Zhang Yue did not insist. She said to Xu Tang, “Then call your second sister-in-law when you’re done eating. She’ll come clean up.”
Xu Tang acknowledged her, and Zhang Yue left. Xu Tang picked up the spoon and slowly drank the soup, with a few pieces of chicken still in the bowl.
Chicken raised at home really did taste different. After drinking the soup and finishing the meat, she set the bowl aside. Xu Tang knew this was the last chicken in the household. It had originally been kept for laying eggs, but they had slaughtered it to help nourish her body.
She had to think carefully about how to improve the family’s meals. She had also heard what Zhao Guifang and several of her nephews had said earlier. The family’s circumstances were indeed poor. The grain Zhao Guifang and Xu Guoli saved was all meant to make sure Xu Tang could eat a little better.
Her nieces and nephews were as thin as bamboo sticks. Her parents, brothers, and sisters-in-law could barely eat their fill each day, yet they all did hard physical labor. How could their bodies possibly handle that?
She could buy food from the system shop, but there had to be a legitimate source for it. If she could find a job, then she would have an excuse to bring food home.
But jobs at this time were all prized, secure positions. They were not something one could simply get whenever they wanted. Xu Tang sighed.
Since she couldn’t figure it out, Xu Tang decided not to dwell on it. She would just take things one step at a time.
“Knock, knock, knock.”
Hearing someone knock on the door, she called, “Come in.”
The door opened, and Xu Wanjia and Xu Qingqing walked in. Xu Wanjia was the eldest son of her eldest brother, thirteen years old. He also had a younger brother, Xu Wanlin, who was ten. Xu Qingqing was the eldest daughter of her second brother, twelve years old, and she also had a younger brother, Xu Wen, who was eight.
Xu Tang looked at the two of them standing awkwardly by the door.
“Wanjia, Qingqing, what’s wrong?”
Xu Wanjia and Xu Qingqing had come to see their little aunt. Earlier that day, they had been frightened when they saw her with blood covering her head. Although their little aunt was usually very fierce toward them and never gave them any of the good food whenever there was something delicious to eat, they still liked her very much.
After all, their little aunt was incredibly pretty. The other children in the village all said that their little aunt was like a little fairy.
So even though they were a little afraid of her, they still couldn’t help wanting to check on her.
“Little Aunt, does your head still hurt?” Xu Qingqing asked in a soft, sweet voice. Her large, dark eyes were striking. Aside from being a little dark-skinned, her features were quite pretty.
Xu Wanjia also spoke up. “Little Aunt, next time you want to eat something, I’ll go up the mountain and find it for you.”
The Xu family had good genes, and Xu Wanjia was a handsome boy as well.
Xu Tang was completely charmed by them. They were clearly frightened of her, yet they still wanted to show concern for her. It touched her deeply.
Xu Tang smiled and said, “Your little aunt is fine. It just looked like there was a lot of blood. It actually wasn’t that serious.”
Hearing the gentleness in their little aunt’s voice, which sounded different from usual, Xu Wanjia and Xu Qingqing no longer felt that she was scary at all. Instead, they found the little aunt in front of them unusually warm and approachable.
Xu Wanjia glanced at the empty bowl. He walked over, tidied it up, and prepared to take it away to wash.
Xu Tang stopped him.
“Wanjia, Qingqing, come over here to your little aunt.”
While they weren’t paying attention, Xu Tang had secretly taken some milk candies from her backpack and held them in her hand. The system had even thoughtfully packaged them in a style appropriate for this era.
Xu Wanjia and Xu Qingqing walked over to the bed. Just as they were wondering what their little aunt wanted, Xu Tang held out a handful of candies to them.
“Here. Your little aunt is giving these to you. Take them outside and share them with Wanlin and Wen.”
Xu Wanjia and Xu Qingqing stared at the candies in Xu Tang’s hand.
They really wanted to eat them, but they didn’t dare take them. What if they accepted them and their little aunt told Grandma that they had stolen her snacks? They would definitely get beaten badly.
Xu Tang seemed to remember some of the original owner’s past behavior and guessed what they were thinking. She said gently, “Don’t worry. Your little aunt won’t tell Grandma. From now on, I won’t be so mean to you anymore. Believe your little aunt, okay?”
For some reason, they believed her. They felt that their little aunt really had changed this time.
They happily said, “Thank you, Little Aunt.”
Xu Tang smiled. “Once your little aunt makes lots of money, I’ll buy you delicious food every day. Now go.”