"Why aren't you sleeping at this hour? What's all the fuss about?"
Zhang Guihua came over with a stern face, but the next second she was smiling like a blooming chrysanthemum, "Wow, that's a fat snake."
Jiang Changhai, holding a meter-long snake, declared proudly, "Mom, go start the fire. I'll skin the snake, and we can roast the snake meat."
"Alright, I'll go chop some chili powder to sprinkle on it." The old lady cheerfully headed to the kitchen.
It had been over a month since the family had eaten meat, and her two grandsons were growing, so snake meat was perfect to replenish their nutrients.
When Jiang Zhiwen and Jiang Zhiwu heard they would have snake meat, they joyfully bounced around the courtyard, "Oh, we're having meat, we're having meat!"
The girls could only smell the delicious aroma from afar and salivate, since they generally didn't get to eat the meat at home; they simply went back to their rooms.
Jiang Changhai was quite skilled at roasting meat and wasn't stingy with the seasonings, making the snake meat irresistibly fragrant.
Even Jiang Mianmian, who had recently enjoyed roasted rabbit, couldn't help but drool, since after all, who wasn't tempted by meat these days?
Sun Lixia was all flattery, applauding him, "Big brother is impressive, always adding meat to our meals."
Yet inside, she was annoyed at herself for not finding the snake in the firewood, because if she had, the meat could have been theirs from the Third Branch.
But the eldest was also foolish; if it had been her, she would have waited for the family to fall asleep before catching the snake and then eaten it behind closed doors.
The old lady, however, was quite pleased with him and boasted, "The eldest has always brought home snakes, birds, anything—he never eats selfishly."
While the eldest son often infuriated her, he was the most filial among her sons, always mindful of his elderly parents whenever there was delicacy.
"You and dad worked hard raising us brothers, so it's only right to honor you," Jiang Changhai said with an open and honest expression, which delighted the old lady immensely.
Jiang Mianmian couldn't help but admire her dad's thick skin, as she and her parents often ate secretly on their own, just never caught.
After a while, Jiang Changhai sprinkled chili powder over the golden-brown snake meat, "It's ready."
"Time to eat!" Zhiwen and Zhiwu hurried over, waiting for their uncle to distribute the meat.
But Jiang Changhai didn't even glance at his nephews. He tore off a big piece and handed it to the old lady, "Mom, this is to honor you and dad."
Then, taking the remaining meat, he turned and said, "Sweetheart, let's go back to our room to eat."
"Sure!" Jiang Mianmian quickly trotted after him,
Sun Lixia, who had been waiting hopelessly, was dumbfounded, "Uncle, you haven't given Zhiwen and Zhiwu their share yet!"
"They aren't my kids, not my responsibility to feed," Jiang Changhai said without looking back, his tone bold and assertive.
These words left Sun Lixia without a comeback, since their parents were still around; indeed, there was no reason for an uncle to provide for his nephews.
The old lady, however, was unhappy and scolded, "You ingrate, they're still your biological brothers' children."
Upon hearing that, Sun Lixia immediately turned to her mother-in-law, looking aggrieved, "Mom, look at the eldest brother. Zhiwen and Zhiwu are his own nephews. He's supposed to manage their inheritance later, but he's not even willing to share a piece of meat with them."
According to the age-old family tradition, male children inherit the family properties, and the role of hosting the funeral ceremony also falls to them.
But her mother-in-law's face darkened instantly, berating her, "Tsk, tsk! Shut your cursed mouth. The eldest is just in his early thirties; he could live another seventy years or so!"