I Crossed Over with My Enemy, Only to Find Him Running the Empire - Chapter 18

Chapter 18: Sitting at the Table

Go back. Back to the modern era.

Li Qiaoqiao felt a stir in her heart.

Although she voiced her disdain loudly, she knew in her heart that in this completely foreign ancient countryside, the guy in front of her—who also hailed from the modern world—was the only existence she could barely call an “ally.”

At least their core interests were temporarily aligned.

Stay alive, study their “cheat code,” and find a way back.

“Fine,” Li Qiaoqiao curled her lip, conceding to his point. “We’ll get through the immediate crisis first. But you’d better get better quickly; I can’t keep serving you like a real maid forever, can I?”

Wu Ya glanced at her, his tone flat: “The feeling is mutual. You’d better keep up this ‘virtuous wife’ act. We can cooperate, but no interfering in each other’s internal affairs. Keep your distance.”

“Suits me perfectly!” Li Qiaoqiao huffed, standing up to clear the dishes with a clatter that clearly expressed her annoyance.

Outside the window, the sun rose higher. In the small farmhouse courtyard, chickens pecked for food and the dog dozed.

Once the kitchen chores were squared away, Li Qiaoqiao wiped her hands. She was debating whether to go back to that cramped room to stare at her fake idiot husband or find something else to do when Zhang Jinhua’s characteristically booming voice rang out in the yard:

“What are you all standing around for? Set the table! It’s time to eat!”

There was nothing unusual about the shout, but the next sentence was a surprise: “Qiaoqiao of the fourth branch! Hurry up, we’re waiting on you!”

Li Qiaoqiao froze for a second before it clicked. Oh, right—her mother-in-law had given the word this morning that she was permitted to sit at the table from now on.

She smoothed out her semi-new coarse cloth clothes, took a deep breath, and walked toward the main house at a steady pace.

The Wu family ate in the central hall of the main house. There was an old square table surrounded by a ring of benches of varying heights. At the moment, the seats were mostly filled, and indeed, they were all waiting for her.

The moment she stepped through the door, everyone’s eyes snapped toward her. Some were curious, some were judging, some were dissatisfied, and some were just waiting for a show.

Li Qiaoqiao acted as if she didn’t see the stares. With an apologetic look, she gave a slight curtsy, acting perfectly poised: “My apologies, Father, Mother, brothers and sisters-in-law. I’m late. I just finished serving Tie Niu and got delayed tidying the kitchen. He eats slowly; I hope everyone can be patient with him.”

As soon as she spoke, the expressions of everyone at the table turned odd.

Was this still the same Li Qiaoqiao who used to keep her head down and speak in a voice like a buzzing mosquito?

Especially the head of the house, Wu Duofu; he lifted his eyelids to give her an extra look. This daughter-in-law of the fourth son seemed to have grown much bolder after her fall. Her speech was clearer, too.

Zhang Jinhua wasn’t particularly surprised, as if she had expected this reaction. She simply said gruffly, “Fine, now that you’re here, sit down. Be quicker in the future; don’t make the whole family wait.”

“Yes, Mother, I’ll remember,” Li Qiaoqiao replied compliantly.

Zhang Jinhua cleared her throat and officially announced to the whole family: “Listen up. From today on, the wife of the fourth son, Lady Li, is officially part of this household. From now on, she eats and works just like the rest of the family. Qiaoqiao, you sit there.”

She pointed to the very end of the table, near the door.

“Thank you, Mother,” Li Qiaoqiao replied and walked toward the end.

The eldest daughter-in-law, Lady Wei, curled her lip and rolled her eyes quickly, turning her face away. She was clearly displeased, but out of fear of her mother-in-law’s authority, she didn’t dare speak up. A money-losing child bride actually gets to sit at the table as our equal?

The third daughter-in-law, Lady Liu, gave Li Qiaoqiao a friendly smile and even helped steady the slightly wobbly bench. “Fourth Sister-in-law, sit here.”

Li Qiaoqiao returned the smile and sat down firmly. Taking the opportunity, she inconspicuously scanned the table, taking in the entire Wu clan.

…

The Wu Family Hierarchy

…

Everyone was present, and Zhang Jinhua began portioning the food.

The meal consisted of coarse rice mixed with corn grits—it looked like it would scratch your throat just swallowing it. The side dishes were even simpler: a bowl of stir-fried mustard greens with almost no oil, a plate of dark, salty pickled vegetables, and a large bowl of egg soup in the middle with a few droplets of oil floating on top—the only “delicacy” of the meal.

The rules for distribution were clear: the men did the heavy lifting, so their rice was piled high and they could ask for seconds. The women and children each got one flat bowl, and the vegetables were rationed out strictly.

Zhang Jinhua was fair but extremely stingy. She measured the portions with her eyes to ensure total impartiality. When it was her turn, she took only half a bowl of rice and the smallest portion of vegetables.

“Mother, you’re only eating that much?” the third son, Wu Tiegen, couldn’t help but ask.

Zhang Jinhua lifted her eyelids. “What? You think it’s too much? You want to eat it for me?”

Wu Tiegen immediately pulled his neck back and shut his mouth.