Watching the family, along with Liu Sanjin’s behavior, Xie Jinghao understood that by noon, neither Shen Meng nor the kids would get anything to eat. While feeding Xiaogang, she mentally reviewed what little food she had left in her room.

After handing in the pig feed and earning some work points, Lu Mingyang led his younger siblings home. Usually full of chatter, Lu Mingliang became quieter as they got closer, and Lu Mingfang looked so afraid she didn’t dare take another step.

Noticing their expressions, Lu Mingyang’s face hardened, and he gripped Lu Mingkai’s hand more tightly.

“Don’t be scared. Once we get home, you go back to your room. I’ll get you all something to eat. If she gets mad and starts hitting, she’ll have to hit me. Don’t worry.”

As long as she didn’t kill him, he promised himself he’d make that wicked woman pay once he was grown.

“Brother, why don’t I stay with you? If we’re both there, it’ll hurt less, splitting the hits between us.”

“No need. Just look after the younger ones.” With that, he led Lu Mingkai toward the house.

Lu Mingfang and Lu Mingliang exchanged a look and quickly followed. They were determined to stay by their brother’s side; they wouldn’t let him take all the punishment alone.

But as they reached the courtyard, planning to head to the west room, they stopped in their tracks. The smell wafting from the kitchen made them turn again and again. Even Lu Mingyang found himself swallowing hard.

“Brother, do you smell that? It smells amazing. Do you think the evil stepmother made something?”

Lu Mingyang didn’t respond but sneered inside. There was no way that vile woman would cook for them, let alone something that smelled so delicious. Someone else must have brought it over, and she’d probably eaten most of it by now.

“You’re back?” Shen Meng emerged from the kitchen, slightly hunched over. She kept her expression neutral, knowing all too well that pushing things wouldn’t end well. Trying to build a relationship with these kids would take time; there was no rushing it.

Lu Mingliang and the others were still sniffing the air hungrily. Little Lu Mingkai had his mouth open, drooling, but he jumped in shock when Shen Meng suddenly spoke.

“My health’s not great, so I just made some noodles,” Shen Meng said. “I’ve already set some out for you, so go ahead and eat. There’s more in the pot if you need it. Mingyang, wash the dishes after you’re done, and skip work this afternoon to gather firewood. It’s just us now, and from the look of things, your grandma won’t care if we live or die. So we’ll need plenty of wood if we want to keep cooking.”

With that, Shen Meng rubbed her temples and slowly made her way back to her room.

Once she left, Lu Mingliang dashed into the kitchen. On the small, low table sat four steaming bowls of noodles, each topped with a fried egg, golden and crispy, and even a small plate of smashed cucumber on the side.

He raced back out, shouting, “Brother! There’s really noodles—and fried, golden eggs on top, and they smell amazing. There’s even a plate of cucumbers! Let’s eat.”

The aroma was irresistible—the crispy eggs with fresh greens made his stomach rumble, and all he could think about was eating. Lu Mingkai and Lu Mingfang stared at him, unable to turn down the offer, and Lu Mingyang finally nodded. Even if he didn’t want to eat, he couldn’t let his siblings go hungry. Besides, the evil stepmother had said it herself; she wanted them to eat so they could go gather firewood.

Steeling himself, Lu Mingyang said, “Alright, let’s not waste food. Eat up, and then we’ll go gather firewood. The bit we have in the yard won’t last us more than two days!”

“Got it.”

Though Shen Meng had returned to her room, she was actually watching the kids through a crack in the window. Today, she’d just boiled some water and cooked two handfuls of noodles, using broth and vegetables from her storage space. The taste, naturally, was outstanding.

No one can resist good food, especially not children. Winning them over with food was just the first step in her plan.

She hadn’t eaten with the kids on purpose, knowing they wouldn’t want her there. If she’d stayed, they probably wouldn’t have touched their food. Watching them go to the kitchen, Shen Meng felt reassured and went to rest on the kang. There was not much food at home, and she couldn’t rely on the Lu family.; if anything, they’d likely try to pressure her into sharing, especially with Lu Zhenping sending money any day soon.

Lying down, she decided she’d need to get her strength up before making any moves. Cooking over a firewood stove was tiring—she hadn’t done it in years. She’d had to strike several matches before getting a spark, and the old bellows were barely working, probably damaged when Zhou Jiaojiao and Lu Jiaxuan had moved out. After a small meal from her storage, she finally settled down to rest.

In the kitchen, the kids devoured the noodles in record time. Lu Mingyang and Lu Mingliang, being the oldest, still weren’t full. Lu Mingliang remembered Shen Meng mentioning more noodles in the pot. Lifting the lid, he saw there were indeed leftovers. Without hesitation, he scooped some into his bowl, then shared the rest with Lu Mingyang.

“Brother, you should eat a bit more. We don’t know if we’ll get dinner later, so let’s fill up now. We’ll gather extra firewood this afternoon. Let Mingkai and Mingfang rest—it’s hot outside.”

“Brother, I’ll go with you,” Lu Mingfang said. “I ate a lot, and if I don’t help, Mom will be angry.” Perhaps it was the delicious meal or the sight of Shen Meng, bruised and exhausted from cooking, but Lu Mingfang found herself thinking their stepmother wasn’t all bad. She used to be kind to them until their aunt and little aunt kept stirring things up, making her mean.

Lu Mingkai pouted, saying nothing. He didn’t want to be left alone; if his mother found him alone, she’d pinch him.

“Stay with Mingkai. If he’s alone and someone bullies him, what then?” Lu Mingyang said. “And don’t get too attached to the bad woman. Just because she fed us once doesn’t mean anything. She’ll probably hit us again any day now.”

He obviously felt that his sister had softened her heart.

Lu Mingyang agreed silently. He didn’t mind if she mistreated him, but the sudden kindness worried him. He’d heard their aunt talking about sending them away to save on food costs, and while the stepmother hadn’t done it, it was only because she was afraid that his father would stop sending money home.

He was always afraid of this matter, so he’d always kept his siblings close, never letting them be separated. Now, this evil stepmother was being nice, making fine noodles and eggs dripping in oil, and all he could think was—she must be up to something.

He agreed with Mingliang’s idea of leaving Mingfang and Mingkai at home, and also wanted to see what the bad woman wanted to do.