Although the weather was still relatively cool, leaving raw meat out like this wasn't practical. So, Li Xiangli decided to slice up the lean meat and stir-fry it. She stored it in a large bowl, ensuring enough meat to last for several days. Whenever needed, she could just take it out and use it directly.
Li Xiangli knew that living in such a remote mountain village meant stockpiling supplies was essential. However, the issue of food preservation remained. She thought that once she had more money, she would dig a well, turning it into a makeshift cold storage to keep things fresh.
As for the large bones, she had already planned to make a big pot of bone broth. Rich in nutrients, it would be perfect for strengthening the kids' health. Every time she looked at the two little ones' frail, yellowish faces, her heart ached. She resolved to nurse them back to health—no child of hers would grow up looking like a skinny bamboo stick.
She also remembered the pig offal left outside from yesterday's shopping. She decided to head to the river later to clean it thoroughly. Though it looked unappealing, once prepared, it could be delicious. Her favorite dish used to be spicy pork intestine hotpot! First, she would wash it several times, scrape off the inner fat layer with a knife, and rub it repeatedly with salt to remove any odor.
As Li Xiangli busied herself with preparations, she wasn't paying much attention to the children. Suddenly, Le'er's cries echoed from outside, making her heart skip a beat. She immediately put down what she was doing and dashed outside.
"What's going on?"
The sight in front of her made her furious. Several older boys were blocking Xiaozhu and Le'er by a grove of bamboo.
The moment Le'er saw her, she burst into tears, wiping her face with her small hands. "Mother, they're bullying us!"
The group of boys, about seven or eight years old, were clearly too much for Xiaozhu and Le'er to handle. Xiaozhu's face was flushed red with anger as he clutched his bowl tightly, while the bowl in Le'er's hands had already been snatched away.
Li Xiangli felt her temper flare. "You kids are nothing but little bandits! How dare you steal food from others?"
The boys hesitated when they saw an adult arrive. Some shrank back nervously, but the leader of the group—a boy named Guo Bao—sneered. "So, what if we take it? You're all so stingy! A bit of food, and you won't share. What a bunch of poor nobodies!"
Despite his bold words, his eyes lingered hungrily on the food Xiaozhu was protecting.
This boy, Guo Bao, was the eldest grandson of the Guo family—the son of Wei-shi. As expected, like mother, like son.
Xiaozhu glared at him. "I won't give you a single bite, even if I had mountains of food! Never!"
Guo Bao smirked. "Getting brave, aren't you? You dare defy me? Today, I'll make you hand it over!"
He reached out to grab Xiaozhu's food again.
To Li Xiangli's shock, Xiaozhu suddenly smashed his bowl to the ground, spilling the food onto the wet, muddy earth. Guo Bao was startled. "What are you doing? Wasting food?"
Then Xiaozhu did something even more surprising—he stomped on the scattered food with all his might, crushing it into the mud. "Go ahead, eat it! I'd rather waste it than let you have any!"
Everyone froze, including Li Xiangli. It was the first time she had seen Xiaozhu, usually so gentle, show such fierce determination. She even caught a glimpse of something sharp in his eyes—a glint of ruthless defiance.
Ruthless? Where had he learned this? Certainly not from her, nor the timid original owner of this body.
Could it be… innate? A trait passed down by his father?
For a moment, Li Xiangli's thoughts drifted to the children's father. Her memories of him were faint, blurry. Wasn't he supposed to be a meek man, forced to go to war as a scapegoat? How else could he have been so easily cast aside?
Her thoughts were interrupted by Guo Bao's enraged yell. "You dare challenge me? I'll break your legs! That'll teach you your place!"
Guo Bao grabbed Xiaozhu by the collar, raising his fist. There was no way Xiaozhu, barely four and a half years old, could defend himself against him.
Li Xiangli moved like lightning, intercepting Guo Bao's arm and pulling Xiaozhu into her embrace. Her voice was icy as she said, "Guo Bao! You don't even respect adults anymore, do you? Hitting people in front of me—what kind of family raised such a beast?"
Guo Bao sneered. "An adult? You, Li Xiangli? Everyone in the village knows you're nothing but a shameless woman! My mother and grandma say you're trash!"
"That's not true!" Xiaozhu shouted, his small body trembling with fury. "Your mother's the shameless one! A loud, vulgar shrew—that's why you turned out to be a bully!"
Le'er chimed in, her voice high-pitched with indignation. "Exactly! A shrew! A thief! A bandit!"
Li Xiangli's cold smile deepened. "If someone insults us, we insult them back. If they hit us, we hit them back. Got it?"
Xiaozhu and Le'er nodded eagerly. "Got it!"
Guo Bao lunged at her again, but Li Xiangli easily evaded him. His clumsy attacks only led him to slam into a tree trunk repeatedly, leaving him disheveled and humiliated.
Watching the scene, the other boys were stunned. Guo Bao had never been beaten like this before!
Frustrated and humiliated, Guo Bao started crying. "You're bullying me! I'll tell my mother! She'll beat you all up!"
As if summoned, Wei-shi's sharp voice rang out. "Who dares bully my son? Do you want to die? I'll teach you a lesson you won't forget!"
Li Xiangli smirked coldly. A mother like this explained everything about her son. Now, it was time to see who would come out on top.
Disclaimer:
I am not the original author of this work. This is a translated version of the original text, shared for reading and reference purposes only. All rights to the original content belong to the original author. I do not claim ownership of the original work or its characters. This translation is intended solely for informational and entertainment purposes.