Jun Jiuli lay on the hard wooden bed, contemplating her next move. Her stomach rumbled in protest, prompting her to slip into the space for a snack.
The living conditions were truly dire. She had to improve their lives tomorrow. She figured old Mr. Zhao and old Mrs. Zhao must miss their eldest son, so Jun Jiuli decided to humor them by fulfilling their wish.
Old Mr. Zhao and old Mrs. Zhao had a restless night. In the morning, old Mrs. Zhao unusually offered a few kind words to Xu Dahua. Old Mr. Zhao gazed at Jun Jiuli and her two siblings with a fond expression.
Breakfast was the same as yesterday. In the wooden bowl sat a pale, white egg, reserved for Zhao Jiaojiao.
Zhao Xiaochun’s mouth watered as she stared, her throat working. Although she had fed the chickens, she had never tasted an egg.
Old Mrs. Zhao, being seasoned in life, noticed her yearning and directly handed the egg to Jun Jiuli.
"Let's divide this egg among you siblings today. Xiaochun and Xiaohong have worked hard."
The two sisters were a bit taken aback, their eyes fixed on Jun Jiuli’s hand. Jun Jiuli peeled the egg and placed it in Zhao Xiaochun's bowl, telling them to share it.
The other three young girls also watched. Xiaochun divided it into five pieces, giving the largest portions to Xiaohong and herself, and sharing the rest in small amounts with the others. The five sisters ate slowly and with great satisfaction.
Shui Wa said, "Life is truly hard. At this age, they haven't even eaten an egg."
"Talking as if they are very old. They will have them in the future."
It was the season for hoeing and plowing. After breakfast, all the adults except old Mrs. Zhao had to go to the fields to work.
Xu Dahua had boiled water early using the quick kettle, asking Xiaochun and her sister to wash their hair. They used soap pods to wash their hair, and the scent was truly delightful.
Jun Jiuli squeezed some shampoo into a small clay pot and handed it to Xiaochun. "This is something I made myself for washing hair. You and Xiaohong try it first."
"Okay, thank you, Brother. Wow, this smells really good. You're amazing."
"Don't tell anyone. Hurry and wash before the water gets cold. After you've washed, Brother will take you up the mountain."
"Okay."
After the sisters tidied themselves up, each carrying a small basket, they followed Jun Jiuli closely. Life was not easy, so Jun Jiuli began her "forgery" business.
"Xiaohong, don't move. Look what's at your feet?"
Xiaochun’s eyes widened as she looked, not knowing what was being said. Jun Jiuli slapped her forehead; they probably didn't recognize it.
"This is ginseng. I heard about it from others. They say it's very valuable, and many people want to buy it."
"Really? Brother, are you telling the truth?"
"Of course. I'll dig it up now, and when we have a chance, we'll take it to town and sell it secretly."
The two sisters beamed, their eyes fixed on Jun Jiuli’s actions. They didn't even dare to breathe too loudly, lest she accidentally break it while digging.
Xiaohong suddenly cried out, tugging Xiaochun's clothes. "Sister, look at that one over there. Doesn't it look like the one Brother is digging?"
Xiaochun stared back and forth for a while, then hugged her sister and giggled foolishly. "Yes, yes, Xiaohong, you're amazing. Let's go dig too."
In the end, they managed to dig up five "ginsengs." The sisters' smiles were so wide they couldn't close their mouths. They packed the items into their baskets, covering them carefully with wild vegetables.
Their brother had said that if they sold it, he would buy them delicious food and fabric for new clothes, and this money wouldn't be given to their grandparents.
Jun Jiuli released a bit of her spiritual energy as a lure, and soon a wild chicken came running.
With a swift and accurate throw, she killed the wild chicken with a stone, startling the young sisters so much their eyes nearly popped out.
"Brother, you're amazing. We'll have chicken to eat tonight."
Xiaochun’s mouth watered as she spoke. She had eaten a mouthful of chicken last year during the Spring Festival, and she could never forget the taste.
"Let's go, we'll take it to the small river to process it."
"Brother, aren't we taking it home? How will we pluck the feathers without hot water?"
"You can pluck them cold."
"Oh, Brother, you're truly amazing."
Shui Wa said, "Your little mouth is so sweet."
Jun Jiuli asked the sisters to gather dry firewood. Although they didn't know what it was for, they obediently went to do it.
Jun Jiuli cleaned the chicken and took some marinade from her space to season it. She broke off a branch to peel the skin, washed it with water, and threaded the chicken onto it.
The sisters searched for firewood nearby. A small pile had already accumulated in the small clearing. Jun Jiuli used her fire element to ignite it and called them back quickly.
"Brother, how did you start the fire without a flint?"
Shui Wa said, "Xiaochun is a walking encyclopedia of questions, hahaha~"
"Xiaochun, does this chicken smell good?"
"It smells so good, and there's a lot of meat. I've never smelled such a fragrant aroma before, Brother, you're truly amazing."
Xiaochun completely forgot her previous topic, her attention focused entirely on the chicken. Xiaohong seemed a bit conflicted. After looking for a while, she finally said,
"Brother, is it okay for us to eat like this in secret? If Grandpa and Grandma find out, will they be angry and blame Mother?"
"If we don't tell anyone, who will know?"
Xiaochun said, "Xiaohong, this is a secret between us siblings. You absolutely must not tell anyone. Otherwise, Mother will definitely be scolded, and Grandma, when she's furious, might even hit someone."
Xiaohong shivered and nodded repeatedly, indicating she wouldn't speak carelessly. Soon, it was roasted. The sisters couldn't describe the taste. They only knew it was delicious, and all three of them were left with oily hands.
After washing up by the river, they prepared to go home. They hid the ginseng and put the wild vegetables in the kitchen, their smiles never fading.
That evening, Jun Jiuli administered another potent dose.
"My son, hurry back. In a couple of days, Mother will burn some paper for you. Please don't come here anymore."
Old Mrs. Zhao looked at the figure before her, utterly terrified and trembling as she spoke.
Zhao Dafu, with a blank expression, said not a word.
"My son, I'm already old and haven't wronged you in any way. Don't scare me like this. If you have something to say, just say it."
"I left early, and you thought Dahua and her daughters were superfluous. You were also afraid that Xiaowei would hate you. Mother, let's split the family. Let's live our own lives. If a large family crowds together, conflict will eventually erupt."
"What kind of talk is that? While parents are alive, families don't split. In this village, which family has split? They live just fine without splitting. It's just Xu Dahua who's so precious; she just does a bit more work, and you feel so pained. Why don't you feel pained for your old mother? If we split, other old ladies will laugh at me to death."
Old Mrs. Zhao suddenly became defiant. Even if it was a ghost, it was her son, and he couldn't eat her, could he?
"I'm not an evil mother-in-law. I might have wronged your eldest son's family before, but I can change in the future. Look at the families next door; when they have daughters, that old woman directly proposes to drown them. I've done more than enough. If you make trouble every night like this, do you want me to go meet you underground right now?"
As she spoke, she began to cry incessantly, feeling extremely wronged. She deserved it; she had thought of selling her granddaughter. But wasn't this being sold? Why was she being pressured like this?
Old Mr. Zhao was in a similar situation. He didn't want to split the family even if he died. He was old and didn't know how much longer he had to live. It was so good to have grandchildren around. If they split, they would inevitably become estranged.