The Peasant Wife: The Prime Minister's Beloved

She was straightforward and her words were sharp. It was obvious that she didn't intend to let the tense atmosphere dissipate easily. "I say, have you guys come to any conclusion? Are we going to eat tonight or not? If you have decided, I will be the chef today and Zheng Cuihua will be the chef tomorrow. From now on, we will each do our own work and avoid arguing all day long."

As Zhou Xuemei finished her words, the tension in the air seemed to be temporarily diluted by this hearty and direct proposal.

Everyone in the family involuntarily looked at each other, thinking about this solution in their hearts.

A small internal dispute was quietly resolved in this down-to-earth discussion, and the future of the family seemed to be slowly finding a new balance and harmony in such daily trivialities.

Seeing that the atmosphere was tense, Old Mrs. Chen quickly stepped forward.

Her voice was gentle and full of wisdom accumulated over the years, like a warm spring breeze blowing away the tense atmosphere: "Hey, we are a family and we should not have different opinions. It would be great if we could live in harmony. Cuihua and I have already discussed this privately. As for the family affairs, it is natural for the two sisters-in-law to share the burden and help each other, right, Cuihua?"

Her words were extremely clever. She avoided the sensitive topic of pregnancy and life expectancy without leaving a trace, and lightly pushed the decision-making power to Zheng Cuihua beside her.

Upon hearing this, Zheng Cuihua was stunned at first, then she pursed her lips, with a hint of helplessness and approval in her eyes.

She muttered in a low voice, as if trying to convince herself and to make her attitude clear to everyone: "Okay, we have a long life ahead of us, so we can do the housework equally, share the happiness and work together."

Although these words were said reluctantly, they revealed a sense of open-mindedness and responsibility, which eased the originally solemn atmosphere a little.

Hearing this, Zhou Xuemei's expression gradually softened, and a barely perceptible hint of relief flashed across her eyes.

She sighed softly, turned and walked into the kitchen. Her tense back finally seemed less stiff.

As the kitchen door creaked shut, the only sounds left in the house were the slight clattering of pots and pans. The storm was gently put to rest and the house finally returned to calm for a while.

The next day, just as the sky was turning pale, Xu Gaoping was already busy in the Xu family courtyard.

He walked around the village as usual.

Perhaps it was the casual conversation of neighbors that I encountered during my early morning walk that touched my heart, or perhaps it was the inexplicable worry about the day to come.

The ease and comfort did not return with him. Instead, the gloom in his heart quietly enveloped his face.

Ever since Sister Xiong secretly sent a basket of fresh fruits and vegetables grown by herself to Chen Xi's family, an indescribable subtle atmosphere seemed to be floating in the air of the village.

Rumors spread like wildfire, saying that many villagers secretly presented Chen Xi with various gifts.

Some are lively river fish that have just been caught, some are exquisite hand-woven bamboo baskets, and some are even old wines that have been collected for many years. All these signs make people imagine a lot.

Xu Gaoping stood by his own fence, holding tightly in his hand a fat, struggling hen that he had just caught from the chicken coop.

He thought to himself: If I could take advantage of this trend and send a token of my appreciation to Chen Xi, then maybe I could take the opportunity to ask him to learn how to identify herbs.

Chen Xi has known the herbs in the mountains and forests since he was a child. Nowadays, people from the city often come to him to seek medical treatment. If he can learn this skill, he will not only have no worries about his livelihood in the future, but also win some respect in the village.

He didn't want to wait until Chen Xi really soared to the sky in the future, and all the benefits were taken by others, while he could only stare blankly from the sidelines.

With such thoughts in mind, Xu Gaoping was like a thief. His footsteps were so light that he didn't even dare to disturb the fallen leaves on the ground. His eyes looked left and right, just like a cat walking at night, who wanted to achieve his goal but was afraid of being seen through.

As a minor official in the village, although the position is not high, the issue of face is a big deal.

If someone caught me carrying a chicken to "fawn on" a young man, I would be so embarrassed.

By then, I don't know how many jokes people who gossip about me will make about me. That would be really boring and a self-inflicted suffering.

Finally, he carefully moved to the half-old wooden door of the Xie family. He was so flustered that even his hands were shaking as he knocked on the door.

He knocked on the door three times gently, as if afraid of disturbing something, and quickly raised his head and looked around, fearing that someone would notice his whereabouts.

Inside the house, Chen Xi had just set a table with simple but fragrant meals and was about to enjoy this rare quiet time when a knock on the door suddenly broke the peace.

The moment the door opened, what came into Chen Xi's eyes was that familiar yet slightly unexpected face - Xu Gaoping.

Her heart trembled violently, and her mind quickly rewound, replaying every detail of the recent events, trying to catch any clues that might annoy this uninvited guest.

Chen Xi secretly wondered in his heart, could it be that some careless words had touched his sore spot, or that some trivial matter had not been handled properly, leading to today's visit?

Just as Chen Xi was immersed in the ocean of thoughts, trying to sort out the reason for this sudden visit, Xu Gaoping's voice interrupted her meditation. His voice was gentle but with unquestionable firmness: "Chen Xi, let's go inside and talk."

Chen Xi suddenly pulled himself out of the abyss of thoughts and returned to reality.

She subconsciously took a few steps back, her posture revealing a hint of respect and caution, and made an inviting gesture.

Seeing this, Xu Gaoping nodded slightly, took steady steps, and followed Chen Xi's gestures into the house, as if all this was within his expectations.

The scene inside the house slowly unfolded as the door opened. Xu Gaoping's eyes inadvertently swept across the dining table, where a set of untouched bowls and chopsticks were placed. There was a sense of waiting in the silence.

"You haven't eaten yet?" His question seemed to be mixed with a hint of concern, breaking the subtle calm in the air.

Chen Xi heard this and forced a gentle smile on his face, trying to convey the warmth and easygoing nature of home in his words: "We were just about to start eating, and you arrived."

Behind this simple answer, Chen Xi was hiding his surprise and a little unprepared feeling towards the unexpected guest.

In fact, today's dinner was originally a private time carefully prepared by Chen Xi.

She specially chose the mutton that she had carefully selected at the market. The mutton was properly preserved in the space and was not seen by the light of day until today.

Taking advantage of this rare leisure time, Chen Xi cut half a lamb chop by himself. Each slice was evenly thick and exuded the unique luster of fresh meat.

Then, he put the mutton and various spices into the pot and simmered it over low heat until the whole house was filled with the tempting aroma of meat, forming a large pot of mutton soup with attractive color and fragrant aroma.