Transmigration: The Evil Mother-In-Law Is Actually Innocent!
Chapter 203 Don’t be cannon fodder_1

Chapter 203: Chapter 203 Don’t be cannon fodder_1

Zhulan heard Lady Li’s voice, Lady Li had returned with the meat, which meant she could no longer eavesdrop. She came out, greeted her, and went to the kitchen.

Lady Li set down the meat, and seeing her mother-in-law, spoke in an excited whisper, "Mother, did Mr. Hou really come? My goodness, it’s the first time I’ve seen such a big carriage in the county!"

Zhulan looked at Lady Li, who was mostly soaked, and took a bowl to serve her the ginger water she had prepared, "Drink the ginger soup first."

Lady Li grabbed it and took a big sip, then spit it out with a splutter, sticking out her tongue, "Spicy, spicy, and choking."

Zhulan silently looked at the clay pot with half a bowl of ginger slices left—she seemed to have put in too much!

Lady Zhao looked down at the embroidery on her shoes. Yes, her work was improving.

Lady Li had learned to read the room. Seeing her mother-in-law’s nuanced expression, she knew it was her who had made it. She was happy that her mother-in-law cared for her, but she would have preferred to do without that care. She had always thought that her mother-in-law couldn’t cook well and never expected that even something as simple as ginger soup could turn out so bad, leaving her throat feeling uncomfortable from the spiciness.

Zhulan holding the clay pot said, "Since it’s not well made, let’s throw it out. Lady Li, you can make your own ginger soup later. Don’t forget."

Lady Li took the clay pot from her mother-in-law’s arms, poured the remaining ginger soup into a bowl, and said, "Mother, I just sweated a little, no need to drink any more. Mom, the ginger soup you prepared is really powerful. My husband hasn’t even had it yet; I’ll take it to him."

Zhulan, "...."

Very well, even the foolishly honest can be cunning. She’s planning to trick her own husband, thought Zhulan, stroking her chin. Quite promising indeed!

Lady Zhao, "...."

That’s karma. Big brother has been too harsh on sister-in-law, and now she’s paying him back.

Zhulan hadn’t waited long when elder brother Zhou rushed into the kitchen, grabbing a gourd ladle to gulp down water, tears filling his eyes from the spiciness. Who would have thought that the foolish daughter-in-law would grow savvy and trick him specifically, causing him to be moved thinking his mother had personally made him ginger soup, which he drank all at once.

Elder brother Zhou looked up to see his mother flipping through the newly purchased meat, very satisfied and nodding occasionally, while twitching at the corner of her mouth. Stop pretending, Mother, I saw you laughing.

Lady Li quickly changed her clothes and returned, humming a happy rural tune. Don’t say it wasn’t pleasant to listen to; fat people can truly be power vocalists—it’s not a lie. Zhulan quite enjoyed it.

The lunch menu had been set: all were home-style dishes—braised fish, braised pork, pork ribs stew with potatoes, chicken stew with mushrooms, spicy rabbit meat, stir-fried pork with chili, sausages, and egg custard, making up eight dishes in total. Nothing fancy, all commonly known.

Lady Li felt that eight dishes weren’t where her strength lied. She had already planned out several dishes with fish alone. For Mr. Hou, she certainly wanted to make the best. Unfortunately, one look from her mother-in-law, and she didn’t dare to retort. She obediently cooked, hoping to perfect the ordinary dishes.

Zhulan was busy helping in the kitchen the entire time, only going back to her room to change clothes when it was time to eat. With nobody in the living hall because Yao Zheyu wanted to understand the teaching level at the local private school, Scholar Zhou took Yao Zheyu to Chang Zhi’s room.

With nobody in the living hall, Zhulan moved the gift boxes back to her room. She counted eight boxes and knew from the packaging that they weren’t cheap. Zhulan didn’t look at the gifts and went out to help Lady Zhao set the table; today, only one table was placed in the living hall.

The other table was set in the second wife’s room. Compared to the main room, she much preferred the clean and simple second wife’s room. Lady Li wasn’t a sloppy person, but there was one thing not so great about her—Lady Li couldn’t bear to throw anything away, so her room was filled with many things. Even when tidied, it still looked cluttered. After Mingyun and Ming Teng moved out to live on their own, the main room didn’t seem any more spacious.

Xue Han stayed with Yushuang in the second wife’s quarters the entire time; since there were guards around, she didn’t dare leave the room, and even when going to the back courtyard, she avoided people.

The guard brought by Yao Zheyu was stationed by Zhulan, who placed the table in Mingyun and Ming Teng’s room. Both were children with few belongings, so there was little fear of anything being knocked over.

Today, just like every day, Mingyun ate at the same table as Zhou Shuren. As the eldest grandson, Mingyun’s future responsibilities would be heavy. Getting an early exposure was beneficial, and today’s opportunity was indeed rare.

Because the guards were all martial artists and consumed a lot of food, Zhulan specifically asked Lady Li to prepare extra dishes to ensure there was enough.

In the main hall, Yao Zheyu looked over the dishes without disdain. His grandfather had thrown him out to face hardships before, and at his lowest, he had only cornbread to eat.

A flash of satisfaction crossed Zhou Shuren’s eyes. He quite admired the male lead. Given the circumstances, it was impossible not to be scheming. If Yao Zheyu failed to secure the position of Princely Heir, there was only one possible outcome: death. This was a life-and-death struggle for power. But, while he might admire him, Zhou Shuren did not wish to become overly involved. His family’s foundation was weak, lacking protection and unable to withstand scandals. It was better to stay at a distance. It would be terrible if not only were they cannon fodder for Wang Ru, but they ended up as cannon fodder for the male lead as well.

Zhou Shuren said, "It’s just simple homemade food, lacking the refinement of a professional chef’s work. However, my eldest son’s wife is quite skilled in the kitchen. Mr. Hou, please try some and see if it suits your palate."

Yao Zheyu picked up his chopsticks and took some braised pork. It was a vibrant red and looked appetizing. It was also one of his favorite dishes. It did not disappoint; the presentation was good, and it tasted great. "The cooking could rival that of a professional chef."

Scholar Zhou straightened his back, his wife truly brought honor to the family, he forgave her for her retaliation.

Zhou Shuren smiled, "If Mr. Hou likes it, please eat more."

"Don’t just watch me eat. Everyone, help yourselves."

Zhou Shuren had been hungry for a while now, his mouth had not stopped moving all morning, and talking was quite tiring, so he didn’t hold back and started eating. Once Zhou Shuren began, the sons of the Zhou family followed suit.

Rongchuan’s seat was near the door. The rain outside had lessened and there was more light. Yao Zheyu looked up briefly, then looked again more carefully.

A deeper expression settled in Zhou Shuren’s eyes, "Mr. Hou, why do you look at Rongchuan in such a way?"

Yao Zheyu looked away, "I just felt that Rongchuan looked familiar, but I can’t recall who he reminds me of. Now that I look again, he does not seem familiar. Perhaps my eyes are blurred from reading too much just now."

Yao Zheyu didn’t dwell on it, Scholar Zhou’s adopted son, around eight or nine years old, was just a little boy, nothing worth paying extra attention to.

Zhou Shuren was meticulous and took note of it. Well, it seemed that Rongchuan should not meet with Yao Zheyu anymore in the future. Rongchuan was his son-in-law and must not become cannon fodder in the male lead’s scheme.

Since they didn’t drink much, the guests dispersed quickly. After being a guest for the entire morning, Yao Zheyu suggested it was time to leave after the meal. However, Yao Zheyu would be staying in the county for a while; he had a residence prepared there and would visit again in the future.

Zhulan and Zhou Shuren knew very well that Yao Zheyu’s target was Wang Ru, and he wouldn’t be leaving anytime soon. They also understood they had to be even more cautious, as Yao Zheyu was not like Wang Ru. The two could not be compared, as different as heaven and earth. They had to be highly vigilant and not let Yao Zheyu discover anything wrong with them.

After the carriage left, the Zhou family waited until it was far away before preparing to return to their quarters. The dishes were already cleaned up, but there was still a great deal of braised pork and chicken left in the pot. Zhulan dished out two large bowls and called the second son to deliver them to Xue Mei.

Zhulan waited for the second son to leave, then she was about to rest in her room when Lady Li crept in like a thief, "Mother, I have something to tell you."