Chapter 290: Demonstration

Chapter 290: Demonstration
Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
The mud spots on Jiang Xia’s body were actually splashed on when she went out to pick wild mushrooms in the morning. But she didn’t care, so what if she falsely accused the matchmaker?
The matchmaker probably had never seen such a persistent young girl. She glared fiercely at Jiang Xia. Not to be outdone, Jiang Xia glared back just as fiercely. It’s just a contest of who has bigger eyes, and the Jiang family’s big-eye genes were never afraid of anyone!
Zhao Wan found the young girl’s assertive nature endearing and couldn’t help but chuckle.
If they continued their glaring contest, they’d both end up with dry eyes. Zhao Wan timely intervened, saying, “Jiang Xia, come here, let me have a look.”
Jiang Xia immediately looked away, approaching Zhao Wan with a hint of guilt.
She knew that Zhao Wan was aware of her leaving the house this morning. Would she expose her now?
If she did, it would be utterly embarrassing in front of the matchmaker!
Unexpectedly, Zhao Wan merely brushed the mud spots off her body and said with a meaningful tone, “In the future, watch your step and keep away from dirty things.”
Jiang Xia paused, and upon realizing the implied message, she silently chuckled. Zhao Wan was truly cunning, managing to insult without using explicit words, making one feel as if they swallowed a fly.
As expected, the matchmaker’s face turned sour. She calmed herself and said, “Zhao Wan, your second son is of marriageable age, and he and Liu You are fond of each other. Before, it was Old Master Zhang who disagreed, and you didn’t have a say. But now that he’s gone, you can decide for him, can’t you?”
The matchmaker pulled Liu You closer, patting her bottom and legs, “Look at this figure. She’s sure to bear sons in the future. She’s the last good catch on Grand Cloud Mountain. Hesitate any longer, and some other man will snatch her away!”
Heli No! Jiang Xia thought, this matchmaker is a woman herself. How can she look down on her own gender so much? Her words were unpleasant to hear!
Women are not merely tools for bearing children. How can the ability to give birth to a son be a standard for judgment? One shouldn’t even entertain such thoughts; hearing them is like dirtying one’s ears!
Zhao Wan ignored the matchmaker and instead looked at Liu You as if asking, “Do you think the same?”
Liu You quickly shook her head, saying, “Madam Sun, perhaps you should leave for today?”
Madam Sun was dumbfounded. Who was this silly girl siding with? Why was she asking her to leave?
Madam Sun was ushered out by Liu You. By the time Liu You returned, there were two more people in the room – Zhou Lan and Jiang Gu. The two had come to discuss what to have for lunch.
Jiang Xia suggested stir-frying river shrimp and then some preserved meat. They had brought two pieces of preserved meat when they set out from Pushan village. The chili peppers grown by the Zhang family were particularly fragrant, making them perfect for stir-frying with the preserved meat.
Jiang Qing and Zhao Wan said they were easy-going. They commented that Zhou Lan’s cooking was outstanding. Even just stir-fried greens were delicious. They told Zhou Lan to cook whatever she felt like.
Flattered, Zhou Lan grinned from ear to ear. Jiang Xia tugged at the corner of her clothing and said, “Mom, you’re over the moon!”
Zhou Lan chuckled.
Jiang Gu immediately boasted, “Not only are mom’s stir-fried greens delicious, she can make a lot of other dishes too! She once made us lamb dumplings at home. They were so fragrant. It’s a pity there’s no lamb meat here, otherwise, she would have stewed some lamb for you!”
Jiang Xia and Zhou Lan’s expression change instantly. Oh no, they had forgotten to tell Jiang Gu not to mention the lamb meat matter.
Jiang Qing was curious, “Mom, do we have lamb to eat at home now?”
She remembered Jiang Xia saying that their household was not well-off. When the family divided, they were given nothing. How could they afford lamb now?
Zhao Wan felt more at ease upon hearing this.
She had been worried about Jiang’s family, thinking they were struggling. If their big family moved to Pushan village, life would become harder for them. The village, unlike the mountains, had many rules. If they ran out of food, they could hunt in the mountains, but in the village, they had to pay a portion of their crops. Life would only get tougher.
She didn’t want to burden anyone.
Zhou Lan explained, “Ever since we discovered wild vegetables in the mountains, we’ve been going there frequently. Occasionally, we come across a roe deer or two and exchange it for lamb meat at the town’s cooperative.”
Jiang Qing felt relieved. It seemed that Jiang Xia hadn’t lied to comfort her; their household was indeed improving..