At the thought of this, Ye Hanzhu felt that the hardships of the past few days were all worth it. Her husband was destined to achieve great success in the future; what was a few chickens and rabbits compared to that? She saw this as a chance for Ye Yao and the second Xie son to curry favor with them. If those two didn’t know how to appreciate this opportunity, they would be truly foolish!
Ye Yao watched coldly as they took the game away without blocking them, a faint smile playing on her lips. “Is that so? Then I must truly congratulate you, Sister.”
Seeing her react this way, Ye Hanzhu assumed she was intimidated and dared not compete with her. Pleased with herself, she swayed her waist and left, perfectly satisfied.
Ye Yao returned to the room to tidy the bedding. By the time Xie Hanshuo returned from cutting grass at noon, Mother Xie’s dumplings were already cooked. Although they were cabbage and pork, the amount of meat in them was pitifully sparse. Xie Hanshuo ate with his head down, saying nothing, merely glancing at Ye Yao beside him, his inner feelings complex. During this period, his appetite had become picky, refined by Ye Yao’s cooking. He had once been satisfied with just filling his stomach, but now, eating these bland dumplings, he felt they were far less fragrant, moist, and delicious than the wild vegetable-filled steamed dumplings she had made that day. However, he wouldn’t say this out loud.
Xie Hanshuo finished the dumplings in his bowl in silence and went to the backyard to feed the prey. It was only then that he realized the count was wrong—there were two pheasants and two fat rabbits missing! Xie Hanshuo’s brows locked together instantly, and a terrifying, bone-chilling coldness surged in his eyes. How could he not know who was responsible? Anger flared up within him; he slammed his fist into the cart with a thunderous bang, nearly splitting the cart board in two!
Xie Hanshuo turned to go find them and argue, but his pace was so rushed and he was so distracted that he collided head-on with Ye Yao, who was hurrying toward him. The woman’s soft, warm body fell unexpectedly into his arms; through her thin clothing, he could clearly feel her delicate curves. Xie Hanshuo froze, standing like a wooden stake, his breath held. Ye Yao’s forehead had hit his rock-hard chest squarely, causing her to let out a muffled groan, feeling both furious and anxious. “Xie Hanshuo! Can’t you be more steady? Do you want to kill me by collision!”
What a bane of her existence! The collision made her see stars, and she had to take several steps back to barely steady herself. Ye Yao held her reddened forehead, gasping in pain. A few tears rolled down uncontrollably. She bit her lip, feeling that her head had been knocked silly by the second Xie son; the pain was agonizing!
“You… why did you come over? Did I hurt you?” Seeing Ye Yao’s eyes glistening with tears, Xie Hanshuo panicked. He stepped forward to check her forehead, but she turned her head to avoid him.
“It’s nothing.” Ye Yao endured the pain; now was not the time to fuss over this. “Mother took the game; are you going to demand it back?”
When she had walked over earlier, she had seen Mother Xie gathered with the neighboring women. Mother Xie was glowing with health, bragging about how Xie Moyan had been praised by the county magistrate, boasting about the entire incident. Afterward, she spoke of the second son’s filial piety, claiming he had specifically left the game to celebrate his elder brother’s success. Xie Moyan would return home tonight, and this meat was destined to be stewed. If Xie Hanshuo rushed over to argue now, he would inevitably earn the reputation of mistreating his elder brother, which would be counterproductive. Therefore, Ye Yao had hurried over to intercept Xie Hanshuo, urging him not to act impulsively.
Xie Hanshuo’s fists remained clenched, his knuckles white, his voice cold and hard: “Should I not demand it back?” That was what he had risked his life to exchange; why should his mother take it away without a word to curry favor with his elder brother? Just because he could read? Because he was a scholar? What kind of logic was this! He could not swallow this insult!
Ye Yao knew his stubborn nature, so she softened her tone to persuade him: “Of course you should demand it back, but we must use a different method.”
“A different method?” Xie Hanshuo’s brows remained furrowed.
“You previously said you would give Mother half a tael of silver every month, correct?” Ye Yao’s eyebrows curved, a glimmer of cunning flashing in her eyes, looking exactly like a little fox whose scheme had succeeded.
Xie Hanshuo nodded. Since they hadn’t divided the family yet, giving Mother money for living expenses was appropriate. Even Xie Moyan’s government stipend was mostly exchanged for silver and handed to Mother Xie for his tuition. He had no complaints about giving that half tael.
Ye Yao calculated carefully: “Half a tael is five hundred wen. A rabbit is at least forty-five wen, a chicken thirty-five wen; four animals total one hundred and sixty wen. Do you understand now?”
Xie Hanshuo was confused at first, then realized: “You mean… we count this as part of what we pay, and deduct it from that half tael?”
“Exactly.” Ye Yao blinked. “Let’s keep this to ourselves for now and wait until they have eaten it all. We won’t touch a single bite, and we’ll settle the score after the harvest—wouldn’t that be satisfying?”
Xie Hanshuo raised an eyebrow; this idea sounded a bit… malicious, but it was certainly satisfying. The frustration in his heart eased slightly, and he nodded in agreement.
That evening, Mother Xie red-braised the rabbit meat and stewed chicken soup; the room was filled with the aroma. Xie Moyan was busy with his studies and only returned home once every seven or eight days. As soon as Mother Xie saw him, she rushed forward, heart aching: “Oh, my son, you’ve worked so hard studying! Mother sees you’ve lost weight. Mother stewed meat today; you must nourish yourself tonight.”
“Mother, I am not tired,” Xie Moyan coughed twice; he had caught a cold on the journey, his face pale. Ye Hanzhu hurried to hand him hot water. Smelling the meat, Xie Moyan asked naturally: “Second Brother and his wife have returned, haven’t they?”
Mother Xie responded as if it were a matter of course, feeling no shame at all for taking the meat, but rather eager: “The Second Son hunted quite a bit this time, and there’s even a live goat! Mother decided to save a fat goat leg for you to stew into soup later to nourish your health. They say lamb is the best for driving away cold and warming the body; it’s perfect for you.” She fussed over Xie Moyan, fearing he might be the slightest bit uncomfortable.
When the meat dishes were served, Xie Moyan did not decline, as if he were already accustomed to it. It was as if the whole family honoring him was a natural, heaven-ordained right. Xie Moyan considered himself the eldest son bringing glory to the family and a scholar with a degree, so he felt no unease about receiving such preferential treatment, merely saying politely: “Thank you, Second Brother; this trip must have been hard work.”
Xie Hanshuo didn’t even bother to sneer. Remembering Ye Yao’s instructions, he replied flatly: “It is nothing, Elder Brother, please eat.” In his heart, he considered this meal to be his pre-paid living expenses, which saved him from having to sell it in town tomorrow.
Of the table full of meat, Ye Yao and Xie Hanshuo did not touch a single bite. The two had a silent understanding, eating only their coarse grain porridge and pancakes with some pickled vegetables. Ye Yao kept a faint smile on her face, making it impossible for anyone to see what she was thinking. The two finished their meal quickly and left the table.
Xie Moyan noticed something amiss and frowned: “Second Brother and Sister-in-law, why don’t you try some of the meat?”
“Why do you care about them!” Mother Xie interrupted loudly. “Could they be lacking anything to eat up on the mountain?” She turned back to him: “Look at how thin you’ve become; hurry up and eat more!”
Ye Hanzhu was craving the meat too, wishing no one else would fight her for it, and muttered along: “Exactly, who knows how much they enjoyed themselves up on the mountain… Husband, hurry up and eat while it’s hot.”
Seeing Ye Hanzhu piling food onto his plate, Xie Moyan had to suppress his doubts and smile in agreement. The family of three gorged themselves at the dining table, never once thinking of sharing the game with its true owners.