Reborn in the 1980s: I became a stepmother in the 1980s

Part 64 Replenish the body

Zhou Yueshan's innocent attempt at sharing his father's soup had amused Si Nian to the point where she nearly burst out laughing. "Little Second, what are you doing?"

Zhou Yueshan was munching on the wolfberries, finding their taste strange and not particularly pleasant. Blinking his confused eyes, he replied, "Eating."

Si Nian sighed, "Those are for stewing, not for eating like that." It's not that you can't eat them raw, but they're not meant to be eaten this way!

"But Dad has a lot in his bowl..." Zhou Yueshan glanced at his father, sounding slightly resentful.

Si Nian suppressed her laughter. "Listen to me, just drink the soup."

She had added extra wolfberries to the soup, thinking they were good for health and wanting to give Zhou Yuandong some extra nourishment.

Unexpectedly, Zhou Yueshan mistook them for snacks.

Zhou Yuandong gave his naive son a sidelong glance, feeling a bit embarrassed.

Seeing his stepmother's reaction and realizing the taste wasn't that good, Zhou Yueshan nodded obediently. A hint of worry clouded his face, thinking maybe he had upset his stepmother by taking the wolfberries for himself.

Si Nian sensed Zhou Yuandong's complex gaze on her and felt a bit guilty. She quickly cleared her throat to change the subject. "By the way, does your factory have leftover pork trotters, pig kidneys, intestines, or pork bones?"

Zhou Yuandong nodded slightly, "Yes, do you need them?"

Zhou Yuandong was a bit surprised by Si Nian's request but understood. These parts were often overlooked by many due to their specific taste or texture, especially in the village where preferences were more conservative.

Pig trotters were mostly skin and didn't have much meat, making them less popular. Pig intestines needed careful cleaning to remove any unpleasant odor, although they were quite tasty when prepared properly.

But pig kidneys... Zhou Yuandong's eyebrows furrowed slightly. These were known as a tonic for men, often consumed to boost vitality...

He glanced again at the wolfberry soup in his bowl.

Si Nian nodded hurriedly, "Yes, if you have them, please give me some extra."

Braised pig trotters, stewed pig intestines, hearty pork bone soup, and pig kidneys... she hadn't cooked them before, but knowing their potential benefits for vitality, she decided to prepare them for him.

Seeing Si Nian's sparkling eyes filled with anticipation, Zhou Yuandong felt a mix of amusement and warmth. He quickly retracted his gaze and said, "I'll have someone deliver them to you tomorrow."

Yu Dong frowned as he looked at the bag of pig trotters, intestines, and bones. These were usually considered less desirable cuts, cheaper and more troublesome to prepare. Normally, Zhou Yuandong would bring back the best cuts of meat like ribs or pork belly.

"Sending these to the Zhou family? Big brother, since when did you become so stingy? These are hard to handle," Yu Dong commented, wondering if Zhou Yuandong had argued with his wife. Was he intentionally sending her difficult cuts as some sort of petty revenge? That seemed unlike his brother.

"Stop talking nonsense and get it delivered," Zhou Yuandong said, cigarette hanging from his lips, sounding impatient.

Yu Dong opened the bag to find everything cleaned and even the hair removed from the pig trotters. While these cuts might be less desirable, they were already cleaned. He realized he might have overreacted earlier.

As he rode his bike out of the farm, a loud pop echoed — his tire had blown out. Yu Dong cursed under his breath. He checked the tire and found it riddled with punctures, likely from a dropped nail on the road.

Just as he was fuming with anger, a truck pulled up beside him. It was Li Mingjun, known for his flamboyant style — wearing leather jackets even in scorching heat.

"Old Yu, where are you headed?" Li Mingjun asked. He had overheard Zhou Yuandong asking Yu Dong to deliver something and decided to follow.

Seeing Yu Dong's bike with a flat tire, Li Mingjun smirked inwardly. What luck! This could be a chance to show some goodwill.

Li Mingjun's heart raced at the mention of seeing the sister-in-law. Ever since he'd seen her, he couldn't get her out of his mind — her captivating face, her every gesture replaying in his thoughts. Even if he faced setbacks, his desire to see her only grew stronger. Lately, he found himself making excuses to come by more often, hoping for just a glimpse of her.

The more she seemed disinterested, the more it gnawed at him.

"I was just bored, thought I'd come by for a visit. What happened to your bike? Need help delivering?" Li Mingjun asked, trying to appear nonchalant.

"My tire got punctured because some shameless woman dropped nails on the road. So irritating. If you're going that way, give me a lift," Yu Dong grumbled.

"You should get that tire fixed first. I can handle the delivery for you," Li Mingjun suggested, trying to find a way to spend more time around. "Just tell her it's from Big Brother."

Yu Dong pondered for a moment. While Li Mingjun was a bit unpredictable, he wasn't all bad. Plus, he often carried an air of arrogance typical of city folks.

"Alright, take it to Zhou's place then. Just tell my sister-in-law it's from Zhou Yuandong," Yu Dong said, handing over the bag of meat.

Li Mingjun's heart leaped with joy, finally getting an excuse to see her again. "Got it, leave it to me," he said with a wink, taking the bag and riding off, secretly thrilled at the chance to make another impression.

The bag of meats and odd cuts wasn't something Li Mingjun felt proud to deliver. He wondered why Big Brother would send such things. Still, he was eager for any excuse to see her.

"Alright, I'll make sure it gets there," Li Mingjun said with a grin, taking the bag from Yu Dong.

Without overthinking it, Yu Dong handed over the bag. Soon enough, Li Mingjun's truck rumbled down the road and pulled up in front of Zhou's house.

Over the past few days, due to the incidents involving Zhou Tingting and Aunt Liu, some prejudices had formed against Sister-in-law, even if it was only subtle.

Seeing Li Mingjun arrive with a bag of less desirable meats didn't help the situation. Neighbors who happened to catch a glimpse couldn't help but wonder and gossip. "Why would Big Brother send such things? Is he trying to insult her?" They whispered among themselves.

Li Mingjun, trying to look casual but failing to hide his anticipation, knocked on the door. Zhou Tingting opened it, her face momentarily showing surprise before it settled into a polite smile.

"Is this from Yu Dong?" she asked, trying not to show any emotion.

"Yeah, said it's from Big Brother," Li Mingjun replied, handing over the bag. He lingered for a moment, trying to catch her eye, but she simply thanked him and closed the door.

Feeling a mix of disappointment and frustration, Li Mingjun walked back to his truck, wondering if he'd ever find a way to get closer to her.