Male Lead's Canon Fodder Wife - Chapter 1023

Chapter 1023: Delivering Ingredients
Meanwhile, Li Chenze, Zhang Ermu, and Li Jingqian went to the underground cellar to load the grains, dried vegetables, and dried fruits onto the bullock cart.

When Zhang Ermu saw the dried vegetables, he was surprised. He had always thought that pickling was the only way to preserve vegetables. Unexpectedly, they could also be dried.

Seeing the dried vegetables, he wanted to try this method himself. He realized he could soak the dried vegetables when he wanted to use them. Additionally, dried vegetables were lightweight and didn’t take up much storage space.

Noticing his gaze, Li Chenze smiled and said, “Ermu, you can wash your vegetables and sun-dry them. They can be stored for a long time as long as they are kept in a dry place. When you want to use them, just soak them in water for a while. It’s very convenient.”

Hearing this, Zhang Ermu nodded and said, “Brother Chenze, that’s a great method.”

Li Chenze felt proud but modestly said, “I learned it from my third brother. He mentioned that the military uses this method to preserve vegetables.”

Nodding at his words, Zhang Ermu stopped asking questions and helped carry the items to the cart. Shortly after, Dong Huang and Li Jingxu joined in to assist. With the children’s help, they filled the cart in an hour.

Seeing the brightening sky, Li Chenze looked at his son and said, “Jingqian, take your brother and sister back home first. The three of you should get ready for school. Tell your mother that I will be back in an hour.”

Li Jingqian nodded, “I understood, Father.”

He is half an hour older than Li Jingxu, and as the eldest son in the family, it is his responsibility to take care of his younger siblings. So, when his parents asked him to do something instead of his brother, he never complained.

After locking the doors, Li Jingqian returned home with his siblings while Li Chenze and Zhang Ermu drove the cart to Lu Han’s house.

By now, the sun had risen, and many villagers were already outside working. The bullock cart moved slowly, so villagers walking at a brisk pace easily caught up with them.

When they noticed the cart filled with sacks, one villager asked, “Chenze, did you just get back from town?”

Li Chenze smiled and replied, “Uncle, these are ingredients my third brother prepared for my second brother’s wedding.”

The villager, confused, asked, “Why did you suddenly bring the ingredients back? Did something go bad? Do you need help sorting it out?”

Shaking his head, Li Chenze explained with a smile, “Thank you but nothing has gone bad. I received a telegram from my third brother saying they want to host a wedding banquet in the capital and need the ingredients. So, I’m bringing them back to pack before sending them.”

When he finished speaking, the villagers were surprised. It was unusual to host a wedding banquet twice.

Initially, many villagers and educated youths envied Li Lingyun for marrying Pan Meijia. Even the aunties lamented that their sons or nephews didn’t have such fortune. But now, hearing what Li Chenze said, most felt relieved. Fortunately, their sons weren’t the ones marrying Pan Meijia.

The expenses seemed overwhelming. Marrying a city dweller sounded good in theory, but after learning about the costs, they preferred a local bride. At least, the bride price and banquet expenses would be manageable if they were marrying a villager.

Unaware of their thoughts, Li Chenze continued casual conversations while Zhang Ermu listened from the side. His second brother had advised him not to hide details if villagers inquired about the wedding.

At first, Li Chenze hadn’t understood the reason, but now he did. He noticed that many men were envious of his second brother and a bit restless. But now, most of them seem relieved.

His brother’s tactic was clever. By sharing that the family needed to host two banquets, he diffused the envy.

While they might be called foolish for such an expense, it gave the Pan family a significant face and showed that the Li family valued Pan Meijia highly. This way, the Pan family would treat Li Lingyun well.

Additionally, after the wedding, fewer people would come knocking to borrow food, as they would assume most of the family’s resources were spent on the wedding.

Just thinking about the peace that would follow the wedding made Li Chenze feel happy. We are tired of facing neighbors and relatives knocking on their doors to borrow food.

Forty minutes later, they arrived at the Lu family’s house. Wang Muxiao, holding her large baby bump, was walking around the yard while Chen Anwen washed clothes near the well.

Seeing them, Wang Muxiao opened the gate and asked, “Eldest brother-in-law, what brought you here so early?”

Li Chenze got off the cart and said, “Second sister-in-law, my third brother asked me to deliver these ingredients to Brother Lu Han. Is he home?”

Although Wang Muxiao was curious, she didn’t ask anything and opened the gate wider t o let them in.

“Eldest brother is in the backyard. Please come in. I will inform him,” she said as she gestures for them to enter.

“Thank you, Second sister-in-law,” Li Chenze said with a smile.

Wang Muxiao clicked her tongue when she saw his smile and thought, ‘These Li brothers are just too handsome. I wonder how Sister Zhang handles all the attention her husband gets from those restless women. It must be tiring to have such a handsome husband.’

Just thinking about the women who flocked to the Li brothers already gave her a headache. Having an attractive husband was nice, but it came with the constant worry of other women hovering around him.

After weighing the pros and cons, she still thought that her husband was still better than the handsome Li brothers.

Her husband wasn’t as striking as them, but his looks were above average and pleasing to the eyes. Plus, he was simple and honest, so she didn’t need to worry about him having an affair.