Spicy Stir-Fried Wild Chicken

"Mm." Gu Si had a serious face, his jaw tense, still as quiet as ever.

Du Yueyao didn't want to embarrass herself, so she turned and went inside to comfort the two children.

When she came back out, Gu Si had already plucked the wild chicken, cleaned its entrails, and chopped the meat into even pieces.

Du Yueyao was spared a lot of work, only needing to cook. She took the chicken meat, and while Gu Si wasn't paying attention, she secretly took seasonings from her space to marinate the meat. With practiced movements, a plate of spicy stir-fried chicken was quickly prepared.

Since it was during the late autumn heatwave, Du Yueyao made two refreshing cold salads and cooked a large pot of rice.

Just then, the noisy chatter of villagers returning from work echoed outside. After a busy afternoon in the fields, everyone caught the scent of meat and began gossiping.

"Whose house is cooking meat? Their skills are truly great."

"This chicken aroma... Once the autumn harvest is over, I must also go up the mountain to catch one to nourish my wife..."

Once the chicken was cooked, Du Yueyao scooped a bowl and handed it to Gu Yingming.

"Xiao Ming, take this bowl of meat to Grandpa and Grandma. Tell them it's to show respect. Come back to eat after you deliver it."

Xiao Ming and Xiao Han had smelled the fragrant chicken long ago, their eyes glued to the kitchen. Hearing that they could eat once the meat was delivered, Gu Yingming immediately hugged the bowl and ran off.

At the neighboring Gu family home.

As soon as she got home, Qiu Mei started preparing dinner.

The family's dinner consisted of only a handful of boiled, dark wild vegetables mixed with a bit of salt, eaten with coarse cornbread and a few withered pickled vegetables.

"Mom, I'm not eating this! I want meat!"

Qiu Mei's only son, Gu Yaozu, screamed loudly.

He had smelled the meat from afar and thought his own house was cooking it, so he had rushed back.

Unexpectedly, it was still cornbread and wild vegetables.

"Be good and eat some eggs. If you want meat, wait until after the harvest, and I'll have your father buy half a pound." Qiu Mei lovingly stroked her chubby son's cheek.

"I don't care! I want to eat it now! Mom, go next door and snatch the meat for me!" Gu Yaozu crossed his arms and ordered.

"Oh, my little ancestor, what nonsense are you talking!" Qiu Mei hurriedly stepped forward to cover her son's mouth.

Every time before going to work, Gu Si would prepare meals for the twins, which always included delicious food.

Qiu Mei and Gu Yaozu had taken advantage of Gu Si's absence to sneak next door and steal food many times.

Afterward, they even threatened the twins that if they dared to speak of it, Du Yueyao would sell them off.

Although the two children were smart, they were only four years old. Coupled with the fact that Du Yueyao used to beat and scold them frequently, they were completely terrified by Qiu Mei's threats.

But this matter absolutely could not be known by the rest of the Gu family.

Qiu Mei guiltily looked around, seeing that her parents-in-law hadn't heard, and her sister-in-law Gu Wan was also far away.

She breathed a sigh of relief, but as she turned around, she bumped straight into Da Ya.

Qiu Mei shrieked, clumsily pushing Da Ya backward.

"You wretched girl, walking without making a sound, are you trying to scare me to death!" Da Ya's frail body was pushed back a meter by Qiu Mei.

Her elbow scraped against the ground, instantly tearing the skin and bleeding profusely, looking quite dreadful.

Grandpa Gu heard the commotion and rushed over. He painfully helped Da Ya up, then turned to yell at Qiu Mei, "Eldest Daughter-in-law, what are you doing!"

*Daring to strike a child right in front of him, who knows what she does behind his back!*

Grandpa Gu was not like Grandma Gu, who favored boys over girls; in his eyes, Da Ya was no different from a grandson.

Qiu Mei was only stunned for a moment before immediately reacting.

"What is that girl pretending for? I only bumped her lightly!"

Da Ya's elbow was bleeding heavily, yet the little girl still didn't dare to make a single sound.

Experience from childhood had taught her that the more she cried, the harder she would be beaten.

Grandpa Gu led Da Ya to wash the dirt from her wound, then went into the kitchen to find a piece of cloth to bandage and stop the bleeding.

"Tell Grandpa, what did you see just now?"

Grandpa Gu was not stupid. Qiu Mei's panicked reaction earlier was too obvious; he knew all about the things this woman did.

Da Ya bit her lip tightly, not daring to speak.

Her mother had always told her that since she was living under the eldest uncle's roof, she must absolutely not cause trouble.

She parted her lips for a long time, finally whispering, "Grandpa, I just tripped on my own..."

Grandpa Gu sighed, knowing what she was afraid of in her heart.