Chapter 196: Sister-in-law Misses Brother Shen

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Su Li pulled out two 50-cent coins his mom had given him and waved them around, acting as though he had plenty more money.

He wasn’t deliberately lying; he was simply trying to solve the problem. His mom had mentioned that in times of crisis, telling a lie could be a useful strategy.

For kids their age, a single 50-cent coin was already considered a significant amount of money, let alone two. The other classmates gazed with envy at the coins.

No one questioned Su Li because they had learned yesterday that Su Li’s dad was a supplier for Xinghua Department Store, a sign that his family was wealthy.

This completely threw Chen Fu off guard. His momentum weakened instantly. “W-What’s the use of this? Are you trying to bribe my cousin?”

Su Li’s eyes gleamed as he replied, “Do you think he recognizes you as a cousin brother, or does he recognize my money? What if he turns around and ends up beating you?”

Although Su Li seemed confident on the outside, he was a bit anxious inside, gambling on whether he could bluff Chen Fu successfully.

Chen Fu suddenly felt panicked. His older cousin was unlikely to come to his aid. In their village, people often insulted his mom and called him a bastard.

He had been using his cousin as a scare tactic before, never thinking it wouldn’t work now.

Chen Fu unsteadily shuffled away from Su Li’s stool and retorted, “Hmph, I won’t lower myself to your level!”

Turning to head back to his seat, he suddenly paused as the teacher entered the classroom.

Su Li raised his hand to notify Teacher Cai, “Teacher Cai, Chen Fu stepped on my stool.”

Teacher Cai instructed Chen Fu to clean the stool and apologize. Seeing Chen Fu looking defeated, Su Li suddenly realized that bad kids weren’t all that intimidating.

He had thought they were very powerful, but it turned out they weren’t. He vowed never to become a bad kid. He wanted to be smart and brave, just like his mom had said!

Meanwhile, in the morning, Gu Zi was at home cooking winter melon porridge. She also checked the jar of pickled vegetables; it was golden and fragrant, ready to eat.

For lunch, she planned to keep it simple: a bowl of vegetable porridge with a side of stir-fried pork strips with pickled vegetables. However, she made a

larger portion of the stir-fry; she intended to take it to the pig farm later.

She couldn’t just have Su Shen drink porridge, and the men working at the pig farm needed something more substantial. They required a well-balanced meal to sustain their labor, not just porridge.

Gu Zi spent the morning skimming through a book and spent time teaching Lele to speak, patiently going through words one by one. By midday, after finishing lunch, she headed towards the pig farm with Lele.

Her steps quickened involuntarily, perhaps due to Su Shen’s absence last night. She actually missed him quite a bit.

Upon reaching the pig farm, the men were having lunch in the hall. Gu Zi pushed the cart over, and Jin Long hurried over to assist her. “Sister-in-law, why are you pushing such a big pot? Are we all getting a share?” Jin Long asked.

Gu Zi mentioned that she had prepared some pickled vegetables and rice porridge for everyone to taste.

The men cheered, “Thanks to Brother Shen, we get to enjoy Sister-in-law’s delicious food again!”

They were still thinking about the delightful pastries they had last time. It was the first time these grown men found the sweet treats so delectable.

Gu Zi opened the lid, and the men lined up to get their portions of porridge and side dishes. Having a meal prepared by their wives made them feel content, and adding the pickled vegetables and meat strips to the rice porridge left them even more satisfied. They felt energized for the afternoon’s work. As everyone ate, they did not forget to praise Gu Zits cooking skills. Some wives who sent their husbands’ meals were curious and asked for a portion. Thankfully, Gu Zi’s portions were sufficient, and everyone got a taste.

Jin Long teased, “I get it now. We should keep Brother Shen around the factory more often. If our sister-in-law doesn’t see him for a night, it’s like years have passed. When she starts missing Brother Shen, we get to enjoy good food.”

Gu Zi blushed at the teasing and was about to go find Su Shen when she noticed a tall figure heading her way, swiftly reaching her side.

The men immediately became serious as soon as Su Shen glanced around the

area.

When Su Shen took the thermos from Gu Zi’s hand and led her to the office, the others couldn’t resist joining in the playful banter led by Jin Long. “First time we see our Boss Shen taking care of a woman so considerately!”

“Hey, wife, isn’t that heavy? I’ll carry it back later tonight. I need to learn from our boss.”

“Look at how nervous and protective he is. Not only does Sister-in-law miss Brother Shen, but Brother Shen also misses Sister-in-law!”

Once inside the office, Gu Zi, trying to ease her nervousness, asked with a smile, “How did you know I was here?”