The couple felt a sense of relief after openly discussing everything.
Chen Lan did not want to live under constant suspicion or let her family remain in a state of panicked delusion. This was why she decided to take a gamble and transform the secret into a taboo, or rather, an open secret within the valley.
Once everyone knew, it would cease to be a secret, and no one would probe or be curious. In the future, even if they encountered more unbelievable events, they would subconsciously attribute them to their late father-in-law, deeming them unremarkable.
The intention was to make everyone in the valley aware of the presence, both real and imagined, of the "father-in-law," who had sacrificed his life on the battlefield years ago. This presence, constantly watching over the valley's people and affairs, would create an intangible sense of deterrence.
Chen Lan refused to believe that people who had just emerged from the feudal old society were not superstitious or fearful of ghosts. Even in modern times, seventy years later, many still believed in their existence.
This was Chen Lan's ultimate goal in fabricating the existence of "father-in-law." Of course, this secret would remain hers alone, destined to be taken to the grave, never to be revealed to anyone, including Xu Mingxuan and the twins.
Sharing her secret with Xu Mingxuan brought her considerable comfort and ease.
The couple walked home with light steps, eager to prepare Xu Mingxuan's belongings for his return to camp. On their way back, they caught two wild pheasants, but no other game, intending to prepare braised chicken for Xu Mingxuan to vary his diet.
They walked briskly, traversing mountains and crossing ridges, returning to the valley in less than two hours. Upon pushing open the courtyard gate, they found the yard bustling with activity. The children were playing and making merry.
Wen Kai and Wen Qi, the two younger brothers, were on the swing set, being pushed by Mingxuan from behind.
Jia Yao and Jia Hui, the two little ones, were not crawling on the rug but stood still like little penguins, their bottoms sticking out, hesitant to move. Their mother and Xiao Shan's mother squatted a couple of steps away, encouraging them, "Come on, come on, Jia Hui, Jia Yao, come here, lift your feet..."
Everyone was engrossed in their play, none noticing the couple's return. Chen Lan did not disturb them, instead, pulling Xu Mingxuan inside. After changing their shoes and removing their heavy cotton coats, they entered the living room.
The couple washed their hands and faces in the bathroom, then entered the kitchen and lifted the pot lids. As expected, their meals were kept warm. The Arirang cast iron pot was indeed excellent, as the food served was still piping hot.
They quickly finished their meals. Xu Mingxuan went to the kitchen to wash the dishes, while Chen Lan remained in the living room. She immediately used her mental powers to place an order from the system for cold medicine, anti-inflammatory drugs, hemostatic agents, fever reducers, deworming medication, frostbite cream, and rheumatism cream.
Since they would be repacking later, she also purchased ten large dark brown glass bottles with lids from the system to store the pills.
When Xu Mingxuan emerged from the kitchen, he saw Chen Lan carefully separating the pills and pouring them into the large dark brown glass bottles. He immediately stepped forward to help.
Chen Lan instructed him to work on the same type of medicine as her, to avoid any mix-ups. These were medications, and taking the wrong one could turn a good deed into a disaster.
With this thought, Chen Lan earnestly said to Xu Mingxuan, "Brother Mingxuan, I suggest that once you take these medicines back to camp, do not give them to others unless absolutely necessary. There are many contraindications for medication, and if someone doesn't follow your instructions precisely and something goes wrong, we won't be able to explain ourselves clearly!"
Xu Mingxuan thoughtfully replied, "Yes! Lan'er, you're right! That makes sense. I won't put our entire family in a difficult situation for the sake of others. If I do give any out, I will solemnly explain everything clearly to everyone present. Don't worry!
Lan'er, what you said today reminds me. We shouldn't take too much medicine this time. Just a small amount of each. Taking too much is also unsafe. If someone maliciously tries to harm others, it would be a big problem. It's safer to take a little less. I can come back for more if needed. Also, when I get back, I'll hand these medicines over to the camp's medic in front of everyone and clearly explain their use. Whether others choose to take them or not will be their own responsibility."
The couple discussed and worked together, quickly finishing the task of packaging the pills separately. The medicines originally intended to be stored in large dark brown glass bottles for Xu Mingxuan were instead placed in small paper bags, with the name, usage, and dosage clearly written on each bag. They took a few extra tubes of frostbite ointment and a good amount of rheumatism patches.
As the saying goes, "Teamwork makes the dream work!" The couple soon finished their preparations and headed back to the kitchen to prepare dinner. Chen Lan boiled water and plucked the chickens, while Xu Mingxuan prepared the birds and Chen Lan washed rice and prepared side dishes.
Chen Lan thought that since this meal was a farewell dinner for Xu Mingxuan, she should invite her mother-in-law and the rest of their family over for a lively occasion. She planned to prepare a few extra dishes for the men to enjoy a drink. Of course, Xu Mingxuan would not drink hard liquor; he would have some of their homemade grape wine instead.
As she thought, Chen Lan mentally opened the system and purchased a variety of snacks to accompany the drinks: "Braised Pig Trotters, Braised Chicken Legs, Braised Peanuts, Braised Kelp, Braised Tofu Sheets, Braised Pork Knuckle, Braised Pig Stomach, Braised Beef, and eight other varieties." She took these braised dishes out of the system's warehouse, cut them into pieces, arranged them on plates, and steamed them thoroughly in a large three-tiered steamer used for steaming buns.
She then used another pot, heated the rapeseed oil purchased from the system, and added ginger, garlic, Sichuan peppercorns, and other seasonings, stir-frying them until fragrant. She then added the chopped chicken pieces and continued to stir-fry. Next, she added the braised sauce and a bottle of beer, also purchased from the system. Seeing that the water did not cover the chicken pieces, she added another bowl of hot water to the pot, covered it, brought it to a boil over high heat, then simmered it over low heat.
Soon, the water in the steamer for the braised dishes boiled, and the aroma of the braised food wafted out with the steam, truly filling the air for miles. This scent quickly attracted Wen Kai, Wen Qi, and Mingzhe, who were playing on the swings in the courtyard.
Before they even reached the kitchen, Mingzhe's loud voice could be heard, "I smell it, that aroma must be from Sister-in-law buying braised food again."
He said this as he stepped into the kitchen, but upon seeing Xu Mingxuan about to go out to call them, he immediately straightened up and called out respectfully, "Brother, Sister-in-law," and then stopped.
Wen Kai and Wen Qi, who followed behind, also obediently called out, "Brother-in-law, Sister," and then fell silent.
Upon seeing them, Chen Lan quickly broke the silence, saying, "You must be hungry from playing! Quickly wash your hands, I'll give each of you some braised food to tide you over. Once your older brother (brother-in-law) calls Grandma and the others over, we can start eating."