Chapter 7: What Reason Should I Give?
On the wooden table, three thin, frail little boys stared intently at the delicious feast before them. Though they were so hungry they kept swallowing their saliva, they still restrained themselves and waited politely for Wen Nuan Nuan, seated at the head of the table, to pick up her chopsticks first.
Wen Nuan Nuan noticed this and couldn’t help but marvel at their remarkable self-control. No wonder they would achieve such great things in the future.
“Let’s eat!” After picking up a fluffy, soft cornmeal pancake and placing it in her bowl, Wen Nuan Nuan smiled and gestured.
The three little boys immediately pounced like wild beasts, heading straight for the richly stewed chicken in the center.
Well, boys love meat—that was understandable.
“Sister-in-law, you eat.”
The three boys all placed the first bite they picked up into Wen Nuan Nuan’s bowl.
Looking at the two extra pieces of chicken thigh and wing in her bowl, Wen Nuan Nuan couldn’t help but feel her eyes grow warm.
So, they had picked food for her. And it was the best parts—the chicken thigh and wing.
Wen Nuan Nuan, who had never experienced sibling affection in her modern life, felt a warmth in her heart. For the first time, she set aside thoughts of power, status, wealth, and glory, and thought to herself that having these three younger brothers was actually quite nice.
Watching the three little boys devour the food she had cooked, she couldn’t help but feel a deep sense of accomplishment. This was probably the scene every cooking enthusiast loved to see—food prepared with care being appreciated with equal sincerity. The satisfaction was simple and pure.
When they ate the Sweet and Sour Pork Ribs, Eldest Brother quickly glanced up at her.
Wen Nuan Nuan, of course, noticed the deep suspicion in his eyes. She smiled faintly, watching as he seemed to want to speak but didn’t dare, eventually burying his head and continuing to fight for food.
Eldest Brother had bought the ingredients. They all knew about killing the chicken, but only he knew whether there were spare ribs or not. It was natural for him to be suspicious, and she had no intention of hiding it from him.
They would be living together for a long time, and she would inevitably keep bringing out food. Someone would have to cover for her, and that person was undoubtedly Eldest Brother.
But what reason should she give? What kind of reason would be convincing?
…
Wen Nuan Nuan finally understood what her grandparents often said: “A growing boy eats his father out of house and home.” She was now experiencing it firsthand!
A whole chicken stewed with potatoes, green peppers, and mushrooms filled the soup pot almost to the brim. A large portion of Sweet and Sour Pork Ribs, a bowl of loofah egg soup, and seven or eight fluffy corn and wheat flour egg pancakes—all of it was completely eaten! Even the stewed chicken broth was gone, used by the three brothers to dip their corn and wheat flour egg pancakes.
As for her, she had eaten so little it was practically negligible.
“Sister-in-law, did we eat too much?” Third Brother Leng Yun looked up and asked uneasily.
This meal was the most delicious he had ever eaten in his life, and the only time he could remember eating his fill.
In fact, it wasn’t just Leng Yun who felt this way—Leng Tian and Leng Chen felt the same.
Even before their mother fell ill, she couldn’t cook. They often ate a pot of vegetable porridge or steamed sweet potatoes and potatoes with stir-fried vegetables. Occasionally, when Eldest Brother was on leave and brought back some game, they would get to eat meat, but even then, there was never enough, and everyone had to eat sparingly.
After their mother fell ill, they sold the farmland to pay for her treatment, and even porridge became a luxury.
Fortunately, they had grown a bit older. Leng Tian could now grow vegetables in the yard and go to the back mountain to gather firewood and make charcoal to sell for copper coins. Leng Yun and Leng Chen were still young and could only search for hazel mushrooms, wild vegetables, and wild fruits at the foot of the mountain.
Even the game Eldest Brother occasionally brought back from hunting could only be sold in the city for silver to buy medicine for their mother.
It had been a long time since they had eaten meat, and they had almost forgotten what it tasted like.
But today, not only did they get to eat enough meat to fill their bellies, it was also surprisingly delicious—more delicious than any meat they had ever eaten before!
After finishing their meal, they looked at the pile of bones on Wen Nuan Nuan’s side of the table and compared it to the pile in front of them. The three of them unconsciously lowered their heads.
They had eaten too much—so much that their sister-in-law hadn’t gotten enough to eat.
Moreover, their sister-in-law had finally accepted them and cooked such delicious food for them, yet she had restrained herself from eating while they had eaten everything without any restraint. Would she think they were ill-mannered?
That they weren’t worth treating well?
“You’re at an age where you’re growing, so eating more helps you grow faster,” Wen Nuan Nuan said, looking at their little bowed heads as they felt guilty for eating so much while she had eaten so little.
They were so innocent and adorable.
She hadn’t eaten less because they had eaten too quickly or too much. Had they forgotten the two chicken legs and a wing they had given her as soon as they started eating? A girl with a small appetite would have been full just from that.
Besides, she had also eaten a fluffy and flavorful cornmeal pancake with eggs, along with potatoes, mushrooms, and a full bowl of loofah egg soup.
Did these kids think that not eating meat meant she hadn’t eaten at all? Or that she had sacrificed for their sake?
Wen Nuan Nuan was both amused and exasperated. She wasn’t as selfless as they thought, nor was she someone who would sacrifice herself for others.
She simply preferred a balanced diet of meat and vegetables.
She wondered if anyone else was like her, preferring the soft, flavorful side dishes in stews over the meat itself.
Wen Nuan Nuan smiled warmly and said softly, “Don’t overthink it. I’m full too, and you’ll need energy to work this afternoon.”
The three little heads suddenly lifted, their eyes sparkling as they waited for Wen Nuan Nuan’s instructions.
Wen Nuan Nuan found it amusing to think that these future influential figures were now eagerly ready to work after just one meal from her. In a few years, this would be unimaginable.
But for now, there was no other choice. This empty house lacked far too many things.
And if she remembered correctly, winters in this place were exceptionally cold. When heavy snow fell, they wouldn’t be able to go anywhere. To live comfortably through the long winter, they needed to start preparing now.
“I noticed the beds in the rooms are all kang, connected to the Stove Platform in the kitchen. Does that mean we’ll need a lot of firewood for winter?”
“Yes, we used to stock up on firewood early, but this year, with no farmland and not enough food, we had to focus on gathering wild vegetables and fruits first,” the second brother said, biting his lip with difficulty.
Wen Nuan Nuan understood. The most important thing for survival was food, so for them, preparing winter provisions naturally came first.
However, she had brought an entire refrigerator of food with her when she inexplicably traveled here, and the key was that it could automatically replenish ingredients. Food for the five of them during winter shouldn’t be a problem.
Wait, why five? Because Leng Xiao would be back for winter break, just like a modern winter vacation.
But how could they survive the bitterly cold winter without firewood to keep warm?
“Don’t worry about food, I’ll make sure you’re all well-fed throughout the entire winter!” Seeing the three little ones’ mouths hanging open in astonishment, Wen Nuan Nuan smiled brightly and asked, “Is it too late to start stockpiling firewood for winter now?”
She wanted to say that if it was too late, they could buy some from households with ample firewood.