A Bold Decision

Even in the apocalypse, food was hard to swallow and full of pollution, but at least no one had to suffer from hunger to this extent.

Picking up the basket, Yu Li looked at her three younger sisters and said, "Let's go, we'll go cook some chicken eggs to eat."

The three sisters were all stunned, but seeing their eldest sister walk out the door, they also unconsciously followed. Upon reaching the kitchen, the three sisters finally reacted.

"Eldest Sister, that won't do..." Yu Yin worried, her voice soft. "If Grandmother finds out, she'll be very angry." The girl was the most timid, always fearful when facing Old Madam Yu. That fear made her hesitant, worried that if discovered, the sisters would be scolded or even beaten.

Yu Zhou's eyes were wide, intently staring at the basket of chicken eggs, her saliva almost drooling. "Eldest Sister, I want to eat chicken eggs..."

Yu Jin was also a little scared at first, but when she saw Yu Li unhesitatingly put all the chicken eggs from the basket into the pot, add water, and start a fire to cook them, she gritted her teeth.

"What's there to be afraid of!" She turned to scold her third sister. "We just need not to tell Grandmother." At this moment, there were only the four sisters at home; everyone else was out working. Even Old Madam Yu wouldn't sit still; she wouldn't stay home all day. Even if the sisters cooked and ate the eggs, she wouldn't know, because she had no idea how many chicken eggs their eldest sister brought back as dowry gifts.

After starting the fire, Yu Li asked, "Why would Grandmother be angry?"

"Because we cooked chicken eggs..."

"But these chicken eggs are what I brought back!" Yu Li told her sisters. "These are my things; what does it have to do with her?"

Hearing this, the three sisters all looked at her, their faces filled with astonishment. In their hearts, even if it was their eldest sister's dowry gifts, they had to be handed over to the common household; it had nothing to do with the Second Branch, much less with the three younger sisters. Although they craved them, they dared not secretly eat them.

"But... if Grandmother finds out..." Yu Yin said hesitantly.

Yu Li calmly replied, "Let her know. Anyway, whether she knows or not, she likes to scold people." In Yu Li's memory, Old Madam Yu was someone who loved to scold, sometimes even Old Master Yu was scolded. The only ones rarely scolded were Eldest Master Yu and his two sons studying in the county town—Yu Jing De and Yu Jing Li.

The three sisters were all stunned, staring blankly at Yu Li, seemingly not expecting her to say such a thing. Before, Yu Li was a quiet and reticent person, like an invisible presence in the house, only knowing how to work in silence. Even with her younger sisters, she didn't speak much. She, like Madam Liu, preferred silence; the immense pressure of life had long stripped them of their words and vitality.

After a long while, Yu Jin hesitated and said, "Eldest Sister, you..."

Yu Li calmly looked at her.

Yu Jin bit her lip, then suddenly said with determination, "Eldest Sister is right. At most, we'll get a scolding from Grandmother. We've already eaten them; can we spit them back out?" Seeing both her older sisters say so, Yu Yin, though still scared, also decided to comply. As for Yu Zhou, at this moment, her mind was only on the chicken eggs; she didn't think much at all.

The chicken eggs were quickly cooked. Yu Li scooped out the eggs, placed them in a bowl, and then took them back to the room with her sisters to eat. When the eggs had cooled down a bit, Yu Li gave each of her sisters one. The freshly cooked eggs were still warm. When peeled, the tender, glossy egg white appeared. Taking a bite, the distinct flavor of chicken egg immediately spread in their mouths; this feeling of happiness was truly indescribable.

Cooking chicken eggs was a luxury the sisters rarely experienced. In their memories, only when they were sick, and Madam Liu begged Old Madam Yu, would they be allowed to cook one chicken egg for nourishment. Because of this, there were times when Yu Li and her sisters even wished they would get sick, for then they would get to eat chicken eggs. But illness was truly uncomfortable, and Old Madam Yu would absolutely never invite a doctor for her granddaughters. She would only use folk remedies, picking a few herbs from around the fields, boiling them into a drink for them, and then waiting for them to sweat, considering the treatment done.