Transmigrated as Cannon Fodder — I Rise to Female Lead Through Hard Work-Chapter 95: Eldest Sister-in-law Weng Hefeng

"Grandma, when should I go call mom?" The oldest child, Yi Junya, shouted in the courtyard.

"Go now," Liu Huilan replied loudly.

"Alright then."

The biggest difference between the Xintang Production Team and the Dingping Production Team is a large pond in the middle of the team. There are quite a few fish inside, and they fish it annually. Each household gets a share based on the number of people, which could be two or three fish per family.

The perfect time for releasing the water is just before transplanting rice seedlings, and the pond water is just right for irrigating the fields. So, today, the members of the Xintang Production Team are particularly motivated because most families keep their fish to enjoy during these days of transplanting.

"Mom, mom—" Yi Junya shouted loudly from the field ridge at Weng Hefeng, who was rolling up her pants and bending over to transplant rice seedlings, with a hint of urgency in her voice. Eight-year-old Yi Junya knew that today’s lunch at home would be especially sumptuous.

"Xiao Ya, what’s the matter?" Weng Hefeng didn’t even stand up, just slightly raised her head to glance at Yi Junya.

"Grandma asked me to call mom to cook," Yi Junya replied.

"So early?" Weng Hefeng straightened up, her face showing surprise.

"My aunt and uncle are here," Yi Junya explained, and Weng Hefeng understood, making a slight pout, spoke to the people around her, and then went home.

All the members of the Xintang Production Team knew about the situation of Yi Shunyin and Liu Huilan’s family. Having the daughter-in-law go home early to cook is a daily occurrence, and nobody finds it strange. They even help Weng Hefeng note the time and work points to tell the scorekeeper.

"Has the fish at home been slaughtered?" Weng Hefeng wiped the mud off her feet with wild grass, cleaned them before putting on her shoes, and asked Yi Junya about the situation with a frown on the way home.

"They weren’t killed when I left," Yi Junya replied honestly, then, after hesitating for a while, took out a piece of milk candy from her pocket and handed it to Weng Hefeng, "Mom, have some."

Weng Hefeng’s eyes widened immediately, "Where did it come from?"

"Aunt gave it," Yi Junya said excitedly, "She gave two pieces each to me and my two younger brothers, I ate one, this one is for mom."

"It’s more than just candy, aunt and uncle brought a lot of things, a lot, a lot," Yi Junya gestured with her hands, full of expectations, "There’s also a roast duck this big, preserved meat, malted milk, canned goods, lots of food."

"Really, keep the candy for yourself, I don’t like it," Weng Hefeng said while walking, her steps unconsciously larger, and her face visibly lightened up. Sure, the sister-in-law might not be favored, but the brother-in-law is a teacher in the county town; she really is blessed.

"Mom, wait for me." Yi Junya chased after Weng Hefeng, and the mother and daughter hurried home.

"Hey, where’s the brother-in-law going?" Weng Hefeng hadn’t even entered the house when she saw Ding Ancheng pushing out a bicycle, quickly stepped forward to stop him, "I’m here to cook, you can eat soon."

Weng Hefeng knew her sister-in-law’s personality very well, just worried she might have said something upsetting the brother-in-law.

"Sister-in-law," Ding Ancheng addressed her politely, "I’m going back to get Jing’s clothes, we’re staying here tonight, I’ll be back soon."

Upon hearing this, Weng Hefeng froze and made way, Jing? He didn’t call her that last time they visited, did he?

"Why are you standing at the door, come kill the fish," Liu Huilan frowned upon seeing her eldest daughter-in-law, Weng Hefeng, dazing outside, "How could a sister-in-law be staring at her brother-in-law like this?"

"Mom, I noticed the brother-in-law and sister-in-law got on much better, just now the brother-in-law called sister-in-law ’Jing’," Weng Hefeng voiced her doubts.

Liu Huilan laughed upon hearing this, "Better relationships are good, haven’t I seen you and your eldest calling each other sweet names too?"

Weng Hefeng’s face turned red from her mother-in-law’s teasing, "Mom—I’ll handle it."

Weng Hefeng was quick and efficient, taking the knife from Liu Huilan’s hand, crouched down, and took a black fish from the bucket, knocked a three-pound black fish unconscious with a vegetable knife, and started scaling it.

"Nannan, what kind of fish do you want to eat? Steamed or braised?" Liu Huilan asked with a smile when seeing Yi Roujing coming out of the kitchen.

Weng Hefeng almost scraped her hand with the knife, a miracle, her sister-in-law actually stepped into the kitchen, indeed marriage changes things.

"Sister-in-law, do you know how to make fish with pickled vegetables?" Yi Roujing asked.

"Fish with pickled vegetables? Cook it with pickled veggies? Wouldn’t the taste be weird?" Weng Hefeng was a local through and through and was hearing this dish name for the first time.

"Did you try it in the provincial city?" Liu Huilan asked.

"Not in the provincial city, my mother-in-law makes it, it’s really delicious, she said she learned the method from someone a while ago," Yi Roujing explained.

Weng Hefeng suddenly felt a bit sour, her sister-in-law is so lucky, her husband is a teacher with a monthly salary and various coupons, her mother-in-law is culinary skilled, having married three months ago she reportedly hasn’t worked yet, only recently started working, looking at Yi Roujing now, her skin is still white and tender, certainly not doing any hard chores, the more she thought, the more sour she felt.

Weng Hefeng’s fish scaling became slightly rough.

"How about I try making it?" Yi Roujing suggested, wanting her family to taste the dish too, though she hadn’t tried it herself, she knew the theory.

"Sister-in-law, my braised fish is really good," Weng Hefeng declined politely.

"Oh, then braised fish it is," Yi Roujing accepted, not wanting to force anyone.

"Take a fish with you when you go home, let your mother-in-law make the pickled vegetable fish," Liu Huilan said.

Weng Hefeng felt increasingly sour, sure, her sister-in-law has twelve people doting on her from her family, oh, comparison really kills, her own family never treated her so generously.

When handling the fish and entering the kitchen, Weng Hefeng almost dropped the fish in her hand, because on the wooden countertop in the kitchen, a big plate of red-brown roasted duck meat was thinly layered several times, the chopping board had a whole duck frame on it, with such knife skills, even the chefs in state-run big restaurants don’t have these.

"This..." Neither of the two people at home seemed capable of slicing the duck like this.

"Roujing sliced it, she just surprised me, this kid never had kitchen experience, didn’t expect her to do so well right from the start," Liu Huilan said with pride.

Weng Hefeng twitched her mouth, well, she was a bit skeptical, but without some talent, at this age, it’s impossible to have this level of knife skills, sometimes it’s hard not to be impressed.

"Mom, what else should we cook besides the fish?" Weng Hefeng asked.

"Fry some preserved meat too," Yi Roujing suggested.

"Okay." Liu Huilan nodded in agreement.

Weng Hefeng felt wasteful, having fish and duck meat together with preserved meat, using up so many things in one meal, whose family ever did this, not even during New Year’s would they have such great dishes.

But since Yi Roujing brought the items, she didn’t have the right to voice an opinion.