Yu Hezhong’s gaze fell on the limping rabbit struggling against the rope tied around it. Lost in thought for a moment, he slowly got up and went outside.  

Before long, he returned with a handful of freshly picked grass and placed it in front of the rabbit.  

The rabbit was either a little foolish or simply starving—it sniffed the grass, confirmed it was edible, and immediately began nibbling with its tiny mouth.  

Yu Hezhong glanced at it, satisfied that it wouldn’t die anytime soon, then went back inside. Rolling up his pant leg, he ignored the grotesque swelling and carefully applied the wound medicine.  

He had expected the medicine to take some time to work, but surprisingly, before long, his leg began to feel warm.  

And the pain had lessened—he was certain it wasn’t just his imagination.  

He had thought his leg was done for… Yu Hezhong suddenly lowered his head. Had anyone been there, they would have noticed his eyes glistening.  

…

That evening, the Jiang family enjoyed steaming hot buns for dinner. When the family tried to give their portions to Jiang Le, he adamantly refused. “I still think Grandma’s cooking is the best.”  

Pleased by his words, Grandma Jiang used the last bit of meat in the house to prepare another delicious meal for the family.  

Later, as everyone was winding down for the night, Jiang Le took out his book. Though the moonlight was bright, reading by it strained his eyes, so he reluctantly gave up.  

Just then, Jiang Junqing said, “Someone’s knocking.” He went to open the door.  

Curious about who would visit so late, Jiang Le slipped on his shoes and followed. But when he stepped outside, no one was there.  

“Someone was here,” Jiang Junqing insisted.  

Jiang Le blinked. “How do you know? Maybe you misheard.”  

Jiang Junqing glanced at his younger brother, then bent down to pick something up. “Look.”  

Jiang Le gasped. “A… rabbit!”  

This rabbit couldn’t have come here on its own—it was still tied with a rope.  

Jiang Junqing handed the shivering rabbit to Jiang Le. “Hold it. I’ll go check outside.”  

Jiang Le nodded. With the troublemaking Zhang Xiuhua next door, it was best to take the rabbit inside first.  

It was his first time seeing a wild rabbit—not the usual white ones he’d seen before, but one with grayish-brown fur.  

Jiang Le gently stroked its ears and said to Guagua, [It’s kinda cute.]

Guagua: [So adorable!] Are you going to keep it as a pet?

As a result, Jiang Le snorted: [Guagua, have you ever tried spicy diced rabbit?]

Guagua: […]

The rest of the family was roused by the commotion. Zhao Meilian draped a coat over her shoulders and came out, exclaiming, “Oh my, where did this rabbit come from?”  

Jiang Le shook his head and explained what had just happened.  

The Jiang family was baffled—who would send them a rabbit?  

Suddenly, Guagua spoke up: [Host, I’ve detected traces of this system’s universal wound medicine on the rabbit!]

Jiang Le’s eyes widened: [You mean… But how did Yu Hezhong know it was from me?!] 

He had deliberately hidden himself! Was this the power of the original novel’s antagonist?  

Before long, Jiang Junqing returned. “I saw someone heading toward the east end of the village. Didn’t get a clear look, but they seemed young.”  

“I remember… Old Yu’s boy used to hunt in the mountains,” Jiang De said.  

Living in the east end of the village, young, and skilled at catching rabbits—the answer was obvious.  

But the Jiang family still couldn’t figure out why he would send them a rabbit.  

“Whatever the reason, that boy’s had it hard. Even if we’re struggling, at least we have a big family to lean on. How can we take something from a child?” Grandma Jiang sighed.  

Jiang De nodded. “I feel the same. We can’t possibly accept this. Second Son, take the rabbit back to the boy, and… bring some steamed buns too. He’s young—probably doesn’t know how to make them himself.”  

Their family had little to offer, but at least they could spare some buns.  

“Wait.” Jiang Le cleared his throat. “Now that I think about it, I might’ve helped Yu Hezhong with something small before. Maybe that’s why…”  

“No matter what you helped with, we can’t take his things,” Jiang De said earnestly.  

Jiang Le shook his head. “It’s not about wanting his stuff. It’s just… Yu Hezhong has strong pride. He hates owing people. If you refuse, he’ll feel worse.”  

That was why Jiang Le brought it up. Though he’d never interacted with Yu Hezhong, he understood him somewhat.  

He’d given him wound medicine, and in return, Yu Hezhong gave him a rabbit—clearly not wanting to owe him anything.  

“This kid, really…” Jiang De sighed, unsure what to do. If they returned the rabbit as Jiang Le suggested, wouldn’t that seem like they were looking down on the boy?  

But keeping it felt just as wrong.  

Finally, Grandma Jiang spoke up: “Let’s butcher the rabbit. I’ll cook it, we’ll keep half, and send the other half back to the boy.”  

Grandma Jiang’s suggestion was a fair compromise, and no one objected. The matter was settled.

Jiang Le quietly followed his grandmother into the kitchen: “Grandma, do you know how to make spicy diced rabbit?”  

Since they’d decided to cook the rabbit, could he at least make a suggestion?  

Grandma Jiang: “???”  

Jiang Le, looking like a little glutton, said: “I read about a dish called spicy diced rabbit in a book. How about I tell you how to make it, and you give it a try?”  

It wasn’t that he didn’t want to cook it himself—but even though Grandma doted on him, she’d never trust him with something this important. So he settled for just explaining the recipe.  

Sure enough, Grandma Jiang wasn’t too resistant. “Tell me how it’s made, and I’ll see if I can manage it.”  

Jiang Le had made this dish before in his past life, so he quickly explained the steps. Of course, some modern ingredients weren’t available at home, but the essentials—like chili peppers—were there. Their region had a strong spice tolerance, after all.  

He simplified the process a bit.  

With decades of cooking experience, Grandma Jiang could tell Jiang Le wasn’t just spouting nonsense. Though she didn’t understand why some steps were so elaborate—  

Even after Jiang Le’s simplifications, the recipe was still more complicated than the usual stir-fry or stew common in this era.  

But Grandma Jiang had a feeling this method would make the rabbit taste amazing, so she decided to give it a try.  

Spicy diced rabbit was delicious to eat—and its bold aroma filled the air while cooking. Next door, Zhang Xiuhua, lying on her kang (heated bed), suddenly sat bolt upright at the tantalizing smell.  

Her husband, jolted awake, frowned. “What are you doing up in the middle of the night? Gotta pee?”  

“Pee my ass! Can’t you smell that? What the hell are the Jiangs cooking? Smells like meat!” Zhang Xiuhua sniffed aggressively. “Who cooks meat in the middle of the night? That little brat Jiang Le must’ve stolen it from someone! I’m going to check!”  

“Are you out of your damn mind?!” Her husband, though also curious where the Jiangs could’ve gotten meat, didn’t want her causing a scene with the neighbors. “What they eat is none of our business. Quit stirring trouble!”  

“Stirring trouble?! Wang [surname], when have I ever lived a good day with you? How long has it been since I last ate meat? The Jiangs are doing this on purpose—torturing me so I can’t sleep!” Zhang Xiuhua ranted. “I’m going to find out where they got that meat. I didn’t hear their eldest daughter visiting. I’ll demand they share some with me. You coming or not?”  

Her husband fumed. “No!”  

Zhang Xiuhua scoffed. “Suit yourself! Don’t expect me to save any for you!”  

With that, she actually marched out the door.  

Meanwhile, Jiang Le, who had been squatting by the stove with Jiang Huan to feed the fire, suddenly heard Guagua say:  

[Host! Zhang Xiuhua’s practically sticking her head through the fence! This system just heard her say you stole the meat.]

Jiang Le sneered and was about to go out when Guagua added excitedly:  

[Host, leave it to me! I’ll give her a good scare, hehehe~]

Jiang Le: […]

Listening to Guagua’s eerie laughter, Jiang Le suddenly felt a pang of sympathy for Zhang Xiuhua.  

Outside, Zhang Xiuhua craned her neck over the fence, spotting Jiang Junqing in the distance. Just as she was about to call out, someone tapped her shoulder, and a voice whispered in her ear: “Zhang Xiuhua, what are you doing?”

Zhang Xiuhua twitched impatiently. “Wang, you—”

She thought it was her husband, but when she turned around—no one was there!  

A chill shot down her spine. All thoughts of demanding meat vanished as she shrieked, “GHOST!!” and bolted home.  

Jiang Junqing, who had been about to check on the noise: “???”

…

Grandma Jiang finished cooking the spicy diced rabbit, setting aside a generous portion. She then used the family’s last egg to make a simple stir-fry with scallions, paired it with a few steamed buns, and packed it all to send to Yu Hezhong.  

The remaining rabbit would be saved for tomorrow—though, technically, they’d already eaten dinner, the aroma was irresistible. Everyone took a bite and agreed: This tastes even better than the state-run restaurant!

Reading really is useful—look at the recipes our youngest picked up from books! In these times, culinary secrets were closely guarded, making this discovery all the more precious.  

Jiang Le was tasked with delivering the food. On the way, a thought struck him: [Yu Hezhong has a leg injury… Can he eat spicy food?]  

His family didn’t know about the injury, and Jiang Le—lacking experience—only just recalled that wounds and spice might not mix.  

Guagua huffed. [This system’s universal wound medicine is top-tier! Yu Hezhong’s practically healed by now. Spice won’t affect him.]

Jiang Le nodded, choosing to trust Guagua. Besides… the rabbit was already cooked. The realization made him sheepish.  

Soon, he reached the Yu household. Nervously, he knocked: [Should I hide again?]

Guagua: [Pointless. Yu Hezhong’s no fool—he already knows it’s you.] 

Jiang Le: […] Fine.  

The door opened. Face-to-face with the novel’s antagonist for the first time, Jiang Le stiffened into a smile—unaware of how dopey it looked.  

The wary, bristling wolf-pup of a boy took in that goofy grin and, inexplicably, relaxed.