Time-Travel: The Tragic Cannon Fodder Female Supporting Character Makes a Comeback

CHAPTER 52: The 1960s Marriage Swap: Marrying a Cook (6)

　　By mealtime, the rest of the Ye family had also returned.

　　On the way back, they had already heard that the Duan mother and son had come to visit today. One by one, they walked in with worried expressions.

　　Ye Liu had run off, and now the Duan family had come knocking. Would this marriage end up affecting the relationship between the two families?

　　No matter what, the Duan family had been a favor to them before, and none of them wanted things to turn ugly like this.

　　Hao Wenfang shot them a glance. “Meiling and I already made things clear. The marriage arrangement with Ye Liu is off. I’ve also talked to your little sister about it. Susu thinks Ziyu is alright and wants to get to know him first.”

　　Ye Bai suddenly slammed down his water cup and gave his little sister a thumbs up. “Little sis, you’re awesome! But honestly, that Ziyu guy really is good-looking, and he seems decent enough too.”

　　Ye Qingsong elbowed his younger brother and then looked at his sister with concern. “Susu, are you really doing this because you want to? Or are you just trying to take some burden off the family? If it’s because of us, you mustn’t treat your marriage like a joke.”

　　Tian Daniu also thought of the same concern and added worriedly, “Little sister, your big brother is right. Worst case, we can compensate the Duan family in other ways. Marriage is no small matter, it can’t be treated lightly.”

　　These words made the Ye couple worry as well. “Daughter, you…”

　　Ye Su waved a hand to calm them down and gave everyone a light smile. “No, it’s not like that. I just think he seems like a decent match. Since I’ll have to marry someone sooner or later anyway, I might as well get to know him first. It’s not like we’re already talking about marriage.”

　　Everyone finally let out a breath of relief, fearing that this child was doing it to repay the Ye family's debt of gratitude.

　　Hao Wenfang felt a little embarrassed to say it outright, that her daughter was mainly drawn to the man’s good looks, so she could only explain. “That child Ziyu really is pretty good. If Susu wants to get to know him, then let her. We know the Duan family well enough, so there’s no need to worry about being deceived.”

　　Hearing that, everyone agreed as well. The Ye and Duan families had interacted for over a decade, and both mother and son were known to have gentle, honest personalities.

　　The next day, Hao Wenfang prepared a gift roughly matching what the Duan family had brought and went over to their house.

　　Because of her son’s broken marriage arrangement, Luo Meiling had barely slept the night before and woke up in the morning with a painful heat blister on her lip.

　　Duan Ziyu had gotten up early, made breakfast, cleaned up the house, and then left on his bicycle for work in town.

　　By the time Hao Wenfang arrived, she had just missed him. Luo Meiling was having breakfast when she suddenly saw her come in and warmly invited her to join them.

　　“Come on, Wenfang. That child Ziyu made quite a bit this morning. I’ve got a bit of heat in my body, so I can’t finish it all.”

　　Hao Wenfang had already eaten coarse grain porridge early in the morning, so she wasn’t hungry at first. But she was still pulled over to the dining table by Luo Meiling.

　　The refined breakfast alone made her swallow unconsciously.

　　The mother and son were clearly not short on money, and since Duan Ziyu was a cook himself, the breakfast had quite a few dishes.

　　The fragrant minced pork rice was golden and glossy, sprinkled with bits of green scallion, just looking at it was enough to make one’s appetite wake up.

　　There was a small plate of refreshing cucumber mixed with peanuts, another plate neatly arranged with four or five slices of beautifully braised beef, and a bowl of soup on the side.

　　In this era, ordinary people really didn’t get to enjoy food like this.

　　It looked delicious, and it smelled even better.

　　Luo Meiling efficiently served her half a bowl of rice, added three slices of braised beef, and pushed the cold dishes a little closer to her.

　　“Try Ziyu’s cooking. That child saw my appetite wasn’t great and kept changing things up to make me something nice. I’m not really hungry, and I’ve got a heat blister on my lip so I can’t eat much anyway. You should eat more.”

　　Hao Wenfang smiled as she took it and thanked her. She sat down and started eating. Every bite was full of flavor, everything tasting so good it felt even better than the state-run restaurant in town.    

　　When her eldest son got married, his wife’s family was the brigade leader’s household, and they had even hired a state-run restaurant chef to handle the cooking.

　　Unfortunately, right after the wedding was over, winter hit and a severe famine followed. After that, they never again got to eat such good food.

　　Even now, Hao Wenfang couldn’t help sighing as she ate.

　　That child Ziyu was truly filial. If her daughter really married him, she would definitely live well and never suffer much hardship.

　　“So delicious. Ziyu’s cooking really is amazing. I’m only getting to enjoy this today thanks to you.”

　　Luo Meiling smiled. She didn’t mind at all that the other woman was eating. “If you like it, just come over more often in the future.”

　　Duan Ziyu’s father received a military subsidy from his unit, about twenty yuan a month. On top of that, with Duan Ziyu’s salary included, their monthly income came close to a hundred yuan.

　　Not to mention in the village, even in town there were plenty of people who envied that kind of income. Thankfully, the mother and son were very low-key and never flaunted their wealth.

　　They dressed simply and cleanly. With a son who was a cook, they could eat whatever they wanted behind closed doors anyway, so they didn’t really fuss over small things like food.

　　After finishing the meal, Hao Wenfang finally smiled and got straight to the point.

　　“My daughter said she’d like to get to know Ziyu first.”

　　Luo Meiling was caught off guard for a moment, then immediately broke into an excited smile. “That’s wonderful news!”

　　She had taken a real liking to that girl yesterday.

　　She had never seen such a delicate and beautiful young lady before, almost like one of those embroidered dolls she remembered from childhood.

　　Composed and graceful, even more outstanding than the girls from the city. And those clear, bright eyes of hers gave her a very good impression. As someone with experience, she could tell the girl's character was impeccable!

　　“I still don’t even know your daughter’s name. Tell me, tell me. I’ve always had a soft spot for sweet little girls like that.”

　　“Her name is Ye Su. You can just call her Susu. She’s very sensible and filial, a truly thoughtful child. If it weren’t for her being willing herself, we wouldn’t be in any hurry to marry her off. We actually wanted to keep her at home a little longer.”

　　Luo Meiling smiled even brighter, practically unable to close her mouth as she held Hao Wenfang’s hand warmly. “No need to rush. The kids can take their time getting to know each other. Even getting married next year would be fine. Besides, our two families live close by, just a few steps away. It’d be easy to visit and even come over for lunch.”

　　Seeing her already thinking about marriage, Hao Wenfang didn’t know whether to laugh or sigh. “Let them get to know each other first. If it works out, then we’ll talk about everything else.”

　　After all, as long as her daughter lived well, that was all that mattered.

　　……

　　Duan Ziyu came back from work and brought his mother a small pot of lily and lotus seed soup. It helped clear internal heat and was good for the body.

　　Luo Meiling said she was fine and didn’t even bother drinking it. She hurriedly grabbed her son and said, “Right after you left for work this morning, your Auntie Wenfang came by our house.”

　　Hearing it was the Ye family, Duan Ziyu sat down with his hands resting on his knees, looking at his mother with questioning eyes.

　　Hadn’t everything already been made clear yesterday? Why would the Ye family come again?

　　“It’s good news,” Luo Meiling said quickly. “That pretty girl we met yesterday? She’s your Auntie Wenfang’s biological daughter. Her name is Ye Su. She’s taken a liking to you and wants to try getting to know you.”

　　Duan Ziyu froze for a moment, his mind not quite catching up.

　　That delicate, beautiful girl from yesterday… liked him?

　　His face warmed slightly. Then he raised his hands to sign quickly. “Mom, we only met briefly yesterday and didn’t even really talk. Could there be some misunderstanding here?”

　　“Is it because of Father’s situation?” 

　　When he reached that thought, Duan Ziyu looked at his mother seriously and signed again quickly. “If that’s the case, I won’t agree.”

　　Luo Meiling couldn’t help but laugh. “You child, do you really think your mom is that kind of person? I already asked clearly. No one in the Ye family is forcing her. Susu agreed on her own, and she even thinks you’re pretty good in every way.”

　　“Besides, my son is good-looking and capable. It’s only normal for a girl to take a liking to him. I’m actually very satisfied with that girl too. Didn’t you used to love pretty dolls when you were little? Susu looks just like one. And from what I saw yesterday, she speaks and carries herself very gracefully. No matter how you look at it, we’re the ones gaining here. You should get along with her properly.”

　　Hearing his mother's words, Duan Ziyu’s ears turned slightly warm.

　　That was an embarrassing childhood memory, but he couldn’t deny it. The moment he saw that girl yesterday, he really was stunned. For a brief moment, his heart even skipped a beat.

　　But soon after, doubt crept in. He raised a hand and touched his throat, a trace of insecurity flashing through him.

　　He used to be able to make a few simple sounds when he was younger, but at school he was often mocked for sounding like a duck. Over time, he gradually stopped speaking altogether.

　　Even now, he occasionally tried practicing in secret, but all that came out were rough, hoarse sounds that were unpleasant and grating.

　　Only his mother could understand his hand gestures. To everyone else, it was all guesswork. Communication itself had always been the first major barrier.

　　——

　　Two days later.

　　The town’s quarterly market day had arrived.

　　Early in the morning, Hao Wenfang and Tian Daniu got up to pack things up and also woke Ye Su.

　　The market would be crowded with people, so they planned to bring out and sell some of the things they had saved up at home.

　　There were bamboo baskets that Hao Wenfang had woven in her spare time, and some wooden tools and crafts made by Ye Xiuli. They hoped to exchange them for a bit of pocket money during the market day.

　　Earlier in the year, Ye Bai had even managed to get two animal pelts from hunting, though those kinds of goods could only be sold quietly and through private channels.

　　It was 1960, and there were no sent-down youth in the village yet.

　　For markets held in small towns like this, as long as the goods followed the rules, everything was considered legal and proper, not counted as speculative trade.

　　……

　　Ye Qingsong had already gone off to work.

　　Ye Bai, meanwhile, had slung a basket with the pelts over his back and headed out with a few of his friends. They had connections and knew how to sell furs.

　　Ye Su went to town on the village ox cart with her parents and her sister-in-law.

　　By the time they arrived, it was only around seven in the morning, but the market site was already packed with people.

　　People from five or six nearby villages had all gathered here for the market. A single glance showed nothing but a sea of dull, earth-toned clothes and a bustling crowd.

　　Some carried baskets on their backs, some balanced loads on shoulder poles, others held woven bamboo baskets in their hands.

　　Both sides of the street were lined with stalls selling straw hats, baskets, needles and thread, vegetables, and even snacks.

　　As Ye Su walked, she paused for a moment when she noticed a woman selling malt candy.

　　Hao Wenfang immediately pulled out some money and handed it over, calling out, “Sister, give us two pieces so the kids can have something sweet.”

　　“Alright! Your two daughters are really pretty.”

　　The vendor picked up two small wooden sticks, twirled a lump of sticky malt candy around them, then rotated her hands a few times and cheerfully handed the first one to Ye Su.

　　She quickly made another one and passed it to Tian Daniu, still smiling as she praised, “Auntie’s malt candy is the best. Everyone who’s tried it says so. The more you stretch it, the whiter it gets, and the tastier it becomes.”

　　Ye Su tried twisting hers a couple of times. Honestly, it was kind of fun.

　　Tian Daniu looked a little shy holding hers, then immediately tried to pass it to Ye Su. “I’m already this old. Susu, you should keep it.”

　　Hao Wenfang reached out and stopped her with a laugh. “Old? In my eyes, you’re still a kid. We already paid for one each. Just eat yours.”

　　Ye Su also chimed in, “Sister-in-law, Mom’s right. And it’s such a big piece anyway. I can’t finish mine alone.”

　　“Alright, alright, I’ll eat it then.” Tian Daniu laughed as she popped it into her mouth, feeling secretly happy.

　　Her husband was hardworking and kind to her, and her in-laws treated her like their own daughter. Most of the heavy work at home was handled by the men, so she didn’t suffer much at all.

　　Other married women often complained about their lives, but she felt genuinely content. Compared to most women, her life was already pretty comfortable.

　　A passing child saw Ye Su eating malt candy and tugged at his parent's leg, insisting on having some too.

　　Before long, several children had gathered around the malt candy stall. 

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