And the news that Xiao Changyi had hunted down a big fat rabbit quickly reached the ears of Old Hunter Liu’s widow, Mrs. Hongxia.
Mrs. Hongxia tightly pursed her aged lips, saying nothing.
It was Liu Sanya who couldn’t hold back, "Mother, he’s really out of line. When has he ever hunted without giving us half? Now he doesn’t even leave us a drop of soup!"
The eleven-year-old Liu Sizi, just thinking of the taste of meat, couldn’t help but swallow his saliva, and said unhappily, "Third Sister, it’s all because of you! You offended that wretch, causing Mother and him to fall out. Otherwise, he would certainly have shared half with us!"
After Old Hunter Liu had passed away, for the three years before Xiao Changyi was conscripted, he would share half of his catch with them every time he came back from hunting. Even the night before he left for conscription, Xiao Changyi had given Mrs. Hongxia three taels of silver.
If not for Xiao Changyi, how could Mrs. Hongxia, a lone woman, have managed to bring up her four children?
Especially since at the time of Old Hunter Liu’s death, Liu Sizi had just been born, the three sisters of Liu Sanya were still young, the family’s silver coin had been spent on the old hunter’s illness, and they had accrued quite some debt. It was their most difficult time. Had it not been for Xiao Changyi sharing half of his catch with them every time, Liu Sizi would have perished long ago, and Mrs. Hongxia and her daughters would have not been able to survive at all.
In truth, Xiao Changyi had long repaid the favor Old Hunter Liu had shown him.
But Mrs. Hongxia and her family were convinced that it was Xiao Changyi who had caused Old Hunter Liu’s death, so they didn’t feel grateful at all toward Xiao Changyi. They even felt entitled every time Xiao Changyi shared half of his hunt with them.
Even later, when Xiao Changyi gave Mrs. Hongxia three taels of silver, she took it without hesitation, without a word of thanks to Xiao Changyi, nor did she give him any words of caution for the battlefield.
Deep down, Mrs. Hongxia even wished Xiao Changyi would die on the battlefield, as a revenge for her husband’s death.
"Liu Sizi, was it I who made Mother quarrel with him? Why are you blaming me?" Liu Sanya was extremely dissatisfied with being accused.
Liu Sizi immediately retorted, "So, are you saying it’s Mother’s fault then?"
"You!" Liu Sanya was choked with anger. When had she ever blamed Mother? Even if she did inwardly, she would never voice it! She needed to be filial! That way, her reputation would remain good!
"Enough!" Seeing that the two were about to quarrel, Mrs. Hongxia spoke up, visibly irritated, "That wretch is heartless, but you should not harm the harmony between you because of him. It’s just a rabbit; we don’t lust after it!"
Liu Sizi and Liu Sanya immediately became subdued, not daring to defy their hardworking mother who had raised them.
While the atmosphere was quite heavy in Mrs. Hongxia’s household, over at Xiao Changyi’s, the mood between him and An Jing was exceedingly good.
The aroma of rabbit meat wafted out from the kitchen, causing neighbors close by to salivate at the smell.
As for An Jing, she only made a bowl of spicy rabbit meat, with the rest of the rabbit meat she preserved in salt, planning to eat it later on.
After all, one cannot just feast once and then go back to eating plain meals afterward.
As soon as the spicy rabbit meat was served, An Jing picked up a piece to place at Xiao Changyi’s mouth, and he obediently ate it; but An Jing deliberately kissed his lips after, and feeling the spicy taste, she smiled even more brightly, "It’s so spicy, so flavorful!"
Xiao Changyi’s actions, however, were not as intimate; instead, he kept placing pieces of rabbit meat into An Jing’s bowl.
An Jing sat smilingly, watching him, until Xiao Changyi was about to give her half of his bowl of rabbit meat, and then she stopped him, "That’s enough, I can’t eat that much, the rest is for you to eat."