Staying isn't impossible, but there are a few conditions you need to agree to."
Seeing Tang Qiyue's gloomy expression, Zhan Zeye suddenly reached out and grabbed her arm, almost as if acting on impulse.
For a moment, even he wondered if he had lost his mind.
From doubting his own words to looking surprised at himself, it all happened in a brief moment—yet it changed Tang Qiyue's future.
"Tell me. As long as I can do it, I'll agree!"
Tang Qiyue grabbed his arm excitedly, her face full of expectation.
Zhan Zeye spoke slowly.
"First, I don't need a nanny."
"Second, you must accompany me to the military compound."
"Third, this will not be a fake marriage."
Tang Qiyue: "…"
Except for the condition about moving to the military compound, the other two didn't seem like a problem.
She blinked in confusion.
"Are you sure those are the only three conditions?"
Zhan Zeye gritted his teeth.
"Yes."
The two stared at each other for a long moment before Tang Qiyue finally smiled.
"Alright. I promise."
As if afraid he might change
his mind, she immediately let go of his hand and opened the door.
"I'll go help Mother cook. A new bride has to cook for the whole family on her first day!"
As soon as the door opened, the Zhan family members who had been secretly listening scattered around the yard like startled birds.
Tang Qiyue pretended not to notice and walked straight into the kitchen.
She saw a freshly slaughtered rooster still sitting in a basin.
Rolling up her sleeves, she said to Zhan's mother,
"Mother, let me cook today's meal."
Zhan's mother initially wanted to refuse, but when she saw her eldest daughter-in-law standing nearby—and remembered how the eldest daughter-in-law had followed the same tradition when she first joined the family—she decided not to break the custom.
"Alright."
She stepped aside, removed her apron, and handed it to Tang Qiyue.
Although Tang Qiyue didn't look particularly impressive, she actually had excellent cooking skills.
She tied the apron around her waist, picked up the cleaver from the cutting board, and lightly ran her finger along the blade.
Her brows furrowed.
"This knife is too dull. It'll be difficult to chop meat."
"Mother, do we have a whetstone?"
She had glanced around the kitchen but hadn't seen one.
Zhan's eldest sister-in-law pointed toward the yard.
"There's one beside the water jar. You know how to sharpen knives?"
Knife sharpening was considered skilled work. Usually, they waited for traveling craftsmen to sharpen their knives. Normally they just rubbed the blade on the stone a few times.
"A little."
Tang Qiyue smiled modestly.
She carried the cleaver outside, poured water onto the whetstone, and held the knife at a forty-five-degree angle. With steady, practiced movements, she began sharpening it.
Although it looked simple, the blade quickly became noticeably sharper, gleaming coldly in the sunlight.
Satisfied, Tang Qiyue returned to the kitchen.
She placed the rooster on the cutting board and asked,
"Do you prefer strong flavors or mild ones?"
"My brother is injured and can't eat spicy food, but the rest of us love spicy food!"
Zhan Chunying immediately shouted.
Tang Qiyue nodded in understanding.
Instead of chopping the chicken roughly, she skillfully dismantled it with the cleaver.
With each precise movement, the meat separated cleanly from the bones.
Everyone stared in surprise.
Even the child watching nearby exclaimed in amazement.
Soon, the entire chicken had been neatly separated.
Tang Qiyue minced the chicken breast, seasoned it with salt and soy sauce, added an egg and some flour, and mixed it into a paste.
Then she cut the remaining chicken meat into small cubes and marinated it.
She didn't waste the bones either. After blanching them, she placed them in an earthen pot to simmer into soup.
Although it sounded complicated, she moved quickly and efficiently.
Next, she asked where the vegetables were stored and found yams, green peppers, onions, and potatoes.
She cut the yams into chunks and added them to the chicken broth.
The green peppers were sliced into diamond shapes, the onions thinly sliced, and the potatoes soaked in water.
When the oil in the pan was hot, she brought over the minced chicken mixture.
Seeing two leftover steamed buns from yesterday, she crumbled them into breadcrumbs.
She coated portions of the chicken mixture with the crumbs and flattened them into thin patties.
By then, the oil was hot.
Tang Qiyue placed the patties into the pan one after another until it was full.
Because the patties were thin, they cooked quickly.
Using soybean oil gave them a golden-brown color.
Not only did they look delicious—they smelled incredible.
Anyone who had eaten fried chicken would recognize the irresistible aroma.
In this era of scarcity, the smell was almost overwhelming.
"Auntie, it smells so good!"
Her nephew clung to Zhan Chunying's arm, staring at the patties with drooling anticipation.
Fried chicken patties tasted best when eaten hot.
Tang Qiyue placed several onto a plate and handed it to Zhan's mother.
"Mom, they taste best while they're hot. Why don't you let everyone try one first?"
Because of Zhan Zeye's sudden return earlier, Tang Qiyue had missed breakfast herself. Seeing that it was already late in the morning, she felt slightly embarrassed.
Zhan's mother wasn't overly strict.
Her stomach was already growling from the smell.
Without waiting for the full meal, she simply handed everyone a patty.
"Go ahead and taste it."
Everyone eagerly took a bite.
Meanwhile, Tang Qiyue continued cooking.
She added more oil to the pan and sautéed ginger, garlic, and onions until fragrant.
Then she added the marinated chicken cubes and stir-fried them over high heat until golden.
Next came the diced potatoes.
Steam rose as she stirred the food in the pan, releasing waves of delicious aroma.
Finally, she added green chilies to finish the dish.
While everyone was still savoring the smell, Tang Qiyue seasoned the chicken soup and added the yams.
Because there were many people in the family, she also quickly stir-fried two simple vegetable dishes.
Soon, three dishes and a soup were placed on the table.
The Zhan family's attitude toward Tang Qiyue had clearly changed.