As he spoke, his chopsticks involuntarily reached for the fried egg in front of Second Uncle.
"Whack!" went the sound, "What are you eating?! That's for your dad!"
Before his chopsticks could even touch the egg, Second Aunt, with a frown, sharply batted them away, followed by a complaint:
"Oh, comparing people, it really makes one furious!"
Liu Guangfu had no choice but to quickly finish the porridge in his bowl, sighing.
The lack of affection from Second Uncle's parents was plain to see.
At this moment, the Jia family, closer to Cao Yuan's home, also caught the scent.
Jia Zhangshi, still aching from her earlier fall, twitched her nose, "What smells so good?" she asked curiously.
"Grandma, it smells like meat!" Xiao Dang answered honestly.
"Is it meat? What kind of meat smells so good?" Jia Zhangshi muttered to herself.
Could Sha Zhu have made it?
No, if Sha Zhu had made something good, he would definitely send it over to our family!
Could Cao Yuan's family have made it?
But does he have such good cooking skills?
Various thoughts flashed through Jia Zhangshi's mind, and she immediately stood up, looking out the window.
At this time, smoke was curling from Cao Yuan's chimney, so the scent must have been wafting from his house.
"That scoundrel Cao Yuan! Why is he eating meat for no reason! Doesn't he worry about overfeeding the children!"
Upon hearing this, Jia Zhangshi was furious.
While scolding, she couldn't help but swallow her saliva.
At the dinner table, Bang梗 held half a steamed bun, looking at what was in his own bowl, then at the lunchbox Qin Huairu had just gotten from Sha Zhu.
There were only a few dishes inside, all potatoes and cabbage, without even a trace of oil.
Bang梗 immediately lost his appetite, so hungry he was almost in tears.
"Mom, I want to eat meat too!"
"Grandma, I want to eat meat, the meat from Cao Yuan's family smells too good, I'm dying of hunger!"
As soon as Bang梗 spoke, tears streamed down his face.
With their brother acting up like this, Xiao Dang and Huaihua also started crying.
Huaihua, with her tender voice, tugged at Qin Huairu's sleeve: "Mom, Huaihua wants to eat meat too."
Xiao Dang, on the other hand, burst into loud sobs:
"Eating steamed buns every day, I can barely speak anymore! Waaah! I'm not eating steamed buns! No! I just won't eat them!"
It wasn't just the children who were craving food.
Jia Zhangshi was scolding and swallowing saliva at the same time, let alone everyone else.
Qin Huairu watched the children crying and fussing from hunger, and she felt a pang in her heart.
But their family's circumstances truly didn't allow for eating meat.
Being able to eat full meals of steamed buns was already quite good!
Jia Dongxu's face was even more grim, but smelling that aroma, he was also extremely envious.
So fragrant! Too fragrant!
Cao Yuan brought out a pot of Gongbao Chicken, a full plate containing five catties of chicken.
Yu Li had been busy all day and was already starving.
Looking at the freshly cooked, fragrant, and appetizing Gongbao Chicken, though she didn't show it outwardly, she couldn't help but secretly swallow her saliva.
Seeing this, Cao Yuan smiled:
"Try it, don't be shy."
Yu Li then shyly picked up a piece and tasted it.
As soon as she took the first bite, she chewed and gave a thumbs-up, praising indistinctly:
"Mmm... it's so delicious! Cao Yuan, you really have a knack for cooking!"
The hot chicken was crispy, fragrant, and savory; Yu Li had never eaten such a delicious dish.
Her praise was entirely from the heart!
Yu Li ate with great relish.
Cao Yuan, however, looked at the leftover chicken head and chicken butt with a worried expression.
In those days, everything was scarce, and waste was shameful, let alone wasting meat; if people found out, they would be gossiped about!
On the other hand, since Cao Yuan had mastered superb cooking skills, he was very confident in himself; even chicken heads and chicken butts, he could make them incredibly delicious.
No sooner said than done, Cao Yuan immediately started cooking.
Before long, fragrant roasted chicken heads and roasted chicken butts were ready, glistening with oil, seasoned, and emitting a strong aroma.
At this time, the children of the Jia family, smelling the aroma, became even more boisterous.
Seeing that his wish to eat meat was ignored, Bang梗 simply started to act like a spoiled brat.
"Grandma! I want to eat chicken! I want to eat chicken!"
In an ordinary family, such a disobedient child would have been disciplined by now.
Jia Zhangshi not only didn't blame him but instead said to him: "If you're craving it, go to Cao Yuan's house and ask for some back! You're just a little kid, what are you afraid of? Cao Yuan can't beat you, can he?"
Jia Zhangshi's calculations were quite simple; their family had completely fallen out with Cao Yuan because they coveted his Uncle Cao Min's inheritance.
Adults were too embarrassed to go to Cao Yuan's house to freeload, but Bang梗 was different; he was still a child, so asking for some food wasn't a big deal, was it?
Even if he couldn't get any, would Cao Yuan really get angry with a child?
If that really happened, Jia Zhangshi would have an excuse to fall out with Cao Yuan again.
At that time, First Master Yi, who had always favored their family, would definitely side with her.
As soon as Bang梗 heard his grandma's words, he immediately stopped making a fuss.
With a "whoosh," he darted out.
The food at Cao Yuan's house was simply too tempting; he had been impatient for a long time.
The Jia family and Cao Yuan's family were not far apart, and Cao Yuan was currently idle, and having cultivated the Great Might Heavenly Dragon Divine Skill, his ears were exceptionally keen, so he immediately heard the commotion from the Jia family.
Cao Yuan sneered contemptuously.
They want Bang梗 to come to his house to beg for food?
Alright, since you want to eat, then I'll let you have your wish!
"Uncle Cao! Uncle Cao! Open the door, it's Bang梗!"
Influenced by the Jia Zhangshi family, Bang梗 didn't understand what politeness was at all.
After getting permission, he pounded furiously on Cao Yuan's door, making "thump, thump, thump" sounds.
Although he knew Bang梗 grew up in the Jia family and lacked manners, he had never seen anyone knock on a door like that.
Yu Li, standing by, was also a bit displeased, and seeing Bang梗, her face immediately lengthened.
She said coldly, "What are you knocking for! Are you summoning spirits? Don't you know how to cherish things that aren't yours?"
"Whose fault will it be if the door gets broken?"
But Bang梗 seemed to have completely ignored her words; as soon as Cao Yuan opened the door, his eyes immediately lit up, staring intently at the Gongbao Chicken on the dining table.
Someone shouted at Cao Yuan: "Uncle Cao, your meat smells so good, can I have some?"
As he spoke, he even held up his rice bowl and shook it at Cao Yuan.
Because he was too excited, Bang梗's saliva was already dripping from the corner of his mouth as he spoke.
Hearing this, Cao Yuan snorted coldly, then handed Bang梗 a chicken butt and said, "You want to eat it, right?"
"Good, Bang梗! This chicken butt is for you! Eating it will make you smarter!"
Seeing that Cao Yuan handed him a chicken butt, although Bang梗 still reluctantly looked at the plate of Gongbao Chicken on the table, he only hesitated for a moment before happily taking the chicken butt, without even saying thank you, directly took a bite, and contentedly bounced and ran back home.
As soon as Bang梗 entered the door, Jia Zhangshi immediately saw the chicken butt in his hand, and her face instantly changed.
Cao Yuan's family was eating meat, and they only gave Bang梗 a chicken butt?
Wasn't this clearly and brazenly insulting them?
Thinking of this, Jia Zhangshi's face darkened, and she snatched the bitten chicken butt from Bang梗's hand.
Bang梗 was loudly scolded: "Are you still eating? What chicken butt are you eating! Throw it away quickly! That's that scoundrel Cao Yuan deliberately trying to disgust us!"
Bang梗 was originally happy to get a chicken butt, but then he saw Jia Zhangshi snatch it away, how could he agree?
He didn't listen at all, rushing directly to punch and kick Jia Zhangshi.
While kicking, he cried and made a fuss: "You damned old hag, Uncle Cao said eating chicken butt makes you smarter! Give it back to me quickly! Chicken butt is so delicious! Don't you want me to be smart?!"
"Damned old hag! Give it back to me quickly! I want to eat chicken butt!"
Hearing this, Jia Zhangshi's face immediately changed.
These words must have been what Jia Dongxu often said, and Bang梗 had learned them.
Jia Zhangshi felt a chill in her heart; she had worked so hard to raise Bang梗, never saying a harsh word.
But now, Bang梗 was calling her a damned old hag and even hitting her for a chicken butt?
At this time, Third Master, checking the time, pondered, the meat at Cao Yuan's house should be stewed by now, right?
He was walking towards Cao Yuan's house with great anticipation.
Who knew that passing by Jia Zhangshi's house, he heard her scolding her grandson.
Third Master immediately understood, Bang梗 had gone to Cao Yuan's house and asked for a chicken butt!
He suddenly felt displeased.
In his opinion, whatever belonged to Cao Yuan's family belonged to their family.
The Jia family taking advantage and then acting coy, that was a bit unreasonable.
So, when Bang梗 was punching and kicking Jia Zhangshi, Third Master Yan Fugui entered the door with a frown and said to Jia Zhangshi in a sarcastic tone: "What's wrong? Is a chicken butt not meat?"
"If you don't want to eat it, give it to me! Eating it and then scolding people, what kind of behavior is that!"
As he spoke, Yan Fugui actually reached out to snatch the chicken butt, which Bang梗 had bitten, from Jia Zhangshi's hand.
Jia Zhangshi, of course, wouldn't agree, thinking that her family hardly ate pork all year round; although Cao Yuan bullied them, this chicken butt was still meat, so why couldn't she eat it?
She quickly dodged Yan Fugui's hand and handed the chicken butt to her grandson, Bang梗: "Good grandson, eat, chicken butt is also meat!"
Then she turned her head and glared at Third Master: "We're eating it ourselves, not giving it to outsiders!"
Upon hearing this, Yan Fugui's face immediately fell, he snorted coldly, and turned to leave.
But he still felt uncomfortable, always feeling that his family's things had been taken advantage of by the Jia family.
"Dad!"
As soon as Yan Fugui walked out of Jia Zhangshi's house, Yu Li came out with a lunchbox.
That was precisely the Gongbao Chicken Cao Yuan had just given her.
Yan Fugui's eyes lit up at the sight.
The lunchbox was uncovered, filled with chicken, its aroma wafting directly into his nose.
Cao Yuan gave her so much, partly because he couldn't finish five catties of chicken by himself, and partly as compensation for having eaten Yu Li's meal for free earlier.
Yu Li was quite happy, not expecting Cao Yuan to be so generous this time.
"Cao Yuan, you're too formal, next time you cook, I'll still call Yu Li to help you out!" Yan Fugui said cheerfully.
Hearing this, Yu Li thought of Cao Yuan's attitude towards her today, and her face flushed instantly.
Cao Yuan glanced at her, a meaningful smile playing on his lips, and said to Yan Fugui: "Alright, Third Master, as long as Yu Li is willing, I welcome her anytime."
Upon hearing this, Yu Li's face grew even redder, and she subconsciously glared at Cao Yuan.
Their eyes met, and they both smiled knowingly.
Yan Fugui paid no attention to any of this, his mind solely focused on tasting the delicious Gongbao Chicken.
He quickly greeted Cao Yuan: "Alright, then I'll be off?"
"Take care!" Cao Yuan didn't say much more.
Back at Yan Fugui's house, Yan Jiefang and San Dama were already sitting at the dining table, waiting eagerly.
As soon as they saw Yu Li and Yan Fugui enter, they quickly went to greet them.
Yan Jiefang was the first to rush over.
"Oh my! So many dishes! This Cao Yuan, he's really something!"
Seeing Yu Li's lunchbox full to the brim, Yan Jiefang's face immediately lit up with joy.