Chapter 29: Going to the Old House for Dinner
Granny Luo didn’t return home at noon. Wen Yao cut off a small piece of pig head meat, minced it, and made patties. As Granny watched her use so much meat, she couldn’t help but think that this girl was really cut from the same cloth as her mother.
But grumbling aside, once the patties were cooked, the old lady still ate them quite happily.
By the afternoon, Wen Yao fished out the first batch of braised food. The pig intestines, which had originally been stinky beyond belief, had not only changed color but had completely lost their foul smell. In fact, they now gave off an appetizing fragrance.
Granny Luo was truly surprised.
“There really isn’t any stink left… smells pretty good, actually.”
Wen Yao sliced several pieces, plated them, and handed her a pair of chopsticks. “Granny, quick, have a taste.”
Granny was still a little hesitant. But Da Tou, on the other hand, couldn’t wait. He reached out, grabbed a piece, and stuffed it into his mouth.
The expressions on his face grew increasingly rich. Even without saying a word, his face made it clear just how delicious the pig intestine was.
“Is it really that good?” Granny muttered skeptically and picked up a piece to try.
The expected off-putting stench was nowhere to be found. Instead, a unique flavor bloomed in her mouth—not only was it not unpleasant, it was downright tasty.
Granny’s eyes lit up as she chewed more carefully. The more she ate, the better it tasted.
She nodded as she ate. “It’s really not bad.”
Wen Yao tried a piece herself. Sure enough, that familiar flavor hit right where it should. Delicious.
After tasting the finished product, Wen Yao swiftly cut up another long section, diced it into small pieces, and filled a large bowl.
“Granny, take this back with you. Add a dish to Grandpa’s dinner tonight.”
The moment Granny saw how much was in the bowl, she quickly set her chopsticks down and exclaimed, “Aiyo, you little rascal, why’d you slice up so much? This is something you’re supposed to sell! You little spendthrift, what do they have—golden mouths or something, to eat this much?”
Wen Yao plunked the bowl down, leaving no room for argument. “Food is meant to be eaten. Besides, look how much we made—it’s not like we’ll miss this bit. Business matters, but family matters more. Are you taking it or not? If not, I’ll let Da Tou eat the whole thing.”
Da Tou’s eyes lit up immediately. He stared at Granny with hopeful eyes, practically willing her to say no.
Granny saw right through the little guy’s thoughts. She picked up the bowl and placed it in front of her with a mock scold. “Just thinking about eating. You’re so small—can you even handle this much? Be careful or you’ll get a bellyache.”
Da Tou didn’t mind at all. He trotted over to the other side, clung to the edge of the table, and stared eagerly at the remaining food in the basin, proudly lifting his little chin at Granny as if to say: I still have more, and lots of it.
“This stuff’s tasty, sure, but it’s hard to digest. Da Tou’s still young, so don’t let him have too much,” Granny warned, afraid Wen Yao would spoil him endlessly.
Wen Yao patted Da Tou’s head. Of course she knew that. Da Tou hadn’t eaten much meat growing up. If he suddenly ate too much, his stomach wouldn’t be able to handle it.
“Mm, I won’t give him too much.”
As soon as she said that, both women saw Da Tou’s lips pout instantly, and he turned his back on them in protest.
Granny looked at the back of his head and sighed softly. Her eyes softened with affection.
Could this child really be mute? He was almost four and still hadn’t spoken a single word.
That thought made Granny’s eyes sting a little. She rubbed her face as if it were nothing, then picked up the bowl and stood.
“I’ll head back now. Don’t bother cooking tonight. When your father and brother come home, bring them over to the old house for dinner.” Never mind anything else—for that big bowl of pig intestines alone, even if it wasn’t prime meat, it was still meat.
They could stir-fry it into a dish, stew some cabbage and tofu, make a few flatbreads, and it would be more than enough for the whole family.
This was the first time, since the household had been split, that Granny Luo had invited their branch of the family to eat at the old house. That bowl of pig intestines had really done its job.
“Okay, Granny. I’ll definitely tell Dad you’re inviting us to dinner,” Wen Yao said with a big grin.
The word “home” pricked just a little at the old lady’s heart. Thinking of the past and looking at the present, if that useless eldest son really had turned over a new leaf, it would be a blessing after all.
After seeing Granny off, Wen Yao threw herself back into her work. Granny’s invitation to dinner was a pivotal opportunity to repair their relationship, and she wasn’t about to miss it.
As the saying goes, the way to a person’s heart is through their stomach. That didn’t just apply to men—it worked on men, women, young and old alike.
Wen Yao didn’t plan to bring more pig head meat or intestines. Sure, they weren’t short on it, but since she’d already gifted a bowl, now wasn’t the time to push it. Her goal was to rebuild ties with the old house, not buy goodwill with dish after dish of meat.
She wouldn’t bring more meat, but braised vegetables were fair game. And there was still plenty of dried tofu left.
When Wen Xiuyi and Wen Jun returned home, they smelled the rich scent of braised food wafting through the air before they even reached the door.
Pushing the cart through the gate, they immediately headed straight for the kitchen.
Da Tou spotted Wen Xiuyi and immediately dashed over, tugged on his sleeve, and dragged him toward the kitchen. His other hand pointed at the kitchen while he let out urgent little “ah ah ah” sounds.
Wen Xiuyi followed him in and saw the bowl of braised goods on the table. Da Tou pulled on his hand, pointing first at the food, then at Wen Yao, cheeks puffed up with indignation—his face full of complaint.
“What’s this all about?” Wen Xiuyi asked Wen Yao.
Amused by Da Tou’s sulking, Wen Yao said, “Granny said he shouldn’t eat too much since it’s hard to digest. He’s mad at me now.”
“Is that so?” Wen Xiuyi said, picking up a small piece and popping it into his mouth. He chewed, nodded. “Delicious.”
Da Tou stared with eyes full of longing, practically drooling, and tugged on his father’s hand.
Wen Xiuyi swallowed and looked down at his youngest. “Granny’s right—eat less.”
Da Tou was furious. He released his father’s hand in a huff and stomped off to sulk in the corner.
Wen Xiuyi chuckled, half doting, half helpless. “Yao’er, we’ve got some rice left. I’ll fry up some for dinner and we’ll just make do.”
At the mention of dinner, Wen Yao said, “Dad, Granny said we should all go to the old house to eat tonight. See, I already prepped our contribution.”
She held up a plate of braised tofu—cheap, tasty, and satisfying.
Wen Xiuyi was actually a little uneasy about going. The original owner of this body had been such a disgrace that the old house had good reason to dislike him, if not outright hate him.
But now that it was them living his life, mending ties was something they had to do.
“Alright then. I’ll fry up the leftover rice and bring it with us. More people means more mouths—might as well help clean it up so you two don’t end up eating cold leftovers tomorrow.” With that, Wen Xiuyi rolled up his sleeves and got to work.
