Zhou Xiangdong was meticulous in everything he did. He worked hard without complaint and was usually a man of few words.
According to the original owner’s memories, he had been a miser—stingy, rigid, lacking in compassion, overbearing, and always meddling in other people’s affairs. When Lin Yi first inherited those memories, she had believed them completely.
But after seeing the words displayed on the panel above his head, she realized that aside from being a little selfish at times, he was actually a very good person. More than that, he was fiercely protective of his own. As long as someone belonged to the Zhou family, he would stand up for them—including Lin Yi.
Zhou Xiangdong cleaned the rooster meticulously.
Not a single feather remained.
Even then, worried that Lin Yi might think it wasn’t clean enough, he rinsed it twice more with fresh water before chopping it into pieces and handing it to Liu Huilan.
It had been a long time since the family had eaten any meat.
At most, they had eggs once in a while, but how could eggs compare to real meat?
If it had only been the four of them, Liu Huilan would never have brought herself to stew the entire chicken.
But since Lin Yi had suggested sending a bowl to the Bai family, she gritted her teeth and cooked the whole bird.
They hadn’t even stewed an entire chicken during the New Year.
Still, this meal was all thanks to Lin Yi.
The Bai family had specifically sent the chicken for Lin Yi to nourish herself.
The rest of them were simply lucky enough to share it.
Liu Huilan’s cooking skills were beyond question.
She melted the chicken fat in a hot wok.
Once the oil was fragrant, she added the chicken pieces and stir-fried them over high heat.
Before long, an irresistible aroma filled the kitchen.
It smelled incredible.
Yingzi clung to the doorframe, drooling.
“I can’t even remember the last time our family had chicken.”
She thought back carefully.
The last time had probably been at her second brother’s wedding.
She’d only gotten a single chicken wing, while the rest had been served to the guests.
Who would’ve thought she’d get to eat chicken again?
“Sister-in-law, this is all thanks to you. Otherwise, who knows when I’d get to eat chicken again? The last time was when you married my second brother. If I had to wait for the next chance, it’d probably be until my third brother gets married.”
Lin Yi reached over and rubbed her head.
“You little glutton.”
Still, she couldn’t blame Yingzi.
Lin Yi herself had only been in this world for a few days, and even she was craving something rich and oily.
This time, Zhou Xiangdong tended the fire while Liu Huilan cooked.
The husband and wife worked together in perfect silence.
Before long, the chicken stew was finished.
To make the meat even more tender, Zhou Xiangdong added another bundle of firewood.
The Zhou family’s kitchen was tightly enclosed, keeping nearly all the delicious aroma from escaping.
As dusk settled, Liu Huilan called Yingzi over and handed her a large bowl of chicken.
“Quietly put this in a basket and take it to the Bai family.”
“Okay!”
Yingzi happily agreed and skipped out the door.
Once she came back, she’d finally get to eat chicken herself.
How could she not be excited?
“Lin Yi, go wash your hands. Dinner will be ready in a minute.”
Liu Huilan busied herself preparing the meal.
…
Carrying the basket, Yingzi delivered the bowl of chicken to the Bai family.
Bai Jingmin’s entire family was overwhelmed with joy.
Although Bai Jingmin had been the one to give the chicken to the Zhou family, his own family hadn’t eaten chicken in years either.
He had sent it to Lin Yi purely to thank her for speaking up on Bai Feng’er’s behalf.
Otherwise, they would have remained completely in the dark and had no idea how badly the Niu family had deceived them.
Who could have imagined that after giving away the chicken, the Zhou family would return such a large bowl of cooked chicken?
“W-We…”
Bai Jingmin didn’t know what to say.
He stood there awkwardly, at a complete loss.
Liu Yue’e was equally overwhelmed.
“Why… why did you send the chicken back? And such a big bowl, too!”
They hadn’t seen such a generous bowl of chicken in years.
Yingzi smiled.
“My sister-in-law said that since you’d already slaughtered the chicken, the only thing left to do was stew it. So she wanted to send you a bowl so you could enjoy some too. She also said that if she’d known you were going to kill the chicken, she definitely would’ve stopped you. My sister-in-law said we’re all from the same village, so there’s no need to be so formal.”
The couple was so touched they didn’t know how to express their gratitude.
“We’ll keep the chicken.”
Bai Jingmin hesitated before adding,
“I’ve got some peanuts here. Take them back. You and your sister-in-law can snack on them when you’re bored.”
Liu Yue’e grabbed a large handful of peanuts and poured them into Yingzi’s basket.
Yingzi had originally felt a little reluctant about giving away such a big bowl of chicken.
But now that the Bai family had given them peanuts in return, she carried the basket home happily.
The moment she stepped inside, the aroma of chicken greeted her.
The rich fragrance seemed to burrow straight into her stomach.
Her stomach immediately growled.
“We’re eating chicken! We’re eating chicken!”
Liu Huilan put down what she was doing and said with mock annoyance,
“Go wash your hands! So, what did the Bai family say?”
Yingzi obediently recounted everything that had happened.
“Aunt Bai even gave me peanuts. She said they’re for me and Sister-in-law to snack on.”
As she spoke, she proudly patted the basket beside her.
Sure enough, it was half full of peanuts.
Liu Huilan smiled.
“I didn’t expect the Bai family to be so generous as well.”
“Come on, let’s eat.”
The family happily gathered around the table, all conversation stopping the moment the food was served.
Liu Huilan divided the stew into four bowls.
Everyone else’s bowls contained more broth.
Only Lin Yi’s bowl was piled high with chicken.
Lin Yi also noticed something else.
Most of the chicken in Liu Huilan’s and Zhou Xiangdong’s bowls consisted of the head and feet.
The bowls belonging to Lin Yi and Yingzi, however, contained much more meat—mostly chicken breast and drumsticks.
Lin Yi’s heart stirred.
Everyone loved eating chicken.
Yet Liu Huilan had given all the best pieces to them.
If she hadn’t truly regarded Lin Yi as one of her own children, she would never have done something like this.
Lin Yi didn’t even need to look at the black words floating above Liu Huilan’s head.
She could already feel the warmth of her genuine affection.
“Mom, why did you give me all the chicken? You should eat some too.”
Lin Yi picked up a drumstick and placed it into Liu Huilan’s bowl.
Liu Huilan shook her head.
“I don’t really like meat. A little soup is enough for me. You all eat.”
She tried to return the drumstick to Lin Yi’s bowl, but Lin Yi refused.
“Mom, I already have enough meat. If you give me all of yours, I won’t even be able to finish it.”
Seeing that Lin Yi sincerely wanted her to have it, Liu Huilan stopped refusing.
She thought to herself that Lin Yi was such a filial child, just like a real daughter.
If only their family could stay like this forever.
Lin Yi then picked up a piece of chicken breast and placed it into Zhou Xiangdong’s bowl.
Zhou Xiangdong was both touched and embarrassed.
His already dark complexion flushed a deep reddish-black.
“I… I don’t need it…”
“Dad, please eat it. I already have plenty.”
“…Alright.”
Unable to refuse any longer, Zhou Xiangdong lowered his head and quietly began eating.
Lin Yi couldn’t help thinking that Zhou Xiangdong was actually quite an interesting person.
He truly carried himself like a proper father and elder.
Just as they had finished eating the chicken, someone followed the aroma straight to their door.