Cooking at home was always Wang Dongxueâs forte.
She usually insisted on doing it, but today she was feeling a bit tired and didnât want to move.
Fortunately, Zhu Xiuxiu was also a skilled cook. Furthermore, Ji Youran was locked in his room, and Huo XingâErâs usual meditation spot was unavailable. So, after Zhu Xiuxiu finished her fieldwork, she also helped with the cooking. Lunch was prepared fairly quickly.
Old Lady Ji still brought out a worn bowl, filled it with rice, and heaped a few bony chicken pieces on top, asking Ji Youbo to deliver it to Ji Youranâs room.
"Why doesnât Second Uncle eat with us?"
Xiaosuisui sat at the dining table. In front of her was a bowl of rice piled high with a fat chicken leg, alongside a bowl of old duck soup. Fragrant pork belly sat in the center of the table.
Xiaosuisui took a large bowl, added a big chicken leg, Braised Pork, and duck breast to it until it was filled to the brim, then asked Old Lady Ji, "Grandma, can Fourth Uncle deliver this to Second Uncle?"
Old Lady Ji was taken aback.
Everyone else looked at her.
"Your Second Uncle has food. Your Fourth Uncle just took it to him."
After a moment, the old lady finally spoke.
This little girl! I was punishing him on her behalf! And here she is, still thinking of giving chicken legs to that unfilial son...
"Grandma, itâs awful to be hungry."
The family stared, their eyes wide with astonishment.
The little girl lowered her head in silence, a miserable expression on her face.
Before coming to her maternal grandmotherâs house, her paternal grandmother had fed her leftovers every day, and sometimes she wouldnât get a meal for two days.
In all her years at the Li family home, she hadnât eaten a single piece of meat. All the good food and drinks at home went to Li Yanyan.
And now, seeing her Second Uncle locked up and her maternal grandmother not giving him good food, she felt sad.
"Before, Suisui often couldnât get enough food either. That felt very distressing," the little girl said in a low voice, afraid her maternal grandmother might punish her.
She quickly added, "Or... Suisui wonât eat today. Grandma, can you give these to Second Uncle?"
Old Lady Ji sighed and looked at Ji Youbo.
Understanding her unspoken instruction, Ji Youbo took the large bowl from in front of the little girl and delivered it to Ji Youran.
Seeing the lavish lunch Ji Youbo brought over, Ji Youran pinched his thigh hard.
"HISS! Thatâs really damn painful. This isnât a dream!"
Has Mother had a change of heart?
"You really lucked out. Xiaosuisui picked it for you," Ji Youbo said, giving him a disgruntled glance. Xiaosuisui had been in their home for many days, and she hadnât seemed to show particular concern for anyone. Unexpectedly, the first person she showed compassion for turned out to be this unlucky fellow in the family!
After the meal, the little girl looked a bit listless. The sun was blazing at this time, so it wasnât suitable for studying. Ji Youyuan had intended for her to rest, but when the little girl saw Zhu Xiuxiu heading out with a plucked and cleaned wild chicken, she insisted on going along.
"Suisui, be good and stay home to sleep. The place Auntie Zhu is going is a bit far! The round trip will tire you out."
Zhu Xiuxiu was torn. She wished she could keep this little lucky charm tied to her belt all day long.
However, the journey was quite long, and the girl was young; she probably wouldnât be able to walk that far.
"Itâs okay, Auntie Zhu, I wonât get tired."
Back at the Li family home, everyone had called her a jinx, the reincarnation of a harbinger of misfortune, and no one would play with her. From the moment she could walk, her paternal grandmother had confined her to the house, never allowing her to step foot outside the Li family courtyard. She yearned for the outside world.
"Take her with you! She can walk on her own."
Huo XingâEr leaned against the door, glanced meaningfully at Xiaosuisui, and thought,
Third Sister-in-lawâs good fortune has come rather unexpectedly!