Jiang Qiuyue’s new body was exhausted.  

In less than a minute, she fell into a deep sleep once again.  

Lin Beibei and Lin Nannan crouched by the edge of the bed, staring curiously at their mother.  

“Nan Nan, Mom is so different today. She actually told us to eat more and even argued with Grandma and the others.”  

Lin Nannan used to be lively too, but after she accidentally knocked over a rice bowl at the age of three, her grandmother had beaten her harshly, leaving her back covered in palm marks. Her mother had only held her and cried, then made her apologize to Grandma.  

She refused to apologize, so Grandma grabbed her and pinched her until her voice was hoarse from crying.  

After that, she stopped speaking altogether.  

Lin Beibei was used to his sister’s silence and continued talking to himself, “I wish Mom could stay like this forever. I like her this way. You do too, right, Nan Nan?”  

After a moment of hesitation, Lin Nannan gave a slight nod.  

The two little ones leaned against the bed, watching until they, too, dozed off.  

Jiang Qiuyue slept soundly until four in the afternoon. The Lin family hadn’t returned from work yet. She washed her face, got up, and went to the kitchen to look around.  

The daily rations were always set aside in advance by Wang Chunhua, who kept the key to the grain storage. There was no way Jiang Qiuyue could steal from it. Looking at the sweet potatoes and wild vegetables on the stove, she had no appetite.  

Then she glanced up and spotted a palm-sized piece of cured meat hanging from the rafters.  

The kitchen was locked at night, so no one could get in. During the day, the children were home, but no one dared touch the cured meat without Wang Chunhua’s permission.  

This piece of cured meat had been saved since New Year’s, guarded by Wang Chunhua like a treasure.  

Jiang Qiuyue swallowed hard and didn’t hesitate for even half a second. She dragged over a stool, climbed up, and took the meat down.  

There were wild onions growing by the vegetable patch. She picked a handful, washed the cured meat, boiled it until tender, then sliced it into two-millimeter-thin pieces—translucent and mouthwatering.  

She heated oil in the pan, stir-fried the cured meat until the fat rendered out, then tossed in the onion bulbs to release their fragrance.  

Instantly, the rich aroma of oil and meat filled the kitchen. Finally, she added the wild onion greens, gave them a quick stir, and the dish was ready.  

For the main course, she steamed sweet potatoes. With so many mouths to feed, the Lin family couldn’t afford rice or wheat flour every day—meals mostly consisted of sweet potatoes and potatoes. Only during festivals would they eat rice mixed with coarse grains, which was tough to swallow but still a rare treat.  

Jiang Qiuyue had always enjoyed cooking. Now, she needed to nourish herself properly. If there was something good to eat, of course she would make it for herself.  

Over the past four years, the original owner of this body had handed over twenty yuan every month to support the entire family, yet she hadn’t even gotten a bite of meat or eggs.  

Today, she was making up for all four years in one go.  

“Eat! Why aren’t you moving your chopsticks? Does the cured meat not taste good?” Jiang Qiuyue had already eaten two pieces. It was a bit salty, but the rich, fatty flavor flooding her mouth gave her an unprecedented sense of satisfaction.  

After all, the original owner hadn’t eaten meat in four years—her body desperately needed nourishment.  

Though Lin Beibei was practically drooling, he didn’t dare touch the food. “Mom, Grandma said this cured meat is for Auntie when she comes home for summer vacation.”  

“Why save it? Your aunt eats meat buns at school, but has she ever saved one for you?”  

As she spoke, Jiang Qiuyue took another bite. “If you don’t eat now, I’ll finish it all. Either way, I’ve already eaten some. Even if you don’t, you’ll still get scolded along with me.”  

Lin Beibei: “…”  

Besides the cured meat, Jiang Qiuyue had also made a pot of loofah soup. The loofahs were homegrown, and the broth had a natural sweetness, perfect for cutting through the greasiness.  

Seeing that his mother really had no intention of leaving any behind, Lin Beibei tightened his grip on his chopsticks, quickly snatched a piece for his sister, then one for himself.  

When the meat hit his tongue, he nearly cried. So this was what meat tasted like—it was *amazing*!  

The three of them didn’t just finish the cured meat—Lin Beibei even used a sweet potato to soak up every last drop of oil at the bottom of the bowl.  

Jiang Qiuyue patted her full stomach in satisfaction. The Lin family’s conditions were too poor—her cooking skills were being wasted here.  

“Mom, I’ll wash the dishes!” Normally, Lin Beibei and his sister helped with cleanup after meals.

At first, Jiang Qiuyue was a little worried, but after watching for a while and seeing the two kids washing the dishes properly, she relaxed and went to the yard to walk off her meal.  

Having slept all day, she decided to loosen her muscles with a round of *Baduanjin* exercises.  

Just as she finished, Lin Beibei and Lin Nannan came out after washing the dishes, and Wang Chunhua and the others returned home.  

“Mom, you’re back!” Jiang Qiuyue greeted warmly. Wang Chunhua shot her a glare but didn’t respond, instead stomping straight into the kitchen.  

When she saw that no meal had been prepared, Wang Chunhua opened her mouth to curse, but Lin Fugui’s sharp glance silenced her. She had no choice but to call her second daughter-in-law to cook.  

At this point, they still hadn’t noticed the missing cured meat.  

By the time Qian Li finished cooking and called everyone to eat, Jiang Qiuyue leaned against the doorframe with a smile and announced, “I’ve already eaten—I had the cured meat. Mom, don’t freak out and start yelling about thieves again. If you make a scene, we’ll have to bother the village chief *again*.”  

“*What?!*”  

Wang Chunhua froze for a second. It wasn’t until Lin Dabao whined, “I want cured meat too!” that she snapped back to reality, her eyes widening in disbelief. “Jiang Qiuyue, you *ate* my cured meat?!”  

“Yep. Dr. Jiang said I need to nourish myself, and after looking around, the only nutritious thing at home was the cured meat. It’s not like I could slaughter the egg-laying hen, right, Mom?”