By the time Madam Cai returned from cooking in the front yard, the savory aroma from the back courtyard had already begun to drift forward in tantalizing waves.
In the central hall of the front yard, the family was gathered around two large tables—one for the men and one for the women. Despite the gathering, no one was in the mood to eat their meager fare. Everyone’s mind was on meat, yet no one wanted to be the first to speak up and demand it.
Jiang Zhi, the second daughter of the second brother, Jiang Youtian, muttered under her breath, “Did Jiang Ming catch a rabbit? Why didn’t the Elder Aunt think to offer some to Grandfather and Grandmother just now?”
Madam Liu’s face darkened. She really is Li’s daughter, she thought. Short-sighted and greedy. Not a single soul in the room had dared to voice that thought yet, but the girl had blurted it out like a fool.
Fan Shi, the wife of the third brother, Jiang Youguang, stroked her protruding belly. “That smell is much richer than stewed rabbit,” she remarked slyly. “And our family’s chickens do live right next to the back courtyard…”
Fan Shi was four or five months pregnant, the stage where her cravings were at their peak. She spent most of her days “resting” near the back window, keeping a hawk-like eye on the eldest branch’s activities. Earlier that day, she had seen Jiang Youshan killing the bird quite clearly—a long-tailed, iridescent pheasant. Even after the feathers were plucked, it looked incredibly plump.
Her husband was studying to become a scholar, and as a future scholar’s wife, she couldn’t very well go and beg for food. But if she fanned the flames just right, her mother-in-law would do the dirty work for her. And whenever a wild catch was brought home, her husband always got the lion’s share anyway.
The spark worked perfectly. Madam Liu’s temper exploded. “Those bastards! Do they dare steal our family’s chickens?”
She slammed her chopsticks down and led the group toward the back courtyard, a murderous aura trailing behind her.
In the back courtyard, only Jiang Youshan and Madam Cai remained.
Having used up most of the wood for the day’s cooking, Jiang Ming and the younger siblings had rushed out to gather more kindling before nightfall. At the moment, Jiang Youshan was tending the fire while Madam Cai washed wild greens.
Madam Liu stormed in and pointed a trembling finger at them. “You wicked, low-born things! Is there no discipline in that house? Are you trying to raise a nest of thieves?”
The other daughters-in-law, Li Shi and Qian Shi, swarmed the stove. One grabbed the wooden basin while the other heaved the heavy lid off the pot.
“Mother, this is terrible!” Li Shi cried. “It’s not a rabbit—it really is a chicken!”
Jiang Youshan and his wife waved their hands frantically, trying to explain that it wasn’t what it looked like.
Madam Liu lunged at Madam Cai, poking her finger nearly into the woman’s nose. “Fine! Your courage is growing, isn’t it? How long do you plan to keep that thief around? Throw that idiot girl out of this house today!”
Jiang Youshan and Madam Cai had long ago been broken into submission; they wouldn’t have dared steal a single egg, let alone a chicken. In Madam Liu’s mind, if there was meat in the pot, only that “idiot” Jiang Yue would be bold enough to take it.
Their desperate explanations fell on deaf ears. Not a single person bothered to actually walk over to the coop to count the birds. The truth didn’t matter—the chicken in the pot did.
Even if it was a wild pheasant from the mountains, so what? It belonged to the family, which meant it belonged to them.
Li Shi couldn’t hide her smugness. “Sister-in-law, when you were cooking earlier, you said you had nothing. How is it that a whole pot of chicken appeared the moment you turned your back?”
“Jiang Yue really did just find it,” Madam Cai sobbed, wiping her eyes.
Qian Shi sneered. “If you said Jiang Ming trapped it, we might at least pretend to believe you. But Jiang Yue found it? Do you think Father and Mother are fools? If they’re that easy to find, why didn’t you have her find a few more?”
Jiang Youshan held up a handful of colorful pheasant feathers. “Mother, look, the wild feathers are right here!”
Madam Liu spared them a cursory glance. She realized she had “misunderstood,” but she didn’t care. The meat was already being ladled out. A son honoring his mother with a meal was the natural order of the world!
The misunderstanding was “cleared up,” but it changed nothing. The group from the front yard marched back with their heads held high, carrying the prize.
Madam Liu detoured into the chicken coop. “One, two, three… nine.” Not a single bird was missing. She huffed coldly. “It’s best for her that she didn’t steal it, or she wouldn’t be staying another night.”
Outside, Jiang Ming and the others returned, breathless and laden with wood, but they were a step too late. Jiang Xue saw her parents’ tear-streaked faces and looked at the stove. The pot was scraped bone-dry.
“Father! Where’s the chicken?” she shrieked.
Jiang Youshan cast a mournful look toward the front house, then crouched down and buried his head in his hands with a heavy sigh. Madam Cai began to wail again.
Jiang Yue didn’t wait to hear the rest. Like a gust of wind, she bolted toward the main house. These people have the nerve to steal my catch? Shameless!
Inside the central hall, two half-basins of chicken sat gleaming with oil on the tables. The room was silent, save for the frequent, audible sound of people swallowing their spit in anticipation.
Dinner at the Jiang household followed a strict ritual. Everyone had to wait for the matriarch, Madam Liu, to perform her most commanding daily task: distributing the steamed buns. No one dared touch their chopsticks until the buns were handed out and Old Man Jiang had taken the first bite.
At the men’s table, buns were plentiful—they could eat their fill. But for the women and children, every bite was rationed. Usually, Madam Liu and her favorite daughter, Youfang, received two each; the daughters-in-law got one; the grandsons one; and the granddaughters? They were lucky to get half. Today, however, feeling generous because of the “free” meat, Madam Liu decided to grant everyone an extra half-bun.
Jiang Yue burst into the room just as the distribution ended. The family was merely waiting for Old Man Jiang to sit down with his jug of wine and declare the feast open.
Jiang Youfang, holding a bun in one hand and her chopsticks in the other, had already zeroed in on the meatiest piece of chicken in the bowl. Suddenly, a shadow flickered before her eyes.
“Huh? What’s the idiot doing here? Get out, now!”
Jiang Yue ignored her entirely. Without even looking at the faces around the table, she shoved her way into the center and simply snatched up half a basin of chicken.
“Aiya! Is this idiot trying to start a rebellion?”
The force of the shove sent Li Shi sliding off the bench. On the other end, Qian Shi fell flat on the floor, causing the long wooden bench to seesaw violently into the air. The room erupted into chaos.
Jiang Yue didn’t stay to chat. She bolted for the door, nearly colliding with her own family who were hovering anxiously outside. Madam Cai reached out to pull her away, but Jiang Yue ignored her, thrusting the basin of meat into Jiang Xue’s arms.
Jiang Xue was quick-witted. She hugged the basin and took off toward the back courtyard at a dead run.
Madam Liu found her voice and shrieked, “Cai Shi! Look at this idiot you’ve raised! Has she no respect? Robbing her elders? This is a revolt!”
“Mother, the child is just starving! I’ll take her away right now,” Madam Cai pleaded, reaching for Jiang Yue’s hand.
Jiang Yue flung her mother’s hand off. She didn’t bother stopping the relatives who were scrambling to chase after Jiang Xue. Instead, she stepped up to Madam Liu and, with a single fluid motion, flipped the entire table.
You say I’m starting a rebellion? Then I’ll give you a rebellion!
If you dare steal my chicken, I’ll make sure you don’t eat a single grain of rice!
Madam Liu, trapped behind the table, couldn’t react in time. She was thrown backward, losing her balance and landing hard on her backside. Jiang Youfang, who shared the same bench, tumbled down with her, the entire day’s soup and rice drenching her from head to toe.
CRASH! CLATTER!
The central hall was a disaster zone. The daughters-in-law who had been about to chase Jiang Xue doubled back, trying desperately to salvage what remained of their dinner from the floor.
Jiang Yue was faster. She snatched up the scattered steamed buns and stuffed them into her tunic.
“I’ll kill you!” Jiang Youfang had never suffered such an indignity. With congealed porridge dripping from her hair, she lunged at Jiang Yue in a blind rage. Jiang Yue didn’t blink; she raised a foot and kicked Youfang squarely in the chest, sending her sprawling back onto the floor.
At the men’s table, the brothers sat paralyzed, hissing in sharp breaths of cold air. We haven’t seen her for a day—where did the idiot get this kind of strength?
Old Man Jiang furrowed his brow and barked, “Eldest Son! Take your child back! What kind of madness is this?”
Jiang Youshan bowed his head in habitual apology, but inside, he felt a flicker of something else. His daughter hadn’t been bullied this time; she had actually won back half the meat. He decided to quit while they were ahead and moved to grab Jiang Yue’s arm.
Wait… she’s so strong! He realized, startled, that he couldn’t even budge her.
Jiang Yue shot a sharp glance at her “cheap” father. Jiang Youshan froze; his daughter’s eyes were terrifyingly cold.
Ignoring him, Jiang Yue strode to the men’s table. She scooped up the remaining basin of meat and flipped their table too, her movements as smooth and effortless as flowing water.
THUD. SMASH. The sound was heavy and final. The central hall truly “exploded” then. The idiot had officially revolted.
Jiang Yue handed the second basin of meat to Jiang Ming. No words were needed. Jiang Ming turned and sprinted out, handing the prize to little Jiang Lei once he was clear before circling back. He had to make sure his sister didn’t suffer for this!
Seeing his authority—and his dinner—destroyed, Old Man Jiang’s blood boiled. In a fit of rage, he grabbed a ceramic bowl and hurled it at Jiang Yue. By the time he regained his senses, the bowl had already struck her squarely on the head.
“Sister!”
“Yue’er!”