Gourmet: The Master Chef Just Wants to Leisurely Set Up a Stall - Chapter 63

“Yanyan, do you think marriage has been good for you?” Zhao Xiaojing asked while recalling the countless times she had witnessed Zhou Chuyan berate her husband, Sun Junwei, over trivial matters.

“Of course! Marriage has given me an outlet for my emotions. My temper has gotten much better now. I mean, look at how I interact with you, the family, and my friends—I don’t snap at everyone anymore, right?”

Zhou Chuyan responded without hesitation.

“But you still scold your husband all the time,” Zhao Xiaojing said, surprised by the answer. She had assumed that Zhou Chuyan’s constant nagging was a reflection of her dissatisfaction with the marriage.

“Who else am I supposed to scold? You have no idea how incompetent he is! He can barely take care of himself—he can’t even manage his own socks…”

Zhou Chuyan launched into a tirade, listing all of Sun Junwei’s faults, while Zhao Xiaojing felt a growing sense of concern for her cousin.

In her previous life, she had heard from Dong Mei that Zhou Chuyan’s marriage eventually became more of a formality. Zhou’s incessant temper had driven a wedge between her and Sun Junwei, leaving them emotionally estranged.

Dong Mei hadn’t gone into much detail about the couple’s issues, and Zhao Xiaojing passed away too early to learn how things turned out for them.

“Yanyan, honestly, Sun Junwei isn’t that bad. He’s funny, and he makes good money. Even when you scold him harshly, he stays quiet and doesn’t talk back. But if you keep criticizing him like this, it will hurt your relationship, right? Maybe you could try a different approach?”

Zhao Xiaojing suggested gently.

“I should talk nicely to him? Why can’t he just behave properly? You sound just like my mom! Last time, she even said I don’t cook at home and order takeout every day! Why should I cook for him? I’m not going to be some housewife. If he won’t cook, then we’ll both just eat takeout!”

Zhou Chuyan’s tone grew more heated as Zhao tried to reason with her. Just then, a freshly cooked dish in hand, Dong Mei walked out of the kitchen.

“And what about you? Do you even know who you are? You’ve spent five or six years doing nothing—no job, no social security, no health insurance! I’ve told you to find work, but you refuse. All you do is make your elders worry. Look at yourself—what kind of life is that? When you’re old, you won’t even have a pension! I sent you to school for so many years, and for what? You can’t even manage your household, and now all you do is scold Sun Junwei! You don’t find work either—before or after marriage, it’s the same story. You’re worse than Xiaojing—at least she knows how to find a job and earn her own money! What does that make you—a leech on society?”

Dong Mei spat out her words with venom as she set down the dish, her frustration exploding at Zhou Chuyan. Both cousins quickly lowered their heads, silently enduring the verbal barrage.

…

The Mid-Autumn Festival lunch, which should have been a joyful family gathering, ended exactly as Zhao Xiaojing had expected—with tension and tasteless food.

Thanks to Zhou Chuyan serving as the scapegoat for the day, Zhao Xiaojing managed to avoid most of the scolding. Still, the oppressive atmosphere created by Dong Mei’s constant criticism hung over the meal like a dark cloud, stifling even three-year-old Hanhang, who didn’t dare make a sound.

Zhao Xiaojing understood where Dong Mei’s anxiety came from. After graduating, Zhou Chuyan had only held a job for three months total. While she was dating Sun Junwei, she had lied to the family about working in Chuancheng. In reality, she had simply moved in with Sun Junwei and spent her days lounging around, living off his earnings.

Since she hadn’t worked long enough to accumulate social security or health insurance benefits, Zhou Chuyan relied entirely on Sun Junwei to support her.

As Dong Mei saw it, Zhou Chuyan was being foolish—she wasn’t working or earning her own money, yet she was demanding and hot-tempered, expecting Sun Junwei to cater to her every whim. It was a miracle that Sun Junwei tolerated her behavior. What would happen if he ever decided to stop supporting her? How would she survive?

Zhou Chuyan had always been a fiery and assertive person. Before getting married, her domineering parents kept her in check. But once they loosened their grip after the wedding, all her pent-up frustration came flooding out. She vented her anger unchecked.

One of the most vivid memories Zhao Xiaojing had of Zhou Chuyan’s temper was during a car ride with Sun Junwei.

It was another one of those family dinners at Dong Mei’s house. After dinner, Sun Junwei offered to drive Zhao Xiaojing home since it was late. Zhou sat in the passenger seat while Zhao sat in the back.

From the moment they left until they reached Zhao’s apartment, Zhou Chuyan’s voice never stopped.

“Drive closer to the left! Can’t you see there’s someone on the right?”

“Honk the horn! There’s an electric bike up ahead—are you deaf or what? Honk already!”

“What’s the point of having a horn if you don’t use it? Don’t you see all those people in front?”

“Turn right! There’s a car on the left—you’re going to scrape it!”

“I said turn right! Didn’t you hear me? You can’t do anything right!”

All throughout the ride, Sun Junwei remained completely silent, focusing only on driving. The quieter he got, the more vicious Zhou Chuyan’s comments became, repeating the same instructions louder and more aggressively each time.

Sitting in the backseat, Zhao Xiaojing could only feel a rising sense of dread, wondering if Sun Junwei might suddenly snap and drive them all off the road in a fit of anger.

Zhou Chuyan’s temper knew no bounds—it didn’t matter where they were or who was around. Everyone in the family was well aware of how sharp-tongued she could be when interacting with Sun Junwei. At first, Dong Mei had tried advising her daughter to tone it down and show more respect to her husband, but when that failed, she switched tactics and urged Zhou to at least find a job and secure her own future.

At lunch, Dong Mei barely ate a thing. One moment she was nagging Zhou to let her take care of Hanhang so she could go back to work after retirement. The next moment, she was telling Zhao Xiaojing to quit working at the construction site and find a “proper” job instead.

After the meal, Zhao Xiaojing helped Zhou Chuyan wash the dishes while Dong Mei stayed in the living room.

With Dong Mei out of earshot, the tension between the two cousins eased considerably. They lowered their voices and began chatting conspiratorially.

“Why are you working so hard? Going all the way to a construction site? Is this your way of rebelling against my mom?” Zhou nudged Zhao playfully as she spoke in a hushed tone.

“No, really—working at the construction site is actually pretty great. I’m just cooking; it’s not like I’m hauling bricks around. But seriously, have you thought about finding a job? Auntie does have a point—you could get a job and start paying into social security. That way, even if you quit later, you’d still have coverage.”

Zhao Xiaojing whispered back, keeping her voice low.

“Hanhang’s only three years old—I plan to stay home with her until she starts elementary school. She’s still so young; I can’t leave her alone yet. Besides, why should my mom take care of her while Junwei’s mom sits at home farming? No way.”

Zhou Chuyan shot back, still skeptical of Zhao’s decision to work at the construction site.