Chapter Twenty-Seven: Mushroom Stewed Chicken

"Grandma, don't move!" Seeing her reach out, Su Jinyu immediately grabbed her hand.

Wang Qiaohui wore the guilty expression of someone caught doing something they shouldn't.

Su Jinyu said sternly, "There are crushed medicinal herbs on that gauze; they need enough time to take effect. I won't let you take it off, so you aren't allowed to move, understand?"

"Grandma understands. If you don't want me to move, I won't."

Li Tianhe and Li Zhe'an returned with water just in time to witness this scene, their mouths agape in surprise. When had the sharp-tongued old lady ever been this obedient to anyone?

"Tianhe, you're back just in time! Jinyu caught two wild chickens, and we were just waiting for you to bring the water to stew some chicken soup!" Chen Shulan said happily, showing off the two chickens she had taken out of the basket.

Li Tianhe looked the chickens over, amazed. "My dear niece, you are truly capable! I’m finally getting to eat wild chicken thanks to you!"

Li Zhe'an also chimed in with a playful, flattering tone, "Sister Jinyu, teach your big brother how to hunt, and in return, I'll teach you how to read and write!"

Before Su Jinyu could respond, her second brother, Li Chuxiu, grew anxious. "Sister Jinyu, take me as your apprentice first! Any game I catch from now on will all belong to you!"

Seeing her two older brothers fighting to be her disciples, Su Jinyu was amused. "Fine, I'll teach you later. But hunting requires more than just skill; it also requires luck. Even if I teach you, whether you actually catch anything will depend on yourselves."

Wang Qiaohui looked at the little girl with admiration and began to reminisce with a sigh. "Jinyu is truly my granddaughter; she has a natural talent for hunting! In my day, my father was a well-known master hunter in the village. It’s a pity he passed away too early and didn't teach me much, otherwise, I could have taught you little ones myself!"

Seeing his brothers wanting to learn how to hunt, Su Jinxiao clung to his eldest sister's arm, clamoring to learn as well.

"Alright, alright, big sister will teach you too. But I can only teach you the essentials and techniques; you must never go into the woods to hunt alone without an adult present. That is too dangerous!"

"I will strictly follow my big sister's teachings!" Su Jinxiao even went as far as to kneel on one knee and perform a formal salute.

Su Jinyu was amused and patted the back of his head. "You rascal! Get up, the ground is cold!" She bought three pear-syrup candies from her space, spending 10 mall points. "This is pear-syrup candy I bought in town. Take it and eat."

Having never tasted candy before—his only previous experience being the candied hawthorn from their last trip to town—he found the pear-syrup candy truly extraordinary.

"Wow! Thank you, big sister!" Su Jinxiao held the candy, unable to put it down.

"Grandma, Auntie, they say girls love candy the most, so here is one for each of you to try!"

Wang Qiaohui chuckled, "You little slippery one, you've even learned how to offer flowers to Buddha. Since this is your filial piety, Grandma will accept it."

The more Chen Shulan looked at Su Jinxiao, the more she felt he was even more well-behaved and thoughtful than her own two sons. Being only six years old and already without his parents to look after him, she felt she needed to take extra care of him.

"Auntie accepts. Jinxiao is truly a good boy. Later, you must drink plenty of the soup I’m making!"

Su Jinyu realized the eggs hadn't been boiled yet. "Auntie, just put the eggs in the porridge to cook."

Chen Shulan agreed, "Sure, you gathered the eggs, so I'll listen to you!" Although the family had little more than porridge and wild vegetables, eggs were a rare treat. But as long as her niece said to eat them all, Chen Shulan wouldn't hesitate.

Thinking of the wild vegetables she had dug up two days ago, Chen Shulan stir-fried a plate with two eggs and boiled the other three in the porridge.

Before long, the scent of mushroom and chicken soup filled the campsite. The savory aroma of the mushrooms and the rich scent of the chicken spread instantly. Other villagers caught a whiff and drooled with envy, looking at the Su family with longing. They were stuck eating wild vegetable cakes, coarse flour buns, or plain dough-drop soup—things that could fill a stomach, but lacked the savory satisfaction of meat.

Over at the main Su family camp, Wu Cuihua had made a pot of coarse flour dough-drop soup. It was completely water-based, without a drop of oil or even salt, tasting like dry mud.

Su Wangfu's hunger was piqued, and he was filled with resentment. Why did those two little wretches get to eat meat while he had to eat this gruel? Since his grandmother and parents wouldn't help him get food, he would do it himself!

Seeing Su Jinxiao sitting alone behind a rock, seemingly eating something, he snuck over when no one was looking.

"Su Jinxiao! What are you eating? Hand it over!"

Su Jinxiao was enjoying his pear-syrup candy when a chubby hand reached toward him. He slapped the hand away, stood up quickly, and glared. "This is something my big sister bought specifically for me. What does it have to do with you? Su Wangfu, if you bother me again, don't blame me for calling my uncle and cousins over to beat you up!"

As he spoke, Su Jinxiao raised his fist, his eyes full of defiance toward his third cousin.

Su Wangfu was stunned for a few seconds, never expecting that his previously timid cousin would dare to challenge him. Seeing that his cousin wasn't backing down, Su Jinxiao raised his voice, "Uncle, big brother, second brother, someone is trying to rob and bully me!"

Su Wangfu shuddered. Seeing Li Tianhe and his two sons looking at him coldly and walking toward him, he immediately fled back to his own camp.

"Hmph! Coward! Trying to steal my food—scared you, didn't I!" Su Jinxiao muttered, still sucking on his candy, and strolled back toward the Li family.

"Jinxiao, did that little brat bully you?" Li Tianhe asked his nephew nervously.

"Uncle, big brother, second brother, don't worry. That Su Wangfu didn't dare to do anything; I scared him off with just a few words," Su Jinxiao said confidently.

Hearing this, Su Jinyu felt quite satisfied. Since her younger brother had family to rely on, he had shed much of his former cowardice.

"Wash your hands, everyone, come and eat!" Chen Shulan brought the chicken soup to the spread-out oilcloth and began serving.

The family sat on the ground, each holding a bowl. In the center of the oilcloth was a pot of mushroom and chicken stew, a plate of stir-fried shepherd's purse with eggs, and a small dish of pickled vegetables. Chen Shulan's pickles were excellent, and the whole family loved them.

After a long day of traveling, they were all ravenous. Especially at the smell of the rich chicken soup, they were eager to begin. Once Wang Qiaohui picked up her chopsticks, the others followed suit.

Wang Qiaohui was the head of the household, and in the Li family, there was no custom of rationing food; the whole family sat at the table and ate what they had. However, Chen Shulan picked up a chicken leg and placed it in Su Jinyu's bowl, while Li Tianhe picked up the second one and put it in Su Jinxiao's bowl.

Chen Shulan had only stewed one chicken; the other was salted and stored for the next day.

"Auntie, your chicken soup is so fragrant, I must have two bowls!"

Su Jinyu tasted the chicken first; each piece was infused with the rich, savory flavor of the mushrooms. It was delicious. After a sip of the soup, her whole body felt satisfied. Chen Shulan was delighted to see her family enjoying her cooking, and she kept piling food into her niece's bowl.

Just as they were eating with great enjoyment, a shrill scream echoed from afar, and the surrounding villagers all looked toward the source of the sound.