Chapter 72 Salted Duck Eggs

She hurriedly threw down the cutting board, not even having time to untie her apron, and ran outside.

She didn't care at all whether Lu Weidong got beaten up.

That bastard deserved to be beaten; she even felt a sense of satisfaction.

But what she feared was that something might happen to Shen Cuifen.

If Shen Cuifen acted impulsively and actually did it.

That would be a huge deal; not only would the person go to jail, but their family would also be devastated.

She had just rushed to the gate of the courtyard, eager to look outside, when she accidentally bumped into something soft.

Her head throbbed with pain, and she cried out "Ouch!" before taking two steps back and rubbing her forehead.

Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be Shen Cuifen who had returned.

"Mom! Are you alright?"

Lu Guizhen asked, still shaken, her voice full of worry.

Her gaze swept across the room and she suddenly noticed that Shen Cuifen was holding a blood-stained kitchen knife in her right hand.

Shen Cuifen shook her head, her expression calm and without a trace of panic on her face.

She raised her left hand, holding a dead chicken with its head drooping.

There was a clean cut on his neck, and blood was still dripping from it.

She shook the chicken, and the sound was clear and bright.

"What could possibly happen to me? If anything were to happen, it would be someone with a guilty conscience who should be afraid!"

She clearly shouted these words into the yard, her voice loud and harsh.

"Whoever has a guilty conscience should be the one trembling! I'm not afraid!"

Lu Guizhen looked Shen Cuifen up and down, from head to toe, and saw that her clothes were clean.

There wasn't even a wrinkle, let alone any injury.

She finally breathed a sigh of relief, her tense shoulders slumped, and she patted her chest, murmuring, "Thank goodness, I'm not hurt, I'm not hurt..."

As soon as Li Fangfang heard that Shen Cuifen had returned, she stuck her head out of the window, her neck stretched out as far as it could go.

She tried desperately to see clearly, her eyes wide open, afraid of missing a single detail.

Seeing that Shen Cuifen was unharmed, and although she was holding a knife, it looked as if she had just slaughtered a chicken.

The weight on her heart finally lifted.

What does this mean?

She only half understood what she was hearing and was extremely anxious.

My mind felt like a jumbled mess; the more I tried to sort it out, the more confused I became.

Those words echoed in her ears, but she couldn't grasp the main point, which made her so anxious that she stomped her feet.

Unfortunately, the door was only half open, blocking the view.

She was like an ant on a hot pan, running around in circles.

The door panel was crookedly stuck to the door frame, leaving only a narrow gap.

It conveniently blocked her gaze completely.

She shifted left and right, tiptoed, trying to peek through the crack to see what was happening inside the room.

No matter how hard I try, I can only see a blurry shadow.

My heart felt like it was being scratched by cat claws; I couldn't sit still.

After Shen Cuifen finished speaking, her tone softened.

"We'll have chicken for lunch, so let's boil some water right after breakfast."

Lu Guizhen looked at the chicken, her brows furrowing with heartache.

It was a hen with glossy plumage and a robust build.

Looking at it, Lu Guizhen felt a pang of sadness.

She has raised this chicken ever since it hatched from the egg. She feeds it, cleans its coop, and herds it into its nest every day, watching it grow up little by little. It has long been considered a member of her family.

Her mom is acting really strange today; she just slaughtered two of them yesterday!

Lu Guizhen muttered to herself, her brows furrowing even more.

Shen Cuifen was known for her frugality in the past, and she wouldn't waste a single chicken feather. Why would she kill chickens for several days in a row?

This is like a Chinese New Year banquet.

She had raised this chicken since it was a chick, and she really wouldn't have been willing to part with it if it weren't to spite Li Fangfang.

Lu Guizhen felt angry just thinking about Li Fangfang's arrogant demeanor.

A few days ago, Li Fangfang said in front of everyone, "My son Jianguo eats meat, but your family can't even see a speck of oil, can you?"

She was so angry that her lips trembled, but she couldn't refute it.

Now that her mother has suddenly started killing a chicken in such a grand manner, it's clearly a slap in her face!

"Mom, didn't we buy bones last night? Why are you killing a chicken again today?"

As Lu Guizhen spoke, she carefully observed Shen Cuifen's expression.

She was afraid that her mother might act impulsively and ruin all the good things in the house.

Those chickens were the culmination of a long and painstaking effort.

What if we run out of food and don't have money to buy more? Wouldn't life be even harder?

In the past, Shen Cuifen would only kill one animal during the Lunar New Year.

During the Spring Festival, my family would only kill an old hen to make soup.

The whole family sat around the table, but each person only received a few pieces of meat.

Back then, Shen Cuifen always said, "We raise chickens to lay eggs to exchange for salt and oil, so we can't just slaughter them."

But now, she's acting completely out of character, killing without hesitation.

"Eat if you want. If you don't, those ungrateful wretches will just benefit from it sooner or later. It's okay, I'll buy a few more chicks to raise in a few days, that'll be enough!"

Shen Cuifen spoke calmly, her eyes resolute.

Lu Guizhen knew perfectly well who she was referring to as the "ungrateful wretch."

Isn't that Li Fangfang?

In the past, Shen Cuifen always tried to be tolerant and kept good things hidden, for fear of being gossiped about.

But now she has come to a complete understanding: good things should be enjoyed by our own people first.

Why save money for those who stand by and watch indifferently?

Lu Guizhen listened and thought it made sense.

She nodded gently, a sense of relief washing over her.

Yes, if you leave your things at home, they will eventually be envied and gossiped about.

It's better to have a good meal together as a family and enjoy life in a lively atmosphere.

Anyway, now that her mother has her own opinions and no longer gives in blindly, she feels much more at ease.

Since Shen Cuifen came to her senses, she stopped hiding anything good, and she and Lu Guizhi benefited the most.

The shoes are new, the eggs are given daily, and chicken is available every few days.

The aroma that I used to be afraid to even smell has now become a regular on my dining table.

Lu Guizhen was even a little dazed.

Shoes, eggs, chicken—Shen Cuifen left them all.

Even when a neighbor came to borrow a needle and thread, Shen Cuifen would coldly say something.

"Don't you have any at home?"

No longer do they humbly try to please others as they used to.

She has changed; she has become more assertive and confident.

We can raise more chickens after we've eaten them all; it's better than letting others benefit from them.

Lu Guizhen silently repeated this sentence in her heart, and the more she thought about it, the more reasonable it seemed.

The chickens and ducks at home can reproduce.

But once people's hearts have grown cold, they can never be warmed up again.

Why not take advantage of the energy we still have and live a more comfortable life?

"Okay! I'll definitely take good care of them! Or we could buy a few ducks, and I'll pickle some salted duck eggs; they'd be so delicious with porridge!"

She became more and more excited as she talked, and her eyes lit up.

The image of salted duck eggs oozing red oil from a jar already appeared in my mind.

Once cut open, the egg yolk oozes oil; take a bite with hot porridge, and your mouth will be filled with its fragrance.

She's even started calculating the price of ducklings at the market.

Lu Guizhen smiled and took the chicken, then reached for the cleaver in Shen Cuifen's other hand.

The chicken was still flapping its wings, stirring the air.

She held a chicken leg in one hand and reached for Shen Cuifen's knife-wielding hand with the other.

Shen Cuifen dodged lightly, avoiding being touched.

With a slight twist of his wrist, he concealed the kitchen knife.