201: Chapter 202: Steamed Chicken and Red Three-Chop Dish from Mother-in-Law and Daughter-in-Law! A Billionaire Tycoon Washes Dishes in His Resettlement Housing

Wang Hanmei reached out and gently patted Shen Du's broad hand. A relieved smile appeared on her calloused face:

"Mom doesn't understand the big business you young people do out there. And I don't care about what she has been through in the past or what her reputation is like."

"Mom only recognizes one thing."

Wang Hanmei turned her head, looking through the window at the stunning figure inside wearing an apron and intently chopping vegetables, her gaze becoming incredibly gentle:

"The patience she showed while accompanying an old woman like me digging in the mud these past two days. And the way she looks at you, with that undisguisable adoration in her eyes... Mom has seen it all."

"As long as she is a good person and is sincere toward you, that is enough."

Hearing these simple yet inclusive words from his mother, Shen Du let out a long sigh of relief, feeling as if the last stone weighing on his heart had finally fallen.

He knew that Hong Yun, this lone bird that had drifted for half a lifetime, had truly found a place to land in the Shen Family today.

Outside, the cold wind began to pick up. The distant mountains were completely swallowed by the heavy night. But inside the temporary small dining room of the resettlement housing, the lights were warm and filled with steam.

When Shen Du and his mother, Wang Hanmei, pushed open the door and entered, a rich aroma of food was wafting continuously from the kitchen.

"Auntie, Shen Du, go wash your hands quickly, dinner is ready."

Hong Yun walked out of the kitchen carrying the final soup. She was wearing the floral apron that Wang Hanmei usually used tied around her waist. Her jet-black hair was casually tied back, with a few playful stray strands sticking to her slightly flushed cheeks.

At this moment, as she cooked, she looked just like an ordinary, virtuous young wife.

Looking at the table filled with three dishes and a soup, Wang Hanmei was truly stunned.

In her inherent view, a woman like Hong Yun, who looked more stunning than the big stars on television, and even did big business with her son in the city, would have already reached her limit just by helping to dig for bamboo shoots in the fields.

As for a place like the kitchen, stained with cooking fumes, she surely wouldn't lift a finger.

But the table of dishes before her, which were all authentic Yunnan-style and looked, smelled, and tasted delicious, completely overturned her perception.

"This... did you make all of this by yourself?" Wang Hanmei looked at Hong Yun in surprise.

"Auntie, please try it and see if it's to your taste." Hong Yun smiled and pulled out a chair for Wang Hanmei, then conveniently served Shen Du a big bowl of white rice.

In the center of the dining table, the most eye-catching item was a rustic Jianshui purple pottery steam pot. The moment the lid was lifted, a rich, exotic aroma hit them.

"Steam Pot Chicken?" Wang Hanmei only took one look before she couldn't help but nod repeatedly: "The soup is as clear as water, yet a layer of golden chicken fat floats on the surface. Smelling it, there's also a faint medicinal aroma of notoginseng and gastrodia elata... The heat control is perfect; it's truly authentic!"

This dish relies entirely on the steam generated by boiling water at the bottom of the pot to steam the free-range chicken until cooked. The soup is formed entirely from condensed steam, which is an extreme test of the cook's control over the heat.

But the pot Hong Yun made had chicken meat that was tender and fell off the bone, and the soup was extremely delicious and rich.

Beside it was a wild mushroom hot pot, bubbling and steaming. It had a rich free-range chicken soup base, with fresh winter bamboo shoots they had dug up on the hillside rolling inside, along with top-tier matsutake, porcini, termite mushrooms, and bamboo fungus that Hong Yun had specially brought back. The umami flavors of the various precious mountain delicacies intertwined, so delicious it could practically make one's eyebrows fall off.

But what truly made Wang Hanmei unable to stop her chopsticks, and even made Shen Du eat three big bowls of white rice in a row, was that most common, god-tier rice-killer dish placed in front of Hong Yun: Hong San Duo.

Red, juicy tomatoes, bright red, slightly spicy chili peppers, paired with selected minced pork that had a perfect balance of fat and lean meat. The three ingredients were patiently minced by Hong Yun until fine and even, then quickly stir-fried over high heat in hot oil. The sweet and sourness of the tomatoes, the savory fragrance of the chilies, and the richness of the pork fat fused perfectly under high heat. Served on a plate, it was a vibrant red, with an enticing color.

Wang Hanmei scooped up a spoonful of Hong San Duo, placed it over the steaming white rice, mixed it slightly, and took a bite. Sour, savory, spicy, refreshing! This dish was truly a well-deserved "rice killer," appetizing and satisfying.

"Delicious! This culinary skill is even better than the cooks in the big restaurants in town!" Wang Hanmei gave a thumbs up without hesitation while eating heartily. The look in her eyes as she gazed at Hong Yun was filled with undisguisable surprise and genuine approval.

Upon hearing this praise, a radiant, heartfelt smile bloomed on Hong Yun's stunning face. She ladled another bowl of tomato and egg soup, floating with green onions and exuding a rich, home-cooked flavor, and gently placed it by her mother-in-law's side.

Shen Du took a chopstick-full of Hong San Duo and popped it into his mouth. Watching the two women—mother-in-law and daughter-in-law—laughing and chatting at the dining table, and listening to the wind outside the window, he felt an unprecedented sense of peace and tranquility welling up in his heart.

The supreme sense of achievement from wielding immense power in the business world and earning seven hundred billion in the Hong Kong Stock Market seemed, at this moment, less grounding than this bowl of warm white rice and these three dishes and one soup filled with the aura of daily life.

This dinner could be said to be the most comforting and satisfying meal Wang Hanmei had eaten in recent years. As for that plate of enticing Hong San Duo on the table, even the last bit of its sour and savory sauce was unceremoniously poured into his bowl by Shen Du to mix with his last mouthful of white rice.

"I'm too full." Shen Du put down his chopsticks and leaned back against the chair, feeling content.

Seeing this, Hong Yun naturally stood up, rolled up her sleeves, and prepared to clear the dishes from the table: "Auntie, you sit and rest for a while, I'll go wash the dishes."

"Oh, leave it, leave it!" Wang Hanmei was quick-eyed and nimble-handed, grabbing Hong Yun's hands—which had just been in the dishwater but were still fair and slender. This time, there was no politeness or reserve in Wang Hanmei's actions. Instead, it was filled with genuine affection and protectiveness.

She glared at Shen Du opposite her, but when she turned to look at Hong Yun, her gaze instantly became incredibly loving.

"You girl, you spent all afternoon in the mud digging winter bamboo shoots with me, and then cooked such a big table of food in the evening; how can I let you do more work?"

Wang Hanmei didn't let go of Hong Yun's hand, naturally ordering around her son, who was now worth hundreds of billions: "Go on, Du'er, wash the dishes and clean up the table."

Shen Du was stunned for a moment, pointed at his own nose, and then laughed dumbfoundedly. Outside, he was a capital tycoon who could turn his hands to create clouds and rain, making the entire Hong Kong Stock Market tremble with a single word. But here in the small dining room of the temporary resettlement housing back home, he was just a son who had to do chores after eating.

"Alright, I'll wash them." Shen Du smiled, stood up, and cooperatively began to clear the dishes.

"Come on, daughter, don't mind him." Wang Hanmei pulled Hong Yun towards her bedroom: "It's cold outside, let's go into the room, get on the warm heated kang, and have a chat. Auntie still has a few pairs of good bracelets I saved up from years ago; help Auntie pick some out..."

Hong Yun's cheeks flushed slightly from Wang Hanmei's sudden intimacy. She subconsciously looked back at Shen Du. Her eyes carried a hint of seeking help, while also hiding irrepressible feelings of being flattered and joy. Shen Du, carrying a stack of plates, gave her a gentle wink and mouthed the words "Go ahead." With a "click," the bedroom door closed.