Xiao Fuchuan laughed heartily as he feasted.
Xiao Tongtong, having rested enough, let out a light snort and stuffed a piece of plump pork cheek into her mouth, looking smugly at Xiao Qin’er, who was swallowing her saliva not far away.
“Xiao Qin’er, you shameless thing, what are you staring at? Keep looking and I’ll gouge your eyes out!”
“Hmph, weren’t you so capable before? Flaunting everywhere that you could read, as if you were so useful! What are you looking at now? Keep staring, and I still won’t give you a single bite.”
As she spoke, Xiao Tongtong picked up the chicken skeleton left by Xiao Fuchuan and eagerly got up, intending to take it over to the Xiao brothers.
If she was good to her brothers, they would surely look down on Xiao Qin’er. She was the only treasured pearl of the Xiao family!
But just as she picked it up, Liu Manwen, quick-eyed and swift-handed, stopped her and immediately threw away the chicken skeleton with barely any meat on it.
“Tongtong, just eat your own food! Look at the situation we’re in now. Even if you kindly give it to them, they might not appreciate it.”
“Besides, our family ended up in this state entirely because of them!”
“I’d rather feed it to dogs than give them a single bite. Pah!”
Liu Manwen spat viciously toward Cheng Lan’s side, then, as if showing off, picked up the other half of the roasted suckling pig and stuffed her mouth full.
Facing the humiliation from Xiao Fuchuan’s family, Cheng Lan glanced at them disdainfully, initially intending to ignore them.
But upon hearing Liu Manwen’s insults, a cold sneer flashed in her eyes. “Indeed, things fit for pigs and dogs are hardly worthy of us.”
“I must say, third sister-in-law, you should discipline your Xiao Tongtong properly. After all, the sons of our Xiao family aren’t the type to acknowledge just any dirty or foul creature as a sister.”
Cheng Lan had long since changed inside and would no longer allow them to humiliate her family. She retorted however she pleased.
“You shameless, wanton wretch! Who are you saying lacks upbringing?”
Liu Manwen’s face flushed red with anger at Cheng Lan’s few words. Pointing at her, she was so enraged she could barely speak coherently and instinctively shoved Xiao Fuchuan beside her, hoping he would back her up.
In contrast, a trace of impatience flashed across Xiao Fuchuan’s face.
“Enough already. She’s just mouthing off—what good does it do? It’s better for us to enjoy a good meal. That’s what really matters.”
After saying this, he grunted and continued eating and drinking heartily.
His pig-like manner of eating instantly filled Liu Manwen’s face with disgust.
Meanwhile, Nannan, held in her arms, was crying weakly, on the verge of exhaustion. Li Xuerong watched her daughter in this state, her heart aching with distress.
She hated her own uselessness—at this moment, she had no milk at all. If this continued, Nannan’s little life might be lost!
“Xiao family, make your brat shut up now!” Sun Tong frowned in displeasure and shouted at Li Xuerong.
Li Xuerong shrank back fearfully, terrified that Sun Tong might actually do something insane. Anxiously, she stood up and gently soothed Nannan in her arms.
But Nannan, starving and still unaware of the world, cried even harder, leaving Li Xuerong, her mother, increasingly helpless.
Out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of the food Sun Tong had just spat out near his feet. Finally, gritting her teeth and casting aside all hesitation, she reached out to grab the leftovers Sun Tong had discarded.
Cheng Lan turned and saw this scene, her lips twitching slightly as she pressed down on Li Xuerong’s hand.
“Mother…”
Seeing her obstruction, Li Xuerong’s face, flushed with shame and indignation, showed dissatisfaction toward her mother-in-law for the first time.
“Sit back. As long as I am your mother, I won’t let you starve.”
Ignoring Li Xuerong’s astonished gaze, Cheng Lan walked to the side, turning her back to the others.
She quickly entered the spatial dimension and selected a few suitable items from the prepared food section. To avoid arousing suspicion, she wrapped the food into small bundles before slowly turning around.
Pretending to retrieve the food from her sleeve, she unwrapped it in front of everyone.
Instantly, an enticing aroma wafted from the bundles, leaving everyone stunned and speechless.
Sun Tong, in particular, looked as though his eyes were about to pop out of his head.
What Cheng Lan had taken out were exquisite pastries they had never seen before.
There were even two small, fragrant, crispy-skinned roast ducks, still steaming hot?!
Sniffing the unfamiliar yet delicious scent, which was even more fragrant than the dishes from the capital’s restaurants, Liu Manwen’s face instantly turned green.
Hadn’t this wretched woman emptied the family’s entire fortune for Zhang Kui? The house had been confiscated—where did she get the money to buy such fine things?!
And to make matters worse, they looked even more appetizing than what her own family had brought!
Xiao Fuchuan stared fixedly at the two roast ducks in Cheng Lan’s hands. The savory aroma drifting over was far superior to his own stale, fishy chicken leg!
Recalling his earlier words, his face instantly twisted as if he had swallowed a fly.
Under the intense glare of the entire family, Cheng Lan remained calm and composed, her expression unchanged.
In her previous life, the businesses under her management were renowned worldwide. Even the prepared food section of her supermarkets was staffed by top-tier five-star chefs, so the quality was naturally exceptional.
Moreover, time within her spatial dimension could be paused or flowed at her will, meaning that any food stored in the prepared food section could remain perfectly fresh indefinitely!
She could have taken out less conspicuous food, but what was suitable for Nannan wasn’t convenient to bring out now.
Seeing her daughter-in-law’s sallow, frail appearance, she knew the journey ahead was long. She had to nourish her first so she could keep going.
Sun Tong, on the other side, was also staring wide-eyed. Coming to his senses, he flung aside the long-cold meal he had been carrying and rushed over in a rage.
“You wretched woman! Did you hide money when the house was confiscated? When did you bribe the guards to buy these fine things?!”
“Daring to make a fool of me! It seems you need a lesson to remember who you are!”
Sun Tong cursed angrily, his eyes red with envy as he reached out to snatch the delicacies he had never seen before.
Cheng Lan curled her lips into a mocking smile. “Deputy General Sun, think carefully. We haven’t traveled far yet. Although my Xiao family has fallen, my husband’s reputation remains.”
“If rumors of people starving to death reach the capital, do you think the Emperor will hold you accountable for negligence? Will your official position still be secure then?”
Cheng Lan’s sharp gaze, coupled with her imposing demeanor, made the previously ferocious Sun Tong freeze abruptly. He gritted his teeth in frustration.
Damn it, this old hag was right!
The exile of the Xiao family was already a major event. Besides, they were still just outside the capital, with commoners occasionally passing by on the roadside. He couldn’t afford to be reckless!
Gnashing his teeth, Sun Tong could only shoot Cheng Lan a venomous glare.
The Xiao brothers, who had just finished tending to their wounds, were stunned upon hearing these words, their faces filled with shock and disbelief.
Such boldness… could this really be their mother?
Impossible!