“You’re a grown adult and you still have the nerve to snatch food from me?”
Xu Tianzhen, a spoiled little brat who could make even dogs shake their heads, shouted angrily.
“Grandma said I’m the eldest grandson of the Xu family!”
“Then go ask the Xu family for your egg cake,” Su Xiaoqi said lazily, hands on her hips, smiling yet not smiling at him.
“You bad woman!”
Xu Tianzhen spat at her.
Before he could land it, Zhou Ye stood up, grabbed him by the back of the collar, and threw him straight outside.
His face turned cold.
“One step inside again, and I’ll throw you to the back mountain to feed the wolves.”
“Waaah… Grandma… Uncle is bullying me…”
Xu Tianzhen rolled on the ground crying, kicking and flailing.
“Grandpa! Your eldest grandson is being beaten!”
Xu Tiansheng tried to sneak in from the side, but before he reached the door, Zhou Ye stopped him with a single kick to the stomach.
“Get lost.”
Xu Tiansheng instantly froze.
Then he lay down and began rolling in the courtyard.
“How long do I have to roll…? Will I roll until night…? Waaah…”
Su Xiaoqi peeked out from inside the room and burst out laughing until she could barely stand.
Zhou Cao quickly ran outside, afraid her mother would see her and scold her as well.
“Su Xiaoqi! You brought so many things home, what’s wrong with giving the kids a bite?”
Yang Huaihua shouted unhappily.
“Just give my grandsons a little.”
“They’re your grandsons, not mine. If you want them to eat, go spend your own money.”
Su Xiaoqi deliberately took a piece of egg cake and bit into it.
“Delicious. I can see it, I can taste it.”
“You—” Yang Huaihua clutched her chest.
She quickly coaxed Xu Tianzhen.
“Grandma will give you chicken drumsticks later.”
“I want two drumsticks!” Xu Tianzhen stopped crying immediately.
“Fine, both for you.”
Xu Tiansheng rolled all the way to her feet.
“Grandma, what do I eat?”
“You get chicken wings.”
“I want both!”
“Fine, both for you too.”
She patted his head.
“Get up. Don’t dirty your clothes.”
“Uncle told me to roll,” Xu Tiansheng complained immediately.
“Your uncle is talking nonsense. Don’t learn from him,” she scolded.
Xu Tiansheng blinked.
“I want egg cake.”
Yang Huaihua sighed.
“Su Xiaoqi, don’t argue with a child. What’s wrong with adults eating a little less?”
“I’m rebellious. I just like arguing with children.”
Su Xiaoqi leaned against the doorframe.
“Xu Meizhen has snacks in her room. Why don’t you ask her?”
Yang Huaihua rolled her eyes.
She obviously didn’t want to touch her daughter’s stash.
That evening, the meal was cooked by Yang Huaihua herself.
Her cooking skills were mediocre—ranked third worst in the village.
They still didn’t send even half a chicken to the Wen family.
Zhou Zheng saw Xu Yong’an trying to take the chicken away and firmly said that if it was sent away, he would never set traps to catch wild chickens again.
Xu Yong’an had already spent over three yuan buying gifts for the Wen family that day.
In the choice between eating chicken and pleasing Wen Anning, he chose future chicken.
The meal was wild chicken stew with noodles and cabbage, plus corn cakes and a pot of vegetable soup.
The surrounding neighbors smelled the meat and swallowed their saliva while eating thin corn porridge that scratched their throats.
“Old Xu’s family is probably third richest in the brigade,” someone said.
Xu Lao Liu squatted on a tree branch, staring at their courtyard.
“That old man depends entirely on women. First marriage gave him three sons, second marriage gave him two more capable ones.”
He glanced at his own collapsing hut.
“A man has to pick a good wife if he wants to change his fate.”
“Then why haven’t you picked one yet?” someone teased.
“My family is so poor I don’t even have a proper pot. What woman would be blind enough to marry me?”
He sighed, looking at his chipped bowl.
Meanwhile, Zhou Zheng returned and confirmed there was meat.
“What’s for dinner?” someone asked.
“Noodles,” he replied.
Back at home, the smell of meat made everyone’s mood visibly better.
When they returned, children were already climbing trees around the yard, waiting.
“What are you looking at?” Xu Youtian shouted, throwing a shovel of dirt upward.
The wind blew it straight back into his face.
“Cough—Zhou Hua, come blow my eyes!”
Xu Lao Liu laughed so hard the tree shook.
“Uncle Xu, why are you so anxious? It’s not even your meat.”
Xu Youtian’s face darkened.
“Xu Lao Liu!”
He stopped laughing immediately.
Meanwhile, the family quietly gathered for dinner.
Zhou Zheng called out, “Big brother, big sister-in-law, dinner’s ready.”
Ignoring the curses, Su Xiaoqi pulled Zhou Ye out.
She would not miss this meal just because it was from the Xu family kitchen—even bad food could still piss them off.
At the table, the adults sat inside while the children stood outside with bowls.
Daughters-in-law were not allowed to sit.
They stood waiting for leftovers.
Su Xiaoqi sat beside Zhou Ye without a care for Yang Huaihua’s sharp gaze.
Xu Xiaolin couldn’t hold back.
“Su Xiaoqi, how can you sit and eat?”
“I like sitting while eating.”
“We’re all standing. You just joined the family—how can you sit?”
She dragged Hong Shanpang into it, then glanced at Zhou Cao.
“Even Zhou Cao is standing.”
“You’re forcing yourself to suffer,” Su Xiaoqi said calmly. “Self-moved suffering. Impressive.”
She gave a thumbs-up.
“Well done.”
Then she looked at Zhou Ye.
“Am I right?”
“Yes. You’re right,” Zhou Ye said without hesitation.
Zhou Cao quietly observed.
First came the corn cakes.
Zhou Ye took two and handed one to Su Xiaoqi.
“Eat.”
“Leave it for now.”
Then the wild chicken stew was brought out.
There was only one chicken—most of it was bones and noodles.
Everyone stared eagerly.
Yang Huaihua first served chicken breast to Xu Youtian.
Xu Meizhen immediately called out softly, “Mom…”
Xu Tianzhen shouted even louder, “Grandma! Your precious eldest grandson wants a drumstick!”
Xu Xiaolin looked proud at her son’s cleverness.
Suddenly, Su Xiaoqi stood up.
With lightning speed, she grabbed two chicken legs and placed them in Zhou Ye’s bowl.
Then she took two chicken wings for herself.
She also scooped noodles into her bowl.
“I’ll just take two pieces of meat. As eldest brother and sister-in-law, we won’t compete with you.”
“If we eat less, you all can eat more.”
“Su Xiaoqi, you—” Xu Meizhen shouted.
That only made her act faster.
She immediately grabbed two more chicken pieces for Zhou Ye.
Then she placed two meatier pieces into Zhou Zheng’s bowl.
“Second brother, you only get to eat chicken because of me. Eat more.”
Zhou Zheng usually only got chicken feet or a neck.
Yang Huaihua’s veins bulged.
She reached out to snatch it back.
But Su Xiaoqi lifted a wing, licked it lightly, and then casually began eating with perfect expression.
“So good.”
Xu Tianzhen immediately wailed.
“My drumstick!”
Zhou Ye calmly picked up a drumstick, took a big bite under everyone’s stare, and said,
“Zhou Zheng, this wild chicken is pretty good.”