'll go cook. Mom, Dad, go inside and talk with Moxi," Wang Xiaoxia said with a smile.
"Sister-in-law, don't bother. I've already made everything. Just wash your hands and get ready to eat." Shen Moxi looked at Wang Xiaoxia.
"Really? Thanks for all the work, Moxi. You only just got back, and we already have you busy cooking," Wang Xiaoxia said with a smile.
"It was no trouble. You've been working hard all day. Go wash your hands and eat. I'll check whether the buns are ready." Shen Moxi put Xiao Xuan down. "Xiao Xuan, go wash your hands with Mommy. Auntie made you something yummy."
"Eat... eat, Auntie," Shen Zhixuan said indistinctly, clapping his hands.
"Haha, we're not eating Auntie. We're eating dinner." Wang Xiaoxia took her son, laughing as she patted his little bottom.
Shen Moxi went into the kitchen and checked the buns. They were ready, so she put out the wood fire. Song Qi took them from her and carried them inside to the dining table.
"Moxi made all of this?" Father Shen looked at the lavish spread. Her cooking was far better than Ye Yunjuan's.
"Yes, Dad. We've been holding ourselves back for ages. If you hadn't come back soon, Big Brother and I would have started sneaking bites." Shen Yuan took some chopsticks and handed them out.
"Second Son, go get that fine liquor I've been saving. It would be a waste to have all these dishes without a drink." Shen Xiao waved a hand.
"All right, Dad." Shen Yuan nodded, went to the storeroom, and brought out a jar of liquor and four cups. He looked at Song Qi. "Brother-in-law, want to have a drink with us?"
Song Qi glanced at Shen Moxi. She nodded. "If you can drink, have a little. Don't drink too much. We still have to go back later."
Song Qi took a cup. "Thank you, Second Brother."
Shen Yuan poured four cups of liquor, one for each of the four men.
"Here, Xiao Qi. Let me toast you. Take good care of our girl from now on. If she does anything wrong, come to us, and I'll set her straight." Shen Xiao raised his cup and clinked it against Song Qi's.
"Uncle, that's what I should do. I can't dote on her enough, so how could I bully her? Please rest assured." Song Qi stood and drained his cup in one gulp.
"Haha, good, good! Just what I'd expect from the Song family's son. Sit down. We're family; there's no need to be so formal." Shen Xiao laughed heartily.
Father Shen's words filled Shen Moxi's heart with warmth. This was a father's love. If she was bullied, he said they should be told so they could scold her, but in truth, he could not bear to see his daughter suffer.
Before, she had still held a grudge over the Shen family making the original owner marry to bring good fortune. Now that she thought about it, they truly valued loyalty and keeping their word. Since the agreement had been made long ago, and misfortune had suddenly struck the other family, with the two families having been close for so many years, they could not go back on their word.
Shen Moxi was truly fortunate to have met such a wonderful family. She became even more determined to earn money, repay them better, and give them the best possible life.