Chapter 22: A Hearty MealThe rabbit was skinned and chopped into small pieces by Lin Qinghe, then stewed in a pot. Even with only a bit of salt and no other seasonings, the aroma was rich and enticing. The four siblings enjoyed a satisfying meal."When Father was alive, I never thought rabbit meat tasted this good. Why does it seem so delicious now?" After finishing the rabbit meat, she felt the pain in her foot had lessened.Lin Qingbai held his bowl, sipping the broth slowly. He, too, thought the rabbit meat tasted exceptionally good today."The flavor is truly wonderful. I’ve eaten so much I’m almost full."His health was poor, and sometimes eating a little too much would lead to indigestion. After experiencing this a few times, he learned to restrain himself, eating only until he was seventy percent full to avoid discomfort. He had always been good at controlling his appetite.But this time, he couldn’t hold back. Now, he felt a hint of regret, hoping he wouldn’t suffer from indigestion."It must be because Elder Sister’s cooking has improved! The taste is so fragrant, I wish I could chew the bones too." Lin Qingsong couldn’t stop eating. From the moment they sat down at the table, he hadn’t paused, eating the fastest and the most among the four."It’s not that my cooking has improved. It’s because you haven’t eaten meat in a long time, so you’re craving it."Lin Qinghe glanced at them silently and said, "In a few days, I’ll set more traps in the back mountain. If we catch any game, we won’t sell it. We’ll keep it for ourselves to eat."With their current situation relatively stable, there was no need to be overly frugal. Letting their health deteriorate would be a disaster, especially for Third Brother, who was already frail and now looked even thinner, as if a gust of wind could blow him over."Great, great!" Lin Qingmiao clapped her hands and cheered.Lin Qingsong quickly added, "Elder Sister, I’ll help you set the traps. Let’s set more, so we can eat meat every day." He had truly been craving meat lately.If he had never eaten meat growing up, he might not have felt this way. But suddenly living in such hardship was hard to adjust to. Still, being older and more sensible, he kept these thoughts to himself and didn’t dare voice them.Lin Qingbai glanced at him but didn’t say anything. Even when Father was alive, they hadn’t eaten meat every day.Hearing his words, Lin Qinghe pondered and said, "If we want to eat meat every day, we’ll need to catch more game. The back mountain is often frequented by people, so small animals rarely venture out. Catching a rabbit is already a stroke of luck. To catch more prey, we’ll have to go deeper into the mountains."Hearing this, Lin Qingsong paused and tentatively asked, "Elder Sister, should we go into the mountains?"Everyone knew the mountains were dangerous. Otherwise, why was Lin Dazhuang the only hunter in the village? It was because he alone had the skill to enter and exit safely. Ordinary people who ventured into the mountains might not come out unscathed—some would get injured here or there, and a few years ago, someone even went in and never returned."Elder Sister, maybe we shouldn’t eat meat. The mountains are dangerous," Lin Qingbai said with a worried expression.Lin Qingmiao looked up at them, opened her mouth, but ultimately said nothing. Though young, she was not ignorant. When it came to danger versus eating meat, safety was more important.Lin Qinghe smiled and said, "The mountains aren't necessarily as dangerous as you imagine. I've been going into the hills with Father since I was little, so I know them well. Don't worry—I'll go and come back just fine."There were indeed many wild beasts in the mountains that could harm people, but she was confident in her ability to protect herself."Big sister, I'll go with you when the time comes," Lin Qingsong spoke up. Although the mountains were dangerous, he was the eldest boy in the family and should take on some responsibility.Hearing him volunteer, Lin Qinghe nodded. "Alright, I'll take you along when the time comes."She agreed verbally, but in her mind, she thought that if she took him, they would only wander around the outskirts at most. Going deep into the mountains would be more convenient if she went alone.Hearing that his eldest sister was willing to take him, Lin Qingsong was quite pleased, and a sense of pride welled up in his heart. Even though he was still young, he could also contribute to the family.After a satisfying meal, everyone felt content.But when Lin Qingmiao saw Lin Qinghe bring out the medicine bowl, her face immediately fell. "Big sister, do I really have to drink this medicine?"Lin Qinghe didn't say a word, just looked at her with her eyes until Lin Qingmiao gave in on her own. "Alright, I'll drink it!" She put on the expression of a warrior cutting off his own wrist, ready to face certain doom.Lin Qingbai glanced at her disdainfully and muttered, "It's just drinking medicine." He picked up the bowl and, with great bravado, gulped it down in a few mouthfuls.Lin Qingmiao stared wide-eyed. "Third brother, isn't it bitter?""Good medicine tastes bitter. Drink it, and your injury will heal quickly. Once you're better, you can go to the village and play with Heiya.""Oh right, I haven't played with Heiya in a long time. The other day, she came looking for me and asked if I was avoiding her because her family is poor and didn't want to play with her anymore."Immediately, she imitated her third brother, picked up the bowl, and gulped down the medicine in a few mouthfuls. The bitterness made her stick out her tongue, and Lin Qinghe popped a malt candy into her mouth.A sweet flavor spread in her mouth, and Lin Qingmiao looked up. "It's malt candy! Big sister, where did you get it?"Lin Qinghe casually gave one to Lin Qingbai as well before replying, "Where else? I bought it, of course. I thought you've all been quite obedient lately, so I bought some candy as a reward. I didn't expect it to come in handy now.""Ah, our family is poor now too. There's no need to buy candy specially—it's not cheap," Lin Qingmiao said with a sigh, speaking like an adult even as she ate the candy."Big sister will take care of earning money. You're just a child—why worry about such things?" Lin Qinghe reached out and patted her head, silently admiring her maturity.Turning around, she saw Lin Qingbai holding the candy in his hand without eating it."Wasn't the medicine bitter? Have a candy to sweeten your mouth." As she spoke, she also patted his head and said, "Since you're injured, rest well at home. There's no need to go help chop firewood anymore. If you have nothing to do at home, you can read or practice writing.""If neither of us can go help, will second brother be able to manage alone?""I'll deliver a load of firewood to the county town tomorrow and tell Aunt Yu at the tofu shop that I won't be delivering firewood to her anymore. I've been thinking—it's not right for me to be away from home every day. Like what happened today, if I hadn't arrived in time, who knows what would have happened to you all?"That Wang Erlang didn't hold back when he struck. If something like this happened a few more times, would they even have a chance to grow up?Besides, she had made Butcher Wang pay compensation, and seeing his resentful look, he might very well hold a grudge. She was even more uneasy about leaving the younger ones at home.“Is it really okay not to deliver the firewood?” Lin Qingbai asked worriedly.“It’s fine. A load of firewood only sells for a few coins, and it’s time-consuming and laborious. We’ll just think of other ways to earn money. We won’t starve for now. You’re just a child—don’t worry so much.”Lin Qingbai nodded. Firewood didn’t fetch a good price, and for his older sister to carry it all the way to the city was truly exhausting. It wasn’t work suited for a young woman at all.As she spoke, an idea struck her. “If you have nothing else to do, practice your handwriting at home. I’ve heard that copying books for others can earn money, but your writing mustn’t be too poor.”At her words, Lin Qingbai immediately perked up. “Really?”He had been troubled by his inability to help. If copying books could earn money, that would be wonderful.“Of course it’s true. When have I ever lied? But your handwriting now is too childish—it won’t do.”“I’ll practice hard. Mother used to praise me, saying my handwriting was quite good.” With a goal in mind, his whole spirit lifted.

Eldest Sister of a Farming Family: Managing the Household, Farming and Opening Shops