Mrs. Xu had just gotten off work and was about to start cooking lunch when she noticed Xu Ying was not at home, which made her face elongate with displeasure.
At this moment, hearing noises, she turned her head and saw several people returning, which made her a bit angry, "Shitou, who allowed you to take your little aunt out? Don't you know she just got sick and needs to rest?"
Seeing her mother angry, Xu Ying hurried over to quell the anger, "Mom, look what we've found."
Shitou cleverly carried the basket over quickly.
Mrs. Xu saw her daughter had dampened the flames and spoke to give face, "What is it? Isn't that just pigweed?"
"Grandma, there's more than just pigweed." Shitou said as he removed the pigweed on top, revealing a cluster of shiny white duck eggs and chicken eggs.
Mrs. Xu was so surprised she couldn't close her mouth, the anger she had felt evaporated, she quickly closed the front door, then hurried over, "How could there be so many?"
"Mom, there's still more underneath," Xu Ying said.
Upon hearing this, Mrs. Xu quickly took out the wild chicken eggs and wild duck eggs, and then removed the pigweed beneath, revealing fish and wild chickens at the bottom.
Her face filled with shock, her mouth agape, she was momentarily stunned, then her throat moved a few times before she excitedly asked Xu Ying, "Did you find all of these?"
Xu Ying smiled broadly, nodding eagerly, "Mom, let's have fish soup for lunch, I want to drink fish soup."
Mrs. Xu clapped her hands, her eyes twinkled with joy, "Of course, why not? Oh, our Yingying is indeed blessed. Many people have gone hunting on the back mountain and haven't stumbled upon anything good, yet our Yingying finds such bounty on her first trip."
Mrs. Xu was ecstatic, beside herself with this unexpected surprise.
Shitou, following alongside with bright eyes, agreed, "Right? My little aunt is amazing. Those educated youths from our village who went up the mountain didn't even find a feather, but my little aunt went once and found so much."
Hearing her grandson praising her daughter, Mrs. Xu's delight was boundless, finding her grandson all the more pleasing to the eye, "Of course, who do you think gave birth to your little aunt?"
"Mom, we should also send some fish and wild chickens to grandpa and grandma!" Xu Ying proposed.
The elderly couple of the Lu Family lived with the second branch of the Xu Family. Normally, elders should live with the eldest son, but the Xu Family was different.
It wasn't that Xu Jian Country was unfilial or that the elders were biased, but rather the second branch of the Xu Family was pitiable.
In that household, out of three children, the pride of the Xu Family, Xu Shengshun—who had been an excellent student from a young age and had graduated from high school—was especially bright. On the day he married his girlfriend of three years, a good job also came his way; it was supposed to be a double celebration.
But fate had other plans; amid the cheerful atmosphere, Xu Shengshun accidentally tripped over a rock and smashed his head on a sharp stone pier.
He bled profusely on the spot and was taken to the hospital. When he awoke, he had become mentally incapacitated.
The good job was gone, and everyone awaited his wife's remorse and the imminent spectacle.
However, Xu Shengshun's wife was a woman of deep affection; she did not call off the marriage but instead married the feeble-minded Xu Shengshun and devoted herself entirely to caring for him without any complaints.
Indeed, the Xu Family was fortunate to have such loving and devoted women marry into their household.
Thinking of the second branch's situation, Mrs. Xu immediately handed a fish and a wild chicken to Shitou, "Put them quietly in the basket and take them over, don't let anyone see."
A few buns or bread would have been fine, but meat, on the other hand, could cause a commotion if noticed.
Although Mrs. Xu was known for her bad temper, she was very meticulous when it came to important matters.
Shitou nodded astutely, stashed the items in the basket, covered them with a cloth, and ran off quickly.
Mrs. Xu, watching the pile of game on the ground, couldn't stop smiling with joy; she carried everything into the kitchen.
Then she picked the biggest fish, went over and knelt in front of the water tank to start cleaning it.
Xu Ying squatted in front of Mrs. Xu, "Mom, let's send the leftover fish to the Lu Family!"
Mrs. Xu let out a sigh as she looked at her daughter. Why was her daughter so kind-hearted?
"Don't send the fish, just stew it and you can personally take it to Daya to drink. Given her family's situation, even if we sent a fish, Daya wouldn't get to taste a bit of it."
Xu Ying felt that made sense after hearing those words. Lu Daya's mother favored sons over daughters, treating boys like treasures and girls like weeds.
Sending it to Lu Daya would likely mean it would never reach her mouth.
Otherwise, Daya, at her tall height of 1.7 meters, wouldn't have fainted by the riverbank trying to save her, a smaller individual of just 1.6 meters.
Honestly, the fact that someone from Lu Daya's family could grow to 1.7 meters tall was a miracle in itself. Indeed, those genes were etched in the bones—if the parents were tall, the child wouldn't be short.
"Mom, is there anything I can help with?" Xu Ying walked over and squatted in front of Mrs. Xu to ask.
"You just go lie down in the house, Mom can handle the rest." Mrs. Xu was loud with outsiders, but she was tender and gentle with her daughter, afraid to frighten her.
Xu Ying didn't want to. She was someone who couldn't stay idle. During the apocalypse, she was always on the move. Now, being told to lie down and sleep, she really couldn't doze off.
She glanced at the vegetable garden at the doorway and darted in, pulling out a white radish:
"Mom, let's stew the fish with white radish, and I remember we still have some mushrooms at home.
Later, we can add some mushrooms to the soup and stir-fry some green peppers with duck eggs."
Mrs. Xu would follow her daughter's suggestions; after all, they had received so many good things at home, and she didn't feel the sting of using them up, "Okay, we'll do as you say."
Shitou carried a basket to the second brother's house. When he arrived, his aunt was wiping drool from his uncle's mouth.
"Aunt, my aunt caught fish and wild chicken eggs up the mountain today, and grandma sent a share for you."
"Wow, this fish is really big. Your little aunt is so capable," exclaimed Zhang Ru as she took the fish.
Shitou proudly held his head high, "Isn't my little aunt amazing? How many families can catch wild chicken eggs and big fish up the mountain? Not many, but my little aunt caught them in one go."
Zhang Ru, seeing Shitou's proud demeanor, laughed and said, "Indeed, our Yingying is the most capable."
Shitou's uncle, Xu Shengshun, seeing the wild chicken eggs, immediately smiled broadly, "Meat, we've got meat to eat!"
Zhang Ru looked indulgently at her husband and said, "Stay here and behave, I'll go cook some stir-fried meat for you."
"Aunt, I'll head back first," Shitou said in a rush, thinking of the meat at home.
Zhang Ru didn't delay his return for the meal and gave him the basket to take back.
Watching the fish and wild chicken eggs in the kitchen, Zhang Ru hummed a tune happily.
Others thought she was foolish: giving up a good life to marry an idiot. But only she knew that this 'idiot' had given her something she'd never gotten from anyone else before.
If being silly was what it took, she was willing.
Shitou took the basket and ran out quickly, making sure to close the door behind him.
When he arrived home, Mrs. Xu had just finished cleaning the fish.
"Granny, shall I start the fire now?"
Mrs. Xu noticed the daughter had prepared the radish, "Start the fire. Look at how diligent your little aunt is. She just came back from catching the wild chicken, and she has already washed and chopped the radish."
Xu Ying twitched the corner of her mouth. Even this managed to earn her mom's praise.
In the apocalypse, having been all alone, it was truly a bit unfamiliar to suddenly come back to this.
A house to shelter from the wind and rain, living with a loving family, without strife, just a calm and stable life—it was wonderful.
Shitou chuckled and squatted down to start the fire, "My little aunt isn't just diligent, she's also amazing."
Mrs. Xu felt as sweet as if her heart was smeared with honey after hearing this and finally gave Shitou a good look, "I'll give you an extra piece of fish at noon."