Chapter 13: By What Right

Soon, the water was about to boil.

Old Ji and his three sons brought the wild boar to the pot, starting to scald the pig’s hair with boiling water before using a dull knife to scrape it clean.

After the wild boar was thoroughly cleaned, Old Ji sharpened a knife to a fine point.

The eldest son of the Ji family used the sharp knife to open the belly of the wild boar.

After removing the intestines, Hu Zhaodi eagerly brought over a basin, asking the eldest son to cut a large piece of meat to put in it.

Looking at the big chunk of meat placed in the basin, Hu Zhaodi said, “Brother Ji, can I have another piece? This isn’t enough; we’re going to feast tonight!”

The eldest son was momentarily taken aback, then smiled and cut off another large piece of meat to add to Hu Zhaodi’s basin.

After bringing the big basin of meat back into the house, Hu Zhaodi instructed the wife of the third brother to cut the meat into thick pieces the size of a palm for marinating later.

As she watched Brother Ji bring in the ribs, Hu Zhaodi said to Ji wife, “Sister, can peel some bamboo sticks, a lot please. I’m going to stew a pot of ribs so we can have rib soup later.”

“Zhaodi, let me stew it! You keep peeling the bamboo sticks.”

“Alright, but you need to chop the ribs into small sections to make a big pot. Otherwise, it won’t be enough to eat.”

“Sure,” She nodded in agreement and got up to chop the ribs for the soup.

Old Ji, along with his three sons, was busy processing the wild boar meat, while Hu Zhaodi and Aunt Ji went to cut bamboo, guiding the children of the Ji family to peel the bamboo into long flat sticks.

After the meat was cut, Hu Zhaodi secretly took out some seasonings from her space to marinate the meat, then continued peeling the bamboo sticks.

After she finished with the bamboo sticks, Hu Zhaodi took the women and children of the Ji family to thread the meat onto the sticks.

As dinner time approached, several families in the village with a bit more wealth came to buy some wild boar meat, leaving plenty still remaining.

The rib soup was both nutritious and delicious, and the rich aroma of meat wafted from the pot.

Several children gathered eagerly around the pot of stewing ribs, inhaling the meaty scent that floated out, nearly drooling with anticipation.

In an era of scarcity, the villagers rarely had the opportunity to enjoy a meal of meat.

Villagers living near the Ji family looked on with envy, secretly admiring the Ji family’s good fortune; they had just brought Hu Zhaodi back yesterday and were already enjoying meat today.

Had they known this girl could hunt wild boar, they would have insisted on bringing Hu Zhaodi home yesterday.

Alas! Now they could only envy, and even if they wanted to buy some meat to satisfy their cravings, their pockets were emptier than their faces.

Aunt Ji didn’t cook porridge but instead made some wild vegetable pancakes.

After the ribs were stewed, the whole family took a wild vegetable pancake and finished it off with a bowl of rib soup.

Hu Zhaodi said, “Everyone, don’t eat too much; we’ll have grilled meat later. Tonight, we’re feasting!”

When the children from the Ji family heard this, they put down their bowls, wanting to save room for the grilled meat.

After drinking a bowl of rib soup, Hu Zhaodi and the women of the Ji family formed a circle with stones in the yard, taking the charcoal from the pit and placing it inside the stone circle to rekindle the fire.

As the flames settled, they gathered around the fire pit, holding bamboo sticks and beginning to roast the wild boar meat, laughter and cheers echoing throughout the Ji family courtyard.

Before long, the wild boar meat began to sizzle and release oil, its delicious aroma wafting into the air.

In a time when people often went hungry, the villagers’ noses were sharper than those of dogs.

The enticing smell of roasted meat quickly attracted nearby villagers.

When they saw the warm and lively scene in the Ji family’s courtyard, they were all taken aback.

But when thet saw the entire Ji family gathered around the fire pit roasting meat, with a basin of uncooked meat nearby, she couldn’t help but swallow hard. 

Heavens! 

To roast such a large basin of meat and eat it just like that—wasn’t that wasteful? 

If this were any other family, that big basin of meat would be marinated and preserved as cured meat, enough to last them for half a year. 

Hu Zhaodi was someone who appreciated gratitude and kindness. Seeing the nearby villagers gather, she invited those who had often helped the original owner to join in the roasting. 

However, those who usually got close to the Hu family and often spoke ill of the original owner didn’t even get a glance from Hu Zhaodi. 

The uninvited ones were filled with envy, jealousy, and resentment, and some even hurried to Hu’s house to gossip with Yang. 

When Yang heard that Hu Zhaodi had hunted a wild boar and was roasting it with the Ji family, jealousy made her lose her senses. 

“What did you say? That little wretch brought a wild boar to the Ji family? How outrageous! The Hu family has raised her for so many years, and I can’t believe she’s turned into such an ingrate. I’m going to settle this with her right now.” 

Saying this, Yang called over Hu Dashan, holding the bamboo stick she usually used to hit Hu Zhaodi, and angrily headed to the Ji family’s house. 

As Hu Dashan was pulled out of the small courtyard by Yang, he asked, “Mom, where are you taking me?” 

Yang, with a twisted expression, replied, “To find that little ingrate. She actually brought a wild boar to the Ji family to eat roasted meat.” 

Hu Dashan stopped in his tracks, saying, “Mom, don’t forget that little ingrate has already cut ties with us. Are we really going to confront her?” 

Yang was taken aback and could no longer move forward. 

At that moment, the enormous toddler Hu Yaozu waddled over, his body jiggling with fat, and exclaimed, “Grandma, I want to eat meat! I want to eat roasted meat!” 

In front of her eldest grandson, Yang was like a foolishly doting grandparent. If her grandson wanted to eat roasted meat, she would do everything in her power to satisfy his wishes. 

“Alright, alright! If Yaozu wants to eat roasted meat, Grandma will go get it for you right now.” 

If she asked Hu Zhaodi for roasted meat, she would definitely be refused. But now that she had silver, how could Hu Zhaodi not sell it to her? 

Holding the purse strings at home, Yang was usually the one to buy things in the county, and she knew very well that wild boar meat was cheaper than domesticated meat. 

So, Yang returned to her room, took a few coins, and headed towards the Ji family. 

When she saw the scene in the Ji family’s courtyard and the large basin of uncooked meat next to Hu Zhaodi, she felt jealousy boiling within her. 

By what right? 

By what right could she so wantonly eat so much roasted meat? 

That meat should belong to her grandson Yaozu! 

The tantalizing aroma of roasted meat invaded Yang’s nostrils, making her jaw ache, and her mouth began to water profusely. 

Yang swallowed hard and stepped towards Aunt Ji. 

“Little sister, could you sell me some of that wild boar meat?” 

Aunt Ji looked up coldly at Yang, raising an eyebrow as she replied, “This is not sale. That wild boar was hunted by Zhaodi. Just look at how skinny Zhaodi is; this meat is meant to help her regain her strength.” 

Aunt Ji’s voice wasn’t quiet, and everyone nearby could easily understand the underlying meaning of her words. 

The villagers roasting meat together all looked at Yang with disdain. 

Unwilling to give up, Yang turned to Hu Zhaodi and said, “Zhaodi, your brother wants to eat roasted meat. Considering we raised you for eleven years and Yaozu is your only brother, could you just give him a little roasted meat?”