Chapter 6: Don’t Run, Big Chicken Leg

Hu Zhaodi’s eyes sparkled as she looked at Hu Dashan, swallowing hard. “Meat, isn’t the meat right on you? A big chicken leg! What a huge chicken leg! Let me have a bite; I’m almost starving to death.”

Hu Dashan felt a shiver run down his spine at Hu Zhaodi’s eerie gaze and wolf-like expression. He was inexplicably startled, and his scalp tingled.

Hu Zhaodi opened her mouth as if to bite into Hu Dashan’s arm.

Startled, Hu Dashan let out a yelp and fled from the firewood room.

Back in the kitchen, he hurriedly scooped a bowl of wild vegetable paste, preparing to bring it to Hu Zhaodi.

Yang, his mother, glared at him. “Didn’t I ask you to see where the meat smell is coming from? Why are you bringing a bowl of vegetable paste?”

Hu Dashan replied, “Mom, that brat Zhaodi is so hungry she’s hallucinating. She just mistook my arm for a chicken leg. I should bring her some food, or we won’t be able to get the thirty taels of silver as bride price if she starves to death.”

Mentioning silver, Yang shot Hu Dashan a fierce look. “Just take it to her. Did you see where the meat smell is coming from?”

Hu Dashan shook his head helplessly. “I didn’t find it. The meat smell came from the firewood room, but I turned the whole place upside down and didn’t see any meat at all.”

Yang’s eyes widened in surprise. “What did you say? The meat smell came from the firewood room?”

“Yes, Mom.”

“Let’s go; I want to see.”

With that, Yang got up and headed toward the firewood room.

At that moment, Hu Zhaodi was still pretending to be weak, lying limply against a pile of grass to rest.

When she saw Yang, her eyes lit up again, and she gulped as she rushed over.

“Chicken leg! I want to eat chicken leg! Don’t run, big chicken leg!”

Hu Zhaodi’s fierce demeanor startled Yang so much that she turned and ran, yelling, “Dashan, Dashan, hurry and bring food to this crazy girl!”

At that moment, Yang dared not think about whether she could handle Hu Zhaodi. She had beaten her before when she was calm, let alone now.

Hu Dashan rushed over with the bowl of wild vegetable paste.

But Hu Zhaodi didn’t even glance at him, continuing to shout after Yang, “Don’t run, big chicken leg! I want to eat meat!”

Hu Dashan wanted to step in and stop her, but Hu Zhaodi opened her mouth again to bite his arm.

“You little beast, don’t you dare!!!!” Hu Dashan raised his hand to strike Hu Zhaodi but quickly thought of the thirty taels of silver.

That brat was in a frenzied state now. If he accidentally hurt her with a slap, it would be a huge loss.

Since he couldn’t hit her, he could only dodge. Hu Dashan quickly backed away and ran into the house, slamming the door behind him.

Hmph! Can’t I deal with you two?

Hu Zhaodi looked disdainfully at the closed door, turned back to the firewood room, and then shut the door, pulling out a roasted wild rabbit from her space to enjoy.

The aroma of roasted meat continued to waft from the leaky firewood room, but Hu Dashan and Yang no longer dared to investigate.

Back in the kitchen, Hu Dashan spoke, puzzled. “Mom, what do you think is going on with Zhaodi these days? She seems like a completely different person.”

Yang replied irritably, “How would I know? No matter how much I beat her before, she just begged for mercy and never dared to fight back. But in the past few days, even I’ve been beaten her, and she hit pretty hard.”

“Do you think it could be because you hit her on the head that day, causing some problem? Otherwise, how could she dare to fight back?”

Yang nodded. “That’s very possible. But can a bamboo stick really damage her brain?”

“Otherwise, how can we explain her being like this now? Today, she even tried to bite someone, mistaking us for chicken legs.” Yang frowned. “Forget it; it’s already like this anyway. She’s not even a blood relative of our Hu family.”

“Go take the wild vegetable paste to the firewood room door; we can’t let her starve to death.

And for the next few days, make sure to observe her closely. Don’t hit her anymore, at least not until we’ve received the thirty taels of silver as bride price. We can’t let anything happen to her.”

Hu Dashan nodded. “I understand, Mom. Tomorrow morning, I’ll get up early and quietly follow her to see what she’s been doing in the fields these past few days.”

“Right. Even if we can’t hit her for now, she still can’t slack off on her work in the fields. Keep a good eye on her.”

“I got it. I’ll take the food to her now.”

Hu Dashan carried the wild vegetable paste back to the firewood room door, where the rich aroma of roasted meat wafted out again.

Hu Zhaodi perked up her ears slightly and quickly stored the roasted wild rabbit in her space.

Is this never-ending?

Let’s see how I’ll deal with you!

She grabbed a stick and planned to knock Hu Dashan on the head when he pushed the door open.

However, Hu Dashan only placed the wild vegetable paste at the firewood room door, then took two steps back and called out, “Zhaodi, I brought you some food; you should eat a bit!”

Hu Zhaodi: ???

Has the sun risen in the west?

But knowing that the Hu family wanted to exchange her for the thirty taels of silver bride price and had starved her for two days, it made sense that he brought a bowl of wild vegetable paste.

It’s just that they’re afraid she’ll starve and they won’t be able to get the silver.

Hu Zhaodi didn’t say anything, watching Hu Dashan’s every move through the crack in the door.

Hu Dashan didn’t dare to push the door open rashly; after speaking, he turned and left.

Hu Dashan had gone, Hu Zhaodi opened the firewood room door and brought the wild vegetable paste inside, planning to save it for feeding the pigs later.

She wouldn’t eat it and wouldn’t let the Hu family eat it either.

Feeding the pigs could help them gain some weight, while the Hu family only wanted to sell her for silver.

After dark, Hu Zhaodi poured the bowl of wild vegetable paste for the pigs and then returned to the firewood room.

She took out her military cot and set it up, sitting cross-legged on the bed to practice.

With the experience from her previous life, Hu Zhaodi quickly entered a state of complete immersion.

When she opened her eyes again, it was already the early hours of the morning.

Today, she needed to go to the county town to handle the medicinal herbs and wild boar she found yesterday, to get some silver for herself.

After putting the military cot and her belongings back in her space, Hu Zhaodi washed up quickly and headed toward the village exit.

Although she had never left the village, she still knew which direction to go to get to the county town.

Moreover, with the path right in front of her, she could easily ask someone for directions if she got lost.

After walking about the time it takes to burn an incense stick outside the village, Hu Zhaodi ran into Old Man Ji from the same village, who was driving a bullock cart to the county town.

At this time, it was already bright, and Old Man Ji recognized Hu Zhaodi immediately.

“Hu family girl, where are you off to?”

Hu Zhaodi smiled politely. “Uncle Ji, I want to go to the county town for a visit.”

“It’s quite a walk to the county town. Get on! I’ll take you there.”

“Thank you, Uncle Ji!” Hu Zhaodi said, climbing onto the bullock cart.

“No need to be polite, Hu family girl. What do you need to do in the county town?”

“Uncle Ji, you know I’ve never left the village, so today I just want to sneak into the county town and have a look.”

Old Man Ji sighed. “Alas! What a shame! With your parents’ favoritism, when will you ever have a good life, girl?”