He didn't plan to search, because the steward Wang that Yan Xia mentioned was the head steward of the Wang family mansion. The elder brother of the Wang family's wife was a fifth-rank official in the imperial court, and even their county magistrate had to curry favor with him. How could he dare to investigate?
“Bold peasant woman, is it true that the silver was stolen, or are you just trying to frame someone else? I suspect you are defaming someone. Come with us to the county government.”
The head constable drew his sword.
He angrily rebuked the Chen family mother-in-law and daughter-in-law in a stern voice.
The two of them were so frightened that they trembled like leaves.
They did indeed lie about the stolen silver.
Actually, it was only a little over thirty taels.
But they didn't want to go to jail either; they'd heard that if they went there, they'd be half dead.
"Old woman, I may have misremembered, sir. We don't want this money anymore. We won't go to the county office. Just pretend I didn't report this to the authorities today."
Chen Li was so frightened that she shrank behind Zhu Xiaohua.
Trembling repeatedly.
He can't even speak fluently.
"snort--"
"Seeing that you are old, I will let this matter rest for today. If there is a next time, I will take you straight back to the county office—"
The head constable sheathed his sword and glared at the group of men.
He left with his men.
Until his figure disappeared from everyone's sight.
Chen Li-shi finally breathed a sigh of relief.
"Mother, how can you say we didn't lose any money? What are we going to do with it? Where are we going to look for it?"
Zhu Xiaohua never expected that her usually fierce mother-in-law would become so timid when faced with government officials.
They didn't even want the money anymore.
"Go ahead if you want, but how dare anyone enter the county government office? You'll lose your life if you go there. Do you want money or your life?"
Chen Li was also a little embarrassed, so she turned around and went home.
Zhu Xiaohua was left behind and pointed at by onlookers.
Yan Xia patted Zhao Dali on the shoulder, telling him to drive away.
The show's over, what's the point of staying here?
Back home.
She saw Jinlu looking at her with a pleading expression, as if he wanted praise.
"Mother, I have done everything you asked me to do."
After saying that, he led her to the backyard.
There was a large basin there, containing the wood ash that Yan Xia had requested, soaked in water.
Yan Xia looked down.
The wood ash has settled to the bottom.
Separate from water.
What remains on top is the clear liquid, commonly known as edible alkali.
It can be used as a substitute for baking soda.
"Well done, big boy! You'll get a chicken leg as a reward today!"
Yan Xia bought a big rooster and planned to stew it.
The family's children are all physically weak due to years of malnutrition and can only be nourished by diet.
So whenever she comes back from town, she buys some meat and vegetables.
Yesterday it was pork, today it's chicken.
"Jinfu, go kill the chicken. Lamei, boil some water and take it to your older brother to scald the chicken feathers. Remember to pluck them clean. Today, Mom will make you a big rooster stew in an iron pot—"
Amidst the laughter and chatter of the courtyard, Jin Fu plucked the last feather from the rooster's body.
He poured a basin of clean water, washing away the rooster's dirt and grime, and in doing so, he also washed away the gloom in his heart.
It's as if the hard times I spent in the Chen family years are long gone.
It's no longer clear.
Yan Xia was unaware of her eldest son's emotions; she hadn't taken the little incident that had just happened at the Chen family seriously.
Fortunately, she didn't spend the money she stole from the Chen family.
She's so clever...
With her thoughts drawn closer, Yan Xia added a spoonful of lard to the pot.
The hot pan quickly melted the slightly solidified lard.
Add scallions, ginger, garlic, and chili peppers while the mixture is still hot and sauté until fragrant.
Then add the chopped rooster and stir-fry until the chicken pieces turn golden brown. Add water, potatoes, and various seasonings, cover the pot, and simmer for 40 minutes.
Rooster meat is tough.
It needs to be simmered for a while longer.
During this time, Yan Xia rolled out a few cornbreads and stuck them on the iron pan.
She'd been craving this for a long time.
When I was little, my grandma would make this dish for me every Chinese New Year, but ever since I ran away from my parents' house...
Yan Xia never ate anything good again.
To save money, she used the supermarket as her canteen.
They often eat cheap instant noodles with rice.
Unexpectedly, after transmigrating into the body of a widow, she was able to fulfill her dream of indulging in lavish feasts.
The weather had become hot and dry. The gate to the courtyard was wide open, and the family sat around in the courtyard after preparing the meal.
A breeze swept across her face as Yan Xia grabbed a cornbread in one hand and a piece of fragrant stewed chicken with the other, stuffing it into her mouth.
The rooster meat was both firm and a bit dry.
It has a pleasant, lingering flavor and a particularly chewy texture.
The children at the table all wore satisfied smiles as they devoured the stewed rooster in the iron pot. Then, they divided the tasks of washing the dishes and cleaning up the trash.
Yan Xia strolled out for a walk; she had eaten too much today and needed to digest.
I had planned to visit Sister Zhao's house and chat with her, but I unexpectedly bumped into a familiar stranger.
It was the original owner's biological mother, Sun Yingyun. She was carrying a bamboo basket, which looked like it contained bitter greens.
Sun Yingyun stood there dumbfounded when he saw Yan Xia.
However, Yan Xia didn't even glance at her.
We brushed past each other.
Like parallel lines that will never intersect.
Only after Yan Xia's figure gradually disappeared into the distance did Sun Yingyun lift his foot and head home.
He walked with a limp, as if his body was overwhelmed.
"Grandma, why are you taking so long to dig for wild vegetables? Hongtian and Hongying are starving."
Yan Chun's eldest daughter-in-law, Xu Xiangxiang, took the bamboo basket with a look of impatience.
She gave birth to two sons, who were also the only two great-grandsons in the Yan family. She was incredibly proud of herself. Meanwhile, Sun Yingyun seemed to have developed dementia after accepting her fate, living a muddled life and never taking care of anything.
Yan Chun's wife, Zhang San Niang, who is also Xu Xiangxiang's mother-in-law, is extremely weak.
Therefore, in the Yan family, except for major events, Xu Xiangxiang basically has the final say.
If she spoke to her elders in any other family, she would have been slapped long ago.
Keyan's family seemed to be used to it.
He didn't even lift his head.
"Spring, how has your sister been all these years?"
Sun Yingyun, who hadn't spoken a word for several days, spoke up today.
He immediately inquired about Yan Xia.
"She's doing quite well. She divorced Chen Shouguo and I heard she picked up some wild game and sold it for a lot of money. She used the money to marry her eldest son to Shi Xiaohe from our village. She also built a new house in the mountains. She's living a better life than us."
After his younger sister got married, he went to her to borrow money, but his father beat him severely, and they never spoke to each other again.
His father warned that if he disturbed Yan Xia...
So they killed him.
“But our family is having a hard time. Tomorrow you go to her house to catch up, I won’t go. Tell her not to forget her roots, she’s a member of the Yan family!”
Sun Yingyun's eyes, which were covered with crow's feet, suddenly became bright and alert.
"Mom, keep your voice down, or Dad will beat me again."
Yan Chun, who had been beaten by his own father since he was a child, had psychological trauma. Now that he was a grandson, if he were to be beaten by his father again, how could he face his daughter-in-law?
After saying that, he cautiously peered into the main room.
Seeing that there was no sound inside, they breathed a sigh of relief.
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