Like the other villagers, Zhao Meilian, Jiang De, and Jiang Junqing dragged their exhausted bodies home after a long day of labor.  

After earning work points all day and toiling until their bones ached, they could finally go home and rest. Everyone was overjoyed, chatting in small groups. In these times, there wasn’t much entertainment, so most conversations revolved around food and clothing.  

Now that work was done and their stomachs had been empty for hours, talk naturally turned to dinner: “What’s your family eating tonight?”  

Some couldn’t resist showing off, deliberately raising their voices so everyone could hear: “Ah, nothing special—just some meat.”  

The speaker was from one of the wealthier families in the village. Her son was strong and, by some stroke of luck, had landed a job slaughtering pigs at the town’s food station.  

As the saying goes, “Food company workers grow double chins.” If someone had enough to eat to develop a double chin, you could imagine how well they were living.  

The others were envious—how could they not be? But their own sons weren’t so lucky. Getting into the food station was nearly impossible, so all they could do was swallow their saliva in longing.  

“Our family can’t compare to Sister Li’s. Her son’s got talent—what can you do?” said Sun Yulan. Her family occasionally had meat too, so while she envied Sister Li, she was still better off than most. “We’re just having eggs tonight. It’s been a tiring day, so we’re treating ourselves a little.”  

“Oh, listen to you! Eggs aren’t good enough?” someone nearby said sourly.  

“Exactly. My family’s just making do with some coarse grain buns. As long as we don’t starve…”  

At the back of the group, Zhao Meilian and Jiang De exchanged a glance, their faces lined with worry.  

The reason was obvious—their family had run out of food.  

Others were talking about meat and eggs, things they didn’t even dare dream of. At this point, even a coarse flour bun would be a luxury.  

Jiang De sighed and whispered, “Let’s just go home first.”  

They didn’t want to discuss this on the road, not with so many people around.  

Jiang De wondered if they should borrow some grain from the village—just enough to get by until the harvest. Once the crops came in, they’d get their share.  

Truthfully, they still had a little money saved, but Jiang De was reluctant to touch it. That was for Jiang Le’s schooling. And even if they spent it all on food, it wouldn’t last long.  

But Jiang De had never been one to ask for help. The thought of borrowing from the village made him sick to his stomach.  

Zhao Meilian knew exactly what her husband was thinking. She gritted her teeth, considering whether she could borrow from her own family.  

But the truth was, her parents weren’t much better off. Unless absolutely necessary, she couldn’t bring herself to ask.  

Lost in their own thoughts, Zhao Meilian and Jiang De walked in silence. Jiang Junqing, naturally quiet and uninvolved in cooking, had no idea the family had run out of food. He didn’t realize his parents were worrying about tonight’s dinner.

The three of them left the group of villagers and walked home in silence. But before they even stepped through the door, a rich, mouthwatering aroma greeted them.  

Villagers passing by the Jiang family’s house on their way home were nearly drooling from the smell, casting envious glances their way. “Jiang family, you’re having meat tonight? It smells amazing!”  

Zhao Meilian smelled it too, but how could they be cooking meat when they didn’t even have grain left at home?  

She forced a smile. “We don’t have any meat. Must be the smell from someone else’s house drifting over.”  

The villager sniffed skeptically. “No way, it’s definitely coming from your place. Come on, Jiang family, no need to be stingy—it’s not like I’m gonna barge in and eat your food!”  

Zhao Meilian: “…”  

The three stepped inside, where Jiang Huan had been crouching by the kitchen door, waiting eagerly. The moment she saw them, she called out to Grandma Jiang in the kitchen, “Grandma, Dad, Mom, and Second Brother are back!”  

Then she sprang up, eagerly fetching washbasins for them.  

“Mom, Dad, wash up quickly!” Jiang Huan urged, her tone impatient.  

Zhao Meilian and Jiang De exchanged puzzled looks. They had assumed the meaty scent came from someone else’s home, but now that they were inside, the aroma was even stronger—as if it really was coming from their own kitchen.  

They hadn’t noticed, but Jiang Junqing did. His gaze landed on his little sister’s greasy lips. Jiang Huan smacked her lips slightly, as if savoring something delicious.  

A rare smile appeared on Jiang Junqing’s usually expressionless face. He didn’t care what his sister had eaten—as long as she was happy.  

Jiang Huan was still reminiscing about the piece of meat she had just eaten. It was so good. She couldn’t even remember the last time she’d had meat—maybe during New Year’s, and even then, only a tiny bite.  

Earlier, when she saw Grandma Jiang stewing the meat—glossy, fatty chunks shimmering temptingly—she had nearly lost her mind from craving it.  

But no matter how badly she wanted it, she hadn’t dared sneak a bite. She had to wait for her parents and brother to come home. Even Grandma Jiang, who was cooking, hadn’t taken a single piece.  

Just as she was swallowing back drool, a piece of meat suddenly appeared in front of her lips. Without thinking, she opened her mouth and ate it.  

Only after savoring the rich, meaty flavor did she realize—it was Jiang Le who had fed her.  

She had seen him pick up a pair of chopsticks earlier, as if planning to sneak a bite. But she hadn’t stopped him. After all, the meat was bought with his money, and he was still recovering from a head injury—he should eat more to regain his strength.  

She had resisted the temptation herself, but to her surprise, Jiang Le hadn’t eaten it—he had fed it to her instead.  

Now, Jiang Huan’s mind was filled with one thought: Waaah, the meat was so good! My little brother is the best! 

Simple-minded, Jiang Huan instantly forgot all the times Jiang Le had bullied her before. Right now, all she could think about was that one piece of meat he had given her.  

Grandma Jiang, busy cooking, turned around when she heard the commotion. Jiang Le picked up another piece of meat and held it out to her with a charming smile.  

“Grandma, taste it and see if it needs more salt.”

Grandma Jiang was fed a mouthful of meat and quickly covered her mouth, afraid even a little bit of the meat soup might spill out. Her eyes crinkled into happy slits.  

Ah, her precious grandson had fed her! He still remembered his old grandma!  

She glanced at the meat stewing in the pot. Though it was a large portion, it wasn’t as much as it seemed—just half a pot. She had cooked one jin of meat, but of course, it wasn’t all meat. No family could afford such extravagance.  

She had added vegetables from their garden to stretch the dish. Now, even the greens were infused with rich meaty flavor. Grandma Jiang had already decided—she was old, and eating meat would be wasteful. Better to leave it for the younger ones. She’d just have the vegetables, which were plenty delicious on their own.  

Hesitating for a moment, she took out a small bowl the size of her palm. “Let me scoop some for you first. You and your sister can eat ahead.”  

Jiang Le knew Grandma truly doted on him. Seeing how Jiang Huan and she reacted, he understood just how precious meat was in these times. How could he possibly eat before the others?  

“Grandma, let’s wait for Mom and Dad to come back,” he insisted. “It’s more lively when the whole family eats together.”  

To persuade her, he even blushed and acted a little spoiled, coaxing Grandma Jiang into smiling. “Alright, alright, we’ll wait. They should be back soon anyway.”  

That was why Jiang Huan’s lips were still shiny with grease—she hadn’t dared to swallow the meat right away, savoring it bit by bit until their parents returned.  

Jiang Junqing, his hands freshly washed, ruffled Jiang Huan’s soft hair. She grinned and carried the washbasin to dump the water near the vegetable patch.  

The Jiang family usually ate in the open space between the kitchen and Grandma Jiang and Jiang Huan’s room, under the eaves. When the weather was warm, they dined there to save on electricity. Though it wasn’t completely dark yet, turning on the lights would be a waste.  

Jiang Le wasn’t sure if rural areas in his original world had electricity yet, but in this novel’s setting, even villages were electrified.  

Still, most families rarely used it—everyone preferred to save power.  

When Zhao Meilian and Jiang De saw the unexpectedly lavish spread on the table, they were stunned. “Where… where did this meat come from? And these buns…?”  

Grandma Jiang had prepared two kinds of buns—one with white flour, the other with cornmeal. Either was far better than the coarse grain buns they usually ate.  

Grandma Jiang, now the picture of calm—as if she hadn’t been shocked earlier by the sudden appearance of flour, meat, and eggs—explained, “Our youngest bought all this. If not for him, we’d be going hungry tonight instead of eating meat!”  

There was a pointed message in her words. Children didn’t understand the value of money, and Grandma knew Jiang Le had probably spent all ten yuan he had. It pained her, but no matter how much it hurt, she would never blame the child.  

He had spent his own money to feed the family, not even sparing a bit for sweets. If she scolded him for being “wasteful,” what kind of person would that make her?  

Not only would she not say a word of reproach—she wouldn’t let Zhao Meilian or Jiang De say anything either!

In truth, Zhao Meilian and Jiang De had no intention of blaming Jiang Le. If not for him, they’d still be starving today, forced to swallow their pride and borrow food from others!  

“Ahem, let’s eat. I’m starving,” Jiang Le said, embarrassed by their lingering gazes as he quickly changed the subject.  

“Right, let’s eat!” Jiang De wiped his face and saw his family practically drooling. No need for words—food first.  

Jiang Le hesitated before picking up a piece of meat. Honestly, he wasn’t particularly fond of meat in his past life, but he had underestimated just how nutrient-starved this body was. The moment the rich flavor hit his tongue, his cravings roared to life.  

As he ate, he kept an eye on Grandma Jiang. Noticing she only took vegetables, he immediately piled several pieces of meat into her bowl. “Grandma, I prefer the greens. Don’t steal them from me.”  

Hearing this, Grandma Jiang didn’t refuse. She understood—her grandson was looking out for her. Silly child, who doesn’t love meat and prefers vegetables?

That night, the Jiang family ate their fill with unparalleled satisfaction. None could even remember the last time they’d had meat—so long ago that the taste had practically faded from memory.  

“This meat tastes especially delicious today, better than any I’ve had before,” Jiang Huan mumbled, her lips glistening with grease as she refused to wipe them.  

Everyone laughed. Zhao Meilian said, “That’s just the meat cravings talking.”  

But Jiang De agreed, “I think so too. It really is tastier than before.”  

Jiang Le didn’t have a frame of reference—he had no idea what “before” tasted like. Still, he had to admit, this meat was far more fragrant than anything from the modern era.  

He chalked it up to two reasons: First, meat in this era was undoubtedly higher quality, and second, this body was simply starved for it.  

After dinner, Zhao Meilian hurried to the kitchen and saw the replenished grain bucket, ten eggs, and the remaining pound of pork. Her eyes grew moist. “We have food again.”  

She wasn’t even old yet, but she was already benefiting from her youngest son’s good fortune.  

Originally, Grandma Jiang had planned to cook only a fifth of the meat—already generous in her eyes, since even a hint of meat flavor would’ve been a treat.  

But Jiang Le wouldn’t allow it. Two pounds of meat split five ways? That’s barely two ounces per person! After some insistence, Grandma Jiang reluctantly agreed to use half.  

And indeed, the meal was unforgettable. Even the vegetable broth was mopped clean—Jiang Junqing made sure not a drop remained.  

Now, with ten eggs, a pound of pork, and plenty of white and corn flour left, they had enough to last a while.  

Grandma Jiang absolutely refused to cook the remaining pound of meat all at once. One glorious feast was satisfying, but then what? Only memories.  

By spreading it out over days, they could savor the taste of meat a little longer.  

Jiang Le didn’t interfere. The weather was hot, and the meat wouldn’t keep for long anyway. His grandmother, frugal as she was, wasn’t the type to hoard food until it spoiled. He estimated she’d use it all up within a few days.

Jiang Le went to the kitchen and took out an enamel cup. After pouring some hot water into it, he glanced around furtively like a thief before whispering to Guagua: [Put some brown sugar in it.]

Everything else was fine, but he couldn’t just take out brown sugar—it was too expensive. If he had bought all those supplies and a bag of brown sugar with just ten yuan, even a fool would find it suspicious.  

He didn’t know how to explain it to his family, so the sugar had to stay in the system storage for now. At least the 24-hour limit hadn’t passed yet.  

If Guagua had been human, it would have rolled its eyes: [Host, how dare you treat this system like a spice rack?! I’m only helping you store items temporarily!]

But despite its sharp words, Guagua had a soft heart. The moment it finished complaining, the clear water in the cup turned reddish-brown. Jiang Le smirked, covered the cup, and called over Jiang Huan, who was bustling about doing who-knows-what.  

Jiang Huan adored her little brother now, so even being interrupted didn’t bother her. She trotted over cheerfully. “What’s up, little one? Need me to wash the cup? Just leave it—I’ll clean it for you later.”  

Jiang Le: Just how lazy was the original owner? He didn’t even wash his own cup?

After mentally grumbling, he handed the cup to Jiang Huan. “Have some water.”  

Jiang Huan: “???”  

What was up with her brother today? Since when did he fetch water for her?  

Though confused, she was still happy. She took a sip—Huh, even the water my brother pours is sweet…  

Wait, no—it actually was sweet! Jiang Huan gulped down a big mouthful before her eyes widened in shock.