Reborn in the 1980s: I became a stepmother in the 1980s

Part 41 But I like this sister-in-law more

Sure thing, here's the translation:

Sure enough, a group of children stood at the door but didn't come in. They were blocked by Lin Feng and Lin Yu, who didn't let them in. Siyue breathed a sigh of relief and walked over. As soon as she approached, the children around her immediately quieted down. Each one of them, with runny noses and curious eyes, looked at her intently.

Lin Yu shot her a somewhat forced expression, as if to say, "See, I wasn't the one making noise, it was them. Nothing to do with me." Siyue went into the house and handed out some candy to a few of the children. Those who received the candy immediately exclaimed with delight, "Big sister is so pretty," before happily leaving.

Siyue then looked at her two younger brothers, stuffed a bunch of candy into their pockets, and ruffled their heads vigorously. "Well done," she said.

The two boys blushed and turned their heads away. "I wasn't helping you watch them. I was just afraid they'd mess up the house," Lin Yu said proudly, before the two little ones ran off one after the other.

Siyue chuckled as she watched them, then went back to the kitchen. Zhou Yueshen had already been called out to drink, so Siyue didn't find it strange when she entered the kitchen and saw Zhou Su's busy figure covered in sweat. She walked over to help.

Zhou Yueshen had already finished cutting the meat. His knife skills were good, and he was fast.

Every piece of meat was cut uniformly, with the same thickness, making it a dream come true for OCD sufferers. Siyue added water to the large iron pot. Nowadays, everyone used a clay stove for cooking, with a large iron pot embedded inside, suitable for steaming rice and stir-frying vegetables. After putting the soaked rice in to steam, Siyue began marinating the meat cut by Zhou Yueshen. The marinated fresh meat was tender and fragrant, not at all tough.

Zhou Su was busy nearby, secretly sizing up her seemingly delicate sister-in-law, who was calm and composed as she worked in this rundown kitchen. She was somewhat surprised, thinking that Siyue might be even less skilled in cooking than Lin Sisi. In all the time she had been married into the family, Lin Sisi had never cooked a meal. Because she was educated, everyone held her in high regard. It was said that educated people's hands were meant for writing, not for cooking, so no one dared to ask her to do kitchen chores. Unexpectedly, Siyue seemed more delicate but was actually not delicate at all, and she didn't have any airs about her.

For some reason, although they hadn't interacted much, Zhou Su liked this sister-in-law more. However, seeing her using meat and eggs so generously, Zhou Su felt a pang of heartache. "Sister, isn't this too much? These things are meant for your wedding. I'm worried we won't have enough when the time comes."

"Not too much. With so many men in the house, a little extra won't hurt."

Siyue beat some eggs, planning to steam some eggs for the children. She also mixed white flour and eggs together to make fried white flour cakes, which the children loved to eat. It was also suitable for serving guests, and could be used for banquet dishes. Thinking that the adults would be drinking, she decided to coat peanuts with egg batter and flour, making them fragrant and crispy, perfect for accompanying drinks. They didn't have many condiments at home, only some potato flour, pickled vegetables, and red beans. There was hardly any meat left, so they had to make do with what they had brought back. Although not much, Siyue's mind was already brimming with ideas for various dishes.

Pickled vegetable steamed pork, spicy pepper fried pork, fried white flour cakes, hot and sour shredded potatoes, tomato scrambled eggs, pickled vegetable soup... Although they were all simple rural dishes, rural folks loved them.

Lin's mother quickly bought a chicken. When guests came over, they naturally had to stew the chicken. However, stewing the chicken took too long, so Siyue planned to make a dry pot chicken instead. Seeing her daughter really knew how to cook, and not just reluctantly, Lin's mother felt both heartache and gratification. Soon, with Lin's mother and Zhou Su's help, the side dishes were ready. Steamed dishes were the simplest, and soon the kitchen was filled with the intoxicating aroma.

The people who were chatting couldn't help but swallow their saliva. "What's cooking? It smells so good!"

"Yeah, it's even better than what they serve at banquets!"

Outside the door, Lin Yu looked at his elder brother holding a cute little baby in his arms, swallowing saliva. "Brother, did Mom used to cook food that smelled this good?"

Lin Feng pulled the little baby's hand away from his ear and remained silent.

Seeing him staring, Lin Yu also looked over and saw that sister he didn't like coming out with a bowl of fried white flour cakes. Suddenly, a bunch of children surrounded her, calling her "sister" and "beautiful sister" one after another, trying to flatter her.

Then, the sister he didn't like smiled beautifully as she handed out food to those children.

He swallowed his saliva and quietly complained to his brother beside him, "These bootlickers! She just came back and has already won over Mom and Dad, and now she's winning over those kids too. But don't worry, big brother, I won't be like those people, calling her sister just for a bit of food. I won't acknowledge her."

He had never eaten anything his sister cooked since he was little, because Lin Sisi never cooked. Even when it was just her and them at home, it was he and his brother who did the cooking. Lin Sisi never cooked.

Others say she's a student, an intellectual, different from them. Mom and Dad also ask them to accommodate her, saying she's their sister and they should take care of her. Lin Sisi doesn't know how to cook at all. As a pampered rich girl from the city, she's even less likely to know. Maybe she's just doing it to please everyone. Those kids don't complain, but he's different. He can tell whether it's good or bad just by looking at it. Lin Yu lifted his chin, looking disdainful.

Sensing the gaze of the two, Lin Sisi looked over. Seeing that Yoyo had woken up at some point and was now being held by the older brother Lin Feng. The little girl was obedient, not crying or fussing when being held. Maybe because Lin Feng was around the same age as her brother, so she wasn't afraid at all.

Carrying the fried white flour cakes, Lin Sisi walked over. The cakes weren't very big, but they were fried in various shapes, golden on the outside, and the aroma of lard hit them instantly.

Lin Yu's nose twitched slightly, giving a disdainful glance. That glance almost didn't retract. Mentally, he resisted, but his body couldn't control itself.

As Lin Sisi handed it over, "Hungry? Want to try some?"

With this proximity, the fragrant aroma rushed into his nostrils. Before he realized it, his hand had grabbed one and stuffed it into his mouth. Oh my goodness! So delicious!

Lin Sisi placed the bowl of white flour cakes in front of them and then brought out the steamed eggs from the kitchen. The steamed eggs were lightly seasoned with just a little soy sauce, and the smooth and elastic texture of the eggs made Lin Yu's eyes light up.

Lin Sisi spoke gently, "Xiaofeng, Xiaoyu, could you please help sister feed the children?"

Lin Yu swallowed involuntarily. Just as he was about to be tough and ask why he should help her, his elder brother, with a lack of spirit, nodded and agreed, "Okay."

He stuffed two more cakes into his mouth fiercely. It was such a loss; he needed to eat more!