Such a tiny portion—how could anyone possibly get full on that? Even if she wasn’t her biological daughter, she shouldn’t treat her like this!
Wang Guiqin was so startled that her hand trembled, nearly spilling the rice bran soup.
“I’m sorry, Mother. I’ll serve less—less next time!”
Wu Yulan noticed that half a bowl of rice porridge was still set aside and asked, “Who is that bowl for?”
With a forced smile, Wang Guiqin replied, “Mother, that one is for Xiuyun. She just gave birth, so I scooped her a little extra. Please don’t be angry.”
Hearing this, Wu Yulan’s vision went dark again.
Rice bran soup for a woman who had just given birth?
“Don’t give it to her!”
After giving the order, Wu Yulan stood up and walked out.
Song Zhiyong couldn’t bear it and spoke up, “Mother, my younger sister-in-law is weak right now. It’s not good for her to go hungry.”
“She won’t die from missing one meal!”
With that, Wu Yulan strode off.
The others exchanged uneasy glances.
Wang Guiqin was at a loss. “Th-this… what should we do? Mother won’t let Xiuyun eat.”
Chunni stared at the bowl of rice bran porridge and licked her lips. “It’s okay. I won’t eat mine—I’ll give it to my mother!”
As she spoke, she picked up her own bowl and sneaked toward her mother’s room.
She had just reached the doorway when Wu Yulan caught her red-handed.
“Didn’t I say she’s not to eat rice bran porridge?”
Chunni lifted her chin stubbornly, her reddened eyes firm. “Grandma, my mother lost so much blood. If she doesn’t eat, she’ll starve!”
Wu Yulan pursed her lips and snatched the bowl away.
“If I said no, then no!”
“And you’re not eating either. Go boil some water!”
Chunni stood still, glaring at Wu Yulan with defiant eyes.
Seeing this, Wang Guiqin hurried to persuade her. “Chunni, go boil the water. If you don’t, your grandmother will hit you again. I’ll keep the bowl. When she falls asleep, you can bring it to your mother.”
Only then did Chunni head to the kitchen.
After setting down the rice bran porridge, Wu Yulan heard a knock at the door.
Knock, knock, knock!
Thinking it was Doctor Jiang’s eldest grandson delivering the medicine, she hurried to open it.
“You must be Grandma Wu? My grandfather asked me to bring you this medicine.” A half-grown boy stood at the door holding a wrapped package of herbs.
“Thank you.”
Wu Yulan accepted it.
The boy nodded without another word and left.
After putting away the medicine, Wu Yulan went to the chicken coop and casually grabbed a hen.
…
Song Zhishu waited and waited, but Wu Yulan never came to coax him to eat. He began to feel anxious.
Opening his door to peek outside, he saw Wu Yulan carrying an old hen toward the kitchen.
“I knew Mother loves me most!”
This chicken had to be stewed for him!
Yet no matter how long he waited, Wu Yulan didn’t bring him any chicken soup.
Little did he know, she had never intended for him to have any.
When the chicken soup was done, Wu Yulan ladled out a large bowl of soup and a full bowl of chicken pieces. The rest she divided evenly into ten small bowls, each containing a few chunks of meat.
Seeing Chunni standing nearby and drooling, Wu Yulan picked up a drumstick and stuffed it into her hand.
“Huh?”
With a drumstick suddenly pressed into her palm, Chunni was stunned.
“What are you standing there for? Hurry up and eat it! There’s no extra.”
“Grandma… really? Really for me?”
“Of course!”
Wu Yulan picked up the large bowls of chicken soup and meat, along with the two buns from the table.
Watching her carry the chicken and soup toward her mother’s room, Chunni seemed to realize something.
“Could it be… Grandma didn’t let Mother drink rice bran porridge because she wanted to make chicken soup for her?”
“No… no, that can’t be right. Grandma couldn’t possibly be that kind! It would be a blessing if she didn’t torment Mother to death!”
With that thought, Chunni hurried after her.
Creak—
Li Xiuyun was so hungry she felt dizzy. When she faintly caught the rich aroma of chicken soup, she thought she must be dreaming.
But when she opened her eyes and saw Wu Yulan walking in with a large bowl of chicken soup and a bowl of chicken, she was so shocked she couldn’t speak.
Struggling to sit up, she whispered, “Mother…”
“Since you’re awake, get up and eat. I’m not about to wait on you.”
“This… is for me?”
No wonder Li Xiuyun was surprised. After marrying into the Song family all these years, she hadn’t even had a sip of chicken soup—let alone an entire large bowl of chicken meat.
“If not for you, then for this baby?” Wu Yulan snapped.
After saying that, she set down the chicken soup, the bowl of chicken, and the steamed bun, then turned to leave.
But on second thought, if she didn’t bark a few more words, Li Xiuyun probably wouldn’t obediently eat it. She turned back and scolded, “Hurry up and eat it clean and build your strength. Don’t think you can lie in bed forever and avoid work!”
Li Xiuyun had been worried the chicken soup might have been bought by selling her daughter. When she saw her timid daughter hiding by the doorway, she finally felt relieved.
After Wu Yulan left, Chun Ni pulled out a drumstick she had hidden in her sleeve and showed it to Li Xiuyun.
“Mother… Grandma stuffed a drumstick into my hand.”
Li Xiuyun stared at the drumstick, lost in thought.
“Chun Ni, stay close to Mother these days. Don’t run around, understand?”
After reminding her daughter, Li Xiuyun lifted the bowl and gulped down the chicken soup.
Whether her mother-in-law truly intended to sell Chun Ni or not, she had to recover her health quickly. Otherwise, how could she possibly protect her daughter?
With that thought, Li Xiuyun took big bites of the steamed bun in her hand.
“Chun Ni, eat. Take big bites!”
Hearing her mother’s words, Chun Ni finally couldn’t hold back. She sank her teeth into the drumstick. The rich, oily fragrance of the chicken was so delicious she felt like swallowing the bones whole.
At that moment, a thought formed in Chun Ni’s mind: if it meant her mother could eat chicken a few more times, she would willingly let herself be sold.
…
The whole family stared at the chicken soup on the table, looking at one another. Not a single person dared to touch it.
“What are you all standing there for? Do you need me to feed you myself?”
As she spoke, Wu Yulan picked up a bowl first and began drinking the fragrant chicken soup.
There weren’t many seasonings—just a pinch of salt—but it didn’t matter. A home-raised chicken was naturally flavorful!
As soon as she tasted it, Wu Yulan’s stomach began to rumble.
After finishing one bowl, she still felt unsatisfied.
Turning her head and seeing that no one else had moved, she raised an eyebrow.
“Do I really have to feed you?”
Song Zhiyong woodenly pushed the bowl back toward her. “Mother, you drink it. I’m useless anyway. It’s a waste for me.”
Hearing this, Wu Yulan remembered that the original owner of this body had forced her eldest son out hunting in the winter, and he had fallen and broken his leg.
Because he never received proper treatment, he had become lame. In the past, he had been scolded daily as a cripple and a waste.
Sigh… Another day, she would see whether this unlucky child’s leg could still be treated.
Seeing this, the others also pushed their bowls toward her.
When something was out of the ordinary, there had to be something suspicious. They truly didn’t dare drink it—who knew what might have been put in the soup!
Seeing this, Wu Yulan slammed her chopsticks onto the table with a smack. “Since when do you get to defy me? If I tell you to drink, then drink!”
When Song Zhiyong saw her anger, he signaled the others not to move. Then he lifted the bowl to his lips.
“Mother, don’t be angry. I’ll drink.”
He wore a resolute expression, as if drinking this bowl of soup would cost him his life.
Yet after finishing it, nothing happened to him at all.
Hmm… not dead?
Seeing his expression, Wu Yulan was speechless.
“Do you really think I’d poison you? If I poisoned you all to death, who would serve me in the future?”
Crude words, but reasonable.
When everyone thought about it, that was true. Even if Wu Yulan were to poison someone, she wouldn’t poison them all—she still needed people to work and earn money.
Besides, Song Zhiyong had already drunk the soup, and so far, it seemed harmless.
After thinking it through, they cautiously lifted their bowls and took small sips.
“Ah! Mother, this chicken soup is so sweet!”
Nine-year-old Song Yinhua squinted happily as she tasted it.
Wang Guiqin glanced at Wu Yulan’s expression. Seeing her calm face, she could hardly believe it—their mother-in-law was truly letting them drink chicken soup!
Was the sun rising in the west today?
The others were equally astonished, carefully sipping their soup.
After finishing the fragrant chicken soup, they wished they could lick their bowls clean.
Unwilling to waste the grease floating on top, Wang Guiqin poured a bowl of hot water to rinse her bowl, then drank the rinse water as well.
Seeing this, the others followed suit. Not a drop of oil was wasted.
Watching this, Wu Yulan sighed and stepped toward the door.
She nearly ran straight into her youngest son, Song Zhishu.
When Song Zhishu saw her, he assumed she had come to persuade him to eat. Immediately, he lifted his chin arrogantly and put on an aloof expression, clearly unwilling to acknowledge her.
“Mother, don’t try to persuade me. Even if I die, I won’t take a single bite of this meal!”