"Older sister-in-law, don’t be so sad. Though Dashi’s mother has a bad temper, she is extremely filial. Whenever there’s good food, she makes sure it gets to you, and when there’s good clothing, she prepares it for you. We are old now; as long as the children do not let us lack food and drink, it’s enough."

"In our clan, if anyone is considered to be blessed, it’s you. When your eldest son was alive, he never had any issues with you, and your second son took you to the south to live a good life. Now you have a swarm of grandchildren and great-grandchildren, and I see that they are all doing well. Moreover, you have two grandsons who are so good at their studies; they’ll surely attain an official title for you one day."

Jingzhe’s grandmother’s sister-in-law comforted her.

Jingzhe’s grandmother stopped crying, knowing that crying further would be pointless.

Then, this sister-in-law changed the topic to Mrs. Jia and said, "You Tian’s wife, by reason, I shouldn’t be saying this as an aunt. Your Rui Nian is quite a promising young man among his peers in the whole clan, but I noticed he sometimes only thinks of himself. Just the other day, I gave you a basket of eggs, and he just cooked and ate them himself. His nephew Yaozu was eyeing them eagerly, yet he wouldn’t even spare a bite. They say you can tell how someone will be from a young age. If you don’t correct him now, what will happen when he becomes an official? Is he going to enjoy the success alone while others just watch? Who would follow him then?"

Tong Huaqiong couldn’t help but glance at this second aunt.

She usually had a distant relationship with the clan, only knowing that this second aunt was stern and indifferent towards her. Aside from sending gifts through Jingzhe during festivals, there was little contact.

A rural woman capable of expressing such thoughts.

This second aunt is not simple.

Tong Huaqiong searched Tong Dajiao’s memory for this second aunt, guessing that in the past life, the second aunt looked down on Tong Dajiao and hence had no interactions, thus there were no memories.

This second aunt was quite respected in the clan, and Mrs. Jia, who had been in a combative stance, instantly backed down.

Soon, the dishes were served.

Luckily, the customs in Yan Guan Town did not require a vegetarian diet on memorial days, only a ban on alcohol.

Tong Huaqiong placed a piece of braised rib on the plate in front of the second aunt and said, "Second Aunt, try our family’s rib recipe."

The second aunt took a bite of the rib and praised it non-stop.

"Old lady, you should try a piece too." Tong Huaqiong placed a piece of rib in Jingzhe’s grandmother’s bowl.

Jingzhe’s grandmother snorted but did not hesitate to start eating.

Tong Huaqiong wouldn’t let everyone feel wronged; today’s meals were prepared very lavishly.

Plus, everyone was from the Gu Family or close friends, only three tables in total, so even if it was all fish and meat, it wouldn’t cost much.

They hired chefs from Fengle Building, with fresh and unpolluted meat and vegetables, and the craftsmanship of the chef made every dish mouthwatering.

Gu Honglian was sitting beside Jingzhe’s grandmother, carelessly picking at the food with her chopsticks. She first searched the chicken to find the most tender drumstick and put it on the plate in front of her, then dug through the ribs to get the meatiest pieces, and finally picked some of the juiciest lamb pieces, causing everyone at the table to secretly shake their heads.

"Honglian, how are others supposed to eat when you pick through the dishes like that?"

As Gu Honglian was about to target the braised fish, before Tong Huaqiong could say a word, the second aunt started speaking.

Gu Honglian, her mouth full of meat, mumbled, "I’m not stopping anyone from eating, am I?"

The second aunt put down her chopsticks, straightened her face, and said to Jingzhe’s grandmother, "Older sister-in-law, isn’t Honglian already fifteen? Look at how she eats, worse than children like Man Er, Xiao Long, and Yaozu, picking all the good and tender food for her bowl. At home, you may spoil her however you like, but under my watch, I will speak up."

"You mention Pandie’s separation affecting the prospects of Gu Family girls, but in my opinion, it’s Honglian’s behavior that truly damages the reputation of Gu Family girls. Luckily, we’re at her sister-in-law’s house; if she were at a banquet outside and people saw her greediness, they wouldn’t blame Honglian. They’d talk about the Gu Family girls."

Gu Honglian feared the second aunt and lowered her head without daring to retort.

Jingzhe’s grandmother defended Gu Honglian, "Why is Honglian like this? Isn’t it because she hasn’t been eating well since returning to Qinghe Bay? She wasn’t like this when we were in the south, eating meat daily."

This again shifted the blame to Tong Huaqiong for being unfilial.

The second aunt sneered, "Which family in our village eats meat every day? I’ve never seen a daughter from any family eating like that outside. Not to mention Xiao Xue also ate meat every day in the south, but she didn’t eat like Honglian after coming back to Qinghe Bay. Don’t make excuses for her; you’re just spoiling her."

Jingzhe’s grandmother, who always had disagreements with her in-laws, angrily said, "Honglian’s affairs aren’t your concern. Even with all this meat, it can’t stop you from talking."

The second aunt said, "Do you think I want to meddle?"

Then she addressed Gu Honglian: "Honglian, you can’t eat like this, whether at home or outside. I might sound harsh, but I mean well. If you think I’m wrong, consider it nonsense. But today, in front of everyone, you can’t pick through the dishes; none of us wants your saliva all over the food. If you’re back at home, you can do whatever you want, and I won’t care."

Gu Honglian, chastised by the second aunt, dared not pick through the dishes anymore.

The women present found the second aunt’s words very satisfying.

This well-laid table shouldn’t be spoiled by Gu Honglian’s ways.

She might be enjoying herself, but how could others even start?

"Second Aunt, try this fish. Da Han went to the reservoir early in the morning to buy it; it’s fresh."

Pushing further would ruin the meal.

Tong Huaqiong picked the tenderest part of the fish belly and offered it to the second aunt, not forgetting to use a clean pair of chopsticks.

The second aunt’s expression eased a bit.

Soon everyone finished eating, and the table was cleared.

Tong Huaqiong noticed the clan women looking regretful and couldn’t help but smile.

In an era and place with relatively scarce resources, people in the village were accustomed to collecting leftovers from banquets in large tubs and bringing them home to boil with vegetables from the field for two more meals. 𝕗𝕣𝐞𝐞𝘄𝐞𝚋𝚗𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹.𝚌𝕠𝚖

After all, they were considering the nutrition, not hygiene.

Tong Huaqiong had anticipated this and made sure no one left empty-handed.

So, Gu Taohua, Liu Yueer, and Tong Pandi had prepared steamed buns and a big pot of pork-belly stew in advance, costing little money.

These dishes were typical meals for workers at the livestock and farming fields.

Everyone was delighted to see that Tong Huaqiong had prepared something for them to take home.

Apart from Jingzhe’s grandmother, the second aunt, Gu Honglian, Mrs. Jia, Mrs. Wei, and a few older aunts in the clan, the other peers and younger women left after saying goodbye to Tong Huaqiong.

However, many of the clan’s men stayed behind.

Tong Huaqiong lifted her gaze, realizing that Mr. Gu and the Clan Leader had gathered the clan members to take the opportunity to challenge her.