After Transmigration, I Picked Up A Husband and Daughter
Chapter 173 Unsightly Dealings

Chapter 173: Chapter 173 Unsightly Dealings

"I’ll personally present my culinary skills at the Drunken Immortal Inn, and if they don’t suit your tastes, there’ll be no further discussions; on the other hand, should any dish catch your discerning eye, we can then talk about the recipe at length."

Such an arrangement made He Maohong feel utterly at ease, and he quickly voiced his approval repeatedly: "Good, good, good, then we’ll trouble the young lady to make this trip."

Su Yu nodded slightly and then signaled to set off.

He Maohong promptly led his group aside, clearing the way.

Their hasty gathering had been a necessity since upon catching wind of Su Yu’s whereabouts, the staff from inside the inn had mobilized to inquire everywhere until they finally learned she might be leaving town by carriage. They had rushed to the outskirts of town in a panic, fearful of missing this sole opportunity.

As the carriage slowly departed, disappearing into the distance amid rising dust, a chef inside the Drunken Immortal Inn began to speak in low tones, "Cousin, I see that girl is young and still carries a bit of rustic air about her. Does she truly understand the art of cooking?"

The questioner was Liu Ji, the head chef of the Drunken Immortal Inn, and also He Maohong’s cousin.

He Maohong eyed the direction of Su Yu’s departure and slowly said, "Hard to say, but her words are not without reason. There are mountains beyond mountains, and one cannot judge by appearances. Perhaps, this seemingly ordinary village girl holds stunning culinary skills in her hands. If she has genuine talent, she might just be the key to our Drunken Immortal Inn’s turnaround."

"The day after tomorrow, everyone must taste carefully. If the flavor falls short, we simply won’t buy, considering it a no-harm-done trial, a loss that can be dismissed with a laugh."

With these words, a ripple of agreement spread throughout the crowd.

While not everyone excels at culinary arts, savoring delicious foods is a universal enjoyment in this mortal world, irresistible to all.

The quality of a dish doesn’t require complex standards for assessment, just a light touch on the tip of the tongue, and the taste buds will provide the most direct answer.

Everyone was filled with boundless anticipation for the day after tomorrow, secretly speculating how this mysterious woman would stir their taste buds and what kind of gustatory feast she would bring.

Su Yu drove her creaking carriage back home, the bustling scene in front of her family’s courtyard once again coming into view.

The issues with the second house and the Jiang Family had long dispersed like autumn leaves in the wind, and naturally, this sudden bustle had nothing to do with them.

Apart from the troublemakers Fang Qin and Lady Zhao, who else could have the capability to stir up the quiet courtyard?

She couldn’t help but sigh internally. Fang Qin had just been punished at the county government, the pain surely not yet subsided, the chill beneath her seat likely still lingering, yet she couldn’t refrain from seeking amusement.

These two characters were truly laughable yet irritating.

Su Yu skillfully tied her horse under the old tree, her familiar movements as if they had become a daily ritual.

Seeing her return, the villagers naturally made way for her.

As their eyes landed on the goods in the carriage, they let out exclamations of surprise. Clearly, the daughter-in-law from Ziling had once again proven her exceptional abilities.

Perhaps in the past, such bounty would have provoked various suspicions and criticism, but now, Su Yu not only used her ingenius method to help her fellow villagers with their urgent problem, but also won a measure of goodwill in the process.

Whether for better or worse, people were more willing to interpret her actions from a positive perspective.

After all, there are many capable people in the world, but not everyone is willing to share their precious knowledge.

Someone as generous as Su Yu is indeed rare.

Assuming the commotion in front of the courtyard to be nothing more than the same old act by Fang Qin and Lady Zhao, Su Yu did not ask about it. Instead, after nodding to the others in greeting, she walked straight into the courtyard.

However, to her surprise, the protagonist of the argument in the courtyard was not the expected Fang Qin, but the usually meek Xie Xinghua.

Su Yu couldn’t help but rub her eyes, wondering if she was seeing things because of tiredness.

It was unbelievable that Xie Xinghua, who always endured everything passively, suddenly gathered the courage to resist.

As the saying goes, even a cornered rabbit will bite; it seemed Lady Zhao really pushed someone to their limit this time.

Su Yu usually preferred to stay out of the Jiang Family’s strife, but Xie Xinghua’s situation was different.

Her husband and Jiang Ziling had been as close as brothers through thick and thin, their bonds deep and nearly inseparable.

When Xie Xinghua first arrived, she was extremely caring towards Su Yu, and their relationship had always been harmonious without a hint of displeasure.

It was only later, due to the irreconcilable conflict between Su Yu and Lady Zhao, that Xie Xinghua became cautious and gradually distanced herself from Su Yu. Although initially somewhat upset by this deliberate estrangement, Su Yu came to understand Xie Xinghua’s predicament after being immersed in the complex web of relationships within the Jiang Family for some time, and her displeasure eventually vanished like smoke.

Seeing Xie Xinghua’s desperate stand today, Su Yu knew something significant must have happened and felt a surge of curiosity.

She hurriedly stepped forward, trying to separate the two who were entangled with each other, "Elder Sister-in-law, what’s going on here? Can’t we sit down and talk about the issue slowly?"

This move surprised Jiang Ziling, who was taking shelter from the rain under the eaves; he had not expected Su Yu to intervene in such a dispute.

However, Jiang Ziling soon noticed that Su Yu’s purpose was not solely to mediate.

On the surface, she seemed to be mediating, but in reality, each of her actions subtly leaned towards supporting Xie Xinghua.

Xie Xinghua, thin and frail, was no match for Lady Zhao, but anger gave her an unprecedented strength. Despite the disadvantage, she resisted stubbornly, struggling fiercely and refusing to give in.

Since Su Yu got involved in this sudden dispute, the situation had taken a dramatic turn.

Lady Zhao, always known for her assertiveness in the family, actually took several real blows due to Su Yu’s intervention, and her domineering manner extinguished in an instant.

Su Yu gripped Lady Zhao’s wrists with undeniable strength, solid as a vice, rendering the normally domineering old lady immobile.

Onlookers secretly speculated that Lady Zhao must have done something inexcusable in private, and now allowed the long-suffering Elder Sister-in-law Xie Xinghua to vent her frustration, which seemed to be a karmic retribution.

The farce did not subside until Jiang Xunzhong, tired from working in the fields, returned home.

As he stepped into the courtyard and saw the chaos there, he frowned and raised his voice, "What on earth is this all about?"

Before Lady Zhao could make an excuse, Xie Xinghua seized the opportunity, pointing at Lady Zhao with trembling fingers, tears streaming down her face as she mixed grief with indignation to reveal the truth, "You ask her about the good deed she’s done!"

The eyes of all present immediately focused on Lady Zhao’s flushed face like a volley of arrows, the clear finger marks on her cheeks silently testifying to the intensity of the previous conflict.

They looked at each other in astonishment.

After all, Xie Xinghua had always been known for her meekness; over the years, she had always submitted to her mother-in-law’s bullying and nitpicking without a single word of complaint.

Today’s vehement resistance was exceptionally rare, forcing one to lament the unpredictability of life.