Yang Xi walked into the yard, picked up the fattest chicken, and said, "Second Uncle, I went hunting in the mountains this morning and caught three pheasants. Two of them are still alive. I was planning to take them to you after I finished eating, but now that you're here, I'll just take them back with me."
Yang Gang refused, saying, "We have plenty of chickens at home, you can keep them for yourself."
"Uncle, we kept some for ourselves. My aunt has been unwell in recent years, so eating more pheasant and rabbit will be very beneficial to her health."
"These two aren't enough for you. If you're not going to eat them, then save them for Chenyu to nourish her body."
Yang Xi didn't allow Yang Gang to refuse and forced it into his hands, saying, "Ever since I moved in here, you and Auntie have always been bringing me this and that. If you don't take this pheasant back, how can I dare to accept anything from you again in the future?"
Yang Gang was speechless after hearing this. "Alright, I'll take it back. Your aunt will be happy to know. I'm leaving now, you guys eat your food."
When Yang Gang returned home, Chen Cuilan was busy in the kitchen preparing feed for the chickens and ducks, chopping up the leftover vegetables and rice bran, and pouring them into a hot pot. "Where have you been?"
"Where else can I go?" Yang Gang came in, glanced around, and pretended to be nonchalant.
Looking at his demeanor, Chen Cuilan curled her lip and said sarcastically, "Did you secretly give something to Yang Xi behind my back again?"
Yang Gang looked away guiltily, "Did I...?"
"No?" Chen Cuilan picked up the kitchen knife, pointed it at his face through the window, and scolded, "I just saw you come back with an empty basket. Which of the things you've done don't I know about?"
Yang Gang knew that nothing could escape Chen Cuilan's eyes, so he confessed everything honestly: "This child just moved out, and so much money was spent on tidying up. Where would there be any food at home? Besides, this morning the child went into the mountains and caught a pheasant. He was worried about your poor health, so he specially saved one for you to nourish your body."
Chen Cuilan was skeptical. "Really?"
Seeing Chen Cuilan's tone soften, Yang Gang instantly gained confidence and put on airs to put on a show of dominance: "Why would I lie to you! Come out and see for yourself!"
Chen Cuilan walked out of the kitchen and saw the wild pheasant in Yang Gang's hand. She instantly forgot about the vegetables and quickly snatched it, weighing it in her hand. "Wow, it's quite plump. It must weigh several pounds."
Taking the opportunity, Yang Gang questioned her, "Of course! Look at your face just now. Do you look like an elder? You said those things to him last night, and he wasn't angry at all. He still thinks of you. What a good kid he is."
Chen Cuilan realized what was happening, turned her back, grabbed a kitchen knife and started chopping vegetables, cursing, "I won't remember his good points. Marrying such a woman makes me angry. She's never lifted a finger, and the hard times are yet to come. Marrying Qingmei would be so much better. She's beautiful, capable, and I like her. Isn't she a hundred times better than that young lady?"
"Oh dear, this was an engagement arranged by her father with someone else, and she's now married into the family. We can't just stand by and watch her be sold to a brothel, can we? Besides, I think Chen Yu is quite nice. Maybe this ordeal will change her ways?"
"Come on, that's enough." Chen Cuilan treated it like a turtle chanting sutras, not listening to a single word.
After finishing her work, Chen Cuilan put the pheasant into the coop. She complained, but looking at the chicken that had been delivered, she was quite happy: "Let me raise it for a few days, then I'll slaughter it and call Yang Xi. We'll have another chicken meal." "Not bad." Yang Xi nodded, quickly finished a bowl of rice, and put down his chopsticks.
Seeing that the steamed egg custard hadn't been touched, and that these dishes were already devoid of oil and oil, and that they were only eating vegetables, Zhou Chenyu felt that his big frame wouldn't be full at all if they ate like this.
"Have you finished eating?" she asked.
"Hmm." Yang Xi didn't look at her directly, his eyes were fixed on the pheasant outside the door. He had forgotten to feed the chicken when he returned, so he got up, went into the house, grabbed a handful of millet and threw it on the ground.
The starving pheasant, upon seeing the food, immediately became fearless and darted over to peck at the grain.
Eating a meal and still having to work, doesn't this person need a break?
"Hey, I've come at just the right time. Are you having dinner?" Yang Gang carried a basket of vegetables and entered the yard without knocking.
"Second Uncle, what brings you here?" Yang Xi asked.
When Zhou Chenyu saw the visitor, he stood up politely and called out "Uncle" in the same way Yang Xi did. The old man's eyes narrowed into slits with joy when he heard this.
Yang Xi said, "Second Uncle, have you eaten? Sit down and have a bowl of rice before you leave?"
"No, no, I've already eaten." Yang Gang waved and went into the kitchen, taking out the vegetables from the basket. "Here are some freshly picked greens, with roots, they haven't been washed yet, I've put them in the kitchen for you."
Yang Gang, unable to bear Chen Cuilan's awkwardness any longer, shouted, "The pot's going to burn!"
After finishing the meal, Yang Xi took the initiative to collect the dishes and wash them. Zhou Chenyu saw that he washed them twice, and also washed the pot, cutting board and knife. The kitchen table was clean and tidy, which was not at all like what was said online, that most men don't care about work and that women have to clean up the mess.
Yang Xi cleaned up the pot, added water, and relit the fire.
Zhou Chenyu sat there like an old man waiting for his food. She walked into the kitchen and saw sweet potatoes in the corner. "By the way, do you know Sister Caihong? She gave me several sweet potatoes today. I don't know how to thank her."
Upon hearing this, Yang Xi came to his senses and said, "That's Brother Chen Wu's wife, and she's also from your Qingyun County. Brother Chen and I grew up together, and he and his wife are both very good people. His wife stays at home alone to take care of the children all year round. If you can't find anyone to talk to, you can go to their house and visit them more often."
Zhou Chenyu finally understood the reason. "Okay, I get it. We've already finished lunch, why are you still boiling water?"
Yang Xi glanced at the sky and pondered, "It's still far from dark. I'll boil some water and kill that lame pheasant first. Otherwise, by the time I come back from the mountains in the evening, it will be dark and there will be a lot of mosquitoes. If I kill it then, I don't know when I'll be able to eat dinner."
Do we have to go into the mountains again?
Zhou Chenyu didn't know what to say.
Yang Xi boiled water, carried it to the well, grabbed a pheasant, slit its throat, drained its blood, scalded it in boiling water, quickly peeled off all its feathers, then gutted it, leaving only the intestines, gizzard, and other internal organs. The series of movements were fluid and skillful.
After finishing this, Yang Xi picked up his machete and went out again, truly without a moment's rest.
Zhou Chenyu was bored at home. After cooking, she felt a smell of cooking oil on her clothes, so she changed her clothes, picked up the muddy vegetables from the kitchen, and prepared to go to the stream to wash them.
Who knew that he would run into Chen Cuilan on his way out? His luck was truly unbelievable.
Thinking of not offending anyone, Zhou Chenyu stopped and obediently called her "Auntie".
But Chen Cuilan didn't even glance at her, picked up her hoe and walked away. Her companions turned back to look at Zhou Chenyu and joked, "This little girl is quite efficient at her work."
Chen Cuilan retorted, "This isn't what you call being efficient; she's just desperate and has no other choice. Believe me, the day she becomes successful, she'll definitely kick us to the curb."
Zhou Chenyu overheard part of their conversation but was unable to refute it. Looking at this small village, she wondered who the people who came to pick her up were and when they would arrive.
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