Chapter 108: Mother-in-law's Shock

Chapter 108: Mother-in-law's Shock

New Dock Village.

After breakfast, Zhang's mother, accompanied by her son and daughter-in-law, walked briskly toward her son-in-law's house under the envious gaze of Zhang's father.

When visiting a married daughter's home, it was customary for the mother to lead the group, while the father typically stayed behind. If the grandmother was still alive, she could also join.

Ever since the relatives who had attended the wedding returned three days ago and raved about the delicious food served at the banquet, Zhang's mother had been eagerly anticipating today's visit. She wanted to taste the dishes that had earned such high praise and see if they were truly as extraordinary as everyone claimed.

She was also curious about her in-laws' house. Many relatives had seen it and marveled at its beauty, but she, as the mother, had yet to lay eyes on it. She wanted to see for herself the grandeur of the large blue-brick tiled house that everyone had been talking about.

It wasn't just Zhang's mother who was looking forward to the visit. Her four sons and their wives were equally excited, especially about the three seafood dishes that had left an unforgettable impression on them.

After walking for over three hours, they were nearing their sister's home. As the eldest brother, Zhang Shouguo remarked, "I wonder how Sister Ping has been these past three days and whether she's adjusted to life with the Deng family."

Mrs. Zhang glanced at him and said, "Pingmei is eating well and living comfortably with the Deng family. What's there to worry about?"

Mrs. Zhang added, "Yes, big brother, there's no need to worry. Pingmei is sure to enjoy a good life married into the Deng family."

Zhang Shoumin chimed in, "We're not worried about her food or lodging. Everyone knows what kind of family the Dengs are. We're just concerned that Pingmei might miss home too much. After all, she burst into tears when we left on her wedding day."

Mother Zhang replied, "Shedding tears is perfectly normal. Nine out of ten brides cry when their relatives leave. When your sister-in-law and your wife married into our family, they also cried after their relatives left."

Mrs. Zhang recalled the moment and said with emotion, "When I left, I didn't feel much because my relatives were with me. It wasn't until they left that I realized the home I grew up in was no longer mine. I couldn't hold back my tears."

As the family chatted and walked, they soon arrived at the entrance of Thatchfield Village.

Less than a hundred meters from the village entrance was a small river. Looking to the right from the creek, they could see a row of magnificent blue-brick tiled houses about forty or fifty meters ahead. Even though Mother Zhang had heard countless descriptions from her relatives, seeing it with her own eyes still left her in awe.

A single large blue-brick tiled house would have been impressive enough, but five or six such houses lined up in a row created a breathtaking sight.

Thinking that her daughter now lived in such a house, Mother Zhang couldn't help but feel that her daughter was incredibly fortunate.

When the Zhang family reached the creek, Deng Yuntai and Zhang Xiuping, who had been waiting, immediately came to greet them.

"Mom, big brother, big sister-in-law, second brother, second sister-in-law, Xiaojun, and Xiaoshan, you're here!"

"Xiuping, Yuntai!"

"Sister Ping, brother-in-law!"

"Sister, brother-in-law!"

As the two sides exchanged greetings, Zhang's mother and the others noticed how radiant Zhang Xiuping looked. It was clear that she had been living well in her husband's home over the past three days and had no trouble adjusting. They felt completely reassured.

Deng Shirong had been busy in the kitchen but came out to greet his mother-in-law when he heard of her arrival. "Mother-in-law, please sit down and have some tea. I'll finish preparing the last three seafood dishes, and then we can start eating."

Mother Zhang replied politely, "Father-in-law, thank you for your hard work!"

"It's no trouble at all," Deng Shirong said with a smile, waving his hand. He then turned to his eldest son and said, "Yuntai, since this is your mother-in-law's first visit to our home, you should show her around."

After his eldest son acknowledged him, Deng Shirong excused himself and returned to the kitchen to continue cooking.

Deng Shirong was well aware of the customs of the time and had prepared in advance for the wedding banquet three days ago. He had stored a portion of the more time-consuming dishes, such as meatballs, egg rolls, and sweet lotus roots, in his system space, along with the ingredients for the three seafood dishes.

If he hadn't been concerned about having to explain himself, he would have prepared even more dishes in advance.

Early that morning, Deng Shirong had retrieved the ingredients for the three seafood dishes and the pre-made dishes from the space. When his eldest daughter asked about it, he made up an excuse to brush it off.

While Deng Shirong was busy cooking, Deng Yuntai took his mother-in-law on a tour of the house.

Even though Zhang's mother had mentally prepared herself, she was still stunned when she actually stepped inside her son-in-law's home.

It was like seeing the Great Wall for the first time. No matter how many photos or videos you've seen, standing on the Great Wall in person is an entirely different experience.

As Zhang's mother toured the house with her son-in-law, Zhang's eldest and second sisters-in-law pulled their younger sister-in-law aside to discuss more private matters.

At noon, the Deng family began their meal on time.

The dishes were identical to those served at the wedding banquet. The four brothers and sisters-in-law of the Zhang family couldn't help but salivate at the sight.

It was no wonder they were so eager. The food from that day had been unforgettable, and now they had the chance to taste it again. Their excitement was through the roof!

Even Mother Zhang, who had never tasted the food before, was filled with anticipation as she looked at the table laden with delicious dishes. After all, she had heard her son and daughter-in-law rave about the food for the past three days.

After everyone was seated, Deng Shirong offered a few polite words and then invited everyone to start eating.

Immediately, everyone's chopsticks went straight for the three seafood dishes, with the steamed sandworms being the most popular.

After tasting the three seafood dishes one by one, Mrs. Zhang finally understood why her son and daughter-in-law had been praising them for days. These dishes were truly the most delicious meals she had ever eaten in her life!

She also sampled the other dishes, each one a delicacy in its own right. Compared to these, she felt that the meals she cooked at home were like pig feed.

It was a complete waste of ingredients.

No wonder, when her father-in-law had stayed at her house for dinner, he had only drunk two bowls of chicken soup and eaten very little of the other dishes. At the time, she had thought he was being polite and leaving more food for the family.

But now, Mrs. Zhang had a strong suspicion that the real reason her father-in-law hadn't eaten much was because her cooking simply didn't measure up. The thought made her blush with embarrassment.

(End of this chapter)