After the meal, everyone smacked their lips—not intentionally, but simply because they were still savoring the delicious flavors.
Even Zhan Chunying, who had been quite dissatisfied with Tang Qiyue before, found it hard to criticize her now.
"Auntie, is all the food in your family this delicious?"
The eldest nephew, being young and in his curious "why" phase, couldn't help asking.
Tang Qiyue shook her head.
"We don't eat meat every day. It's just that my maternal grandfather's family once had imperial chefs among our ancestors, and they left behind many recipes. I sometimes look through them in my spare time. This is actually the first time I've made this dish."
The whole family found it hard to believe.
If it was already this delicious on the first try, how good would it be after more practice?
Even the vegetables—which were usually
hard for the eldest nephew to eat—tasted wonderful today. Despite having very little oil and only a bit of salt, they were far better than his mother's cooking.
Having successfully conquered everyone's stomachs, Tang Qiyue, as the new bride, had finally passed her first test.
She stood up to clear the dishes, but Zhan's mother stopped her.
Glancing at her eldest daughter-in-law and Zhan Chunying, she said:
"You two go wash the dishes."
Although the eldest daughter-in-law looked somewhat displeased, she didn't argue. She stiffly pulled Zhan Chunying along and carried the dishes into the kitchen.
For a moment, Tang Qiyue didn't know what to do.
In both of her lives, she had never had experience as a daughter-in-law.
She instinctively looked at Zhan Zeye for help.
But instead of responding to her, Zhan Zeye spoke to his mother.
"Mom, I only have a three-day leave this time. My application for housing at the base has been approved. Would you like to come stay with me for a while?"
Zhan's elder brother, who had been sitting quietly, immediately jumped to his feet.
"Second Brother, what are you saying? I'm not dead yet, and you're already taking Mom away? Won't the neighbors gossip about me?"
According to tradition, the eldest son was responsible for caring for his parents in their old age.
Although Zhan's elder brother wasn't particularly capable, he was filial and cared deeply about his reputation.
Years ago, his wedding had drained the family's savings. At that time, Zhan Zeye secretly joined the army to reduce the burden on the family, leaving his elder brother filled with guilt.
Fortunately, Zhan Zeye had proven capable. Not only had he survived the battlefield, but he had also earned military merit and become a junior officer.
After surviving the famine years, their lives were finally improving.
With the money Zhan Zeye sent home, the family no longer had to worry about starvation.
If he suddenly took their mother away, relatives and neighbors would surely criticize the elder brother.
Seeing his brother's flushed face, Zhan Zeye realized he hadn't thought things through.
He had simply wanted his mother to live with him comfortably, especially since the base had a canteen where she could eat better.
"Brother, I only meant for Mom to stay with me for a while, not permanently. I don't go on missions every day anymore—I mostly lead troops now. I'll have time to accompany her."
Although Zhan Zeye spoke sincerely, his elder brother still disagreed.
Usually quiet, the elder brother suddenly shouted:
"Don't even think about it! It's not like you just had a baby and need Mom to help take care of it. You're not taking her away!"
Zhan Zeye: "…"
Tang Qiyue was stunned.
For the first time, she realized that not every family was as cold and indifferent as hers.
Apparently, some brothers would even argue over who got to take care of their mother.
Zhan's mother finally slammed her hand on the table.
"That's enough! I'm not that old yet. Why are you two fighting over me?"
She glared at her eldest son before turning to Zhan Zeye.
"Xiao Ye, I know you want to be filial. But I'm used to living here. If I suddenly moved somewhere new where I don't know anyone, wouldn't I feel lonely?"
Zhan Zeye lowered his head. He hadn't considered that.
"Besides," she continued, "you're newly married. If you're going to take someone to the army base, you should take your wife with you. Just live your life together happily—that's enough for me."
Mother Zhan took Tang Qiyue's hand and gently patted it with a smile.
Tang Qiyue felt slightly embarrassed.
At first, Mother Zhan had been worried about Tang Qiyue's background as the daughter of a capitalist family.
But after today's meal, her worries had completely disappeared.
People often say that women marry for food and clothing, and men marry wives to manage the household and provide warm meals.
Although Tang Qiyue looked delicate and not particularly strong, she turned out to be very capable.
Mother Zhan had noticed that her younger son—who usually ate quickly and carelessly—had been unusually refined during the meal today, though his chopsticks never stopped moving.
At least Tang Qiyue had captured his appetite, which was a good sign for their marriage.
Mother Zhan didn't want to interfere with the couple's relationship. If she caused tension between them, who would want a man who was rumored to be injured and unable to have children?
The more she thought about it, the less she wanted to leave with her son.
Just as Zhan Zeye was about to continue persuading her, Zhan's sister-in-law and younger sister returned from washing the dishes.
Mother Zhan immediately changed the topic.
"Alright, now that everyone is here, let's talk about dividing the family property."
Her sudden announcement shocked everyone.
Usually, families only split up after the youngest son married when there were conflicts between siblings.
But the Zhan brothers didn't seem to have a bad relationship.
Seeing Tang Qiyue's confused expression and the eldest daughter-in-law's pale face, Mother Zhan continued:
"Your father passed away early. I raised the three of you alone. You all know how difficult things were, right?"
The siblings nodded.
Their father had died of illness, and the family had nearly gone bankrupt trying to pay for his medical treatment. Even the coffin had been bought with borrowed money.
"Now that Xiaoye is married, he'll need to support his own wife. It wouldn't be appropriate for him to keep sending his salary home."
She looked directly at her eldest daughter-in-law.
"Don't you agree?"
"I… agree," the eldest daughter-in-law said with a forced smile, though her expression was clearly unpleasant.
Mother Zhan ignored it and continued:
"Normally, Chunying isn't married yet, so it's a bit early to divide the family. But Xiaoye rarely comes home, and we don't know when he'll return again. I've already saved enough for Chunying's dowry, so she won't be treated unfairly later. Let's divide the family now."
Zhan Zeye had no objections.
If his mother wanted to separate the households, he would cooperate.
The elder brother opened his mouth to speak, but when he thought about the years his younger brother had risked his life in the army, he couldn't bring himself to oppose it.
"Mother, we'll do as you say."
Zhan Zeye nodded as well.
As for the eldest daughter-in-law's opinion, it was essentially ignored.
Only Tang Qiyue raised a question.