Rebirth: My Dear Little Wife Is So Scheming

Chapter 27: Chapter 27: Warm Stove Chapter 27: Chapter 27: Warm Stove Bai Xiao didn’t let Liu Baoguo and Li Chunmei’s families leave at noon, instead, she used their vegetables, meat, rice, and flour to prepare a lavish meal for the two families.

The table was a small round one borrowed from a neighbor, and so were the stools and the tableware.

Two tables were arranged under the jujube tree in the courtyard.

Liu Baoguo and Li Chunhua were quite astonished by the variety of dishes. Could this girl be such a skilled cook?

The couple exchanged a glance. It seemed Bai, the eldest, was a capable person; she had brought up this girl well at home. Just look at their daughter!

Li Xiaotian glanced at the full table and couldn’t help but swallow his saliva.

“Uncle, shall I go buy some liquor for you?”

Liu Baoguo slapped Li Xiaotian on the head. “Are you the one who wants to drink?”

Li Chunmei took out two yuan from her pocket and gave it to Li Xiaotian. “Go on, buy two jars of rice wine and two bottles of spirits. We all must not fail to appreciate Bai Xiao’s kind intentions.”

Li Xiaotian immediately took the money and ran off with a sigh.

Li Chunmei walked to the kitchen door, just as the last dish was ready, sizzling, and a delicious aroma wafted from inside.

“Oh, Xiao, that should be enough. These were originally for you, and now it’s all ended up in our stomachs; what are we supposed to make of this?”

Although that’s what she said, she was pleased inside. The girl was sensible and understood the niceties of social interactions well.

Bai Xiao lifted the curtain and came out, carrying a large bowl, “Auntie, here’s another bowl. You take it out, one bowl per table! Fair and square, so you won’t accuse me of playing favorites! Everyone, please try my cooking, it’s rare for you all to experience it! I’m just showing off a bit, and it’s like everyone here is warming the stove for me. It’s just perfect to join the fun together!”

Li Chunmei hurriedly agreed and carried it out.

“Oh, Xiao, your cooking skills, even the best banquet chefs in our village can’t match you. You are so skilled!”

Bai Xiao smiled and pressed her lips together, “Auntie, please stop praising me. If you keep it up, I’ll be so full of myself I might just float away.”

Li Xiaotian was back very quickly, carrying two bottles of spirits and accompanied by two people; Liu Baoguo saw them.

“Oh, Mr. An, the drill instructor, you’re indeed lucky. It’s just right that we are warming Bai Xiao’s stove today. Come, come, sit down,” he invited the drill instructor and his student to sit down together.

Drill Instructor An handed over the rice wine, canned fruits, and two bags of milk powder he was carrying to Bai Xiao, “Just a small token, please take it!” Yesterday, seeing Bai Xiao like that was no joke; the girl wasn’t in good health, so he had brought these especially for her. He hadn’t expected to arrive just when they were warming her stove; luckily, he hadn’t come empty-handed.

Bai Xiao was forthcoming; these people had saved her and had helped her so much, to continue being formal would be ungrateful.

“Thank you, Drill Instructor An, I’ll accept it without any more fuss.” She then took the items back inside.

Li Chunmei and Liu Baoguo set up places for the drill instructor and student, adding bowls and pouring white spirits.

Drill Instructor An objected, “We have rules; we can’t drink!”

Liu Baoguo laughed, “Drill Instructor An, don’t be shy! Since you’ve come today to warm our stove, how can you not have a drink? Just drink a little, or maybe switch to rice wine. Rice wine hardly counts as alcohol. A cup or two just symbolically, we understand your school and military’s strict requirements. But you’ve been helping out in our village for these past days. We need to show our gratitude, right?” He even specially switched to a rice wine bowl for the drill instructor.

Liu Baoguo was insistent on refusing, and Liu Baoguo couldn’t keep persuading since he knew being a military school instructor involved strict discipline.

Bai Xiao came back and saw Instructor An sitting next to her. Without a word, she sat down to eat.

An Zhiyuan glanced at the dishes on the table and then looked at Bai Xiao in surprise. The girl had impressive cooking skills.

Boiled beef slices, steamed pork, sweet and sour fish, double-cooked pork and four-joy meatballs, along with stir-fried cabbage with vinegar, cucumber salad, sugared tomatoes, and tofu mixed with green onions—she had managed to cater to both southern and northern tastes. Most importantly, the appearance, aroma, and taste seemed even better than what the master chef at their army canteen could make.

He picked up a piece of boiled beef with his chopsticks. Wow, how refreshing.

Bai Xiao took the rice wine from her bowl, stood up, and said, “I’m very thankful to everyone today for coming to warm my stove. I have no parents, and my brothers and sisters aren’t by my side. I really appreciate everyone’s help this time. Here, I sincerely thank you all. People say to drink first as a mark of respect, so I’ll finish this bowl of rice wine. Everyone, please feel at ease.” Bai Xiao downed it in one go, as her character was straightforward despite her hardships in her past life.

She held up the empty bowl upside down to show everyone.

Liu Baoguo slapped his thigh, “Good, Bai Xiao is straightforward! If us guys don’t drink along with her, wouldn’t that mean we’re losing face?” He picked up a bowl and drank the white liquor in one gulp.

“Xiao, your uncle here also owes you an apology. Over the years, everyone thought your grandmother and your little uncle were taking care of you because they’re your family, and they wouldn’t mistreat you. We never expected your grandmother to do such a thing. Child abuse is unheard of in our village. No one knew about it before, but from now on, if you have any issues, come to me, your village chief. I’ll take care of it and make sure they can’t harm anyone like that again.”

This was the first time he had taken such a clear stand. In the past, Liu Baoguo would never have publicly promised to intervene in family matters like this.

But this time, of course, was different.

Bai Xiao smiled and thanked him, “Then thank you, uncle.”

For a moment, everyone was toasting and eating non-stop from the moment they started.

The dishes were truly authentic. Even though they were villagers who hadn’t eaten many delicacies, who hadn’t tasted food from wedding feasts or full moon celebrations? The taste of these dishes was still something different.

Everyone was full of praise for a while.

Li Chunmei kept praising Bai Xiao incessantly and assured her that she could always come to them, the village leaders, for help as they were there to serve the people.

An Zhiyuan ate heartily, occasionally glancing at Bai Xiao.

The girl seemed unfazed by praise or criticism, eating her meal with a serene expression.

By the time the meal was over, all the plates and cups were empty, and Liu Baoguo and the others staggered off, drunk.

It wasn’t that Liu Baoguo was neglecting decorum. An Zhiyuan was present, and as the village chief, he should have stayed, but the food was so delicious that everyone lost control for a moment. After a few bottles of strong liquor, they were all tipsy, unable to stay seated any longer despite their desire to keep company.

An Zhiyuan and some students helped Li Chunmei and others escort the village chief back home.

Bai Xiao was tidying up the dishes and chopsticks on the table when she saw a pair of big hands reach out and start gathering everything into a large basin. An Zhiyuan and his students had not left yet.

“Instructor An, please don’t trouble yourself, I’ll clean up. It doesn’t make sense for guests who come to eat to have to tidy up,” she protested.

An Zhiyuan laughed, “We’re not so particular. With more people, the work gets done faster.”