Chapter 85: An Important Matter Forgotten

Wow, what a pleasant surprise! Tang Xin could hardly stop her mouth from watering as she gazed at it... Double-skin milk was a delicacy from Canton, one that a classmate from another province had recommended to her back in high school. She’d eaten it a few times and always loved it, but there were few shops selling it in her hometown, making it inconvenient to get. She had thought that after coming to this era, she wouldn’t be able to eat it for a while, but to her delight, now she could...

Tang Xin was overjoyed, determined to quickly gather the necessary ingredients and enough processing coupons so she could soon make herself a bowl of double-skin milk to satisfy her craving.

Her excitement kept her in Happy Farm a little longer that night, and she witnessed a miracle unfold before her eyes. Usually, whenever she entered the farm, the crops were already ripe; she’d tap "harvest all," collect the produce, and the system would upgrade, rewarding her with a level-up gift pack. But tonight, she saw with her own eyes the cattle and sheep in the pasture reaching maturity and ready for milking, and accordingly, a new upgrade reward arrived—

Behind the warehouse, in the crystal-clear river, fish fry and even some grown fish suddenly appeared?

Tang Xin, who could barely tell grain from grass, picked a fish of unknown type—judging by its size, it must weigh two or three pounds.

They already had pickled vegetables at home. In the depths of winter, she decided to ask her mother-in-law to make a dish of pickled fish—spicy, fragrant, and steaming hot. Wasn’t that irresistible?

Having spent most of the winter eating dried goods and wild game, Tang Xin hadn’t tasted fish in nearly a month and was truly craving it, so the next day she fetched the fish from her storage.

The first to spot it was Li Kai, who was overjoyed. "Sister-in-law, are we having fish today?" he asked, licking his lips. Lately he’d been making a real effort to act like a grown-up and usually wouldn’t do something so childish.

Tang Xin laughed. "Yes, we’re having fish. It all depends on Mother’s excellent cooking."

"Mm, Mother, I want pickled fish. More pickles and less chili, and slice the fish thin," Li Kai requested. He couldn’t cook, but like his sister-in-law, he was a connoisseur and unrestrained in making demands.

Madam Fang nodded with a smile, "Alright, this dish needs pickled vegetables. Go fetch two heads of pickled mustard and wash them clean for me."

Li Kai dashed off to the backyard as if he had wings, knowing exactly where his mother’s pickling vat was.

Li Xiyue, however, was a bit more shrewd. She asked, "Sister-in-law, where did you get the fish?"

Tang Xin froze, realizing that in her eagerness for pickled fish, she’d forgotten such an important detail. Pickled fish was delicious, but where had the fish come from? And in this biting winter, to bring home a live, wriggling fish? Wasn’t her very reason for not taking out the other good things in her warehouse that she couldn’t come up with a believable excuse? Why had she slipped up today?

Madam Fang, noticing the stiffness in her daughter-in-law’s expression, guessed that everyone has their secrets—why insist on exposing them? Besides, her daughter-in-law had always been generous, often using her own savings to help the whole family. Shouldn’t they, in turn, treat her with more kindness and understanding?

So Madam Fang’s demeanor instantly turned cold as she snapped at Li Xiyue, "If you don’t want to eat, no one will force you."

Li Xiyue pouted, "I—"

"Always complaining when you’re given good food. Do you think your sister-in-law is just like the rest of us? She knows important people and has her own ways—does she need to report everything to you?"

Having been scolded by her own mother for no apparent reason, Li Xiyue was about to resort to her usual tactic. In the past, when she felt wronged, she’d burst into tears and everyone—her brother, her parents—would be quick to comfort her. But she knew better now. Her mother was different, and her brother, since marrying, always sided with his wife. If she tried crying now, she might really end up missing out on the delicious fish, just as her mother had said.

That wouldn’t do—she’d be missing out, so she swallowed her grievances. But the way she pursed her lips was so amusing that Tang Xin, for all her composure as the eldest sister-in-law, could barely restrain a smile, while Li Kai couldn’t help but mock her aloud.

He wouldn’t dare anger the family’s tigress, but this brat? No problem.

Li Xiyue, fuming, took out all her pent-up frustration on Li Kai, and the two were at it again!

The whole family was used to this by now. They’d been busy recently, so the bickering had lessened, but now that the squabbling resumed, everyone felt relieved—at least the two were normal.

Tang Xin, too, felt at ease. She agreed with Madam Fang: these days, everyone was struggling. Every household rationed their food; a single meat dish at dinner was a rare treat. As for the source of the food, it was a trivial matter—not worth quibbling over.

She was sure her parents-in-law wouldn’t press her for details. As long as she explained things to Brother Li Sheng, everything would be fine. Her in-laws were reasonable people—she couldn’t have asked for a better mother-in-law in this world.

Madam Fang was already busy in the kitchen, the younger ones lending a hand, while Father Li glanced around, looking for ways to help. He was never one to sit idle. Now that it was so cold and there was no fieldwork, he stayed indoors, but even then, he couldn’t bear to sit still. He’d just finished building a wardrobe for his son and daughter-in-law, made a new bed, and repaired all the damaged tables, chairs, and stools in the house.

Tang Xin knew her father-in-law was extremely diligent; even when at home, he could never simply sit and do nothing. Now, after glancing around the house, he picked up the water buckets.

"There’s not much water left in the tank. I’ll go fetch some," he said.

The Li family didn’t have a well, but there was a communal one not far from the house. The water was sweet and clean, and anyone nearby could fetch water there.

Madam Fang, busy at the stove, called back, "Old man, you’d better hurry back."

If he didn’t return, they couldn’t start the meal. They hadn’t had fish in days, and the children were sure to be anxious.

Father Li just smiled faintly—he was craving it too. Ever since his daughter-in-law joined the family, the meals had improved, and even he found himself a little greedy.

In winter, everyone was less industrious, and most households didn’t use much water, so there weren’t many people at the well. Father Li didn’t waste any time, going back and forth until the water tank was full.

He fetched an extra bucket, leaving it aside for his daughter-in-law, who was more diligent about washing up than the rest of them, so his wife could heat up more water for her in the evening.