Ling Dapeng was still asleep, but Wang Hongyu and Zhou Xiaoyun were woken up by the noise.
"Wolf!" Wang Hongyu cried out sharply, startled.
At the same time, it was also an instinct to hug the two children, Gouwa and Huani, into his arms.
"Awooo~" the lone wolf howled, scratching its front paws, looking like it was about to pounce.
"So noisy~"
Ling Dapeng touched his face, muttered something, and rolled over.
Zhou Xiaoyun kicked Ling Dapeng hard in anger, and was trembling as she held the child.
"Awooo!" The lone wolf howled and pounced.
Tao Wanniang was the first to be attacked. She knelt down, looked up, and slashed the wolf's belly with the kitchen knife in her hand.
Ling Dapeng, wielding the carrying pole, slammed it down on the wolf's head with all his might.
Even Wang Hongyu and Zhou Xiaoyun just picked up stones and threw them at the wolves.
Ling Dapeng finally woke up belatedly. Seeing the wolf still struggling on the ground, he quickly scrambled to his feet.
"Wolves, wolves, how can there be wolves!"
Tao Wanniang held her sprained back, gritting her teeth in pain.
But fearing a last-ditch counterattack from the wolf, he endured it and went forward to deliver the final blows.
"Ling Dapeng, are you a dead man? I can't wake you up, I can't kick you awake. Do you dream of gold?"
After Tao Wanniang finished off the culprit, she put one hand on her waist, held the kitchen knife in the other, pointed at Ling Dapeng, and started cursing.
"If it weren't for me, you wouldn't even know your necks were bitten off by wolves, and you wouldn't even know your three little babies were carried off by wolves and made into food! You... oh my... you're making me so angry!"
"Mother, what's wrong?"
Ling Dahu asked weakly.
The image of the Taowan woman wielding a kitchen knife to kill a wolf was terrifying.
"What's wrong? What's wrong? Did you hurt your back? I must have had eight lifetimes of bad luck to have given birth to you two sons!"
"What's wrong with this world? Why should an old woman like me have to protect you young people?"
Tao Wanniang said bitterly.
This body is in such bad shape! It strained its back just by bending over backwards. What a disaster!
The Ling brothers, who were severely scolded, were genuinely ashamed.
Isn't it shameful? Two grown men, not even as brave as their mothers.
"Mom, how about I rub it for you?"
Ling Dapeng said in a simple and honest way.
"With your silly, clueless look, I'm afraid you'll break my old back."
Tao Wanniang said with disgust.
Don't joke around, even a middle-aged woman's waist isn't something a rough guy like Ling Dapeng can touch.
"Wang Hongyu, Zhou Xiaoyun, you two take turns massaging me. What, you're still not happy? If it weren't for me, would your babies have survived?"
The two daughters-in-law each held their crying children, still feeling terrified, but they complied with Tao Wan's mother's request.
If it weren't for Tao Wanniang, this whole family would have perished here!
The three little ones woke up with a start, but then fell asleep again.
The Ling brothers performed some basic procedures on the wolf's carcass.
Tao Wan's mother lay on the cart, and her two wives took turns massaging her back. Dawn was breaking.
Given the current situation, it would be best to set off as soon as it was light. Urged on by Tao Wan's mother, the family immediately set off.
At midday, when the sun was at its strongest, Tao Wanniang and her party found a dilapidated thatched hut to stay in.
"You guys, make a fire, I want to roast wolf meat!"
Tao Wanniang called out, supporting her back.
My two daughters-in-law have quite a strong grip, so my back doesn't hurt as much anymore.
Ling Dahu hung the wolf skin to dry in the sun. Seeing Tao Wan's mother pulling up withered grass by the roadside, he asked curiously, "Mother, if you're going to roast meat, why are you picking this?"
Tao Wanniang was too lazy to pay him any attention.
If she hadn't been so knowledgeable, she wouldn't have noticed the withered plant by the roadside, cumin, which is what we now call cumin.
"Brother, what's wrong with Mother? Didn't she hurt her back? Why does she seem to be having mental problems too..."
Ling Dahu whispered to Ling Dapeng:
"These grasses are all withered and dead, why are you digging them up, Mother?"
Ling Dapeng looked at it, shook his head, and enthusiastically chopped the wolf meat into pieces.
"Brother, don't worry about it, we're just glad we have meat to eat."
"Ah, if only it still had salt."
Ling Dahu smacked his lips. "The meat would be even more delicious with salt."
Soon, the fire stand was set up, and Ling Dahu was about to put the pot on it when Tao Wanniang stopped him.
"What are you doing? Don't you know what barbecue is? I'll skewer the meat, put it on the fire, and grill it until it sizzles and drips with oil. Then I'll sprinkle some cumin on it, and I guarantee you'll drool just from the smell."
"Mom, what is cumin? I've never heard of it."
Ling Dahu asked, puzzled, "You never told us this before, did Father tell us this too?"
"Heh~" Tao Wanniang chuckled, her eyes sweeping over her son and daughter-in-law, which made Ling Dahu shrink back and dare not utter a sound.
Zhao Dapeng deftly followed Tao Wanniang's instructions and placed the meat pieces on the fire to roast.
"Come on, fan me."
Tao Wanniang sat down in front of the fire, glanced sideways, and spoke in a commanding tone.
Ling Dahu immediately took the palm-leaf fan and fanned Tao Wanniang, not daring to utter a single word of objection.
"Distribute the water in my kettle among yourselves. First, feed the children some steamed buns, and you should also eat something to fill your stomachs. In this hot weather, meat will spoil very quickly, so eat as much as you can. Make the rest into jerky, understand?"
"Yes, Mother!"
The Ling brothers and their respective wives immediately responded.
The moment the Taowan woman sprinkled cumin on the meat, a unique aroma filled the air with a sizzling sound.
"Gurgle, gurgle~" Ling Dahu's stomach growled loudly.
Tao Wanniang glanced at Ling Dahu with disdain.
It's really big and has a big appetite. Didn't it just eat steamed buns this morning?
"Hehe, Mom, what's this? It smells so good!"
"That grass is called 'kuming', and its seeds are cumin. Doesn't it look like an empty rice stalk?"
Despite her initial disapproval, Tao Wanniang still offered an explanation.
“I haven’t seen this much on a regular basis. I didn’t expect there to be such a treasure here. If you see it again in the future, please pack it up. We’ll need it someday.”
The unique aroma of the meat whetted everyone's appetite.
After more than a year, they finally got to eat meat again!
Although the meat was tough and dry, it was meat to the Ling family!
Tao Wanniang managed to eat a little, but couldn't eat anymore.
Ugh, without salt, cooking wine, or chili powder, this kind of grilled meat is just not flavorful at all.
She glanced disdainfully at the four members of the Ling family who were practically wolfing down their food, smacked her lips, and thought, "They really look... pathetic."
"Grandma..." The skinny, dark-skinned Gouwazi held a small piece of meat in his hand, eating it while giving Taowan's mother the purest smile.
"Grandma is amazing! Thank you, Grandma!"
Tao Wanniang felt as if her heart had been violently struck.
Gouwazi is three years old and already knows a few things. He is usually quite afraid of his grandma.
It's really touching to hear you call her that so proactively now.
"Grandma~ Grandma~" One-year-old Huani'er can't eat meat very well yet, but she is imitating her brother and grinning at Tao Wan's mother.
Tao Wan's expression of disdain faded, and she waved to the two children:
"My two little ones, Grandma will make sure you eat and drink well from now on, so grow up healthy and strong!"
There was also a little grandson, whom Zhou Xiaoyun was carrying on her back. After hearing Tao Wanniang's words, Zhou Xiaoyun looked over, her expression somewhat complicated.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com