Chapter 117: Can't Defeat Them? Then Join Them

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When Lin You saw that the two had united their front again, he had no choice but to join since he couldn’t beat them.
“Tell me, what’s your plan?”
“I’ll start cooking first. You two chat for a while. We’ll have a proper talk at the dinner table later.”
Xia Yan glanced at her watch. If she didn’t make dinner soon, the three kids would be starving.
Wang Baoguo smiled and said he had brought something good and left it in the kitchen. Xia Yan wondered what he had brought and went to check, only to be hit by a strong stench of fermented rice porridge.
Good grief, the kitchen was filled with a huge basin brimming with pig intestines.
Lin Hongzhuo, curious, ran into the kitchen. He knew that since this uncle was here today, there’d definitely be something delicious for dinner. But upon entering, the smell hit him harder than it did Xia Yan, and he nearly vomited on the spot.
“Mom, how can anyone eat something so smelly?”
Seeing him retch, Xia Yan’s own stomach churned slightly, but she still thought of a dish to prepare. “Xiao Zhuo, once these intestines are cleaned, there won’t be any smell. Plus, the dish will be fragrant and delicious. You can try it tonight.”
Lin Hongzhuo shook his head vigorously, like a rattle drum. “Mom, I won’t eat it. I want steamed egg custard.”
“Fine, I’ll make minced meat steamed egg custard for you and your brother and sister tonight.”
Lin Hongzhuo practically ate steamed egg custard every other day—it was his absolute favorite.
Xia Yan planned to stir-fry the pork intestines with heavy seasoning to make it fragrant and a perfect accompaniment for drinks. There were leftover eggplants from yesterday, so she’d make fish-fragrant eggplant, steamed egg custard, and add some shredded pork—more than enough for the meal.
But... cleaning the intestines was truly torturous.
Xia Yan scooped a spoonful of flour and sat on a small stool to scrub. She spent over half an hour on it and at that moment, she truly ‘hated’ Wang Baoguo for calling it “good stuff”!
Because the cleaning took so long, the three kids occasionally came to peek and ask questions. Thankfully, they were sensible and even helped by giving Xia Yan back rubs while she bent over scrubbing, letting her experience the bittersweet joy of motherhood.
When the oil was hot, she stir-fried the intestines, and the aroma instantly filled the entire house.
“Sis-in-law, this smells amazing. I don’t even need to taste it to know it’s delicious.”
Hearing the ‘enemy’ make such a snide remark, Xia Yan grabbed an uncut eggplant and threw it at him. “Don’t let me see you now, or I’ll be annoyed. If you want to eat this stuff, clean it yourself and bring it over next time. I’m exhausted.”
Lin You couldn’t sit still hearing his wife complain. “What did you bring, man? You wouldn’t even let me into the kitchen just now.”
“Nothing much, just intestines. I’ve eaten them in restaurants down south; they really are tasty.”
“Intestines?”

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Lin You’s face darkened immediately. “You made my wife clean intestines?! Let me see how I deal with you.”
...
Even when the food was served, Lin You hadn’t calmed down, glaring at Wang Baoguo from time to time.
“All right, I’m upset, but I know you care about me. Go call the kids to eat—they must be starving by now.”
“Brother, remember to bring a bottle of wine!”
Though Lin You said no, he came back holding a bottle of baijiu, simply because Xia Yan’s cooking smelled too tempting...
Xia Yan served half a bowl of steamed egg custard to each of the three kids and gave Lin You a piece of stir-fried intestines. “Try this, stir-fried pork intestines. Your wife worked hard to make it.”
“Thanks, my dear wife.”
“Oh, you two are so lovey-dovey, can’t you think of my feelings?” Wang Baoguo looked at the couple and was filled with envy.
Lin You ignored him completely, eagerly putting the food his wife had served into his mouth.
“Hmm?”
His eyes lit up. He’d eaten intestines before, and usually, there was always some odor. But his wife’s cooking had none of that—only fragrance.
He took another piece and chewed slowly.
“Honey, you made this so well. The texture is perfect, and there’s not a hint of smell.”
Xia Yan smiled proudly. “When have I ever messed up cooking? Even the toughest ingredients are easy for me.”
Back when Xia Yan’s career was stagnant, she had once considered opening a private home-style restaurant—it would definitely be a hit.
Lin You’s chopsticks never stopped moving as he ate, praising her all the while. “Marrying you is the luckiest thing in my life.”
Lin Hongzhuo couldn’t help but say, “Dad, you always praise Mom like that. No originality at all...”
As he spoke, he took a piece of intestine and ended up scalding his mouth, running around the room looking for water.
Lin You: “...”
He hadn’t expected his son to embarrass him like that.
Xia Yan couldn’t hold back her laughter and patted Lin Hongzhuo’s head. “Xiao Zhuo is right. Your dad should read more books. Always saying the same things makes him look uneducated.”
Lin You looked a bit embarrassed and coughed awkwardly, putting on a stern face. “Eat your food and shut your mouth!”
Xia Yan suddenly thought that scientific parenting might not be enough. She also needed to educate her husband—she couldn’t have a family full of educated people with an illiterate husband.
After several rounds of drinks and a variety of flavors, the three resumed talking about Zhu Yan’s situation.
Xia Yan mentioned how Zhu Yan had told her about her family pressuring her to get married.
Wang Baoguo became anxious. “Brother, sister-in-law, you have to help me think of something.”
“Don’t rush. If Zhu Yan doesn’t agree, this won’t work...”
Xia Yan looked at Lin You and said, “Lin You, maybe I should talk to Zhu Yan?”
Lin You nodded. “Yes, you’re right. You’re the best person to handle this.”
“Sis-in-law, I’m counting on you for my happiness.”
Wang Baoguo was deeply moved.
Xia Yan quickly replied, “Don’t say that yet. Love has to be mutual. If Zhu Yan doesn’t feel anything for you, I advise you to give up early.”
“Feelings? Does ‘hate’ count?”
Wang Baoguo absolutely didn’t believe Zhu Yan liked him; she certainly had a lot of ‘dislike’ for him.
Seeing his disappointment, Xia Yan comforted, “Hate can count too. Sometimes it just means the other person can’t ignore you. Haven’t you heard of ‘lovers who bicker’? Sometimes ‘dislike’ is a form of love.”
At this, Wang Baoguo’s face lit up with his usual smile again.
After dinner, Xia Yan cleaned the kitchen while Lin You hesitated to speak several times.
“If you want to say something, just say it. We’re married now; there’s nothing we can’t talk about.”
Lin You finally put down the cloth. “Wife, do you really think Baoguo and Zhu Yan are a good match?”

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