Chapter 58: Spicy Rabbit Meat

“Father is just too timid!”

Ye Xin Yao continued to lean against Zou Shi’s embrace. “Father only values the gold and silver in his hands, but he doesn’t understand that wealth comes with risk.”

She straightened up and looked at Zou Shi. “Once I marry into the Qiao family, I’ll make sure to secure the county magistrate’s protection for us, so that Father and Mother can live without worry from now on.”

“I heard that Zi Yu brother is highly favored by Wei Yuan, I’ll find an opportunity to talk to him and ask him to speak well of Sheng Er in front of Wei Yuan.”

“Good child, Yao Yao is really a good child!”

Zou Shi’s eyes reddened with emotion.

Xiao Huai’an and Ye Xin Ran returned home with the children. Seeing the mess in the yard, Xiao Huai’an couldn’t help but frown.

“Did someone come to bully you?”

“Yes!” Chang An nodded vigorously.

“It was Aunt’s parents who came to bully her!”

Hearing this, Xiao Huai’an immediately looked at Ye Xin Ran. “Were you hurt?”

Ye Xin Ran shook her head. “It’s fine!”

Chang Ping added, “Second Uncle, we set up traps in the yard and scared them all off!”

Chang An chimed in, “Second Brother’s traps are amazing! We splashed a bucket of water on one person and slapped another with a board. They were completely knocked out and fell flat on the ground!”

Chang An spoke vividly, and Ye Xin Ran couldn’t help but laugh.

Chang Sheng, however, looked at Xiao Huai’an’s expression and said, “Second Uncle, don’t be angry. We only set up those traps to protect Aunt.”

“I understand.” Xiao Huai’an didn’t show any anger, but turned to the children and said, “You all clean up the yard and try to make it look like it was before.”

“Got it, Second Uncle! We’ll change clothes and get to work right away!”

The children hurried off to work. Ye Xin Ran noticed that Xiao Huai’an had brought back a basket with three rabbits, so she asked, “Why are you back so early? Was it not successful?”

Xiao Huai’an shook his head.

He opened another basket and motioned for Ye Xin Ran to look. Ye Xin Ran was stunned to see it was filled with Ice Spirit Flowers.

“This… so many!” Ye Xin Ran was taken aback.

“I found them in a gorge yesterday. I remembered you said you needed them, so I dug them up with the roots and soil.”

Xiao Huai’an said this with a hint of pride.

Ye Xin Ran then noticed that the Ice Spirit Flowers were indeed still attached to their roots and soil.

“Great! With so many, I can plant them all on the mountain!”

“You bought the East Mountain to plant these flowers?” Xiao Huai’an asked.

“Yes, but this is just one of the types,” Ye Xin Ran explained. “These flowers may seem unremarkable, but they are a very important medicinal ingredient. I will use them to make a remedy to treat the scars on my face.”

Now it made sense.

Xiao Huai’an looked at Ye Xin Ran’s scars.

The first time he saw them, they were quite striking, but as time passed, he had gotten used to them. If Ye Xin Ran didn’t care about them, neither did he.

Perhaps it was because she wasn’t bothered by them herself, and those around her simply overlooked the small flaw.

Xiao Huai’an didn’t ask how Ye Xin Ran knew medicine, but Chang An eagerly interjected, “Second Uncle, do you know? Aunt is amazing! Master Wei invited Aunt to his house to treat his wife!”

“Oh? Was it successful?”

Xiao Huai’an looked at Ye Xin Ran.

Ye Xin Ran shrugged. “It’s fine, it wasn’t a serious illness. A period of medication should take care of it.”

“That’s good!” Xiao Huai’an nodded.

Ye Xin Ran felt Xiao Huai’an’s gaze lingering on her and, feeling a bit awkward, tried to change the topic. “So, will you be staying at home for a few days this time?”

“If nothing serious, I’ll stay for a day and then leave,” Xiao Huai’an said as he withdrew his gaze.

Ye Xin Ran replied, “There’s nothing major, just want to take the kids to the county town for a stroll. They’ve been here for so long, but haven’t had a chance to go around the town.”

“Yeah, Second Uncle, let’s go together!” Chang An begged softly.

Although Chang Ping and Chang Sheng didn’t speak, they both looked at him with hopeful eyes.

Xiao Huai’an had no choice but to say, “Alright, then we’ll all go to the town together.”

“Oh! That’s great!”

The three children spun around in excitement. They felt like today was the happiest day. Aunt had made them new clothes, and even the usually stern Second Uncle agreed to take them to the market. Such days were unimaginable before.

The children ran off to the yard, and only then did Xiao Huai’an pull out two silver notes from his pocket.

“This is 200 taels of silver. You used the previous silver to buy the mountain, right? You keep this as household money.”

Ye Xin Ran was startled.

Was Xiao Huai’an really that rich?

Last time, he said the silver came from selling game, but this time he hadn’t sold any game.

Could it be that he was a hidden wealthy man, bringing the children to the country side for a life experience?

Ye Xin Ran quickly shook her head, pushing the unrealistic thoughts from her mind.

Thinking of the reason Xiao Huai’an was exiled, she suddenly considered another possibility: Could this have been something he had taken by force?

Seeing Ye Xin Ran’s changing expressions, Xiao Huai’an took the initiative to explain, “It’s not stolen, nor is it something I took by force. You could say it’s money I saved before the incident happened.”

“Then that’s good, that’s good!” Ye Xin Ran smiled in relief.

Who doesn’t love money? With this money, she could buy more things for the family.

She could replace all the bedding with new ones, prepare two sets of summer clothes, and even add some items to the kitchen.

After thinking for a while, Ye Xin Ran looked at the broken wall outside and decided to save the money for now.

She would find a way to build a house first.

The current house felt like it could collapse at any moment.

Since the rabbits weren’t sold, Ye Xin Ran confirmed with Xiao Huai’an that they would keep the three rabbits to eat.

For the children, it was rare to have Second Uncle’s game meat.

They all had the illusion that since Aunt came, Second Uncle had become gentler than before.

The three rabbits were not very large.

Xiao Huai’an skinned them and cleaned off the blood. He then looked at Ye Xin Ran, “How should we cook these rabbits? Do you know?”

If she didn’t know, he would just roast them.

But Ye Xin Ran had her own idea.

She definitely couldn’t let him, a kitchen disaster, ruin the food.

Rabbit meat was a great ingredient.

The legs and breasts of the rabbit could be used to make spicy rabbit cubes, while the remaining meat and bones could be used to make soup, just perfect.

With that thought in mind, she directed Xiao Huai’an to chop the rabbit into small pieces, then washed them with clean water to remove the blood.

Meanwhile, Chang Ping had started the fire. Ye Xin Ran rinsed the rice, put it into the pot to cook, and then used a small pot to boil water, adding the meaty bones into the pot.

Once the water boiled, she skimmed off the scum and added the ginger, yam, barley, and cooking wine she had prepared, then covered the pot and let it simmer.