Chapter 8

“Husband, you've been busy all day, are you tired? Are you hungry? I'll go make something for you...”

Li Sanmao entered intending to change his clothes and froze when he heard her say this; they actually hadn't spoken for a few days.

It was often like this, so he felt today was truly strange—his wife actually knew to care for him. Was he hungry?

Speaking of making food, Mianmian had just said that her mother made her snake soup today!

Had she gone to catch a snake?

And she knew how to make snake soup? How could she be so bold? In the past, when she saw him kill prey, she would even mock him a few times...

In the past, she was the one who ran the furthest when he returned from hunting, as if fearing he would approach her...

Let alone proactively cooking for him. Previously, it was already good enough if his mother left him some leftovers!

It was always his father who had to instruct his mother to go get something, and his mother would reluctantly prepare some random meal to dismiss him.

Ever since she married in, this task of preparing "random meals" had been handed to her, though they were actually even more unpalatable than his mother's.

First, the family's grain and vegetables were limited.

Second, from the bottom of her heart, she didn't care at all what he liked to eat; she was just doing it to complete a task.

"Alright!"

"Wife, these are some wild chicken eggs I found in the forest today, and some quail eggs, and some bird eggs I took from a nest..."

"Keep them. Find a chance later to figure out how to cook and eat them to nourish yourself!"

Li Sanmao pulled a small linen bag from his bosom as if it were a treasure, surreptitiously pressing it into her hands.

He gave everything else from the outside to the family. He hadn't given these eggs to his mother; his wife's health wasn't good, and if he gave them to his mother, they probably wouldn't make it to her mouth.

Luo Zhier did not act coy; she stepped forward and took them. "Thank you, husband."

She showed no disdain for the smell on him.

She had thought that if she wanted to establish a foothold in this house, she first had to be of one mind with her husband and get him to stand on her side.

Li Sanmao could, at the very least, hunt; she couldn't afford to lose his heart.

Secondly, she had to find an opportunity to split the household, otherwise, she would be a slave for life!

"Then, wife, I'm going out first to deal with the wild boar."

"Mm."

Li Sanmao changed into the clothes he usually wore for butchering and went out, lighting a large torch and sticking it into a large wooden bucket.

He began to help his father, eldest brother, and second brother skin and butcher the wild boar. Luo Zhier went to the kitchen and brought out the bowl of snake soup she had secretly set aside for him.

For the sake of him hiding so many eggs for her, she would repay him...

She fried a few wild chicken eggs in lard, and the kitchen immediately filled with a fragrant aroma...

Luo Zhier quickly placed the eggs at the bottom of a bowl and covered them with corn grits.

She scooped up some water spinach, sautéed it in the pan, and deftly placed it on top...

Mrs. Zhou caught the scent and ran in. The family didn't lack animal fat; Li Sanmao hunted frequently, so the surplus trimmings and lard were used for cooking...

Mrs. Zhou did a sweep of the room and sniffed, feeling as though she had been robbed...

Looking at Luo Zhier's bowl piled high with pickled vegetables, she commanded, "For a random meal, why are you putting in so much oil?"

"Mother, with pickled vegetables every day, sautéing them in oil counts as adding some flavor!"

"Hmph! Pay attention next time, don't use oil for everything!"

Only then did she leave, satisfied.

Luo Zhier also left a small bowl of snake soup for Li Sanmao and brought it out as well, making everyone's eyes turn red with envy.

This little brat actually dared to hide food, making it so they couldn't eat their fill.

"Yo, Third Aunt, you actually dare to hide food?"

"Mother, look quickly!"

Li Zhen'er's eyes burned with anger. She had suspected as much; she hadn't even eaten a few pieces before they were gone, and it turned out she had been hiding them...

"Hehe, Zhen'er, didn't you all eat lunch? Your third brother hasn't had a bite of food all day from hunting. I finally managed to catch a snake to make some soup, so I'm letting him have a taste of something fresh!"

Her words made Old Man Li blush profusely...

The other two branches—the eldest and second brothers—were helping with the butchering.

Their ears didn't miss a thing, but they remained silent! Those two sisters-in-law were shrewd; they glanced at Li Sanmao.

With so many villagers in the courtyard watching the wild boar being butchered today, if word got out, would the third wife be scolded for saving a bowl of soup for her man?

Old Man Li valued face the most and didn't want any unpleasantness under his nose, so he could only endure it...

Li Gui stood to the side with his hands behind his back, a trace of disdain flashing in his eyes.

He didn't help with the butchering or the cutting, especially the parts like the pig's stomach, which smelled nauseating...

Luo Zhier observed everyone's every move.

She sighed; without splitting the household and eating from the communal pot, everything she did felt like she was acting like a thief!

Once the pig was butchered, besides the bits the villagers bought to take home, there was roughly another hundred or two pounds of meat left.

The village sold it cheaply, and the elders were also reluctant to sell too much...

They planned to sell it in town tomorrow. Naturally, all three of Old Man Li's sons would go, except for the youngest.

One was to provide strength, and the other was to ensure no one went alone to sell it and pocket the silver.

The money from selling the meat was to be turned into the public fund and kept by Mrs. Zhou.

(End of Chapter)