That afternoon.
As soon as they finished work, the Lin family hurried home without stopping.
The villagers watched the Lin family leave as if chased by dogs, exchanging glances, not understanding why.
"Is there something good happening with the Lin family? Why are they leaving so fast?"
"Are they going to eat meat? Otherwise, why the rush?"
"You're thinking too much. Unless you're in the city, we who toil in the fields... don't even dream about it!"
"Speaking of city dwellers, isn't that Liu family member about to become a Formal Worker? I wonder how things are for them now?!"
"No matter how they are, even if they haven't become official, even as a Temporary Worker, they are still better off than us."
"That's true..."
...
The Lin family paid no mind to the villagers' whispers; what did it matter if they were gossiped about?
Eating meat was the most important thing!
Li Xiuli, carrying the expectations of the entire family, washed her hands and entered the Kitchen.
This chicken wasn't small; she planned to make Wild Chicken stewed with Potato.
Seasonings were scarce at this time, making cooking a true test of skill.
Li Xiuli had been cooking for over ten or twenty years, so her Cooking Skill was decent.
Since it was a rare treat to cook something good today, she didn't hold back on ingredients like she usually did; she cooked with abandon.
Li Xiuli first rinsed the Wild Chicken meat, which she had asked Lin Qingmu to chop into pieces earlier, with clean water.
Then, she blanched it thoroughly in boiling water and set it aside.
She instructed the Eldest Uncle to peel the Potato and cut it into rolling chunks.
"Tangtang, make the fire hotter!" Li Xiuli said to Lin Tang, who was tending the fire.
Saying this, she put lard into the pot and heated it up.
She took out the White Sugar kept at the bottom of the chest and caramelized it.
She added the Wild Chicken meat to the pot to stir-fry and color it.
Subsequently, she added water, along with scallion segments, ginger slices, Sichuan peppercorns, and other seasonings.
The fire was strong, and it boiled up in a short while.
A fragrant aroma slowly escaped from under the pot lid.
Those wisps of smoke carrying the mouth-watering scent permeated the entire Kitchen.
Li Xiuli feared the aroma spreading and causing trouble, so she closed the doors and windows tightly in advance.
If this were Pork they bought themselves, it would be one thing.
But this was something they picked up from the mountains.
To avoid attracting unwanted attention, eating quietly was the smart move.
If someone really found out, at worst, they could just make up a story.
After it boiled, she simmered it on low heat for about half an hour.
Li Xiuli lifted the pot lid and added the Potato chunks.
The moment the lid was lifted, the aroma became even more tempting!
Even the usually calm and composed Ning Xinrou couldn't help but swallow.
So fragrant!
So tempting!
"Mother, it smells so good!"
Lin Tang sat by the stove, looking up at her busy Old Mother, swallowing her saliva.
Honestly, she hadn't expected to be this greedy.
Her stomach lacking oil and moisture wasn't her fault for being weak-willed.
Li Xiuli looked at her Daughter sitting on the small stool, her face weathered by hardship filled with smiles.
"Tangtang, wait a little longer. It will be ready in about ten more minutes. I'll give the big Chicken Drumstick to my Daughter later."
Hearing her mother treating her like a child, Lin Tang's fair and pretty face flushed slightly.
"Mother, give the Chicken Drumstick to Gou Dan and the others. I'll just have a chicken wing; I like those."
Having gone through that kind of miraculous experience, and suffering much hardship.
Lin Tang thought she would never Act cute again.
She hadn't expected that in just two short days.
Under the care and doting of her Parents and older brothers, she had turned back into the delicate Lin Tang.
Only then did she realize—
No matter how old she grew,
And no matter what she experienced,
In front of her Family, she could always be that child who never grew up!
Li Xiuli didn't know what her Daughter was thinking, only feeling that Tangtang was so sensible that she didn't know how best to dote on her.
"Mother will listen to Tangtang."
Ning Xinrou looked at her Mother-in-law and Aunt, feeling an indescribable sense of warmth.
Marrying into such a Family was something she hadn't even considered before she was eighteen.
But now, she finally heard the true thoughts in the Bottom of her heart; she had no regrets.
"I thank Mother and Tangtang on behalf of the children."
Lin Tang smiled, "Eldest Sister-in-law, you don't need to be so polite. We are one Family, after all."
They were the closest relatives in the world!
Ning Xinrou softly agreed, keeping her Little Aunt's kindness in mind.
She planned to use the cloth her husband had given her a few years ago to make a dress for Lin Tang.
At this moment, outside the Kitchen.
Lin Qingmu, leading his two young nephews, pressed against the crack of the door, inhaling deeply the aroma wafting from inside.
"Little Uncle, did you smell that? I smelled it, it smells so good!"
Gou Dan rubbed his empty stomach, almost drooling onto the ground.
Why isn't it ready yet!
So anxious...
Lin Qingmu calculated the time, and smelling the faint aroma leaking from the Kitchen, he Said: "It should be almost done."
Lin Lu saw the unreliable youngest son leading his two nephews almost plastered against the Kitchen door, completely lacking any decorum.
He felt his old eyes couldn't bear to watch.
He walked over and patted Lin Qingmu's back without holding back his strength.
"Brat, it's one thing for you to be unreliable.
But you even brought Gou Dan and Chou Dan along. What twenty-year-old young man is as unreliable as you?"
Would such an unreliable son end up being a failure?
Lin Qingmu recoiled from the blow, quickly stepping back two meters from his father.
"Father, am I your biological son? Why didn't you hold back? My bones are about to be knocked apart by you." He complained with a grimace of grievance.
In reality, people barely had enough to eat in those days.
Even without holding back, his hand didn't have much strength.
It didn't hurt much.
It was just that Lin Qingmu habitually liked to play the clown, so he cooperated by yelping dramatically.
"If I held back, how could I discipline you? You Brat, you never learn from your mistakes. If you do something unreliable in the future, don't drag your nephews along."
Gou Dan saw his Little Uncle getting hit, his eyes darted, and he pulled his younger brother toward the house.
As they walked, he whispered into Chou Dan's ear, "Brother, I'm going to get you something to eat."
Lin Qingshan and Lin Qingshui figured the meal was almost ready, exchanged a look, and went to wash their hands.
As for their beaten younger brother?
Ahem, their brother was thick-skinned anyway; he'd be fine.
Lin Lu didn't notice those few people.
He sniffed the fragrance leaking through the door crack and involuntarily twitched his nose a few times.
He licked his lips and also went to wash his hands.
It truly smelled delicious!!
Zhou Mei returned home with her two Children. The Courtyard Gate was closed.
Thinking the Family was already eating, she panicked slightly and banged on the gate loudly.
Lin Qingshui heard his Wife's boisterous and noisy voice and quickly went to open the Courtyard Gate.
"Can you be gentler? You're going to knock the door down."
He glared at Zhou Mei, his face covered in dark lines.
Then, ignoring his rough-mannered Wife,
He picked up his little Daughter with watery eyes, wearing a look of a doting father.
"Did Niu Niu miss Daddy?"
Niu Niu was five years old this year.
Her features resembled Zhou Mei's; she was very delicate-looking.
Her eyes were big and round, her mouth small, very cute.
If only she weren't so thin and dark, she would be even cuter.
Hearing her father, she said in a childish voice, "I missed you, and I missed Grandpa, Grandma, older brothers, Uncles... and Little Aunt too."
She remembered every single person in the Family.
Hu Tou looked up at his father holding his sister and didn't fuss; he tugged on Lin Qingshui's clothes.
"Daddy, I missed you too."
His maternal grandmother's home was nice, but he missed home, missed Brother Gou Dan and the others.
Lin Qingshui glanced at his son and replied perfunctorily, "Mm, Daddy missed you too."