Chapter 7: The Good Days Are Still Ahead!

“Mother, how should we cook the duck tonight?” Madam Ye came over to ask.

“Stew one with some potatoes until it’s soft. Otherwise, I won’t be able to chew it,” Old Madam Ye said. “As for the other one, do whatever you want with it—I don’t care.”

“We’re eating both ducks tonight?” Madam Ye’s eyes lit up with joy upon hearing that.

Old Madam Ye, however, looked up at the sky with a trace of worry. “Yes. The weather’s getting colder by the day. We need to pick up the pace. Only when we’re full can we keep moving forward.”

“Alright, just wait and enjoy your meal!” Madam Ye was delighted and went back to discuss it with her sisters-in-law. They decided to roast the other duck.

The male duck was chopped into large pieces, blanched, then stewed with potatoes.

The female duck was fattier. They rubbed it with some simple seasonings, skewered it on a tree branch, and roasted it over the fire until it sizzled with oil.

The two delicious aromas wafted through the air, making the children so excited it felt like New Year’s Eve.

Even Madam Guo, who normally avoided work whenever she could, couldn’t resist coming over to help feed the fire.

Third Sister-in-law Ye came over after laying out the bedding and said, “Big Sister-in-law, your cooking is truly unmatched. Even with so little oil and ingredients, it still smells incredible.”

Madam Guo swallowed hard and retorted, “Listen to yourself! This is meat—how could it not smell good?”

Third Sister-in-law Ye wasn’t about to indulge her bad habits and shot back, “So what? Even if you cooked it, it wouldn’t smell half as good as Big Sister-in-law’s.”

“Third Sister-in-law, don’t forget—it was my man who caught that duck today,” Madam Guo said smugly.

“You weren’t the one who caught it, so what are you bragging about?” Third Sister-in-law Ye retorted without missing a beat.

Madam Ye stepped in to ease the tension. “Alright, that’s enough. Hurry and get ready for dinner.”

“Dinner time!” The children jumped up excitedly and rushed over to the wooden planks that had already been laid out, sitting cross-legged on the ground.

Qingtian imitated them and followed along, but when she saw everyone plop straight onto the ground, she suddenly hesitated.

Her padded jacket had just been sewn by Second Aunt, and if she sat on the ground, it would get dirty.

Second Sister-in-law Ye came over with bowls and chopsticks and, noticing her hesitation, immediately said, “Oh my, see? Girls really are different from those grubby boys.”

“Just look at Qingtian—she’s scared of dirtying her clothes.”

“Then look at my little troublemakers—give them new clothes, and by the end of the day, they’ve already rolled around until you can’t even tell what they were wearing!”

She set down the bowls and chopsticks, then went back to the cart to fetch a cushion for Qingtian and laid it out. “Here you go, child. Sit here.”

“Thank you, Second Aunt.” Only then did Qingtian sit down happily.

Ye Changnian quickly chimed in, “Second Auntie, I want a butt cushion too!”

“Your pants are dirtier than the ground. What do you need a cushion for?”

“Stop making a fuss and sit down to eat!” Third Sister-in-law Ye came over with a large pot of wild duck stewed with potatoes and shot her son a glare.

“You’re too much. If the child wants one, then give him one. It’s not like it’s anything rare.”

“Kids are like that—see someone else with something, and they want it too.”

As she spoke, Second Sister-in-law Ye simply brought over a few more cushions and said, “One for each of you—no fighting.”

“Smells amazing!”

The boys’ eyes were already glued to the pot, unable to tear themselves away—who cared about any cushion for their behinds now?

However, the Ye Family had strict rules. Before Old Madam Ye picked up her chopsticks, no matter how much the children drooled or even cried from hunger, they wouldn’t dare take a bite.

When Old Madam Ye was helped over, Madam Ye also brought out a plate of sliced roast duck.

“I’ve put the duck carcass in the pot to simmer. If anyone still has room later, go have some soup.”

The stewed duck was fragrant and tender, especially when paired with potatoes—perfect for both Old Madam Ye and the children.

As for the others, their chopsticks naturally reached for the roast duck.

Not only was Madam Ye a fine cook, but her knife skills were also exceptional.

The duck meat had been sliced evenly, each piece a perfect balance of crispy skin and tender flesh.

The roast duck was crispy on the outside and tender inside. The moment one bit into it, rich, savory fat and juicy meat flooded the mouth with flavor.

Everyone was so absorbed in the deliciousness that they didn’t even bother to speak. For a while, aside from the rustling night breeze, the only sound was the quiet chewing of food.

Madam Ye took a bite herself but couldn’t help commenting with a hint of regret, “If only we had some flour… I’d steam a batch of lotus-leaf pancakes, add a bit of sweet bean sauce, slice up some cucumber and scallion strips to wrap it all up—now that would be perfection…”

“Big Sister-in-law, this is the best roast duck I’ve ever tasted!” Fourth Brother Ye praised after taking a bite.

But then he noticed Madam Guo staring fixedly at the roast duck, helping herself bite after bite.

Fourth Brother Ye quietly withdrew the chopsticks he had just extended toward the duck and instead picked up a piece of potato.

Food was usually scarce, so everyone had to hold back.

Today was a rare chance to eat freely. As for Madam Guo’s behavior—eating more and grabbing extra—they just turned a blind eye.

“Looks like Mother was right all along. The farther we go toward the inner provinces, the easier it is to find food.”

Big Brother Ye got up to ladle a bowl of duck bone soup. After taking a sip, he said contentedly, “It’s been so long since I’ve eaten this well.”

Second Brother Ye, however, remarked, “I still think it mostly comes down to luck.”

“Just look at today—along the way, everyone else was still staggering from hunger, step by step.”

Upon hearing that, Old Madam Ye couldn’t help but start pondering as well.

Wasn’t it true? Their luck over the past two days had indeed been unusually good.

First the wild pheasant, then the potatoes, followed by duck eggs and now a wild duck.

As the saying goes, once or twice can be chalked up to luck—but not three times.

The first two times could barely be explained away as coincidence.

But for it to happen a third time in a row… she couldn’t help thinking deeper about it.

Ye Changnian, his belly round and full, dove into her arms.

He let out a satisfied burp and squinted his eyes in pure happiness.

“So good. Ever since Meimei came, we’ve been able to eat our fill every day.”

The words were spoken innocently, but Old Madam Ye took them to heart.

Her heart gave a jolt as she turned to look at Qingtian, who was nestled in Madam Ye’s arms being fed.

Wasn’t it just like that? All their recent good fortune had started the moment Madam Ye exchanged a sack of cornmeal to bring Qingtian back.

Old Madam Ye was a woman of experience. Her heart churned like a boiling pot, but her expression remained calm as she said, “Do you know why that is?”

“Why?” Ye Changnian looked up from her lap and asked.

Everyone else in the family turned their attention to her, waiting to hear what she had to say.

Old Madam Ye said slowly, “I always tell you—good deeds are rewarded, and evil ones are punished.”

“That’s why we treat Qingtian kindly and accept her as one of our own.”

“The Bodhisattva sees this and blesses us in return—so we have food to eat. Do you understand?”

The adults around her chuckled, thinking the old lady was just coaxing the children with pretty words.

But Madam Guo furrowed her brows, silently wondering what Old Madam Ye meant. Was she seriously planning to treat that wild child like some kind of treasure?

Still, she was too busy devouring her meat to speak.

Ye Changrui nodded solemnly. “That’s what Grandma always says—it’s the Bodhisattva showing us a miracle!”

Ye Changnian immediately chimed in with his milky voice, “Then I’ll be really good to Meimei from now on, so the Bodhisattva will show us more miracles and give us meat to eat every meal!”

After Old Madam Ye finished speaking, she didn’t pay attention to anyone else’s reaction—her eyes stayed fixed on Madam Ye.

Holding Qingtian in her arms, Madam Ye felt a chill run down her spine under her mother-in-law’s intense gaze, as if those words had held a deeper meaning.

“Mother, my husband and I took Qingtian in—not because we were hoping for any kind of blessing or reward.

“Didn’t you always say that the most important thing in life is to live with a clear conscience?”

Old Madam Ye thought it over and realized she was right. Her face immediately lit up with a smile.

“My eldest daughter-in-law is a sensible woman. Looks like I was overthinking things.

“Just keep your heart at ease. You’ve still got plenty of good days ahead of you!”