Shen Meng slept until past eleven the next day, and when she woke up, Lu Zhenping wasn’t by her side. A cup of warm water was within her reach. Just as she tried to sit up, a sourness in her waist made her lie back down.
Shen Meng dared not move anymore. She felt as if her body had been run over back and forth by a truck, aching unbearably. Last night, Lu Zhenping was truly terrifying, that waist, those legs, that strength...tsk tsk tsk!!!
Although very tired, Shen Meng, who finally had her fill of meat, still felt extremely satisfied. It was no wonder she rummaged through her space to find such a conservative yet seductive dress.
After shivering as she got up, she drank the warm water on the table, then took out a large pork-filled bun from her space and started to eat. She was too tired; without eating something, she had no energy to get up.
Coming out to the courtyard, Shen Meng saw Ming Liang and Ming Kai poking ants on the ground, and they hurried over to her.
"Mom, are you still tired? Dad said you and he were too tired from divvying up the meat last night. He told us not to disturb you. There’s food left for you in the pot. I’ll go get it for you!"
After Ming Liang finished speaking, he quickly ran to the kitchen. Shen Meng looked around and noticed that Mingyang and Ming Fang were not there. She ruffled Ming Kai’s hair.
"Xiao Kai, where did your dad go with your big brother and sister?"
Shen Meng froze after speaking. Her voice was hoarse and unclear. She swallowed, wondering if last night’s activities had strained her voice so much.
"They went out. Do you want to rest, mom? Why is your voice not clear, are you sick?"
"Mom, mom might have a bit of throat inflammation, but it’s nothing, really nothing, don’t worry, my son."
After saying that, she quickly shut her mouth, not wanting to speak anymore.
"Mom, squat down. Xiao Kai will blow on it and you’ll feel better."
The little guy pulled her clothes and climbed onto her. Helplessly, Shen Meng could only squat down, watching the little guy get close and blow on her neck. Just when she thought it was over, Lu Mingkai’s little hand reached towards her neck and pressed on her collarbone.
"It’s red. There’s an insect bite on mom. Baby will blow on it."
"Cough cough cough...cough cough cough... It’s okay, it’s okay, it doesn’t hurt, it doesn’t hurt. Mom is going to rest in the main room. You continue playing with the ants!"
"It’s not playing, baby is performing surgery on the ants."
Shen Meng: "... Then you keep busy!"
Having just sat down in the main room, she remembered the red mark on her collarbone and quickly changed into another outfit, buttoning her neckline tightly. Only after checking in the mirror was she reassured enough to lock the room door.
"Mom, I’ve placed the food on the table for you. I’m going out to call dad. Today, our village is going to peel sheepskin and make mutton soup. Everyone can get some, and dad went to help. Big brother and sister are worried that the sheepskins would be taken by others, so they’re waiting out there. Xiao Kai and I also want to go watch. Is that okay, mom?"
"Go ahead, walk slowly, don’t run, and be careful not to stumble."
"Okay!"
Shen watched the two children leave before she finally lowered her head to look at the bowl of food on the dining table.
Shen Meng: "....."
Lu Zhenping, that dog of a man, what’s he trying to imply by leaving her a bowl of kidney soup???
The people working in the village are all full of vigor. Early in the morning, when the bell for work rang, the village chief said that today there would be goat meat to eat. Zhenping caught it last night in the mountains, which made everyone’s heart warm with joy.
The moment Lu Zhenping returned, he presented such a favor to the village. That means when he joins the army, the townsfolk are sure to take good care of his wife and children. That’s the message the village chief conveyed, and everyone responded in kind. Now, as we work heartily, we’re all looking forward to having goat meat soup after work, and some can even enjoy it for two meals.
Liu Sanjin had already heard about this from Zhou Jiaojiao and Lu Jiaxuan in the morning. Watching so many people come to her praising Lu Zhenping, her face followed with a smile, but inside she felt utterly nauseated. Such a big goat, weighing dozens of pounds—how altruistic of him. He didn’t even think about whether his own parents would get a taste.
Couldn’t he have used a bit more foresight when giving to the village? Even if he had just saved a goat head for two families to share, what would the village chief have against it? Now, with this, everyone in the village gets a meal. Even those with whom we hardly ever cross paths can now come with bowls to take advantage of the Lu Family. The more you think about it, the more uncomfortable it feels.
Lai Zi’s wife had just finished weeding and then sat down with a thump on the ground. She looked at Zhou Jiaojiao, who was working hard with her head down, and a mocking smile crept across her lips.
"Jiaojiao, today you really owe your uncle a favor, letting all of us enjoy two meals of goat meat soup. Tell me, he caught such a big mountain goat, how come he didn’t save some meat for you? If nothing else, a bit of goat fat would have been nice, right? Now that it’s all given away, doesn’t your family have any thoughts about it?"
"Hey, hey, hey, what do you mean by that, Lai Zi’s wife? The Lu Family is sharing their goat meat with everyone, and now you’re finding fault with eating? If you don’t want eat, then don’t bother bringing your basin and crowding over there later; no one’s asking you to come."
"That’s right. Not to mention a mountain goat, if anyone caught a wild rabbit or chicken, they’d hide it so tightly you wouldn’t see even a feather or a hair. And here you are, stirring up trouble."
"Don’t bother with her, Jiaojiao. She’s just jealous of your Lu Family."
.....
Several women working together took Zhou Jiaojiao’s side, crowding Lai Zi’s wife, who was thick-skinned and unresponsive to their words, simply focusing on sitting down and resting.
It wasn’t until the women finished speaking that Zhou Jiaojiao looked at Lai Zi’s wife.
"Lai’s wife, my big brother is trying to do a good deed. If he has something nice, he wants to share it with everyone. That’s a good thing. Our family has no objections and fully supports him. Life is hard for everyone; it’s not often we can add some meat to the diet, so naturally, it’s better for everyone to eat together."
"Oh, is that so?"
Lai Zi’s wife didn’t care much for the reply. After resting for a bit, she continued weeding with her hoe.
Zhou Jiaojiao glanced at her stealthily, feeling disdain for her behavior. A decent person, good-looking, tidy, and trim; how could she be so lazy?
But this had little to do with her. Since her family wouldn’t get any of the goat meat, naturally, they had to share in the good reputation. This would also help Lu Jiaxuan’s work in the future.
When Lu Zhenping got home and saw that Shen Meng looked a bit upset, he touched his nose guiltily and coughed twice as he approached her.
"Uh, Xiao Meng, did you have the soup I left for you? You woke up late, have some soup first to fill your stomach. We’ll have something nice for lunch."
As soon as she was reminded about this, Shen Meng couldn’t help but be even more furious. Raising her hand, she pinched the soft flesh on his waist.
"Leaving me a kidney soup, what do I need that for?"
"You’ve been weak; you need to nourish yourself properly. Otherwise, you’ll faint halfway through again next time."
Shen Meng: "...."