Chapter 20

“Brother, there’s no smell at all. What exactly is Mom cooking?”

The youngest, Jiang Yan, stood at the kitchen door sniffing for a while but still couldn’t smell anything.

Jiang Manyue took a look and saw the kitchen door was tightly shut, with even the windows closed. She guessed that Miao Xianghua was worried the smell of the steamed sausages and cured meat would be too strong and get noticed by others.

“You all just wait to eat, go play for now.”

Jiang Manyue sent them away because she didn’t want them to find out what they were eating and accidentally blurt it out for others to hear.

The things she had convinced Miao Xianghua to cook weren’t exactly aboveboard — they didn’t come from a proper source. She could only claim they were bought from the black market. If anyone found out, she’d be in real trouble.

She planned to warn the kids during dinner too — no talking about the good food at home outside. Otherwise, they shouldn’t expect to eat anything like that again.

Since the smell wasn’t leaking out, the kids didn’t expect much and went off to play nearby.

When the family gradually returned from work, Miao Xianghua also finished preparing dinner.

Jiang Manyue noticed that Miao Xianghua covered the dishes tightly as she brought them out, clearly afraid the smell would drift into the neighbors’ yards.

The Jiang family was large, so they always split into two tables for meals. Both tables now had two big dishes covered tightly.

No one — not even the adults — dared to lift the lids without Miao Xianghua’s say-so. Everyone sat properly and waited for dinner to begin.

Once the whole family was gathered, Miao Xianghua didn’t immediately uncover the dishes. The aroma faintly escaped through the lids, suggesting that something delicious was underneath.

“Manyue brought some good stuff back today. We’re eating well tonight. But let me make this clear — once you’ve eaten, keep your mouths shut. If anyone dares to say even one word outside, they can get out of this house. Got it?”

Miao Xianghua’s authority in the Jiang family was absolute. Everyone nodded quickly, not daring to argue.

After scanning their faces and confirming their obedience, Miao Xianghua signaled to the third son’s wife at the other table. Together, they lifted the lids.

The rich aroma of sausage and cured meat instantly filled the room — oily, savory, and mouthwatering.

The adults could contain themselves better, but the kids were practically drooling.

Although they had recently eaten braised pork, no one ever got tired of meat. With how rarely meat showed up at home, one meal was far from satisfying.

The rice was already served, and seeing how eager everyone was, Miao Xianghua didn’t drag things out. She simply declared the start of the meal.

Chopsticks immediately reached out for the sausages and cured meat. Miao Xianghua didn’t eat right away. Instead, she opened a can of food and handed it to Jiang Manyue.

“Manyue, eat up. This canned food is rare — have some more.”

Jiang Manyue didn’t refuse. She used her chopsticks to cut a large piece and placed it into Miao Xianghua’s bowl, then another large piece into her father’s bowl.

“Dad, Mom, you both eat more. Dad still goes out to work every day — it’s hard on you. Eat more meat to build your strength.”

Miao Xianghua was touched and nudged Jiang Changfu, who was busy eating.

“Look how thoughtful your daughter is — she’s giving you meat!”

Jiang Changfu couldn’t even respond properly with his mouth full. He just nodded repeatedly at Jiang Manyue.

Seeing that, Miao Xianghua joined the meat-eating ranks as well.

Jiang Manyue herself wasn’t particularly craving the meat. She just picked a few extra pieces for Jun’an, urging him to eat more.

Lu Jun’an had oil all over his mouth as he ate. Though he thought the meat didn’t taste as good as the braised pork his aunt made, it was still delicious, and he eagerly gobbled down his rice.

After the meal, Lu Jun’an was so full he started hiccuping. Jiang Manyue had to pat him for a long time before he felt better.

The Jiang family was thoroughly satisfied. Eldest brother Jiang Jianliang sighed, “My little sister is really something — able to get so much good meat all at once.”

Miao Xianghua shot him a glare. “That’s something you say only at home. If you dare breathe a word outside, see what I’ll do to you.”

Jiang Jianliang immediately shut up. “Of course I won’t say a word. Not a single one.”

The rest of the family chimed in too, swearing they wouldn’t say anything. Miao Xianghua warned the children a few more times before she was satisfied.

After dinner, Jiang Manyue took Lu Jun’an home. But the Jiang brothers were worried, so the fourth and fifth brothers, Jiang Jianbin and Jiang Jiantao, volunteered to walk the two of them back to the Lu household.

It was already dark, but Li Guifen hadn’t gone to bed. She was still in the main room with the light on, waiting for them.

As soon as Lu Jun’an saw Li Guifen, he happily said he’d eaten a lot at the Jiang house and that he didn’t want to drink malted milk tonight — he was just too full.

But he remembered what Miao Xianghua had said, so he didn’t tell her what exactly he had eaten.

Li Guifen, seeing her grandson so happy, figured those ration tickets hadn’t been wasted — though she felt a little bitter inside. Why did everyone else’s cooking taste good, and only hers didn’t?

After dropping off Lu Jun’an, Jiang Manyue went back to wash up and rest. She’d worked all day in the little yard and was quite tired.

She slept deeply and didn’t wake until the next morning when it was already light outside.

After getting up, Jiang Manyue didn’t rush out. Instead, she went into the mall and headed straight for the pharmacy, wanting to find a suitable supplement for Lu Jun’an’s age.

There were all kinds of children’s supplements available. She finally picked an orange-flavored one that provided a good mix of vitamins and minerals like calcium, iron, zinc, and selenium — no need to buy anything else.

After breakfast, Jiang Manyue stopped Lu Jun’an, who was about to run off and play, and made him a cup of the supplement to drink.

Lu Jun’an obediently took a sip and smiled, “It’s so sweet — orange flavor! It’s really good!”

Jiang Manyue smiled as she coaxed him, “I’ll make you orange water every day from now on, but this is our little secret, okay? You can’t tell anyone — not even Grandma or Grandpa.”

Even though, even if he did tell, his grandparents wouldn’t understand what it was and would probably think it was just some fruit-flavored drink, Jiang Manyue felt it was best to avoid unnecessary complications.

Lu Jun’an nodded happily, “Got it! This is our secret — I won’t tell anyone.”

Jiang Manyue patted his head, and seeing that he had finished the drink, finally let him go out to play.

With nothing to do at home, Jiang Manyue decided to take a walk outside for some exercise.

As she reached the entrance of the production team, she saw the village head driving an ox cart, bringing back a group of strangers.

These strangers were of all ages — some in their twenties, others around fifty — but they all had a scholarly air about them. It was clear they were educated.

Jiang Manyue guessed they were intellectuals sent down to the countryside, probably former teachers or professors.

“Captain, why are you bringing back so many people? Who are they?”

She casually greeted the village head, who loudly replied, “Who else could they be? They’re the intellectuals our team’s taking in!”