Jiang Yun bandaged the wound while muttering, "Ah, thank goodness your dad and brother came through together. Looking at the accuracy, only hitting the leg—it must be your brother."
Lin Jinyue stared at the few little chicks, her mouth watering.
It wasn't that she was greedy, but this body had long been malnourished, lacking everything, craving a taste of anything.
The System Mall currently only had the most basic rice, flour, and vegetable seeds, with very few varieties—just cabbage, bok choy, eggplant, and pumpkin.
Lin Jinyue swallowed her saliva and looked away.
Now that they had traveled to such a war-torn, famine-stricken era, having something to eat was already a blessing. She shouldn’t cause more trouble for her parents and brother.
These little chicks and rabbits could be raised. With the time flow in the Farm Space, they could be ready to eat in about a month.
Hold on a little longer, just a little longer.
After setting up rabbit hutches and chicken coops in the space, Lin Jinyue came out with Jiang Yun.
The two gathered some useful medicinal herbs outside and returned to the cave together.
When they got back, they discovered Lin Shucheng had brought back a pheasant.
Lin Jinyue’s eyes lit up.
Lin Shucheng whispered, "I caught this pheasant in front of the villagers. Let’s eat it first."
Lin Jinyue had been craving meat for a long time. Hearing that the pheasant could be eaten, she quickly said, "Braised chicken with mushrooms, and spicy diced chicken!"
Lin Shucheng picked up the kitchen knife. He didn’t cook often, so it took a lot of effort to prepare the chicken. The meatier parts were stir-fried with chili peppers, while the boney parts were stewed with shiitake mushrooms.
Unfortunately, Daqian didn’t have potatoes, and the System Mall hadn’t unlocked them yet.
But having meat to eat already satisfied Lin Jinyue.
The others who had gone out to search for food gradually returned. After working hard for most of the day, they had only found some yams, wild fruits, and the white radishes Lin Jinyue had mentioned for making Mountain-Guard Grain.
The lucky ones managed to pick up a couple of wild bird eggs.
That was about it.
As for pheasants, there was no point even thinking about it. Without the crossbow, catching one was impossible.
The group was so hungry they could almost chew on tree bark. If Jiang Yun hadn’t stopped them, they might have even eaten clay.
With little rain in recent years and poor harvests, many people had gone into the mountains to catch pheasants and rabbits. The ones that remained were smarter than ever. It was only because Lin Lao San was lucky that he managed to hit one.
Even a seasoned hunter might not have been able to catch one.
They were still worrying about how to survive on the road ahead during the famine, but as soon as they entered, they were greeted by the aroma of meat. They didn’t know what seasonings had been added, but it smelled so delicious it made their mouths water.
Everyone stared at Lin Jinyue’s family, but they just watched.
They still knew their limits.
Seeing that it was still early outside, Lin Shucheng took out the fish trap. "Tiezhu taught me this. He said he saw it in a book. If you put some mixed grain cakes inside, small fish will come. If you’re lucky, you might catch a big fish for a meal. Even small fish can be stewed into fish soup to nourish the body."
The group was immensely grateful to them.
Lin Shucheng waved it off. "No need, it’s just borrowing a fish trap."
Jiang Yun’s cooking skills were quite good, and she didn’t hold back on the seasonings. The spicy diced chicken was soon ready, filling the cave with the mouthwatering aroma of chicken, enough to drive anyone wild with craving.
The family of four sat there, eating heartily.
Especially since they had been eating steamed buns and dumplings for a while, it was finally time for a proper meal.
Just then, the clueless ones had the nerve to return.
Lin Youliang came back with his two sons and several grandsons. From afar, they caught the enticing aroma, and upon closer look, it was Lin Lao San’s wife who had cooked it.
He was somewhat surprised. After going out, they had almost nothing to show for it—just a few radishes. For such a large family, even if they rationed carefully, the radishes would be gone in two days.
As for handing the radishes over to Lin Jinyue, that little girl was full of whims and fancies. Only the fools in the village would willingly hand over their food—his family certainly wouldn’t.
Besides, he was Lin Jinyue’s grandfather and Jiang Yun’s father-in-law.
What difference did signing a Severance Letter make?
Did signing a piece of paper mean he was no longer Lao San’s biological father?
The more Lin Youliang thought about it, the more convinced he became that he was in the right. The village chief even threatened to use clan rules—how could clan rules apply when a father was just asking his son for a bite to eat?
Lin Youliang stormed over with the men of his family, full of bluster. "Lao San, how can you be so unfilial? Watching your own father go hungry while you feast on meat and fish—how selfish! Is this how I raised you?"
Lin Jinyue wasn’t about to indulge him. "If you want to eat, figure it out yourselves. You’ve already signed the Severance Letter—how can you still have the nerve to come here?"
Lin Youliang’s face darkened. "Who gave you the right to speak? I should’ve just sold you off back then. Lao San, how have you raised Er Ya? She has no respect for her elders, and you don’t even—"
Before he could finish, Lin Shucheng cut him off. "What’s wrong with my daughter? She spent all of yesterday thinking of ways to keep everyone from starving. She even came up with the idea for a Crossbow and taught me how to make fish traps. Right now, everyone’s still borrowing our fish traps!"
"What, is it not enough that she’s helping you find ways to survive? Now you’re eyeing her food too? Trying to snatch the meat from her bowl?"
The bystanders quickly stepped in, saying this had nothing to do with them.
Taking advantage of her young age, Lin Jinyue acted spoiled. "You’re all in cahoots with them. Otherwise, why would you insist on bringing them along when they only hold everyone back? In the future, if he tries to latch onto our family, you’ll definitely help him. Dad, how come he can still come pestering us even after signing the Severance Letter? Does the Severance Letter we signed in front of the whole village mean nothing?"
Lin Jinyue paused for a moment, then added, "If it really means nothing, then let’s just go our separate ways from now on. Dad, I’m afraid Grandpa will try to sell me again."
Lin Jinyue’s childish words thoroughly frightened the onlookers.
Putting everything else aside, who wouldn’t fall ill or get injured on this journey? They relied on Jiang Yun for medical help, not to mention Lin Jinyue, that clever little girl who kept coming up with ideas to help everyone fill their bellies.
So, one by one, they distanced themselves from Lin Youliang:
"Hey, Lao San, don’t talk nonsense. We’re not in cahoots with your father. We’re definitely on your side. Look at Tiezhu and Er Ya—they’ve helped us so much. We’re not as shameless as Uncle Youliang."
"Exactly, we’re grateful just to be alive. How could we turn into ungrateful wolves?"
"Youliang, not to be harsh, but you signed the Severance Letter in black and white. How can you still have the nerve to come here? Are your eldest and second sons useless, so you’ve come to bully Lao San?"
"Now this is something I have to say…"
A crowd gathered, pointing fingers and criticizing Lin Youliang, leaving Lin Jinyue with nothing more to add.
Lin Jinyue happily ate her spicy diced chicken, watching as they argued. Lin Youliang and his family were left speechless, condemned by everyone.
Sure enough, when it comes to their own interests, people always become more proactive. Lin Jinyue had made it clear that if Lin Youliang and his family continued to bother them, they would go their separate ways from then on.
Presumably, in the days to come, Lin Youliang wouldn’t dare to cause any more trouble.