Tao Wanniang stared at the villagers, exchanging bewildered glances. The original owner of this body had committed many sins, offending everyone in the village, and the atmosphere became somewhat awkward.

"Second Uncle, what are you all doing here? Didn't the villagers all leave together back then? Are there only a few of you left?" Ling Dahu had already set up the pot and was very happy to see so many familiar faces.

"It's a long story. Sigh, this road is not easy to travel. Do you still remember your Uncle Cai and Aunt Cai? They've passed away!"

"Huh? What about their child?" Ling Dapeng asked in surprise. "His kid is about the same age as our Er Gou, right?"

"We gave it away. We can't raise it ourselves, so we can only give it to a childless farming family in Ping'an Town."

Tao Wanniang originally intended to fry eggs, but with so many people joining, she simply cooked rice instead. Look at these skinny people, they can still enjoy rice!

Listening to her son and daughter-in-law talking to the villagers, she felt somewhat bored. To be honest, the original owner of this body had no choice. Back then, when she was raising two children alone, everyone in the village wanted to match her up with other bachelors.

However, the original owner held onto the belief that her man would return one day, and rejected all kinds of harassment, both overt and covert. She argued with those who tried to match her up using the most sarcastic and cutting words, and cursed away all the men who had designs on her, like a street brawler. Over time, the original owner became that kind of person!

"We are among the few remaining people in the village, and we don't know where to go. What about you?"

The one who spoke was an elder in the village, someone even Tao Wan's mother had to call "uncle".

“Uncle, we’re preparing to go to the capital. Mother said so,” Ling Dapeng said bluntly.

Tao Wan's mother, who was quietly cooking, suddenly received many questioning glances. She cursed inwardly, thinking that her son was always causing her trouble.

“Yes, we’re going to the capital. How can a person not have lofty ambitions? The world is so vast, and the richest place is definitely under the emperor’s nose. So, I’m planning to take my family to the capital.” Tao Wanniang spoke with boundless ambition.

“Tao, you should be down-to-earth. How could you lead Hu Zi and Peng Zi astray like this?” Uncle Ling looked at Tao Wan Niang with disapproval, speaking in the tone of an elder.

"Tiger and Pengzi are both people the villagers watched grow up. They are the most honest and reliable. You can't be like this. Why don't you come with us?"

No, a group of people who are starving and freezing told her no!

Tao Wanniang laughed in anger, her eyes sweeping across the room with a mocking gaze.

"Uncle, you're saying I'm not good enough? Look at what you're wearing, and then look at what my son, daughter-in-law, grandson, and granddaughter are wearing; how dare you tell me I'm not good enough?"

"Ask my son and daughter-in-law, who made sure they were well-fed?"

"Look at yourselves, how long has it been since you had a full stomach? Your clothes are so tattered they can't be patched anymore, how many coins do you have left? Oh my, these are supposed to be brothers and sisters, all thin and frail, how come they're as thin as sticks?"

As soon as Tao Wanniang opened her mouth, the faces of everyone in Lingjia Village burned with embarrassment. Coupled with the aroma of rice wafting from the pot and their stomachs rumbling in agreement, the scene was truly awkward.

Tao Wanniang wasn't embarrassed; she smiled smugly.

"I'm the kind of person who doesn't hold grudges against petty people. We're all from the same village. Seeing how thin and pale you all look, my family and I can't just eat alone. So, later, remember to take some rice from the pot."

"You two, serve the rice porridge first. Er Gou, are you drooling? Grandma saw you drooling!" Tao Wanniang said to Zhou Xiaoyun with a forced smile.

Zhou Xiaoyun felt a sudden tightness in her chest; her mother-in-law's smile was somewhat eerie.

As outsiders, Bai Yumei and Xiao Qiao'er stood quietly to the side, not interrupting.

Upon hearing Tao Wanniang say that everyone would get a share of food, Uncle Ling's expression changed repeatedly.

"Tao, you...you're actually quite good!"

Tao Wanniang burst out laughing, and seeing Uncle Ling's face turn red, she waved her hand magnanimously.

"Uncle, you don't need to praise me just because I gave you some food. We're all from the same village, everyone knows each other."

"Big Tiger, Big Roc, cut the bamboo for me. Remember to leave a section. There probably won't be enough food in the nest, so I'll make bamboo rice for you again!"

Tao Wan's mother, with the air of a victor, instructed her son to do things.

"Tao, you seem to be doing quite well. Why are you going to the capital again?" In the awkward atmosphere, Ling Yangshi, a woman from the village who was about the same age as Tao Wanniang, asked.

"We rented a two-courtyard house in Shanhai Prefecture before, but unfortunately something happened and we had to leave," Tao Wanniang said, half-truthfully and half-revealingly.

A house with two courtyards, that must be huge!

The people of Lingjia Village were all a little envious when they heard this.

"Tao family, you've... found a way to make a living?" Ling Yang asked cautiously.

"I used to run a wonton shop, but it got smashed up later," Tao Wanniang said casually. "I only made about 100 cents a day!"

These casual words caused the people from Lingjia Village to gasp in surprise.

"How could it have been vandalized?" Uncle Ling said, heartbroken, as if the shop were his own. "Tao, is it because you've acted dishonestly and offended someone?"

"Heh, maybe!" Tao Wanniang wasn't angry. "They smashed up the wonton shop and gave us about ten taels of silver as compensation."

Ten taels! For the people of Lingjia Village, whose combined total didn't even amount to ten taels, hearing this made them feel strangely uneasy, and they looked at Tao Wan's mother with inexplicable envy.

"Oh, there are so many people! Look how many of us there are, big and small, all needing money. Oh, the children are growing, they can't go hungry!"

Watching the two little babies drinking rice porridge, the others swallowed hard. Tao was so good to the children; it was like she had changed her personality!

"Mother, the bamboo tubes are all ready." The Ling brothers came to tell Tao Wan's mother as soon as they finished their work.

"Alright, you two keep the uncles company and chat with them. Yu Mei, Xiao Qiao, come on, let's fill the bamboo tubes!"

The people of Lingjia Village stared wide-eyed as Tao Wanniang took out rice again; how much grain did they have!

Soon, the people of Lingjia Village no longer cared about Tao Wanniang; the food in the big pot was ready, and everyone was able to get a bite.

Seeing how much the villagers were craving the food, Ling Dahu and Ling Dapeng felt embarrassed to serve themselves.

"Mother, there's nothing left for us to eat over there!" Ling Dahu whispered in Tao Wan's mother's ear.

"Mom, I'm hungry too!" Ling Dapeng said, sounding aggrieved, not to mention his wife and children following behind them.

Tao Wanniang chuckled, glanced at the villagers, and said, "Once you've eaten her food, you can get lost. Don't think she'll take care of you meal after meal!"

"Everything is prepared for you, just wait!"