Chapter 29: with translation of chapter title

To thank Yao Yulan for making a special trip, Du Ruo recalled what Jiang Cheng had said after returning from the clan elder's house, and prepared to teach Yao Yulan the dumpling‑wrapping technique.

Yao Yulan was overjoyed.

The old man of the family had been lying in bed for several days, sighing and groaning, not knowing what was wrong, and wouldn't say when asked.

After eating the vegetable‑and‑meat dumplings sent by the Second Branch of the Jiang Family, he seemed to suddenly come back to life, his spirits lifted, and he started walking around with his cane, picking at things again.

Yao Yulan's mother‑in‑law, knowing her daughter‑in‑law got along well with Du Ruo, had long been urging her to come learn.

Well, that's perfect.

The two of them got busy.

Du Ruo first marinated the previously prepared pheasant with seasonings, then stir‑fried diced meat and mushrooms to make the filling, stuffed it into the bird's belly, had the dog fetch two lotus leaves, wrapped the pheasant in the leaves and tied it with rope, coated the outside with yellow mud, and finally tossed it into the stove pit.

Yao Yulan stared, dumbfounded.

"What are you doing?"

Du Ruo smiled at her, "No rush, you'll find out soon."

Then she began formally teaching Yao Yulan how to wrap dumplings—how to mix the filling, how to roll the wrappers, and the proportion for the soul‑dipping sauce, holding nothing back.

She even taught her three wrapping styles: the basic method, the ingot method, and the purse method, for festive occasions.

Yao Yulan was quick‑witted and humble, and she picked it up almost right away.

By noon they had wrapped over a hundred dumplings; Du Ruo boiled half of them and steamed a basket, then packed the rest onto a large plate for Yao Yulan to take home.

Yao Yulan kept declining, "How can I steal the teacher's knowledge and then eat and take away? That would be terribly embarrassing."

Du Ruo placed it directly in her hand and laughed, "That's just being formal—what relation do our two families have? Going up, we're basically from the same household eating together, truly kin! Hurry and take it; consider it my tribute to the clan patriarch."

These words made Yao Yulan beam with joy.

It wasn't that she was greedy for those few dozen dumplings; rather, times had changed—Jiang Li had become a constable, and it was clear the Second Branch of the Jiang Family was about to rise.

From then on the two families would visit often, helping each other, with only benefits and no drawbacks.

Moreover, she genuinely liked Du Ruo as a person.

As she was leaving, Du Ruo took the roasted pheasant from the stove pit, peeled off the outer crust, cut half of it, wrapped it in lotus leaves, and handed it to Yao Yulan.

"This is prosperity chicken; take it home for the kids to try." In fact it was the beggar's chicken from her past life, which she had renamed.

Ancient folk were superstitious—who would gladly eat beggar's chicken?

Indeed, Yao Yulan grinned wider and wider, eyes nearly disappearing, and skipped out of the small courtyard of the Jiang Family's Second Branch.

This trip wasn't wasted; although the Du Clan lady looked a bit shabby, she was sensible and magnanimous, and Jiang Li had gained a capable helper—surely the old man would be pleased…

"Jiang Tong's family, what are you carrying?"

A sudden voice startled Yao Yulan.

She turned to see Cao Shi leaning on a hoe behind her, staring intently at what she held.

Yao Yulan let out a breath and complained, "Auntie, how do you keep appearing out of nowhere?"

Cao Shi stepped forward two paces, sniffed, and said, "It smells wonderful—what's this tasty thing?"

Seeing the mole on her face almost touching the lotus leaf, Yao Yulan felt uneasy, forcing a smile: "There's nothing tasty here—just lotus leaves. I think you're just craving nonsense."

Having said that, she turned and walked away.

Cao Shi spat at her back, "You little brat, who are you trying to fool? Do you really think I didn't see where you came from?"

Her eyes darted around, and Cao Shi sneaked behind Yao Yulan.

Watching Yao Yulan enter the house, she hid outside the wall and sure enough, not long after, Yao Yulan's three‑year‑old tot came out with a chicken leg, gnawing it till his mouth was slick with oil.

The drumstick was large and crispy, its rich meat aroma drifting over the wall.

Cao Shi gulped down her saliva.

She felt both angry and famished.

That good‑for‑nothing woman of the Du Clan, spending silver on tasty food and then giving it all away to outsiders.

Such a big chicken, and she hasn't even offered a single feather to the main branch!

Cao Shi hurried home, bursting with resentment.

As soon as she stepped inside she began to wail, "Mother, this life is unbearable! Hurry to the Second Branch and see— that little brat is about to ruin the family!"

Yan Pozi was in the midst of picking a name for her soon‑to‑be‑born great‑grandson; hearing this, her old face fell.

"What kind of ominous name? I'm not dead yet!"

Cao Shi's precious son Jiang Zongbao flung open the bedroom door, half‑asleep, and grumbled, "Mother, why are you making a racket at midday? Won't you let anyone sleep?"

Cao Shi made a motion of hitting her own mouth, smiling broadly: "It's my fault—my loud voice woke you. All right, I'll stay quiet; you came back late last night and surely didn't rest, so go back to sleep."

"Oh, I'm not sleeping." Jiang Zongbao yawned, slumped on a stool, and asked, "What's up with that little brat in the Second Branch again?"

Upon mentioning it, Cao Shi instantly perked up.

She launched into an exaggerated account of what she'd just seen, spitting as she spoke.

After hearing it, Jiang Zongbao flared up, slammed the table, and shouted, "What an ugly monster, taking our Jiang family's things to curry favor—do you think our Jiang family has died out?"

Yan Pozi furrowed her brows.

"How dare you speak like that?" she glared at Jiang Zongbao, displeased, "You can't insult people and then curse your own family along with it."

This grandson really gives her a headache—he inherited none of his father's shrewdness, instead taking after his mother completely, a total blockhead.

Not only is he stupid, he's also lecherous, daring to touch any woman's wife. Over the years, to fill the pit Jiang Zongbao has dug, who knows how much silver has been wasted—even several mu of land have been sold.

If this continues, the whole family will end up drinking northwest wind.

Thinking of these things gives Yan Pozi a headache.

Jiang Zongbao still stubbornly insisted, "Of course—when that little brat married in, she didn't bring a single copper, yet now she has silver to buy this and that and even give away tasty food; where does she get the money?"

It must be from the Jiang Family.

Yan Pozi replied coolly, "Perhaps she earned it herself after moving in."

"What's it matter what she earned?" Jiang Zongbao was dismissive: "Since she married into the Jiang Family, in life she's a Jiang Family person, in death she's a Jiang Family ghost; the money she earns naturally belongs to the Jiang Family—when does she get to decide?"

Cao Shi also called out: "Right, it's all the Jiang Family's!"

She nodded along while looking at Jiang Zongbao with an expression that said "My son is truly great."

Jiang Zongbao grew ever more pleased with himself.

Yan Pozi gave them a sideways glance at this foolish mother-and-son pair, then poured a basin of cold water: "Even if it belongs to the Jiang Family, it's the second branch's; it has nothing to do with our main branch. Don't forget, the two branches have long since split households."

Before, they could still suppress those white-eyed wolves with the pretext of filial piety, but this trick seems ineffective against Du Shi.

Du Shi is sly and crafty, always able to think up various excuses to shirk responsibility; with her around, the main branch will find it not so easy to take things from the second branch in the future.

Jiang Zongbao couldn't care less about those things; from childhood on, anything he wants he must get his hands on.

Just like Qin Shi, this daughter-in-law—back then Qin Shi would rather hang herself than marry him, but what happened? She still obediently got into the bridal sedan.

"So what if they've split households? If she won't give it to me, I'll steal it; if I can't steal it, I'll rob her—she surely wouldn't dare do anything to me!"

Yan Pozi lowered her eyelids.

Stealing, however, might not be impossible.

Splitting households, splitting households—what's divided is the family property, not the blood ties and affection as well.

Given Cao Shi and Zongbao's conduct, it's highly likely they'd be discovered; but after all, they are Jiang Li's relatives, so Du Shi would at most scold them a few words—could she really take them to court?

As the saying goes, family shame should not be aired; spreading such fratricidal conflict would do Jiang Li's reputation no good……

Thinking this through, Yan Pozi picked up the paper on the table covered with names, turned, and went into her own main room.

"I'm old now, I can't manage this anymore—you handle it yourselves."