Lin Xiyue's eyes immediately welled up with tears as she looked at so many things.
Her man had truly changed; both the child in her belly and her sister now had a path to survival.
"Why are you crying, wife? Aren't you happy eating meat? Your man promises to let you live like this forever."
Xu Feng gently embraced his wife, slowly healing the scars of the past with his love.
Lin Xixue, standing by, was equally touched; this was the kind of life that offered hope.
"Xixue, why don't you come and cry in my arms!"
He couldn't just leave his sister-in-law standing there alone, especially since they would be living together from now on.
That one sentence made Lin Xixue blush crimson, and she incoherently found an excuse to leave the room.
Xiyue playfully slapped Xu Feng: "A Feng, not like this yet. Give my sister some time."
...
"You stewed a whole chicken, and there's fish too?"
Lin Xixue's expression was a bit unnatural as she stood by the stove, but she still raised an objection to such an unthrifty act.
"Just listen to me; trust your man."
As long as the spending was on the sisters, it would be returned twofold, so there was no need to be frugal.
Seeing Xu Feng's insistence, Xixue said no more. As for his 'your man', Lin Xixue simply pretended not to hear it.
It took an hour to prepare the meal, which was definitely the most lavish meal the sisters had eaten since they got lost.
There was a crucian carp tofu soup, a small wild chicken stewed with mushrooms, and a stir-fried venison.
All three dishes were meat, with no vegetables at all, and they had also steamed three bowls of rice. In those days, few families had such provisions.
The sisters looked at the three plates of meat dishes in front of them, unsure which to pick first.
"Eat, wife. Xixue, help yourself."
Not to mention the two of them, Xu Feng himself was almost drooling uncontrollably.
The moment the sisters picked up their chopsticks, a notification sound rang in Xu Feng's mind.
【Simultaneous expenditure of resources on both sisters rewarded with a six-fold return】
【White flour x 24 jin, rice x 6 jin, wild crucian carp x 6 jin, tofu x 3 jin, eggs x 12 jin, wild chicken x 6, venison x 12 jin have been placed in the system space】
This system was truly strict; anything not spent on the sisters didn't count.
Although this was a small beginning, once a snowball starts rolling from the mountaintop, it becomes an avalanche at the bottom!
...
While Xu Feng and the sisters ate heartily, the neighbors were not so well off, especially Li Shen's family.
Her three sons were at their hungriest, and the family's grain was almost depleted.
A bowl of thin porridge and a corn cake for each person at noon was simply not enough to eat. When they smelled the aroma of meat, their stomachs immediately rumbled.
"Stewed chicken with mushrooms and rice? Who's living so well?"
It was the third son who spoke, and his mouth began to water as he did.
"Who else could it be? I really don't know what kind of dog-shit luck that kid stumbled upon."
Whenever this came up, Xu Qiang felt unbalanced. Why did that scoundrel live even more comfortably?
"Big brother, let's go up the mountain with Shoushan too. If we get a wild boar, we can eat meat every day without worry."
The third son could barely remember the last time he ate meat; life felt like it had no hope.
"If it were as easy as you say, every household would have enough meat.
That wild boar has thick hide and flesh; even a gun can't penetrate it."
Hearing the second son say this, the third son sighed helplessly.
"Eat, eat, why don't they choke!"
"That spendthrift will eat all the meat in one meal. I bet they'll be eating shit next!"
Li Shen's heart ached for her sons, and she couldn't help but curse.
"Mom, I heard that Wang Jun didn't make it and passed away. Why don't you go talk to her and see if she has any thoughts about remarrying?"
Big brother Xu Qiang's plan was truly brilliant. Everyone in the village knew that Wang Jun had been a good-for-nothing since childhood.
If he could take over Lin Xixue, not only would she be a second wife requiring no betrothal gifts, but he'd also get an untouched maiden.
Moreover, this untouched maiden was famously beautiful, and her curvaceous figure made everyone envious.
Upon hearing her eldest son's words, Li Shen's eyes lit up; she clearly had the same thought.
"That girl has already moved to Xu Feng's house. Your mother will go now to gather information."
If she could pick up a beautiful daughter-in-law for free, that would be a huge bargain.
...
It wasn't just Xu Qiang's family who smelled the meat; Wang Guafu next door did too.
Wang Guafu had married into Xu Family Village from a neighboring village. Her husband, like Xu Feng before, was a scoundrel.
One could say that Xu Feng's past scoundrel behavior was inextricably linked to Wang Guafu's husband.
Her husband went to the city two years ago to find a prostitute, and that was precisely when the crackdown on hooligans was most severe.
His deeds came to light, he was convicted of hooliganism, and ultimately met his end, leaving behind an orphan and a widow to struggle.
Although Wang Guafu was not as beautiful as the sisters, her well-preserved figure and mature charm were coveted by many in the village.
One could only say that the grass is greener on the other side, and even home-cooked meals can become tiresome.
"Mom, I want to eat meat!"
Her son was only four or five years old, a time when he needed nutrition and was prone to cravings.
"It's all your dead father's fault! If you want to eat, come gnaw on your mom's arm!"
How could Wang Guafu not resent him? Her good life had been ruined by that dead man.
"Waaah, waaah, waaah! Why do other families have dads and meat to eat, but I don't!"
If he hadn't smelled the meat, it would have been fine; he wouldn't have been so greedy.
As soon as the little brat heard there was no meat, he lay on the ground and started crying and making a fuss.
Hearing her son cry, Wang Guafu also shed tears of sorrow. She couldn't even make ends meet; where was she supposed to get meat?
Although the men in the village who coveted her spoke nicely, Wang Guafu knew better than anyone what they were truly thinking.
They would probably just use her up and leave, not caring if she lived a good life or not.
As for going to Xu Feng's house to ask for meat, she really couldn't bring herself to do it.
She knew better than anyone that Xu Feng's transformation into such a scoundrel had a lot to do with her dead husband.
Lin Xiyue practically hated her to death; how could she possibly share meat with her?
"Oh, what a sin!"
Even though he was gone, he still wouldn't let his mother and son live in peace.
"Mom, I miss Dad so much! If Dad were here, he would definitely find a way to get me meat!"
Her son's heartbreaking sobs shattered Wang Guafu's heart.
"Don't cry, my child, Mom will go get you meat now."
Alright, alright, even if she had to lose face today, she would get a bowl of meat broth back.
They say distant relatives are not as good as close neighbors, and they would see each other often in the future, so they should always help each other.
Wang Guafu comforted herself this way. After stepping out, she still felt a pang of guilt when she saw the house across the street.
Just two steps later, she happened to bump into Li Shen, who was walking over.