Chapter 7: I'm Being Filial to You!

Old Mother Gu was shoved aside by Song the Second and nearly fell off the edge of the *kang*. Fortunately, the younger Madame Gu caught her, helping her steady herself.

At this moment, ignoring her son’s recklessness, she urged him repeatedly, "Quick, go break her legs! Let that slut know what’s good for her."

In her mind, Master Xue only wanted a woman, after all.

Even if Song Liyun had broken legs, she would still be a delicate young maiden. Master Xue was old and wouldn't mind; it would just cost a few coins to treat her.

Song the Second walked out of the main room with several bloody scratches on his face.

Although he wasn't worried about Song Liyun running away since she was in the kitchen, money was at stake, so he had to make the trip.

This little slut had been unwilling and stubborn, making a scene at home and threatening to kill herself.

Since she still had to stay at home for three more days, he needed to intimidate her a bit to make sure she behaved.

The Xue family hadn't said she had to be delivered in perfect condition; tying her hands and feet and gagging her would work just as well.

But Master Xue was an old man; if this girl caused some kind of disaster, it would only bring trouble upon himself.

In the kitchen, Song Liyun, who had already bathed in hot water and drank ginger soup, was happily cooking with a rosy complexion.

Having arrived at Xiaoshi Village from a post-apocalyptic world of mutated flora and fauna, harsh climates, and environmental pollution, Song Liyun found everything here pleasant. In just a few short hours, she had fallen deeply in love with this place.

It would be even more perfect if the two nagging women in the courtyard could disappear from her sight.

She first took rice and flour from the rice jar, retrieved eggs from the cupboard, picked vegetables from the garden beside the house, and slaughtered a big, fat chicken.

If not for the fact that this was no longer the wasteland, Song Liyun would have been ready to kill the squealing pig in the pen and store it in her space.

That was the most precious, high-quality natural livestock in the apocalypse; its meat was tender and delicious, incomparable to the mutated beasts of the wilderness.

In addition to the chicken and vegetables, Song Liyun also cooked rice.

Cooking was a lifestyle only the elite living in the main cities could enjoy.

For survivors in small bases, they usually just filled their stomachs with industrially produced convenience foods.

Such food only ensured one wouldn't starve; it had nothing to do with deliciousness.

The harder life was, the more everyone dreamed of living well.

To stimulate the appetite of the users, convenience food manufacturers printed all sorts of gorgeous pictures on the packaging.

There were even simple recipes, allowing people in makeshift shelters to imagine the feeling of eating something fragrant and delicious.

Song Liyun used to eat her dry rations while staring at the pictures on the packaging, imagining she was cooking mouth-watering delicacies.

Now, she finally had the chance to do it herself!

As time passed, the rice grains had stewed until they blossomed, each one white and plump. The starch between the grains was thick and inseparable. With every boil, the fragrance of the rice made Song Liyun, who had only ever eaten compressed convenience food, swallow hard.

Outside the kitchen, Song the Second was thinking about how to handle Song Liyun. When he stood at the kitchen door, looking aggressive, he saw Song Liyun chopping chicken.

*Thump, thump, thump!* With every strike of the knife, chunks of meat piled up on the cutting board.

Sensing someone at the door, Song Liyun paused the knife in mid-air, turned her head, and smiled. "Second Uncle, you're back. Are you hungry? Your niece is cooking for you!"

She already knew Song the Second’s appearance from the original owner's memories, but seeing him now, she couldn't help but take a closer look.

Song the Second was short, stocky, and stout, with thick eyebrows, small eyes, and a face full of jowls. To top it off, he had a bulbous, red, alcoholic nose that looked like a garlic bulb someone had punched.

He was balding before forty, but since men here kept long hair, it was convenient to style it in a "local support for the central" fashion.

To hide his bald spot, Song the Second tied his hair into a bun perched on his forehead; the bun, lacking a proper base, looked exceptionally strange.

Looking at Song Liyun’s smiling face, Song the Second, who had been about to curse viciously, stood with his mouth agape. The words he had prepared were thrown to the back of his mind.

This was nothing like the fierce woman his mother described; she looked exactly like a girl trying to show filial piety to her elder.

It was just that the gleaming kitchen knife made his eyes dizzy. Song the Second couldn't help but step back, and a question slipped out: "What good food are you making?"

"Second Uncle, can't you see I'm killing a chicken and stewing meat?" Song Liyun’s lips curved, revealing shallow dimples.

"Second, what are you saying? Hurry up and tie that slut up!" Old Mother Gu didn't dare come over and couldn't see the situation in the kitchen; she just huddled under the eaves, urging Song the Second to hurry and catch her.

Song the Second finally snapped back to reality, remembering why he had come.

He darkened his face and said, "Song Liyun, what did you do at home this morning? Your grandmother says you hit people. You should know we are doing this for your own good; don't be ungrateful." As he spoke, he lifted the wooden club in his hand and weighed it, full of threats.

Song Liyun slammed the kitchen knife into the cutting board and sighed. "Oh! Second Uncle, you've misunderstood.

"The whole family has been working so hard for my marriage; I'm too grateful to even think of disobeying my elders.

"Thinking that I'll be leaving soon, I was so moved I didn't know how to repay you. I've been preparing food all morning, hoping to let Second Uncle have a good meal. Perhaps Grandma heard wrong and thought I was going to hit someone."

As she spoke, she pointedly showed the boiled chicken pieces to Song the Second.

She secretly swallowed her saliva: This chicken is so tender! It tastes good even without salt or seasoning.

Song the Second: "……!"

He couldn't believe his ears.

Ever since they brought her back last night with her hands and feet tied, the girl had been crying and wailing.

Just a moment ago, his mother and wife were saying the girl had tried to jump into the water... Could it be that he had drunk too much and was hallucinating?

Song the Second looked dazed.

Not far away, the younger Madame Gu saw Song the Second just shouting a few times and then freezing, with no intention of taking action. She couldn't help but jump out and yell, "That slut is disobedient and unfilial! She dared to lay hands on her elders. Do you dare to admit what you did to us today?"

"Second Aunt, what did I do to you today?" Song Liyun asked with an innocent face.

"You, you kicked your grandmother unconscious and broke my arm and your grandmother's arm..."

Before the younger Madame Gu could finish, Old Mother Gu hurriedly rolled up her sleeves to show her injuries. "Second, look! See how fierce this little slut is? She snapped your mother's arm in one go. It hurt so much, I broke into a cold sweat!"

"Grandma, even if you don't like me, you shouldn't curse yourself with broken limbs!" Song Liyun looked even more aggrieved.

Song the Second looked at his mother with a displeased expression.

It wasn't as if he didn't know the character of these two women; the Gu family women were all liars.

When they were scratching him earlier, their hands were moving like windmills—how could they be broken?

They were just stirring up trouble again.

Usually, if his mother wanted to beat or starve the eldest branch's children, he wouldn't care as long as they didn't die.

But now, the Xue family could come to inspect at any time. If things got too rowdy, how would he hand her over?

He scolded impatiently, "Enough, let's leave it at that. You all stay quiet for a few days."

As soon as these words were spoken, Old Mother Gu refused to let it go.

"Second, no matter what, you must deal with this disobedient, unfilial thing today. Even beating her to death wouldn't be too much. Second daughter-in-law, why are you still standing so far away? Come over..."

With her son by her side, Old Mother Gu was no longer afraid of Song Liyun pinching her elbow.

She threw Song the Second’s words to the back of her mind, grabbed a piece of firewood, and charged toward the kitchen.

But just as she stepped into the kitchen door, she was stunned by the scene before her.