Chapter 23

Huo Junda, still angry about what happened this morning, hadn’t spoken to Cao Yunxia all day. However, when he saw something interesting, he was willing to say a few words to her. He stared at the wild chicken and rabbit, nodded, and said, “Hmm, it’s fine.”

Lan Yun’er sneered but didn’t immediately pay attention to the two people in the kitchen. Instead, she quickly walked over to Huo Jinchen. Seeing his some what tired appearance, she felt heartache and grabbed his hand, saying, “You must be tired. Go sit in the main room and rest. Once Dad and Mom come back, we can have dinner.”

Huo Jinchen lowered his gaze to look at her face. He furrowed his brows slightly. “Did you go to the mountain today? The mountain is dangerous, don’t go again in the future.” He was worried for her—she was a girl, and he feared she might encounter bad people or dangerous animals there. After all, the mountain was called Wolf’s Tooth Mountain because wolves had appeared there in the past. Although no one had seen wolves there recently, he couldn’t rule out the possibility of one appearing. Also, since she was so beautiful, he feared that she might run into unscrupulous men with bad intentions.

She smiled and looked at him intently, replying, “I took a sickle with me for protection, so I wasn’t scared. Plus, I didn’t go too deep into the mountain, just walked along the edge of the forest.” She didn’t tell him the whole truth—if she had mentioned going deeper into the mountain, he would have definitely worried.

Huo Jinchen gently grasped her small hand, about to speak again, but Cao Yunxia’s voice came from the kitchen: “Junda, you go sell the rabbits in town early tomorrow. I’ll send the wild chicken to my mother.” Cao Yunxia excitedly instructed, eager for tomorrow to come.

Huo Junda responded, “Hmm.”

Lan Yun’er, listening to the conversation between Cao Yunxia and Huo Junda, couldn’t help but show a hint of coldness in her eyes. She turned toward the kitchen and said, “Big Brother and Sister-in-law think they can decide what to do with my things? Did I agree to that?” She had never seen such shameless people. Their shamelessness truly had no bottom line!

Upon seeing Lan Yun’er return from outside, Cao Yunxia’s expression darkened, and she said unhappily, “We’re all family, why make it sound like two families? Since you’ve brought these things back, they naturally belong to the whole family. And your big brother, as the eldest son, naturally has the right to decide what to do with these things. This is settled. Tomorrow morning, I’ll take one to my mother for nourishment, and the other, let Junda take it to sell.”

“Heh,” Lan Yun’er sneered twice. She looked at Cao Yunxia, her voice carrying a mocking tone as she asked, “Sister-in-law, can you read?”

Cao Yunxia, who had attended elementary school and could read, glared at Lan Yun’er and asked, “Why do you ask that?”

Lan Yun’er replied, “Do you know how to write ‘shameless’?”

Cao Yunxia: “…”

Lan Yun’er had indirectly called her shameless, and Cao Yunxia became furious. She raised her fist and charged at Lan Yun’er, shouting, “You little wretch, who are you calling shameless? Who are you calling shameless?”

As soon as Huo Jincheng entered the house, he saw Cao Yunxia rushing towards his wife. His expression darkened, and he quickly stepped in front of Lan Yun’er, raising his hand to block Cao Yunxia’s attack. He shouted, “Sister-in-law! Are you out of your mind, casually trying to hit someone?” He cherished his wife so much that he wouldn’t even speak harshly to her, yet Cao Yunxia actually wanted to hit her!

Cao Yunxia shouted, “Didn’t you hear her insulting me? She called me shameless… she…”

“Sister-in-law, do you not know what ‘shameless’ means?” Huo Jincheng retorted, his tone dripping with mockery.

Lan Yun’er silently gave her husband a thumbs-up. His words were spot on!

“Huo Jinchen!”

Huo Junda, seeing his wife insulted, also yelled. He glared at Huo Jinchen, wanting to scold him, but before he could say anything, Yao Guizhi and Huo Jianzhang returned.

Yao Guizhi immediately heard Huo Junda’s voice. She furrowed her brows and shouted towards the kitchen, “Huo Junda, what are you doing? Why are you yelling?” She tossed the hoe she was holding and walked towards the kitchen.

The two younger boys from the Huo family had also gone to the fields with Yao Guizhi. Originally, Cao Yunxia had planned to take them to town, but Yao Guizhi worried they might spend money, so she took them to the fields instead.

At this moment, Huo Tianhe, drawn by the smell of meat, rushed towards the kitchen. “I smell meat! I want to eat meat, Mom, I want to eat meat!”

Huo Tianhe hurriedly ran into the room, and seeing his son, Cao Yunxia quickly said, “Okay, I’ll get you a big chicken leg, let you eat to your heart’s content.” With that, she started to scoop food from the pot.

Lan Yun’er’s gaze became sharp as she looked at Cao Yunxia. Suddenly, she turned her head to look at the entering Yao Guizhi and said, “Mom, I had good luck today and found some wild game in the mountains. When my sister-in-law came back, she wanted to take a wild chicken to her family, but I disagreed. Just now, she even tried to hit me!”

“Mom, I went through the effort of bringing that back, and my sister-in-law is already trying to take it. Now, she even wants to hit me. Isn’t that too much?”

Upon hearing Lan Yun’er’s complaint, Cao Yunxia froze for a moment. She then turned to Yao Guizhi, trying to explain, “Mom, she insulted me first, calling me shameless. That’s why I hit her…”

“Shameless? Heh, you’re the one who’s shameless!” Yao Guizhi glared at Cao Yunxia, her eyes blazing with anger. “What right do you have to take the wild chicken to your family? You’re shameless!”

Cao Yunxia felt awkward from the rebuke but stubbornly retorted, “Mom, my family is sick, so I was just trying to send a wild chicken to help them recover…”

“If you want to help your family, then you should send something from your own, not take something from Yun’er! Does Yun’er owe you anything? Does she owe your family anything?” Yao Guizhi’s anger flared. She couldn’t stand Cao Yunxia anymore. Cao Yunxia wanted to explain, but Yao Guizhi cut her off, “I’m telling you, if you dare take Yun’er’s things to your family, then you can leave!”

Cao Yunxia was frightened by this, wondering why Yao Guizhi was so upset over a simple wild chicken. But she was too intimidated to speak. Yao Guizhi sneered, “Everyone in the village knows about the mess you and Huojun Da made. They all laugh at you both. Today, when I was working in the field, people asked me about it, and I was so embarrassed I wanted to crawl into a hole.”

Cao Yunxia, hearing this, felt a wave of panic rise in her. “Mom, I’m not sick! I don’t have any disease…”

“Hmph, didn’t Miao Cuihe study medicine? She said it in great detail. I bet you’ve got that kind of illness!” Yao Guizhi’s words made her feel disgusted just thinking about it.

Lan Yun’er, not wanting to miss the chance to provoke Cao Yunxia, added, “Mom, once you get that illness, we shouldn’t hang clothes together. It’s easy to get infected if we do.”

Yao Guizhi’s expression immediately darkened. “From now on, don’t hang your clothes with us. Do you hear me?” she glared at Cao Yunxia. “Get out now, quickly!”

Cao Yunxia stood frozen for a moment, wanting to argue, but her husband, Huojun Da, had already walked out of the room. Cao Yunxia hurried after him, “Hey, let’s not send the chicken to my mom, but what about the rabbit…”

Yao Guizhi’s angry voice came from behind, “Don’t even think about the rabbit! It’s Yun’er’s, and you’re not allowed to touch it!”

After Cao Yunxia left, the air grew quiet for a moment.

Huo Tianhe, looking at the pot, tugged at Yao Guizhi’s sleeve and said, “Grandma, I want a chicken leg! I want a big chicken leg!”

Yao Guizhi, though upset with Cao Yunxia, was genuinely fond of these two children. She looked down at Huo Tianhe and smiled. “Alright, Grandma will get it for you…”

Before she could finish, Lan Yun’er grabbed the spatula and scooped chicken and mushrooms into a bowl. “Mom, take Tianhe to the table first. I’ll serve the food, then bring it over.”

Yao Guizhi hesitated; sensing Lan Yun’er didn’t want to give the chicken leg to Tianhe. But seeing her gentle expression, she couldn’t bring herself to question it. She sighed and took Huo Tianhe by the hand, heading toward the table.

Tianhe pouted, “No! I want it now! I want the chicken leg!” Lan Yun’er ignored him, focused on serving the food. She thought, Tianhe won’t get any of it today.

Yao Guizhi pulled him away, “Alright, wait a little longer, then you’ll get it.”

After they left the kitchen, Lan Yun’er quietly took out a small bowl from the cabinet. Inside, she had placed some plant-based seasonings, mixed with a bit of her blood. Though her soul hadn’t completely merged with her body yet, her body was already as powerful as a thousand-year-old ginseng. After consuming wild Lingzhi mushrooms today, her blood was more nourishing than usual.

She handed the bowl to Huo Jinchen, “Here, eat some.”

Huo Jinchen looked down at the bowl, feeling moved. Did his wife care so much for him? He smiled, his gaze soft. “No, I’ll wait and eat with everyone.”

Lan Yun’er frowned, forcing the bowl into his hands. “Eat it now, or I’ll be angry!”

Huo Jinchen sighed, helpless. He drank the soup and ate the chicken. After finishing, he put down the bowl, feeling surprisingly light and warm, as if a flow of energy had spread through his body. He’d eaten wild chicken before, but this felt different.

Lan Yun’er smiled lightly, then filled another bowl with a big chicken leg, mushrooms, and chicken chunks. “Take this to Second Brother. He’s not well and needs to nourish himself.”

Huo Jinchen didn’t immediately take the bowl, but instead looked at her with deep admiration. He hadn’t expected her to be so thoughtful, especially toward his second brother, who had been bedridden.

He smiled and gently said, “Yun’er, thank you.”

“Why thank me? You’re my husband, there’s no need for thanks,” she replied, turning back to continue serving the food.

Huo Jinchen looked at her for a long moment, silently vowing to make her the happiest person in the world. After taking the bowl, he quickly left to bring the food to his second brother, Huo Junli.

Lan Yun’er finished serving the chicken, and there was only the wild chicken stew with mushrooms left. She also made some small stir-fried dishes with wild chicken organs. The smell of the food filled the air, making everyone at the table mouthwater.

Huo Tianhe looked at the chicken leg in the bowl, shouting, “Give me the chicken leg! I want that one!”

Cao Yunxia grabbed the chopsticks and reached for the bowl. But Lan Yun’er was quicker, taking the chicken leg and placing it in Huo Miaomiao’s bowl. “Miaomiao, eat quickly. It will help you grow taller and gain weight.”

Huo Miaomiao froze, not expecting to get the big chicken leg. She looked at Tianhe and Cao Yunxia with apprehension.

Cao Yunxia scowled, trying to snatch the chicken leg. “A little girl doesn’t need a chicken leg. She can have some chicken pieces.”

Lan Yun’er’s expression darkened. She stopped Cao Yunxia from grabbing the chicken and coldly said, “Sister-in-law, didn’t Mom say we live in a new era, where men and women are equal? You’re going against Mom’s wishes and embarrassing her, aren’t you?”

Cao Yunxia froze, unsure of how to respond. But seeing her son’s disappointed face, she turned to Yao Guizhi, who was clearly upset.

Yao Guizhi had been about to take the chicken leg for Tianhe, but now, seeing Lan Yun’er’s comment, she realized she couldn’t do that. So she instead suggested, “There’s still one more chicken leg. Let Tianhe have that one.”

Lan Yun’er replied, “I already had Jinchen take the other one to Second Brother.”

Yao Guizhi: “…”

Cao Yunxia, frustrated, muttered, “Why does a useless person like Second Brother need a chicken leg? What a waste.”

Her words, though quiet, were heard by everyone at the table. Yao Guizhi glared at Cao Yunxia, her anger rising. “Shut your mouth! Even if he’s bedridden, he’s better than you!”

Cao Yunxia was left speechless, her face turning red from the embarrassment.

Huo Tianhe, upset about not getting the chicken leg, tossed his chopsticks aside. “I won’t eat! I don’t want dinner!”

Zhong Cuizhi, seeing this, reached for the chicken leg in Miaomiao’s bowl to give it to Tianhe. But Lan Yun’er quickly stopped her, saying, “Miaomiao is so thin, she’s malnourished. If she keeps getting thinner, her health will deteriorate.”

This struck Zhong Cuizhi deeply, and she turned away, tears welling in her eyes.

Yao Guizhi looked at Miaomiao, who indeed was just skin and bones, while Tianhe was round and plump. She suddenly felt guilty.

She turned to Tianhe, her voice stern. “If you want to eat, then eat. If not, get off the table!”

This was the first time Yao Guizhi had scolded Tianhe so harshly. Tianhe, startled, started crying, “Grandma scolded me! Grandma is mad at me!”

But no one responded, not even his mother, Cao Yunxia.

After the wild chicken stew, chicken organs, and other dishes were finished, Huo Jianzhang sighed contentedly. “Yun’er’s cooking is truly impressive. The pancakes this morning were delicious, and the chicken tonight is even better. With Yun’er around, we’ve all been lucky to enjoy such good food.”

Yao Guizhi, in a much better mood, also praised Lan Yun’er, “Yes, thank you, Yun’er, for bringing back this wild game. Otherwise, we wouldn’t have been able to enjoy such a delicious meal.”

Lan Yun’er smiled softly. “As long as everyone is happy, that’s enough.”

However, Huo Jinchen, despite the happy atmosphere, felt uneasy. He couldn’t shake the worry of what might have happened to her in the mountains today. If something had gone wrong…

“Yun’er…” Huo Jinchen began to speak, but just then, a loud voice interrupted from outside.

Qi Huifang’s voice rang out, “Lan Yun’er, you little wretch! Come out and face me, now!”

Everyone in the room froze, startled by the voice. Why was Qi Huifang here? They all stood up and walked toward the yard.

In the yard, Qi Huifang stood angrily with her hands on her hips. Behind her were Zhou Mingyue, Zhou Mingli, and other members of the Zhou family. Wang Zhiqiang was also there, looking injured and being supported by others.

Seeing Lan Yun’er appear, Qi Huifang’s eyes widened, and she pointed at her accusingly. “You heartless wretch! You pushed my son down the mountain, and now his right leg is broken! He can’t even walk! You must take responsibility for this!”

Lan Yun’er raised an eyebrow and gave Wang Zhiqiang a lazy glance. She scoffed lightly. These people, trying to frame her like Cao Yunxia. They wanted to trick her, but they needed to be capable enough for that to work!

Zhou Mingyue, noticing how closely Huo Jinchen and Lan Yun’er were standing together, clenched her fists, her eyes filled with resentment. Taking a deep breath to suppress her anger, she spoke in a gentle tone, “Yun’er, I know you were angry yesterday, but you shouldn’t take it out on my cousin. Now, he’s injured because of you. You need to take responsibility.”

Lan Yun’er casually flicked a strand of hair from her ear and lazily asked, “So what do you want me to do? Pay you money or something else?”