"Brother Zhang, let me do it."

"No need, this amount is fine for me."

Zhang Hongmei: Didn't you say you weren't feeling well? You hypocrite.

When the two returned home, Zhang Hongmei quickly set the table. It was too hot, and since it was stewed pork, she also picked two cucumbers and two tomatoes. The tomatoes were sweetened with sugar, and the cucumbers were served with minced garlic.

Zhang Shouyi only started to have an appetite after seeing the two refreshing dishes. His habit of eating vegetarian food from his previous life meant that even after returning to the present, he couldn't get used to eating meat and fish. Eating it occasionally was fine.

Zhang Hongmei was not very happy. It was true that she couldn't even bring out rice to eat when there were outsiders around. The cornmeal used to make these steamed cornbread was particularly coarse and not finely ground. The outer skin of the corn kernels was still there, and it was rough on her throat.

Zhang Shouyi sensed Zhang Hongmei's resentment, but he didn't know why. However, he was quite happy inside; her suffering made him feel good.

If Zhang Hongmei knew about Zhang Shouyi's mentality, she would definitely slap him across the face. It's utterly despicable.

The two sat comfortably at home, enjoying a balanced meal of meat and vegetables. Zhang Hongmei slumped comfortably in her chair, rubbing her belly, her eyes half-closed in contentment. Zhang Shouyi, looking at the girl who resembled a well-behaved kitten, felt an itch to stroke her fur.

Wang Xiaoshun shattered the pleasant atmosphere, infuriating Zhang Shouyi who glared at him fiercely. Wang Xiaoshun was still completely baffled.

Meanwhile, Liu Maocai's home was in complete chaos.

After Liu Erya brought the meat back, she helped Li Cuihua set the table. The two children sat obediently on the bench and didn't try to sneak a bite.

Liu Daya knew that Er Ya and the others had returned, and she could smell the aroma of meat; they had brought it back. She quickly put on her shoes, got out of bed, and went straight into the house without paying any attention to her mother or sister.

Seeing the two little ones sitting obediently at the table, not eating first, she didn't stand on ceremony, sat down, picked up her chopsticks, and started eating without paying any attention to the children.

The two younger ones didn't dare say anything. But they didn't eat with their eldest sister either; they waited for their mother and second sister.

Li Cuihua watched her eldest daughter enter the house, her heart filled with mixed emotions. She felt both angry and resentful towards her. But when she herself entered the house carrying a bowl of porridge, she trembled with rage.

All I could see were the two younger children sitting on a stool watching their older daughter eat meat with gusto, their faces filled with longing.

Da Ya, however, completely ignored them and continued eating on her own.

Li Cuihua didn't want to be angry anymore; things were already as they were. There was no need for her to make things harder for herself.

He put down the porridge pot and served a bowl of porridge to the two little ones, saying, "Sanya, you and Shitou, eat quickly."

"Mom, let's eat together. We're waiting for you and Second Sister."

Li Cuihua was deeply moved. "Okay, your second sister will be here soon."

Liu Daya remained silent, continuing to eat on her own, rummaging through the food in the bowl with her chopsticks. Li Cuihua was furious. From a young age, she had taught her children not to rummage through the food or make smacking noises while eating.

Daya was perfectly fine when she was little, how did she turn out like this? "If you want to eat, then eat, don't rummage through things. Your younger siblings haven't eaten yet, how are they supposed to eat if you keep doing this?"

Liu Daya didn't even lift her eyelids, and continued to roll her eyes, saying sarcastically, "Eat it or don't, it's fine if you don't want to. It'll save you money."

Li Cuihua was furious and slammed a chopstick into Liu Daya's hand, yelling, "Get out of here! You have no manners at all!"

Liu Daya stood up angrily, threw her chopsticks on the ground, and said, "Fine, I'm leaving. You'll regret it later." She then stormed out, just in time to run into Liu Maocai, who was returning from dinner.

She stopped abruptly. She dared to argue with Li Cuihua, but in front of Liu Maocai, she was like a mouse seeing a cat, even though Liu Maocai had never laid a hand on her before today.

Li Cuihua and her three children rushed out, asking, "What's going on here?" Liu Maocai had come back because he was upset and had a toothache, and couldn't eat, only to see this.

No one spoke. The couple had a very good relationship, so they forced themselves to answer, "It's nothing, have you finished eating, honey?"

"Yes, my tooth hurts."

"Let's go eat." Li Cuihua tried to ease the tension, but some fools just wouldn't appreciate it.

"Dad, I've taken a liking to Comrade Zhang. Could you ask someone to put in a good word for me?"

Liu Erya was dumbfounded. She had met Zhang Shouyi a few times, and although they hadn't spoken much, she could tell he was a difficult person to get along with. How could her older sister have such an idea? A woman pursuing a man? How courageous!

After hearing Liu Daya's words, Liu Maocai did not get angry. Instead, he turned around and looked at her, saying, "If I were you, I would have stayed put long ago. It's embarrassing."

"How am I shameful? Men should marry when they are of age and women should marry when they are of age. I just like him. He's a million times better than the ones you all found for me."

"Heh, she is indeed a good person, but look at yourself, what makes you think you're good enough for her? If you can stay at home obediently, then we'll marry you off. But if you keep causing trouble and creating problems, then it'll be the same as last time—you're no longer a member of this family. This family can't tolerate you, and you'll have to leave."

Liu Daya burst into tears. "Am I not your biological daughter? Why do you look down on me like this?"

"I'd rather you weren't my daughter. Have you thought it through? Are you going to stay put or get out?"

Liu Daya was truly heartbroken and wanted to run away, but where could she go? There was a disaster going on, and she wasn't sure if she would survive if she went out. Yet, she was unwilling to accept that. Couldn't she just find someone she liked? How could someone's father belittle his daughter like that? It must be because he wasn't the village chief, and the man looked down on their family. That must be it.

Thinking of this, she glared hatefully at her family in the yard and ran into her house. Ever since Liu Jianguo went to work in the city, Er Ya and San Ya had moved in with Shi Tou. Now, only Liu Daya lived in this house.

Li Cuihua lost her appetite after the commotion, but the children were waiting for her. She had no choice but to call the three children inside to eat.

Liu Erya was unaffected. She'd be uneasy if her sister didn't get into some kind of trouble someday.

The two younger ones didn't mind either; they'd been craving meat for ages. Although their second sister would occasionally bring back rabbits or pheasants, those were all lean meat. It wasn't enough to satisfy their craving.

Li Cuihua watched as the three children ate with relish, without picking up a single piece of meat. It was Er Ya who couldn't bear to see this and picked up a piece for her. When the two younger children saw this, they also picked up meat for her.

There was still half a piece of meat left after we finished eating. Li Cuihua and Er Ya ate all the wild vegetables. We mainly wanted to have another meal that night, and we were letting the younger ones eat as much as they wanted.

Liu Erya refused Li Cuihua's offer to help her clean up the table, and after finishing by herself, she said goodbye and went to Zhang Hongmei's house.