Chapter 06: The Agitating Bai Yun

"Aunt Shen, my mom heard that your sister-in-law fainted from anger after you tried to commit suicide by banging your head against the wall, and she was quite upset. She can't come out right now, so she sent me to check on you."

"I'm fine…" Shen Manru's complexion wasn't great.

Attempted suicide?

It's really bad luck, especially during the New Year.

But there's no help for it, the entire neighborhood knows; it's impossible to keep it under wraps.

Bai Yun noticed Shen Manru's complexion and a barely noticeable smile appeared on her lips. That dead woman, why didn't she just die on the spot.

If she had died, then she could have been with Brother Ze.

However, this was also good. Such a scandal made her lose all face. She believed that, after today, this woman would never recover her standing.

"Aunt Shen, my sister-in-law was just being thoughtless, don't take it to heart," Bai Yun said, knowing this wasn't the right time to discuss this topic, but there would be no chance to mention it if not now.

One must press home the advantage. She knew this principle well.

"Thoughtless? That's ignorance, stupidity," Shen Manru said angrily, gripping the melon seeds in her hand.

"Aunt Shen, she just hasn't read enough books. If she reads more, she'll improve, and since she grew up in a remote village, she hasn't seen much of the world..." Bai Yun offered her feigned sensible comfort.

Seeing Shen Manru's complexion worsen, and Mr. Qin lowering his head and frowning, Bai Yun was satisfied and softly spoke again, "Aunt Shen, have you prepared the New Year's dinner? Let me help you."

"No need, I've already finished."

A clear voice came from the kitchen entrance. Gu Qiaoqiao's eyes were bright and she looked at Bai Yun with a mocking half-smile. They say you shouldn't slap someone in the face or expose their shortcomings when you scold them.

Bai Yun had a knack for jabbing right in the soft spot.

It seemed, just as in her past life, even if the Qin Family's anger subsided, Bai Yun had rekindled it yet again.

Because the look Shen Manru was now giving her was filled with intense loathing.

Bai Yun stood up in surprise, looking at Gu Qiaoqiao with disbelief that flashed into a twisted envy. Wasn't she supposed to be hiding in her room at this time?

Why was she standing in the kitchen with an apron on?

"Sister-in-law, didn't you say you've never cooked before?"

Gu Qiaoqiao was silent.

Her eyes were deep, staring steadily at Bai Yun, and after a long pause, she said, "Yes, today is the first time."

"You once said that even dogs wouldn't eat your cooking, now..." Bai Yun's eyes flickered, then she playfully stuck out her tongue and turned to Shen Manru, whose complexion was unpleasant, "Aunt Shen, sorry, I misspoke..."

But Gu Qiaoqiao had no intention of engaging with this woman, today wasn't the best time.

She smiled faintly, standing there like bamboo after a rain, neither servile nor overbearing, and said to Grandma Qin in the wheelchair, "Grandma, the New Year's dinner is ready, can we start eating now?"

"Absolutely," Grandma Qin nodded eagerly, her face bright with delight as she said to Qin Yize, "Quick, go help your wife serve the dishes."

Qin Yize stood up and moved Grandma Qin to the dining table, then entered the kitchen without a word.

The kitchen had ample space, but it felt exceptionally cramped when Qin Yize entered.

Gu Qiaoqiao's eyebrows furrowed briefly, then relaxed slowly.

Just endure a few more days.

She turned around, sprinkled some chopped green onions on the yam stewed pork ribs, and then poured it into the casserole.

The prepared dishes were all laid out on the large dining table. Qin Yize took a glance, his expression subtly changing, and then with his long, jade-like hands, he picked up two plates of food and exited the kitchen.

The scent of the food grew stronger as it moved.

He was swift in his actions, performing the task of serving dishes as gracefully as drifting clouds and flowing water.

Gu Qiaoqiao carried out the casserole from the kitchen.

Her gaze accurately captured the sight of Bai Yun, who had regained her composure. Although the woman was smiling, a poisonous light flickered in her eyes.

Gu Qiaoqiao watched Bai Yun approaching, her lips curling into a smirk, surely Bai Yun was holding back some mischief.

Let her think, what was she planning to do?

Under the guise of talking, she would "accidentally" bump into her and surely cry out, "Sister-in-law, why are your hands trembling? Oh dear, be careful, ah..."

The final "ah" was perhaps meant to create the image that she was inadvertently involved in the mishap.

Then, as desired, the pot of yam and pork rib stew would shatter into pieces with a crash.

Further confirming that Gu Qiaoqiao was good for nothing, she was just a waste.

To kill a thousand enemies at the cost of eight hundred of one's own troops wasn't exactly a loss.

But today, Gu Qiaoqiao didn't want to play her game. She raised an eyebrow, "Qin Yize, I can't hold this any longer, help me with it."

Her voice was not loud, but it was clear and pleasant. Being a native of the North, her Mandarin was impeccable, and the young girl's voice at this moment was like the ringing of silver bells, drawing the attention of everyone around her.

They all felt that something was different.

The girl with the gentle smile, holding the clay pot, was obviously struggling, her cheeks a bit flushed, her lips bitten, her eyes seeking help from Qin Yize.

Bai Yun had no choice but to stop in her tracks.

There was no point in getting any closer now.

Because Qin Yize had already calmly taken the clay pot from her, walking elegantly to the dining table. Just as he was about to put it down, Gu Qiaoqiao also followed, "Put it in the middle."

As she said this, her nimble little hands quickly cleared the dishes from the center of the table.

Qin Yize's expression was indifferent. He pursed his lips and placed the clay pot in the center.

He watched those small hands covertly, noting how with just a few movements she arranged the dishes of meat and vegetables before finally stepping back with satisfaction.

Qin Yize caught her expression in its entirety, she must have found his arrangement unsatisfactory.

He pursed his lips tighter, his star-like gaze swept over like flowing water, observing his still dazed parents, he spoke, "I am going to set off the firecrackers."

"I'll go with you," Mr. Qin finally came back to his senses.

New Year's Eve, a happy household prospers in all things.

His daughter-in-law was behaving for once, not causing trouble.

So there was no point in stirring up more issues.

Bai Yun felt awkward. This was the first time Gu Qiaoqiao had been so cold to her.

She glared at Gu Qiaoqiao fiercely, and without realizing it, she sat down. Qin Xiaoyu, who hadn't noticed all these subtleties, was holding a carved radish flower and said to Bai Yun as she sat down, "This was carved by that woman. How about it, you couldn't have imagined it, right?"

Bai Yun stared blankly at the radish flower in front of her. What on earth was going on today? She had an unsettling feeling that the foolish woman had slipped beyond her control.

And this foolish woman could carve?

Her hands were clumsier than a pig's trotters.

"What a joke?" snorted Bai Yun, incredulous.

"I saw it with my own eyes," Qin Xiaoyu said in a low voice, "If I hadn't seen it, I would never believe it."

Bai Yun then looked seriously at the still-blooming flower, when suddenly her beautiful eyes shifted, she dodged to the side, covering her nose, "Disgusting! It has a putrid smell of radish."

Grandma Qin's face turned pale.

"It smells bad to you?" Qin Xiaoyu frowned.

"I'll give you a real one some other day. To mistake a stinky radish for a rose, people will laugh at you, calling you a naive country bumpkin if they find out," Bai Yun taunted.

"Hmph!" Qin Xiaoyu got angry.

Her classmates already ridiculed her for having a naive sister-in-law and a bumpkin brother-in-law.