Chapter 4: The storm caused by chicken

"Oh my, my daughter is the most sensible!"

The Li Family Old Woman indeed couldn't withstand her daughter's begging, hugging Li Xiufang and calling her her heart and treasure.

"Alright, alright, Mother will cook chicken for you to eat right now. Mother will definitely not let you have any less of the things those two money-losing brats can eat!"

Zhu Shi looked at the affectionate pair, her gaze critically sweeping over Li Xiufang's face, which was full of acne and pockmarks and inherited the Li Family Old Woman's hanging triangular eyes, and sneered in her heart.

The Li Family Old Woman comforted Li Xiufang, and although she was extremely reluctant to part with the last old hen in the house, she still hardened her heart and went to the kitchen to get a kitchen knife to kill the chicken.

But as soon as she arrived at the kitchen and saw the chicken feathers all over the floor, the Li Family Old Woman felt her chest ache with pain, and she couldn't help but curse in the direction of the thatched shed.

The mother and daughter ate the chicken in the clay pot in the thatched shed, completely ignoring the cursing outside.

The chicken was stewed until soft and tender, very easy to eat.

The soup was thick, and with a light chew, the unique rich fragrance of the chicken soup overflowed from the lips and teeth, simply delicious!

Jiang Xiaoxiao touched her round belly and let out a long breath, her face full of satisfaction after eating and drinking.

However, when she looked up, she saw her mother staring at her.

Her heart skipped a beat; she thought her actions had exposed something, but the next second, the other party placed a piece of chicken into her bowl.

"You're too thin, eat more."

Jiang Xiaoxiao: "..."

The woman stared at her arms, as thin as hemp stalks, and placed another piece of chicken into her bowl.

"... Mother, I'm full." Jiang Xiaoxiao said helplessly, touching her belly.

The woman's gaze moved down, looking at her belly, then at the chicken remaining in the pot, and after two seconds of silence, she said: "Then keep it for you to eat tomorrow morning."

Saying this, the woman began to tidy up the bowls and chopsticks, taking advantage of the moment she wasn't looking to transfer the remaining chicken in the pot into the space.

Jiang Xiaoxiao pretended not to see, but a warm current crossed her heart.

In the book, the female lead was the strong-woman type, without children, and having survived in the apocalypse for ten years, her temperament had long been honed to be cold and unfeeling.

Raising a five-year-old child like this should be the first time.

Without experience, all she could do was pass all the good food to her daughter.

She was small now, and coupled with long-term starvation, she could be full after eating very little food. The female lead's mother probably worried she wouldn't be full and would go hungry, so she wanted to stuff all the good food to her.

At the same time, a fragrance began to drift from the kitchen side.

Looking from afar, the Younger Sister-in-law, Li Xiufang, was squatting in the kitchen, holding the pot and eating heartily.

Eating until her face was shiny with oil.

The cheeks, which were puffed up, mixed with the acne all over her face, had an indescribable greasy feeling.

Zhu Shi stood at the door, her face full of resentment and dissatisfaction.

She had been ordered by her mother-in-law not to enter the kitchen.

Along with her two babies, who were also squatting at the kitchen door, looking longingly at the aunt eating chicken inside, unable to stop swallowing their saliva.

The Li Family Old Woman didn't even give them a glance, carrying a large porcelain bowl of chicken and chicken soup straight back to the main room.

Jiang Xiaoxiao watched for a few moments and then withdrew her gaze, sneering in her heart.

Just like described in the book, this Li family's old couple was indeed biased to the bone.

Except for the Younger Sister-in-law, Li Xiufang, and the eldest, Li Shoude, who was studying in town, the others were nothing.

It's just that the original host's mother had a weak personality and was the easiest to manipulate, so she became the target of the whole family's bullying.

A five-year-old child's body easily gets sleepy after being full. Jiang Xiaoxiao was yawning and preparing to rest for a while when she suddenly caught a glimpse of Zhu Shi, who had been standing in front of the kitchen, suddenly casting her gaze toward the thatched shed where they lived.

When that gaze fell on the clay pot containing the chicken, there was a bit more greed.

Jiang Xiaoxiao's heart tightened slightly, and she looked at her mother on the side, who was completely unaware, keeping a little bit of caution in her heart.

By nightfall.

Jiang Xiaoxiao lay on the hard bed planks, touching the dry thatched grass spread underneath, feeling a bit helpless in her heart.

In this ancient era with scarce living materials, she didn't ask for anything, as long as there was a place to live and sleep.

Looking up, she saw her mother also touching the dry grass on the bed planks, her face showing a bit of difficulty and thought.

Jiang Xiaoxiao understood in her heart that the female lead was probably thinking about how to bring the supplies in her space into the open and take them out to use.

If the female lead were alone, she wouldn't need to worry about her; she could just take whatever she wanted from the space.

Now, although she looked young, her existence clearly brought a lot of inconvenience to the female lead.

Thinking of this, Jiang Xiaoxiao couldn't help but hug her arms tightly and curl up her body.

She didn't know if she could survive the plot of the original book, but she still hoped the female lead wouldn't abandon her.

She was a five-year-old little girl, and it would be very difficult to survive in this ancient era where one couldn't eat or dress warmly...

While thinking, Jiang Xiaoxiao was suddenly pulled into a warm embrace.

"If you're cold, come over a bit."

Jiang Wei frowned, swept a glance at the thatched shed that was leaking wind everywhere, and couldn't help but hug the small body tighter.

It was currently summer, so it wouldn't be too cold at night, but once winter came and there was heavy snow, the thatched shed would collapse sooner or later; this was simply not a place for long-term living...

She had to think of a way as soon as possible.

Jiang Xiaoxiao leaned into the warm arm, gradually feeling sleepy.

She closed her eyes, and in a daze, the door of the thatched shed was gently pushed open, and a figure slipped in quietly.

The person crouched down, groping secretly in the room, and soon found the pot of chicken soup.

Uncovering it, she discovered that the chicken inside was gone.

Zhu Shi was stunned; where was the chicken? She clearly saw there was still quite a bit left...

In the darkness, Jiang Wei suddenly opened her eyes.

The habits cultivated in the apocalypse made her turn over and jump up, directly using a grappling technique to clamp the woman groping in the room.

"Ouch—"

A pig-slaughtering scream echoed through the silent night.

Jiang Xiaoxiao woke up immediately and discovered Zhu Shi at a glance, feeling a burst of anger in her heart. She had been looking at their thatched shed with a thief's eyes during the day, and sure enough, she came to steal things at night!

So she decisively shouted:

"There's a thief! Someone come, there's a thief—"

"Ouch! Don't shout, don't shout, I'm your Second Aunt-in-law, not a thief!"

Zhu Shi rolled and crawled, wanting to escape, but was clamped tightly by Jiang Wei with one hand.

She wanted to struggle, but Jiang Wei grabbed the shoe by the bed and slapped her a few times across the face.

The sole of the shoe was hard, slapping the face with a crisp sound.

Zhu Shi wailed in pain.

Amidst these wails, Jiang Xiaoxiao pulled her voice and shouted to catch the thief without mercy!

The Li family's main room lit up.

Soon, the Li Family Old Woman came out cursing while carrying an oil lamp.

"Not sleeping in the middle of the night, are you looking for death!"

Zhu Shi's wails drifted far away, disturbing the surrounding neighbors who all came out to watch.

"I say, old Li family, what kind of scene is your family making in the middle of the night, not letting people sleep?"

"That's right! My husband worked in the fields for a whole day and had just laid down for a while before being woken up by your family; you have to give me an explanation!"

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 5 =====