Chapter 140 Chicken Soup

The aroma of food filled the family compound in the evening. Lu Mingyue was squatting in the yard picking vegetables when Huo Zheng walked in with a smile, carrying a pheasant with a rope tied to its leg, flapping its wings.

"Wife, come and see." Huo Zheng waved the pheasant in his hand, his tone full of excitement. "Deputy Squad Leader Xiao was on duty today. He caught it while patrolling the mountain. There were three in a nest. We divided them up, and this one is for the kids to make soup."

Lu Mingyue quickly stood up, her eyes lighting up as she looked at the plump pheasant: "This is really good stuff. The dried mushrooms I made in the fall are still hidden in the jar. It's perfect to take them out and soak them. They'll be the most delicious thing to stew with pheasant."

As she spoke, she walked into the house, took a jar off the top of the cupboard, and poured out a handful of brown dried mushrooms.

She picked these last autumn in the mountains behind the village. They were dried thoroughly and have a fresh, mushroom-like fragrance.

Huo Zheng tied the pheasant to a pillar in the corner of the yard, rolled up his sleeves and began to clean it. He first boiled a kettle of water and poured it on the chicken to remove its feathers, then gutted it and cleaned its internal organs. He was very efficient.

Lu Mingyue put the dried mushrooms into a basin, poured in hot water to soak them, and soon the mushrooms absorbed the water and became plump. When you squeezed them, the flesh was tender and juicy, and they had a fresh mushroom aroma.

"Should we stir-fry or stew?" Lu Mingyue asked her family for their opinions. She wasn't picky about food, and both cooking methods were fine.

"Let's stew it, and then add some flatbread."

Huo Zheng, busy with his work, didn't forget to respond, saying that he loves eating this kind of iron pot stew in winter.

Yao Yao ran out of the house and circled around the pheasant in Huo Zheng's hand, her eyes full of anticipation.

Lu Mingyue smiled and patted her head: "Don't worry, once your dad is done, Mom will cook it for you. I guarantee it will be so delicious that you'll want to eat an extra bowl of rice."

Huo Zheng worked quickly and efficiently, cleaning the pheasant thoroughly and chopping it into evenly sized pieces in no time.

Lu Mingyue added cold water, ginger slices, and scallion segments to the small iron pot, poured in the chicken pieces to blanch them and remove the blood foam, then rinsed them with warm water, put them back into the pot with enough hot water, and seasoned them with salt and a little cooking wine.

"I'll watch the fire, you go pick up Leilei." Huo Zheng added some firewood to the stove, and the flames crackled.

Lu Mingyue nodded, picked up her cotton-padded coat from the bedside and put it on. Then, remembering something, she buried a few washed sweet potatoes in the fire by the stove: "I'll roast a few sweet potatoes while I'm at it; the kids love them."

As soon as she stepped outside, a cold wind hit her face. Lu Mingyue tightened the collar of her cotton-padded coat and walked towards the school.

Just as she turned the corner of the residential compound, she ran into the two women she had seen before. They were carrying bottles of soy sauce they had just bought and greeted her with smiles: "Mingyue, are you going to pick up Leilei?"

"Yes, school's almost over," Lu Mingyue stopped and replied with a smile.

Aunt Zhang looked her up and down and said with emotion, "You really care about this child. You pick him up and drop him off on time every day, and you never skimp on his food or clothing. You're even more attentive than a biological mother."

Aunt Li chimed in, "That's right, it's really not easy for a mother to do this much."

Hearing the praise, Lu Mingyue felt warm inside and waved her hand, saying, "This is what mothers should do; it's not difficult at all."

After saying goodbye to the two of them, she continued walking towards the school.

As soon as she walked away, Aunt Zhang pulled Aunt Li closer and whispered, "Although it's her duty as a mother, don't forget that Leilei isn't her biological son. It's already quite remarkable that a stepmother like her has done this much."

Aunt Li nodded and sighed, "That's true, but it's not her own child after all. I think she and Huo Zheng have a good relationship, so she should have a child of her own soon so she can have someone to rely on when she gets old."

The two women were chatting away, unaware that Mrs. Wang, who was passing by, had also overheard them.

Before long, the rumor that "Lu Mingyue should have a biological child" spread like wildfire throughout the small family compound.

Some aunts said that Huo Zheng was a reliable person and Lu Mingyue was virtuous, so they should have a child of their own. Others said that no matter how good a stepmother is, she is not as good as a biological mother, and it is never wrong to have a biological child.

Just then, Lu Mingyue arrived at the school gate and saw Leilei leaning against the wall listlessly, unlike his usual energetic running over.

She quickly went over, squatted down, and touched her son's forehead: "Leilei, what's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"

Leilei shook his head, his little hands tightly gripping the hem of her clothes, his voice soft: "Mom, I'm not tired, I just feel a little weak."

Niu Niu, who was standing next to him, chimed in, "Today the teacher led us to clean the classroom. We swept inside and out, and also wiped the windows and the blackboard. Lei Lei wiped the desks very carefully."

Lu Mingyue then realized that the first day of school was supposed to be for cleaning, but it was postponed yesterday because of the cold weather. Today was the day to make up for it, and the children were busy from morning till night. No wonder they were all listless.

She gently straightened Leilei's crooked collar, saying with a tender touch, "Our little man is so great, helping the teacher with chores. Come on, Mom will make you some chicken soup and roasted sweet potatoes when we get home."

Lei Lei's eyes lit up instantly, and he took her hand and walked home, though his steps were still a little slow.

On the way, he whispered, "Mom, I wiped four tables, and my arms are sore. Niu Niu even helped me wipe one."

Lu Mingyue smiled and nodded: "Leilei is so capable. When we get home, Mom will give you the biggest piece of chicken."

As I approached home, I could smell the rich aroma of chicken soup.

Huo Zheng had already dug out the roasted sweet potatoes, wrapped them in newspaper, and placed them by the stove. Seeing them return, he smiled and said, "Hurry up and wash your hands. The chicken soup will be ready soon, and the sweet potatoes are still warm."

Lu Mingyue put Leilei's schoolbag away and let him sit on a small stool to rest. She then ladled out a bowl of chicken soup, picked out a piece of chicken with the bone, and handed it to him: "Drink it while it's hot, it will give you strength."

Lei Lei held the bowl and sipped the chicken soup slowly. The chicken meat was stewed until it was so tender that it fell off the bone with a touch. The mushrooms were soaked in the soup, and the flavor was so delicious that he squinted his eyes.

Lu Mingyue handed him the roasted sweet potato again: "Eat slowly, don't burn yourself."

Yao Yao also came over, tilting her little face up to eat chicken, and Lu Mingyue served her another bowl.

Huo Zheng frowned as he watched his wife bustling around, then looked at the two children and said, "Eat by yourselves. Mom is already very tired after a long day."

Upon hearing this, the two children stopped acting spoiled and turned to serve food to their mother.

"Mom, eat meat."

Yao Yao handed the peeled sweet potato from her bowl to her mother, and Lu Mingyue smiled and patted her little head.

The two children are not spoiled; they genuinely enjoy being pampered by their mother, feeling like they are still little babies.

However, they also knew that their father was right; their mother was already tired from cooking, and they couldn't let her get any more tired.

Seeing the two children suddenly become serious, I couldn't help but laugh. "Alright, alright, I've had enough. Let's eat together."

The two children then beamed with joy and, not forgetting to share the food with their father.