Chapter 55: Being a Stepmother 22
The stepmother glanced at Han's father, dissatisfied with the old man asking his stepson for useless things. In her eyes, things like flashlights and alarm clocks that could not be eaten or drunk were not only useless, but also a waste of money.
If I really want to give it away, I will need money and tickets to buy batteries later. Where can I get them? So what if it is rare? I spend my own money to let others see the novelty. The old man is just doing stupid things.
Forget it, she should not say anything given her status, lest the old man blame her for destroying their father-son relationship. What a joke, how old was her stepson when she married in? How could she destroy their good relationship?
The man himself doesn't want to be a good father, but instead blames the woman for the mistake. I don't know where he got the face from. If her previous husband hadn't died early, why would she look for a dead old man.
Han Dalin didn't know that his stepmother was dissatisfied with Han's father. The things were delivered and it was almost time for him to sit down. He was afraid that he would not be able to bear it if he sat down any longer. It was better to be at home and not wear a mask when talking.
Although he was a little unhappy, Han Dalin still remembered what he said yesterday, and before leaving, he did not forget to invite everyone to his home for dinner. Han's father asked him to stay for lunch before leaving, but he refused.
It was he who suggested the dinner, and he couldn't let Ye Zhiqiu be busy at home alone. Besides, it would be better to go home and take care of the child than to listen to Han's father talking about the past in the old house and trying to awaken the father-son relationship between the two.
Ye Zhiqiu was very pleased that he came back early to help with cooking. The men in the village were more patriarchal than others and believed that men should not enter the kitchen or do housework.
Not only does Han Dalin wash his own clothes, he is also willing to go into the kitchen. Not only now, but even decades later, he will be considered a good man.
Well, it’s not that her requirements are too low, it’s just that the basic level of men is too low, so she can only pick a general from the short ones - make do.
Han Dalin was not good at cooking, but he could wash and cut vegetables. Home-cooked dishes did not need to be too particular about appearance, as long as they tasted good. For the evening meal, Ye Zhiqiu specially prepared fish and meat, and also killed a chicken.
With so much meat, the taste wouldn't be too bad even if the cooking skills were not good, not to mention that Ye Zhiqiu was a good cook.
She didn't dare to be too innovative in the dishes, as they were all local home-style recipes, braised fish and meat, but with some potatoes added, and the last dish, braised chicken, with side dishes such as black fungus.
Han Dalin felt hungry just by smelling the aroma. The table was full of dishes that could be used for Chinese New Year. In addition to a few main dishes, there was also an egg and spinach soup, spicy chicken offal and homemade tofu, and fried peanuts and crispy soybeans.
He thought it was rich, not to mention Han's father, who was satisfied but also a little disgusted with the waste. But when he ate it, his thoughts changed instantly. For the first time, he felt that this daughter-in-law was not bad. I don't know if she is a good person, but at least she is very capable, and her cooking skills are much better than those stupid women in the village.
In addition to Han's father, the village chief and the uncles who were close to the Han family also came. Han Dalin specially opened a bottle of white wine. After everyone tasted the food at the table, they couldn't help but praise Ye Zhiqiu's good cooking skills.
The village chief nodded as he ate: "With your skills, you should be included in the village banquet in the future."
"The village chief is right." Han's father agreed. Although people in the village don't have to pay for helping with weddings or funerals, the host family always gives gifts, which is a rare good thing.
He thought he was helping to seize the opportunity from others, but he didn't know that neither Han Linlin nor Ye Zhiqiu wanted this opportunity.
The two of them had a rare tacit understanding and refused in unison.
Han Dalin didn't want to do that unless he wanted Ye Zhiqiu to work for nothing, why should he get up early in the dark to help since his family didn't lack those supplies.
Ye Zhiqiu didn't want it, because he was sure that he would leave the village to go to school next year. If he didn't have time to do it, why would he step forward to grab other people's opportunities? There were many people at the table, and there was no telling how the words would be spread. There was no need to offend anyone.
Han's father's face froze. Seeing that Han Dalin looked unhappy, he took advantage of the alcohol to find a way out. Forget it, people are not popular when they are old. He should eat more vegetables and talk less.
The others seemed to have not seen the fight between the father and son, and they chatted with smiles about Han Dalin's life outside. Ye Zhiqiu disliked a group of old men smoking and drinking, so he finished his meal early and took Han Yue to the next room.
With Han Dalin serving a group of drunkards, she left with peace of mind.
After Han's father and his friends had finished their meal and had a good drink, Ye Zhiqiu wanted to clean up, but Han Dalin stopped him. He insisted on doing it himself, saying it was not a difficult task, so he couldn't wait for his wife to do everything.
Ye Zhiqiu would not compete with him for the work. If he hadn't come back, she wouldn't have so much housework to do, so it was his job to do the work.
After finishing the work, the two sat down to chat and talked about the arrangements for the next day. Han Dalin wanted to visit the Ye family, but Ye Zhiqiu didn't want to go. She hated the fact that the Ye family was too busy, so how could she be willing to visit with gifts.
Han Dalin understood her feelings, but he still patiently explained to her why he had to make this trip. He hadn't been back for two years, and if he didn't go, outsiders would think he didn't recognize the Yue family.
Ye Zhiqiu didn't like going back to his parents' home, so he didn't have to go back, but as a son-in-law, he couldn't do anything too extreme. The barefoot are not afraid of the ones wearing shoes. If he didn't have a job, it wouldn't matter, but if he had a job, he had to pay attention to the impact.
"Forget it, go ahead if you want to go, I'll go back with you to take a look." Ye Zhiqiu knew that Han Dalin was right. She couldn't be too willful when living in the village. After she went to school, she must stay away and never come back. Then, no matter how the Ye family made trouble, it would not affect her.
The two of them discussed what gifts to bring back to the Ye family, while the Ye family on the other side was also talking about Han Dalin. They had received the news that Han Dalin had returned home a long time ago, and were waiting for him to bring something to their door.
It's not that the Ye family is confident, but the local custom is that the son-in-law must give gifts to his wife's family once a year. It was ok when he was not there before, but of course he has to make up for it when he comes back.
"What if he doesn't come?" Ye Erniu had been rejected by Ye Zhiqiu several times and no longer believed that Han Dalin would come to his house honestly.
Huang Lamei was not worried about this problem. Han Dalin was ignorant, but his father would teach him to be sensible. If he didn't come, she would dare to say that the people in Hanjia Village didn't know the rules. If it got out, it would affect the young men in the whole village to find wives. It all depended on whether he had the ability.
Ye Si Niu reminded his mother: "My eldest brother said that Ye Rong will not have time to visit relatives after the New Year, and he must bring his son-in-law back before the New Year. It's just a matter of a few days, don't let it happen at the same time."
Huang Lamei didn't take it seriously: "What if we bump into each other? What's there to be afraid of?"
Ye Si Niu thought about it, since both of them were grandsons-in-law, there was really nothing wrong with them, why couldn't they meet together? If they came together, they would not have to entertain them separately, which would save trouble and money.
The family has spent a lot of money on the marriages of several boys of the third generation in the past two years, so they save as much as they can. Before the family was divided, he had a share of every penny in the family, so it was better to save some money. He also wanted to use the public funds to help his youngest son get married.