CHAPTER 45: CHAPTER 44: NO EATING MEAT ALLOWED

Finally, the six members of the family worked together to rebuild the woodpile.

Qin Yao was mainly responsible for directing, while the four children assisted, and Liu Ji gritted his teeth in silence, nearly biting his gums swollen.

Perhaps sensing the deep resentment emanating from him, Qin Yao refrained from adding insult to injury with a few scornful words.

After the firewood was piled up, the sky had already darkened.

The cold wind blew briskly as Qin Yao stored the bow and arrow in the bedroom and led the four children to the main room to wait for dinner.

Meanwhile, she tossed back the sparrow meat Second Lang was holding and called him over for some education.

"You mustn’t start eating unless the adults at home call for dinner. Even if the food isn’t ready yet, you can’t sneak a piece to eat just because you’re greedy."

"Above all, you mustn’t steal food just because you’re craving it."

"Of course, when it’s just our family, we can be less strict. But if we have guests in the future, you must follow the rules, understand?"

This was not only meant for Second Lang but for the other three children as well.

During the previous warm room gathering, before the kitchen had finished preparing the meal, Da Lang and Second Lang secretly led the Dragon and Phoenix Twins to the kitchen and each stole a piece of meat.

It seemed like they were also afraid of being discovered by adults, as they didn’t rush into the kitchen all at once but rather queued up, running in one by one to grab just one piece before running out.

Being the host’s children, the helpers in the kitchen were in no position to say anything.

Seeing this, big sister He and Mrs. Qiu simply gave their own children a small piece of meat each.

Jinbao, Jinhua, and Da Lang’s four siblings, all six children, laughed heartily.

The other children in the village, upon seeing this, clamored in envy, and some parents, unable to save face, slapped them, resulting in cries from children filling the courtyard.

He and Mrs. Qiu immediately fell silent, quietly frying the vegetables and serving them at the table. With food available, the crying finally stopped.

Qin Yao witnessed the whole scene and resolved afterward to correct the four siblings’ bad habits.

Qin Yao didn’t mind how others in the village viewed her children’s behavior. Perhaps they felt it was nothing since the items taken were their own.

But what if they grow up and continue this behavior, taking and eating things that don’t belong to them?

Second Lang initially didn’t think much of it, but upon seeing Qin Yao’s serious expression, his little hands stiffened against his thighs, his small face inadvertently tensed up, and his peach blossom eyes, just like Liu Ji’s, darted around in panic, inevitably frightened.

Da Lang and the Dragon and Phoenix Twins, who had been sitting comfortably, unconsciously stood up as well.

Sanlang, being timid and fearing a beating, had already gathered a pool of tears in his eyes.

Si Niang mindlessly licked the corner of her mouth, not showing any worry, surprisingly savoring the taste of the meat.

Da Lang felt the responsibility of being the elder brother and felt he must set an example, so he reached out his hand,

"Auntie, I was wrong. I shouldn’t have secretly led my younger siblings to the kitchen to steal food. You can punish me; it’s my fault alone and has nothing to do with Second Lang and the others."

Second Lang panicked, "Big Brother?"

It was clearly his idea; he was the one who suggested playing the pity card along with Third Brother and Fourth Sister, and the elder brother had softened and led them to steal food.

Da Lang pushed his younger brother behind him, continued to look at Qin Yao, and said, "Auntie, I won’t dare to do this next time."

Qin Yao shot a glance at Second Lang, her look clearly seeing through their little schemes.

Second Lang, feeling guilty, wanted to confess but was afraid of being hit, so he lowered his head to avoid her gaze.

The four children stood tensely before the stepmother, their eyes full of fear.

Qin Yao felt a bit helpless, but her stern expression didn’t waver, and in a low voice, she said,

"If you know what’s wrong, you must change. Tonight, you’ll be punished by not being allowed to eat meat; let it be a lesson."

What?

Four children stared in disbelief, suspecting they had misheard.

Si Niang asked in a daze, "Mother, no spanking?"

"You want a spanking?" Qin Yao raised an eyebrow in response.

Si Niang quickly waved her hands, her head shaking vigorously, "No, no."

Qin Yao lightly tapped the little girl on her head, where she had personally braided a cute hairstyle, "Such an adorable girl, I can’t bear to hit you."

"Isn’t that right?"

Si Niang was first stunned, then responded with delighted surprise, "Mother, you’re not angry anymore?"

Seeing Qin Yao nod and say she never was truly mad at them, the little girl immediately snuggled in Qin Yao’s arms, softly saying,

"Mother, Si Niang was wrong and won’t do it again~"

Sanlang’s eyes, filled with tears, couldn’t drop as he broke into a silly smile.

Da Lang and Second Lang exchanged relieved glances.

Second Lang hesitated but then mustered the courage to admit it was his idea.

"I knew all along," Qin Yao said calmly.

And then added, "Confessing because you won’t get hit, but what if you were to get hit? Would you still confess?"

"No!" Second Lang wanted to protest, but his recent behavior indeed mirrored this, leaving him momentarily speechless in defense.

Seeing another was about to burst into tears, Qin Yao waved her hand, "This must not happen again."

She raised her principle high and released it gently, which made Liu Ji, who had been nervously observing from the kitchen door, secretly breathe a sigh of relief.

Although he feared this malicious woman very much, if she dared to hit his kids, he wouldn’t hesitate to defend them.

After all, he could withstand a beating; if the little ones were hit badly, it would be a lifelong issue.

Luckily, no one was hit, and he wouldn’t be either!

Today, he hadn’t done much hard work, so rice was too luxurious for dinner; Liu Ji arranged for white porridge instead.

Of course, if all days could be filled with rice, he would be content, but those who have been truly hungry often develop a scarcity mentality, fearing they might run out of food in the future.

White porridge also had its merits, allowing them to stretch the supply for longer, extending satisfaction.

He also fried two dishes to accompany the meal.

In other households, they wouldn’t dare fry dishes daily, but after observing for over a month, Liu Ji had noticed that the malicious woman particularly enjoyed stir-fry dishes.

As long as the taste suited her, she didn’t care how much oil was used.

Therefore, he became bolder.

While others used a brush to coat a thin layer of oil on the pan, he was different. He took down the oil pot, scooped a spoonful, and poured it into the pan directly. Even if someone knew nothing about cooking, a few random stirs would yield a dish that wasn’t hard to swallow.

Toss in a few garlic cloves for fragrance, throw in the greens, stir quickly and carelessly under high heat, add salt, and it’s ready to serve.

The highlight of tonight’s meal was sparrow meat. Though it didn’t seem like much, the deep-frying made it crispy. Tossed with dry chili peppers, scallions, ginger, and garlic, it released a fragrance so enticing it left mouths watering.

Following days of dining well alongside Qin Yao, indulging in meat about once every five days, Liu Ji had learned to restrain himself from salivating when faced with meat dishes.

But today, at last sight of the small bowl of spicy fried sparrow, he unconsciously swallowed his saliva countless times.

Finally, when the dishes, bowls, and chopsticks were all arranged, Qin Yao picked up her chopsticks, prompting six pairs of chopsticks at the table to reach eagerly for that little bowl of sparrow meat.

Liu Ji managed to grab the largest piece of bird thigh, placed it in his mouth, and a burst of flavors—spicy, crunchy, savory—exploded on his tongue.

With one bite, the crispy sensation enveloped him; pair it with a sip of white porridge, swallow together, and his satisfaction led him to squint with delight.