The grown-ups were still in shock, but the children could not wait any longer. They could hardly restrain themselves just now in the kitchen. Their older cousin had seen their greedy looks, and had given them two pieces of meat each, but nothing else.
To children who seldom got to eat meat, this table of dishes was just too alluring. They did not care where the food had come from.
The youngest, Gu Jinzhi, was gulping furiously, his eyes fixed on the meat on the table. “Fa-Father, can we eat?”
Gu Yunshen looked at the children, whose faces were filled with longing, and immediately said, “Let’s eat, let’s eat. We can talk after eating.”
He hurriedly called everyone to sit down.
The adults wanted to drink, so they sat together. Gu Qingyao led the other children to sit at the other side of the table and Li Fangting sat with Gu Qingyao.
When she saw the entire table laden with food, she froze.
Gu Qingyao smiled and gave her a piece of braised rabbit. “Eat this quickly. Look at your younger cousins, they’re all acting like bandits. If you don’t eat, there’ll be nothing left.”
The four children were extremely good that day. They did not waste a single word. They simply buried their heads in their bowls and ate.
Their mouths glistened with oil as they gnawed on the meat.
Even Gu Yunjing, Gu Yundong, Eldest Aunt, Third Aunt, and even Gu Jinfeng and Gu Jinye ate faster than usual. They could not restrain themselves!
Only the two old people, Gu Yunshen, and Gu Jinlin, who had been at home for a few days, were calmer.
He was both amused and sad to see the little ones gnawing on meat like small bandits, until their mouths were covered with oil. He had thought that Gu Qingyao was being too conspicuous, but when he saw the children, he could not bear to say anything.
The Gu family had been major landlords. He had a good life when he was young. But these children had been born in bad times. They had never had anything nice to eat since they were born.
“Eat! Let’s all eat!”
Gu Conghua raised his chopsticks and lowered his head to eat.
The entire family was in one accord as they ate. None of them spoke a word. They only focused on eating.
Gu Yunshen said he wanted to have a drink with everyone, but they were all busy with their chopsticks, and there was no mention of drinking and chatting.
The food disappeared with astonishing speed and all the dishes were wiped clean!
Gu Yunjing and Gu Yundong were grown men, and the three older cousins were adults. They usually worked outside the home, and had especially large appetites.
There was so much food on the table, but in the end, there was nothing left.
Eldest Uncle, Gu Yunjing, rubbed his stomach contentedly. “Yao Yao has grown up! Her cooking is too good!”
Gu Jinlin ate so much that he could not stop burping. Among the families, his was the poorest. His family’s occupations were different from that of Eldest and Second Uncle, and their salaries were lower. He also had two younger brothers, so their circumstances were poorer.
Even though he had eaten his younger cousin’s cooking for so long, he could help but fill his stomach when he saw the meat.
After the meal, the three older cousins volunteered to wash up.
It was still early. Although it was now completely dark, it was not too late. They started a fire by the storage room and the adults warmed themselves around the fire as they chatted. The three older cousins went to the kitchen to scrub the pots, wash the dishes and boil water for washing their feet.
Li Fangting went back to see her mother after she had finished eating.
Gu Yunshuang had also just finished her meal. Her bowl and chopsticks were placed on the bedside table.
She was still recovering from her miscarriage. She had not yet finished the chicken soup that Gu Qingyao made for her yesterday. They only let the children have some, and saved the rest for her.