Married but Untouched! Her Soldier Husband Came Home Dumbfounded! - Chapter 9

Zhou Hongyu was curious about how sponge cakes were made, so she held her little granddaughter close and watched from the side.

Mostly, she just wanted to make sure her daughter wouldn’t ruin the ingredients, keeping a close eye on her.

In the blink of an eye, Ye Fangfei had cracked all the eggs into a bowl and added a generous amount of sugar.

Seeing this, the usually frugal Zhou Hongyu gasped in pain.
“Girl, that’s twelve eggs! And you added so much sugar—how many sponge cakes are you planning to make?”

“Mom, there are so many of us at home. Each should get a piece. If it’s too little, it won’t be enough for everyone.”

With no scales at hand, Ye Fangfei added the flour by feel. Seeing her mother’s concerned expression, she smiled and explained her plan.

“Mom, if this works, I’ll sell the cakes in the city. Once I earn some money, I’ll buy tasty food and new clothes for you and Dad—and give you some pocket money every month.”

“I’m only in my forties. We still have at least twenty good years ahead. We don’t need your money. Just live your own life well. We don’t need to worry about that,” Zhou Hongyu said.

Though she doubted her daughter could really make a profit, hearing such filial words warmed her heart. She no longer minded the eggs and sugar being used. Let the girl experiment—the food would at least end up in bellies, not wasted.

Ye Fangfei alternated her hands, whisking the eggs until her arms were sore and she nearly felt like panting out her tongue in the summer heat. Finally, the egg mixture was ready.

She added flour to the proper ratio, poured the batter into bowls, and placed them over the steamer.

The first batch wasn’t perfect, the heat was slightly too high, and the steaming time a bit long. The appearance wasn’t ideal, but the taste was promising. Undeterred, she steamed a second batch.

The children, drawn by the aroma, ran over, drooling at the kitchen counter.

Ye Fangfei scooped the cakes out of the bowls and cut them into pieces for each child.
“Go outside to eat. The kitchen is too hot.”

Qiaofeng, Ye Erhu’s daughter, bit into her piece and beamed.
“Thank you, little aunt! You’re so nice. Can you come every day?”

Ye Fangfei chuckled.
“If you come every day, your grandmother will die of worry.”

“You heartless girl,” Zhou Hongyu scolded playfully from the stove. “You used all my good ingredients, and now you’re teasing me?”

Ye Fangfei handed her mother a piece with a smile.
“Mom, eat one more, it’ll make you feel less guilty.”

Zhou Hongyu playfully rolled her eyes but didn’t take the piece.
“I’ve already eaten one. Save some for your brothers and their wives and leave the rest for your father and mother-in-law.”

Ye Fangfei pressed another piece into her hand.
“I’ll be staying a few more days. If it sits too long, it’ll spoil. I’ll make some for my in-laws when I leave.”

She also handed a large sponge cake to Ye Laifu, who was watching the granddaughter.

Ye Laifu smiled as he took it.
“Daughter, I washed the pig intestines. Check if they’re clean enough.”

Ye Fangfei sniffed them—no odd smell. She smiled sweetly.
“Dad, they’re perfect. When I open a shop in the city, you can help me wash intestines like the workers there, and I’ll pay you a salary every month.”

Ye Laifu laughed heartily. He thought she was joking, taking no notice of it.

At noon, the daughters-in-law came to pick up the kids. They saw the youngest sister-in-law visiting and greeted her warmly in the courtyard.

Before leaving, Ye Fangfei handed each of them some sponge cake.

Zhou Hongyu told them,
“Fangfei bought two sets of pig offal. I’ll braise it this afternoon. Don’t bother cooking tonight—come here and eat. Let the children indulge a little.”

“Alright, Mom. That’s trouble for you and little sister,” they replied.

With the kids gone, the house fell into a rare quiet.

In that era, Ye Laifu and Zhou Hongyu were sensible. Once their sons married, the newlyweds had separate households.

Ye Laifu knew masonry, and his sons were strong and capable. During downtime, he and his sons made bricks; before marriage, each son had already built his own house.

Because his younger sons lived separately, conflicts between sisters-in-law were minimal. The brothers remained close, solving problems together.

In a united family, nobody dared to bully anyone in the village.

This gave Ye Fangfei an advantage in her in-laws’ house. When she invoked her natal family’s authority, even the first and third wives of her husband’s elder brothers didn’t dare defy her. Even Shen Zhanxun’s grandparents had to show respect.

This was the benefit of having a strong family behind her.

For lunch, Zhou Hongyu rolled some noodles, rinsed them in cold water, and added cucumber and tomato—a refreshing meal.

After the meal, the three of them sat in the main hall, enjoying the summer breeze.

Ye Fangfei recounted the recent troubles at her in-laws’.
“They’ve always made snide remarks. I usually ignored them. But the first and third wives treated me like a pushover. Even the first wife’s new daughter-in-law tried to step on me. I couldn’t let it go—I argued back.”

Zhou Hongyu slammed the table in anger.
“What? Those old hags dared to bully you. Why didn’t you tell us sooner? That’s why we agreed to have you marry into the Shen family—we thought your in-laws were reasonable and wouldn’t give you grief!”

“I’ll make those two old wives regret it. And that little imp who just married in—let my sisters-in-law handle her. They won’t know what hit them,” Ye Fangfei said.

Seeing her daughter so fired up, Zhou Hongyu calmed her.
“Don’t worry, you weren’t at a loss. Before, you didn’t want trouble, now you’ve realized—why let them have their way? They say one thing, you say ten. Don’t give them an inch.”

Ye Laifu nodded seriously.
“Fangfei, stay a few more days. When you leave, let your mother go with you. Show them who’s boss. If anyone dares bully my daughter, your mother and I will go there with your brother and his wife. Let’s see if the Shen family still has any face.”

Ye Fangfei felt warmth fill her chest. After the whirlwind of her transmigration, her heart now seemed to have a firm anchor.

She smiled and changed the topic to the division of property.
“Shen Zhanping’s wife has been stirring up trouble. I added a little more fuel this morning, hoping this time the families will separate completely. Once they’re out of the old house, it’ll be peaceful.”

The older couple shook their heads.

Ye Laifu said, “I don’t understand Zhanxun’s grandparents. The children are grown—why bind them together? Better to separate early and reduce conflicts.”

Ye Fangfei chuckled.
“Dad, if the Shen family could be as reasonable as you and Mom, they wouldn’t fight all the time. Forget family ties, the brothers are practically enemies now.”

“Don’t meddle with the property division. Let them quarrel—it’s in your father-in-law and mother-in-law’s hands. They’re honest, but not foolish. They probably have a plan.”

Ye Fangfei nodded. “I understand.”

She wasn’t naive; she wouldn’t overtly push the division—just stir things a bit from the sidelines.

Just then, Ye Dahu and Ye Erhu arrived, each carrying a few eggs.

They knew their little sister was visiting and came to chat. Ye Sanhu and Ye Xihu had gone to the city to sell ice pops, returning only in the evening.

Ye Fangfei gave each brother a large piece of sponge cake.
“Big brother, second brother, taste these. Tell me what you think. I plan to sell them in the city.”

“They’re delicious, even softer than city cakes,” Ye Dahu said with a smile.

Ye Erhu took a bite and praised her.
“I almost can’t believe you made these yourself. Where did you learn to bake?”

“I read the recipe in a book. Just experimented myself,” Ye Fangfei explained, avoiding the topic.

After a short chat, the brothers returned for their afternoon rest.

Ye Fangfei and her parents said goodbye and went to her pre-marriage room.

Having risen early in the morning, she needed a nap to have energy for the afternoon.