The wicked sister-in-law is in charge; meals include fish and shrimp.

Chapter 71 The First Time I Had a Good Meal

Once they arrived, everyone was busy picking up stones with their own baskets, working enthusiastically without needing any prompting.

There is water in the mountains, so Wen Luozhi set up a pot to boil sour plum soup and then used the mountain spring water to cool it down.

A moment later, the brother and sister carried the plum juice to the work area. Just as they put the pot down, a voice that sent chills down Wen Luozhi's spine came from behind her:

"Little sister Luo'er, I'm here to help you."

Lin Huaizhi, lifting his blue robe, stumbled over piles of jumbled stones and arrived at Wen Luozhi. He wiped his sweat and looked at her tenderly, saying, "It's so hot, don't get sunburned. Let me help you; you should go and rest."

As he spoke, he reached for the spoon in her hand, but Wen Luozhi dodged to the side, leaving his hand empty and awkwardly frozen in place.

"Why is the future scholar Lin running around on the mountain instead of studying properly at the academy?"

She glanced down at Lin Huaizhi's lower body, and he hurriedly put down his blue robe and straightened the hem.

Could it be that this brat knows something? Lin Huaizhi lowered his head and wondered.

No! Impossible. He checked several times and there was no one around. That brat is just shameless.

He looked up, a reproachful yet indulgent smile on his face, and said, "Luo'er, don't be silly. You'll think about it when we get back..."

"Bang!" Wen Luozhi slammed an iron spoon down on him, interrupting him. "No need to go back. I'll hit you whenever I want. I'll beat you to death right now!"

If it were the original owner of this body, she would definitely be completely infatuated with this weakling, but she isn't!

Wen Luozhi was disgusted by his filthy gaze just now, and she showed no mercy in picking up the iron spoon.

Lin Huaizhi was forced to retreat repeatedly by her blows. He had already exhausted all his strength just getting up the mountain, and now he could barely speak. "You brat, you're biting the hand that feeds you!"

He simply stopped pretending and said several times to Wen Luozhi, "Women and petty men are the hardest to deal with."

Annoyed, Wen Luozhi kicked him, sending him sprawling on his back.

"Get out of here right now, I feel disgusted just looking at you."

These scholars don't even resemble scholars; they act like they're addicted to opium every day.

Instead of studying properly at the academy, he went to Chunxiang Garden. It's only a matter of time before he becomes a zero. I don't know who is so thirsty that they like him.

Wen Luozhi looked him up and down, and Lin Huaizhi felt as if he had been stripped naked and thrown in front of these people.

The group of workers looked down on him, as if they looked down on him.

He quickly got up and ran down the mountain, not forgetting to turn back and curse Wen Luozhi, "You don't know what's good for you!"

Wen Zixun wanted to chase after him, but Wen Luozhi stopped him, not caring at all.

She just hit someone with the spoon, so she needs to wash it thoroughly before using it again.

After tidying up the house, Yang Guilan came to deliver a basket of vegetables and then hurriedly went down the mountain.

Wen Luozhi simply placed everything on the other side of the mountain stream, making it easier to use water and cook much faster.

After working for more than an hour, the meal was finally ready: a big pot of braised pork, eggplant with minced meat, and cold bean sprouts.

Besides the leftover steamed buns, there was also a pot of mixed grain brown rice as the main dish. Worried that it wouldn't be enough, she buried a small basin of potatoes in the ashes. Now the food is ready and the potatoes are fully cooked.

The mountain stream was covered with low, lush vegetation, providing ample shade. Wen Zixun brought his workers here for a meal.

Everyone picked up their bowls and chopsticks, and their eyes lit up when they saw the fragrant meat and vegetables in the bowl.

Wen Zixun urged them on, and only then did everyone feel comfortable starting to eat.

After finishing their meal, everyone washed their own bowls and chopsticks and arranged them neatly together.

Wen Luozhi boiled a pot of hawthorn water for them and let it cool so they could rest in a shady place for half an hour before continuing their work.

After everyone had eaten and drunk their fill, they collapsed on the rocky hill, rubbing their full bellies and feeling a mix of emotions.

Sun Erlang took a sip of hawthorn juice and squinted his eyes happily. "Big brother, this is the first time I've known what it feels like to be well-fed and satisfied."

When they were at home, they only ate one meal a day, which was either boiled wild vegetables or just a thin porridge with a handful of brown rice.

Sometimes they don't even get to eat a meal all day.

Sun Erlang felt very happy to have eaten two full meals as soon as he arrived today.

Sun Dalang patted his shoulder with concern, his gaze falling on the various leaf-shaped packets beside him.

This is what Sister Luozhi just packed up for them to take back to their younger siblings and grandfather after they finish work.

He looked up at Wen Luozhi's receding figure, then turned to Erlang and instructed, "We must remember the kindness of Uncle Village Chief and Uncle Wen's family. We can't slack off when we're working."

Sun Erlang nodded heavily; he understood the reasoning behind it all.

When it was time to finish work, the group went down the mountain, led by Wen Zixun, and headed home.

As soon as they entered the yard, they saw Wen Muchuan and his sons building a pigsty. Without saying a word, everyone picked up tools and started helping.

The saying "many hands make light work" is true; they actually managed to build the pigsty before mealtime!

"No, no, no, no," Wen Muchuan called to the pigs in front of the pigpen, grinning from ear to ear.

My daughter said she'd be in charge of the pigs from now on, and he'd better fatten them up!

Thanks to Xie He and the others' help, there were two extra dishes for dinner.

There were three meat dishes and two vegetable dishes in total, and five large basins were filled to the brim and placed in the yard.

The main dish was a large winnowing basket of jujube buns, which were already filled with stir-fried diced radish and arranged neatly.

Now, without any prompting, everyone picks up their chopsticks and starts eating, praising the food highly.

"It's so delicious, Auntie! I'd do any job for you for free!"

Zhao Shuanzi picked up a piece of stir-fried fatty meat, put it in his mouth, and squinted his eyes in satisfaction.

Before his mother went to town in the morning, she repeatedly told him to work hard. Now, his family has a stable income of twenty coins a day, which is all thanks to his aunt's family!

"Everyone needs to work even harder tomorrow! Let's try to finish the work as soon as possible! I'm worried we'll bankrupt Uncle Wen's family with all this good food!"

Wang Da Niang's eldest son chuckled, washed his own bowls and chopsticks, put them away, and then helped Wen Muchuan herd the pigs.

Yesterday, his mother said that Uncle Wen was going to slaughter a pig tonight, and asked him to help finish the work before leaving.

Everyone was in high spirits today. After eating and cleaning up, they let Wen Muchuan sit down and rest, and then the group sharpened their knives and prepared to hunt the wild boar.

The courtyard was bustling with activity as villagers outside, having heard the news, lined up to buy meat.

The last wild boar, weighing about 200 pounds, was sold for less than half of its weight, because most people only bought a little to taste, since they were not well-off.

With so much left over, Wen Muchuan discussed it with his family and gave one pound to each of the workers, keeping the rest for their own consumption.

As for the offal, only the pig liver and large intestine were kept; the rest could be taken by whoever wanted them.

The large piece of pig lung ended up in the hands of Sun Dalang and his brother. Dalang, at a loss, placed the pig lung on the cutting board and said, "We can't take this. Please share it with your uncles and brothers."

Aunt Xie packed up the leftovers for them to take home, including a pound of pork. They were too embarrassed to ask for pig lungs.

Wen Luozhi glanced at them, picked up a knife, and decisively divided the pig lung into ten pieces.