Prosperous Marriage: Married to My Brother-in-law-Chapter 510 Mother-in-law and Daughter-in-law Relationship (2)_1

Hansen Ruiz greeted his mother and then walked past her toward the interior. As he passed by, his seemingly gentle eyes sharply and swiftly glanced at his mother's hands. Seeing them clean and without any sign of recent work, he felt even more certain of his guess.

Rachel Bailey came out of the kitchen, holding a steamed carp. Seeing Hansen Ruiz had returned, she gently placed the fish on the rectangular table covered with a white tablecloth. Then, wiping her hands on the apron tied around her chest, she walked out of the small dining room to meet Hansen Ruiz. Her face lifted into a gentle smile, like any wife at home cooking for her husband, as she said, "You're back."

When Hansen Ruiz reached her, she took the coat he had just removed. She noticed he still wore two layers of clothing underneath, one of which was a sweater she had knitted for him herself. Confident that the room temperature wouldn't make him cold, she said nothing more.

"Dinner is ready. Go wash your hands," Rachel Bailey said softly, her usual sharp tongue nowhere in evidence, replaced by the gentle nature of a devoted wife.

She took Hansen Ruiz's coat to hang it up and then turned back into the kitchen.

She made no mention of Mrs. Ruiz's arrival or the renewed conflict between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law.

Even though Mrs. Ruiz clearly disliked her, and she didn't particularly enjoy seeing Mrs. Ruiz either, Rachel Bailey still tolerated it. After all, Mrs. Ruiz was an elder, and she would endure what she could.

Hansen Ruiz nodded and followed her into the kitchen.

Seeing Rachel Bailey busying herself cooking for him, Hansen Ruiz's heart swelled with happiness.

Observing the closeness between her son and daughter-in-law—the evident affection in their gazes and their deep connection—Mrs. Ruiz was not at all pleased. Instead, she felt jealous of Rachel Bailey, believing Rachel Bailey had stolen Hansen Ruiz from her.

Mothers and daughters-in-law are natural enemies—this perfectly described Mrs. Ruiz's feelings.

She had carried her son for ten months and raised him for over thirty years. Now, he suddenly treasured another woman like a precious jewel, sidelining her, his own mother. The scales in her heart tipped out of balance. Moreover, she had always been domineering and autocratic, accustomed to everyone bending to her will.

During dinner, Mrs. Ruiz deliberately sat between Hansen Ruiz and Rachel Bailey.

"Mom, do you find the lighting in my Side Hall (dining room) isn't bright enough?" Hansen Ruiz tilted his head, a slight, knowing smile playing on his lips as he looked at Mrs. Ruiz.

He knew his mother's renewed visit wasn't for anything good.

He and Rachel Bailey were married; the matter was settled. His mother could no longer stop them from being together; she could only come and cause trouble.

However... Hansen Ruiz sneered inwardly. His mother always lost against him.

"Yes, it's not bright enough," Mrs. Ruiz answered, also with a half-smile, her eyes challenging Hansen Ruiz: Mom indeed wants to be the lightbulb!

Hansen Ruiz laughed, then called out, "Floyd Thomas, come and join us for dinner."

Floyd Thomas entered, looking uneasily at Mrs. Ruiz.

Hansen Ruiz stood up and personally led Floyd Thomas to sit beside Rachel Bailey, which was also next to Mrs. Ruiz.

"Young Master..." Floyd Thomas became even more uneasy.

He was just a bodyguard. He had never eaten at the same table as the Madam and the Young Masters, let alone sat beside the Madam and the Young Madam.

"Hansen, how could you let Floyd Thomas sit down to eat with us? And isn't Rachel your wife? You let Floyd Thomas sit next to Rachel, what sort of decorum is this?" Mrs. Ruiz became displeased as soon as she saw the seating arrangement. She quickly stood up and said to Hansen Ruiz, "You sit where Floyd Thomas was. I'll sit across, and Floyd Thomas can sit over there." She pointed to the other end of the table.

Unwittingly, in her attempt to assert her son's rights as a husband, she ended up having Hansen Ruiz and Rachel Bailey sit together, and indirectly, allowed Floyd Thomas to join them for the meal.

This was exactly the outcome Hansen Ruiz wanted.

It was only when Hansen Ruiz sat next to Rachel Bailey and affectionately put some food on her plate that Mrs. Ruiz belatedly realized she had been tricked.

A wave of resentment washed over her; her eldest son was truly too cunning! She realized that with a single feint, he had cast her aside like a redundant lightbulb.

Feeling sullen, Mrs. Ruiz had no choice but to eat her meal in silence.

However, to be honest, Rachel Bailey's culinary skills were quite good.

Among the dishes on the table, one was particularly unappetizing: a plate of greens. They were yellowish, with some leaves slightly charred, and glistening with so much oil they looked as if they had been soaked in it.

"Hansen, I cooked this. Try it," said Mrs. Ruiz, a bit embarrassed but also expectant as she pushed the plate of greens toward Hansen Ruiz.

Hansen Ruiz smiled faintly; he guessed this dish definitely hadn't been cooked by his wife.

"Mom, your culinary skills are actually quite exquisite," Hansen Ruiz said with a backhanded compliment, but he still humored her by picking up a stalk to try.

Mrs. Ruiz, Rachel, and Floyd Thomas all stopped eating and watched him.

"How is it?" After he swallowed the stalk of green, Mrs. Ruiz and Rachel Bailey asked in unison.

Of all the dishes on the table, only this plate of greens had been personally cooked by Mrs. Ruiz. No one knew how it tasted, as nobody had yet dared to try it.

"Oily!" Hansen Ruiz blurted out.

"Tasteless!" Hansen Ruiz then uttered.

A hint of embarrassment touched Mrs. Ruiz's face. She had apparently forgotten to add salt. Originally, Rachel Bailey was supposed to be guiding her, but she had refused Rachel Bailey's instructions. As a result, when it came to cooking, she didn't know how much oil to add and ended up pouring in half the bottle. As she cooked, the pan hissed, and some of the leaves immediately scorched. Scared, she added water and covered the pan with a lid. That's why the greens turned yellowish and were very unappealing. After they were cooked, she simply scooped them out, forgetting to add salt, not to mention any other seasonings.

Greasy and flavorless, naturally, no one else touched the dish after Hansen Ruiz had tried that one stalk.