Chapter 61 He has been destroyed by me

Hu Zhaodi smiled a bit sheepishly, “Alright! Let’s hurry and move this furniture inside so we can rest. We still have things to do tomorrow.”

The group nodded and carried all of Ji Chunhua dowry into the main hall.

Hearing the commotion, Mr. Ji and his wife put on their clothes and came out to help.

Hu Zhaodi arranged for Han Dongsheng and Wu Yinghai to make do in her room for the night, while she and Ji Chunhua, along with her children, stayed in another empty room.

Ji Chunhua and her two children looked at each other, unsure. How were the four of them going to share one room?

“Zhaodi, maybe you could squeeze in with the kids, and I’ll just grab a stool and doze off,” Ji Chunhua suggested.

Hu Zhaodi shook her head, “Sister Chunhua, you and the kids squeeze in together. I need to practice my skills; you don’t have to worry about me.”

“Practice… skills?”

“Yes, practicing can’t be done lying down. You and the kids get some rest; we still need to hurry to the county office early tomorrow.”

“But…”

“No buts. Go rest now, so tomorrow won’t be delayed.”

With that, Hu Zhaodi gently pushed Ji Chunhua toward the bed.

She then found a mat, sat cross-legged on it, and closed her eyes to focus on her internal energy.

Two hours later, Hu Zhaodi opened her eyes.

It was still dark outside. She quietly got up and tiptoed out of the room toward the kitchen.

Mrs. Ji had not yet risen. Opening the rice jar, Hu Zhaodi saw that it was nearly empty, so she took out a cloth bag to scoop some rice into her spatial storage.

Just as she was about to start the fire, Mrs. Ji entered the kitchen.

“Zhaodi, you went to bed so late last night; why not sleep a bit longer?”

Hu Zhaodi smiled, “AAuntie Ji, I’ve had enough rest and came to help make breakfast.”

“You silly girl, with four people in one room, you must not have slept well.”

“AAuntie Ji, look at me—I’m full of energy! Doesn’t look like I’m sleep-deprived, does it? Let’s get breakfast ready! We have to visit the county office today so Sister Chunhua can finalize her separation with the Zhang family.”

“Alright, I’ll start the fire. Go wash some rice to cook a pot of porridge and prepare some pickles to go with it.”

Hu Zhaodi nodded, scooping out a generous amount of rice, washing it, and setting it to cook with half a pot of water.

She then brought out two wild rabbits, skinned and gutted them, and chopped them into small pieces to marinate.

Mrs. Ji asked, “Zhaodi, why are we preparing wild rabbit for breakfast?”

Hu Zhaodi smiled, “Sister Chunhua and the children are severely malnourished—they need proper nutrition. We can always hunt more rabbits. Good health is the foundation of everything!”

Mrs. Ji nodded, added some firewood to the stove, and went outside to gather some side dishes.

Hu Zhaodi also picked a few eggplants and peppers, and sat by the stove to roast them.

Just as the smoke started making her eyes tear up, Ji Chunhua entered the kitchen.

Seeing Hu Zhaodi wiping away tears as she roasted eggplants, Ji Chunhua hurried over and pulled her up. “Zhaodi, let me take over! You’re roasting eggplant? How is that even eaten?”

“Roast the eggplant and peppers, peel the skins, and toss them in a cold salad. It tastes great.”

“Then let me handle it. Go take a break—you didn’t get any sleep last night.”

“Practicing is restful, too! Look, I’m more energized than you.”

“Enough, it’s smoky and dusty here, you’re tearing up from the smoke. Go wash up.”

With that, Ji Chunhua gently pushed Hu Zhaodi out of the kitchen.

Hu Zhaodi grabbed a basin and went to fetch water to freshen up.

Once Ji Chunhua finished roasting and peeling the eggplants and peppers, Hu Zhaodi returned to mix them into a cold salad.

After the porridge was done, she made a stir-fried spicy rabbit dish, using only a little chili to make it mild enough for Ji Chunhua’s two kids.

Han Dongsheng and Wu Yinghai, knowing there were things to do that day, also got up early to wash up. Mr. Ji and Ji Chunhua’s two children had also woken up.

The two kids smelled the scent of meat and couldn’t help but swallow eagerly.

Er Ya looked hopefully toward the kitchen. “Sister, what’s that smell? It smells amazing!”

Da Ya sniffed and replied, “It’s the smell of meat.”

Mrs. Ji laughed, “Da Ya, Er Ya, if you want to eat meat, go wash up quickly, and then it’ll be time to eat.”

“Okay!” The two kids happily went off to wash up.

 Once the rabbit was ready, Mrs. Ji had also finished preparing some pickles.

Mrs. Ji said, “Zhaodi, go call your Grandpa Ji while Chunhua and I serve the porridge.”

“No need to call—I’m already here,” came the voice of the elderly scholar from the door. “Isn’t today the day we start digging the foundation? As the supervisor, I don’t have time to cook, so I came over to mooch a meal.”

Hu Zhaodi laughed, “Grandpa Ji, that’s more like it. From now on, come over at mealtime! Food doesn’t taste as good eaten alone, does it?”

“Alright, alright, I won’t be polite, then.”

Mrs. Ji and Ji Chunhua brought out bowls of porridge and set them on the table. The thick, creamy white rice porridge brought tears to Ji Chunhua’s eyes.

Her two children had never had pure white rice porridge before.

In the Zhang family, only during the New Year would they get a meal made from a mix of cornmeal and rice, with so little rice they could practically count each grain.

Today’s porridge alone used more rice than they’d see in an entire year at the Zhang family.

Da Ya and Er Ya’s eyes sparkled as they looked at the bowls of white rice porridge.

Holding two bowls, Hu Zhaodi grinned, “Da Ya, Er Ya, come in for breakfast, and later we’ll take you to the town to look around.”

The children nearly jumped for joy upon hearing that.

They had never been to the county town and had no idea what it looked like.

Seeing the excitement on their faces, Hu Zhaodi decided she’d take them around town today, leaving Grandpa Ji and the Ji family’s three brothers to take care of things at home.

As Hu Zhaodi brought the two kids inside to eat, they seemed very shy and didn’t dare approach the table.

She set the porridge on the table and took each child by the hand, guiding them to sit down.

The two kids sat down stiffly, their fear all too evident in their eyes.

Hu Zhaodi said, “Da Ya, Er Ya, you’re at your grandfather’s house now. No one here will bully you. You have nothing to fear—pick up your bowls and eat.”

Da Ya looked up at Hu Zhaodi, her eyes welling with tears.

At the Zhang family’s house, the two sisters didn’t even have a seat at the table. Each mealtime, they had to squat by the stove, eating from chipped little bowls.

Hu Zhaodi sighed, “Da Ya, no matter how much suffering or grievance you’ve endured, it’s all behind you now.

From now on, walk with your head held high, and don’t be afraid to sit at the table and eat. We may be girls, but we don’t have to live in the shadows.”

Da Ya didn’t fully understand, but she nodded firmly, reaching out her rough little hands to hold her bowl.

Big tears fell into her bowl of porridge, adding a touch of salt to the sweet, fragrant rice.

Hu Zhaodi patted her thin shoulder and picked up her chopsticks, serving both children a generous amount of rabbit meat.