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nChapter 4

nThe sky had completely darkened, and smoke rose from the chimney of every house.

n“Brother Jinghong…” A crisp young man’s voice came from the side.

nTang Jinghong turned around and saw Chu Seventh, an eight or nine-year-old boy, waving at him in high spirits.

n“Brother Jinghong, it’s already dark. Why are you wandering outside?”

n“It is stuffy at home, so I’m coming out for a walk.”

nChu Seventh was a smart child. He knew that Tang Jinghong must have been chased out by his stepmother.

nAt the thought of this, he felt sympathy. “Brother Jinghong, come with me to my house. It’s almost time for dinner. I’ll treat you.”

nTang Jinghong refused. “No need. I’ll go home after taking a walk.”

nChu Seventh wanted to persuade Tang Jinghong when he was interrupted. Tang Jinghong said with concern, “Go home quickly. If you’re late, your parents will be worried.”

nChu Seventh nodded at Tang Jinghong and left helplessly.

nBrother Jinghong was so pitiful. If his mother was not dead, he would definitely not have been chased out of the house.

n…

nChu Qingzhi was setting up the table.

nWhen Madam Li returned and smelled the fragrance coming from the kitchen, she was shocked.

nOn the one hand, she was surprised that Chu Qingzhi could cook, and on the other hand, she was surprised that there was the smell of meat. She quickly walked into the living room and saw two plates of meat. However, she was not very happy. Instead, she was frightened.

nThe other members of the Chu family kept swallowing their saliva. Having meat to eat was simply like a dream.

nMadam Li asked carefully, “Qingzhi, where did you get the pheasant and rabbit?” Did she steal it from someone?

n“I borrowed it from someone…” Chu Qingzhi told everyone about meeting Tang Jinghong at the foot of the mountain.

nWhen Madam Li heard this, she heaved a sigh of relief. “Qingzhi, the mountains are dangerous. Don’t go. I still have some money here. Take it to Jinghong tomorrow as payment for the meat.”

nChu Qingzhi was especially surprised. Her impression of Madam Li had changed a lot. Given the condition of this family, Madam Li should value money very much. She did not expect her mother to give her money so readily. “Mother…”

nShe was interrupted by Chu Seventh. “Mother, Brother Jinghong was chased out by his stepmother. We borrowed his meat. Why don’t we let him come to our house for dinner?”

nMadam Li frowned. Why was Zhang Xiuqin so vicious? “Chu Rong, go and call Jinghong over for dinner. The food today is sumptuous. One more person will not be a problem.”

nChu Rong had always listened to Madam Li. He said, “I’ll go immediately.”

nInvited by the elder of the Chu family, Tang Jinghong couldn’t refuse, so he agreed.

nWhen Madam Li saw Tang Jinghong walk in, she immediately asked him to take a seat. “Jinghong, take a seat. It’s about time to eat.”

nTang Jinghong thought that he would hunt some prey to thank the Chu family tomorrow. With this thought in mind, he sat down. “Thank you, Auntie Chu, Uncle Chu.”

nChu Seventh sat beside Tang Jinghong. “Brother Jinghong, my fifth sister made these dishes. They look delicious.”

nTang Jinghong glanced at Chu Qingzhi in surprise. He did not expect the little girl to cook so well. “Your Fifth Sister is very capable.”

nChu Seventh smiled. He had yet to get to know his Fifth Sister well, but he could tell that she was awesome.

nAfter taking their seats, everyone began to eat.

nChu Qingzhi was already starving. She held her bowl and ate in big mouthfuls.

nShe did not notice that the others were chewing slowly. They only had a chance to eat such meat once every few months. Today’s meal was very luxurious.

nChu Qingzhi was also the one who cooked. If it were anyone else who cooked like this, Madam Li would definitely tell them to be more frugal.

nHowever, she wouldn’t reproach Chu Qingzhi.

nQingzhi grew up in a rich family and lived a comfortable life. Coming back to the Chu family must be an unfortunate thing for her.

nShe still did not know that Chu Qingzhi had used more than half of the rice at home. If she knew, she would definitely remind her to be frugal next time.

nTang Jinghong ate silently and thought to himself that he did not expect the little girl’s culinary skills to be so good. The rabbit meat and pheasant were fragrant and flavorful. They were comparable to the chefs in the capital.

nChu Qingzhi ate two bowls of rice and was finally full.

nIn her adoptive family, her adoptive mother was very good to Chu Qingzhi in front of everyone, but behind their backs, she tortured Chu Qingzhi to death. Otherwise, why would Chu Qinzhi be so thin?

nMost of the time, Chu Qingzhi couldn’t eat her fill.

nIn the end, everyone finished all the dishes.

nTang Jinghong helped clean up the table. After everything was done, he bade farewell. “Thank you for your hospitality, Uncle Chu and Auntie Chu.”

nChu Rong sent Tang Jinghong to the door. “Jinghong, take care.”

nWhen she was washing the dishes, Madam Li realized that Chu Qingzhi had used more than half of the rice. Her heart ached. She had planned to use that amount of rice for three days. She decided not to let Qingzhi into the kitchen in the future.

nMadam Li opened the flour jar and took a look. Seeing that the flour was still there, she heaved a sigh of relief. “In the next few days, I guess we’ll have to cut down on the expenses.”

nChu Second thought to himself that he would probably not be able to eat meat in a long time.

nChu Qingzhi heard her mother muttering. She thought to herself. Was this family so broke?

nIt was no wonder. There was a lot of grain from the fields, but there were too many people at home and the taxes were heavy. It was very difficult to rely on farming to fill their stomachs.

nShe had to think of a way to change the situation. At least, she had to make sure her family would not starve.

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