Chapter 508: Shu’er, what happened to your wrist?

Although Li Shu kept telling blatant lies with her eyes wide open, Zhu Ping’an chose not to expose her little scheming side—for the simple reason that his mother, Madam Chen, was genuinely happy. That alone was enough. Not only did he keep silent, he even went and fetched her another stool, lest this pampered young lady strain herself squatting for too long and end up with aching legs.

While Li Shu and Madam Chen chatted cheerfully as they picked vegetables, laughter spilling endlessly between them, Zhu Ping’an did not remain idle. He had just learned from his father that, in recent days, his mother had fallen ill from worrying about him. Taking advantage of the moment, he quietly went to prepare a dose of the herbal medicine prescribed by the doctor.

“Mother, drink this while it’s still warm. It’s all my fault for making you worry,” he said softly.

After finishing the decoction, he poured the dark, bitter liquid into a bowl and brought it carefully to her. Knowing how unpleasant the taste would be, he had also brought along a small packet of candied fruits, intending to let her sweeten her mouth afterward.

“Now that I’ve seen you and Shu’er return safely, I’ve already recovered. What need is there for medicine?” Madam Chen shook her head vigorously, her voice full of strength. To her, Zhu Ping’an and Li Shu were better than any miraculous cure. The moment she saw them safe and sound, the heavy stone that had weighed on her heart had vanished without a trace.

“Mother, Father said you were so worried you couldn’t even eat for days. Your body must be weak—you still need to take the medicine,” Zhu Ping’an insisted, holding the bowl steady.

He could tell that his mother’s spirits had improved greatly now that he was back, and that the root of her illness—her worry—had already been removed. But her body had still suffered from those anxious days, and it needed nourishment and care.

“Hmph, don’t listen to his nonsense…” Madam Chen shot a glare in the direction of Zhu Pingan’s Father, who had been innocently dragged into this, and shook her head.

“Mother… good medicine tastes bitter, but it’s good for you,” Zhu Ping’an urged again, his tone gentle yet persistent.

“Mother, Husband is only worried about you,” Li Shu chimed in sweetly. She had just washed her hands in the basin and dried them with a handkerchief. Taking the bowl from Zhu Ping’an, she spoke in a soft, coaxing voice, “If you drink the medicine, your body will recover, and both Husband and I can rest easy.”

“Alright, I’ll listen to Shu’er,” Madam Chen agreed immediately.

Zhu Ping’an had spent so long persuading her to no avail, yet with just a single sentence from Li Shu, she relented without hesitation. As she drank the medicine, Li Shu glanced at Zhu Ping’an with a triumphant smile, her bright, watery eyes sparkling mischievously.

“Mother, have some candied fruit,” Zhu Ping’an said quickly after she finished, offering it with exaggerated attentiveness.

“Not bad. I didn’t dote on you for nothing,” Madam Chen nodded in satisfaction as she accepted it.

At that moment, Zhu Ping’an shot Li Shu a subtle glance, as if he had just won a round in some invisible contest. Li Shu responded with a discreet eye-roll.

As the sun climbed high overhead, the Zhu family began preparing lunch. Madam Chen had originally intended to cook herself, but both Li Shu and the eldest sister-in-law, Juan’er, insisted that she rest due to her weakened condition. Between the two of them, they effectively took over the kitchen.

In the end, Li Shu took charge of the cooking, while Juan’er assisted her.

At first, Madam Chen had been worried that such a delicate, refined young lady wouldn’t know her way around a stove. But when she saw Li Shu skillfully lighting the fire and handling the wok with practiced ease, her worries quickly faded. As she continued watching Li Shu stir-fry and prepare dishes with fluid, confident movements, the smile on her face never once disappeared. Zhu Ping’an even found himself wondering whether his mother’s face might cramp from smiling so much.

In fact, in the short span of time it took to cook the meal, Madam Chen even grabbed a scallion and hurried out like a gust of wind to chat with Aunt Li next door. Before long, nearly half of Xiahe Village had heard the news: the Zhu family’s new second daughter-in-law cooked so deliciously that even the town restaurant couldn’t compare.

Meanwhile, as Comrade Li Shu sharpened her knives in the kitchen with great enthusiasm, Zhu Ping’an grabbed a pair of scissors and dashed toward the family’s big black ox.

Snip, snip—

He carefully cut a small tuft of coarse black hair from the ox’s tail—just enough to make a writing brush.

The reason was simple: the brush he had used for years, the one he practiced calligraphy with, had been lost at sea. That brush had been handmade by his father and had accompanied him since childhood—from sneaking into lessons at the village school to his recent ordeal at sea. Losing it had pained him deeply.

But it didn’t matter now.

With the family’s big black ox right here, he could simply ask his father to make him another.

When Zhu Pingan’s Father heard of his plan, he readily agreed, his face lighting up with delight. He even snipped another tuft of hair from the ox’s tail, intending to make two brushes this time—so that even if one was lost again, there would still be a spare.

Back when they had lived in the old house, he had once made a brush for Zhu Ping’an’s elder uncle, Zhu Shouren. But his elder brother had disliked it and never used it, leaving Zhu Pingan’s Father quietly disappointed.

Now, seeing that his son—who had achieved the highest honor in the imperial examinations—still cherished and preferred the brushes he made, Zhu Pingan’s Father felt an indescribable sense of pride. It was as though the craft he had painstakingly learned had finally found its true purpose.

And so, in his happiness, he made two brushes.

By the time the brushes were finished, lunch was ready. In the kitchen, Li Shu had prepared six dishes and one soup in one go, using nothing more than simple, common ingredients—dried mushrooms, bamboo shoots, leafy greens. Yet what she produced was a feast of color, aroma, and flavor that made one’s appetite awaken at first sight.

“Second sister-in-law, your cooking is amazing,” Juan’er praised sincerely, gazing at the table full of dishes.

“Oh, not at all,” Li Shu replied modestly. “I still have much to learn from you, Sister-in-law. Your knife skills are so quick and precise—I’m far behind. You must teach me a few more tricks.”

The two sisters-in-law got along remarkably well in the kitchen, working in perfect harmony as they carried the dishes to the dining table.

Once everything was set, Li Shu took it upon herself to serve the rice. She first filled bowls for Madam Chen and Zhu Pingan’s Father, then for the elder brother and Juan’er. After that, she served a bowl for Zhu Ping’an, softly calling, “Husband…”

Only after everyone else had been served did she prepare a small half-bowl for herself.

“Shu’er, why are you eating so little? Have some more,” Madam Chen said immediately, concern evident in her voice. To her, that half-bowl was nowhere near enough to fill a person.

“Mother, I have a small appetite,” Li Shu replied with a gentle smile, shaking her head.

“That won’t do. You’re eating far too little. When Zhizi was young, he could finish a full bowl easily. Come, let me serve you more,” Madam Chen insisted warmly, already rising to her feet.

“Mother, really, it’s not necessary…” Li Shu’s face flushed pink under such enthusiasm.

“Be good—eat more. Only then can you give me a big, chubby grandson,” Madam Chen said cheerfully, already dreaming ahead. In her eyes, although Li Shu had the figure suited for childbearing, she was still a bit too thin.

A big, chubby grandson…

Li Shu’s face instantly turned bright red, as if it might drip with color. Even Zhu Ping’an felt a bit overwhelmed by his mother’s bluntness.

Madam Chen reached out and took Li Shu’s bowl, preparing to add more rice.

“Mother… I’ll do it myself,” Li Shu said shyly, extending her delicate hands to take the bowl back.

“It’s alright, let me do it,” Madam Chen insisted, though she eventually relented at Li Shu’s persistence. “But make sure you take more.”

“Mm.”

Li Shu nodded and carried the bowl back to the pot. To keep her sleeves from dipping into the food, she gently rolled them up, revealing her slender wrists. As she reached out to scoop the rice—

A scar, stark and somewhat jagged, was suddenly exposed on her wrist.

“Shu’er… what happened to your wrist?”

Madam Chen’s sharp eyes caught it immediately. Though it had already begun to heal, the wound was still glaringly obvious, and impossible to ignore.