“Second Sister-in-law, Sixth Son needs to have some supplementary food. Hence, the rabbit should be mine!”
“Sixth Son is at the school, not at home. You can’t bring him out for everything. How dare you try to snatch the rabbit from me!”
“So what? I can deliver it to him tomorrow. It is important that the Sixth Son studies well. You should leave the rabbit for me!”
Ms. Fang showed a mocking smile and looked at her daughter-in-law with a satisfied smirk on her face. She left from there with her grandchildren.
Shao Yunduan went to study whilst Qiao Xuan and Qi left as well.
The two women should be left alone to sort the argument between themselves.
Later, Taotao came to gossip with Qiao Xuan, telling her that Third Aunt-in-law won and took the rabbit away whilst Second Aunt-in-law wanted to exchange the remaining with the rooster, but got turned down by their mother.
She had thought that it would be Ms. Niu who would win, but it turned out that Ms. Ma tasted victory instead.
They had many wild roosters and rabbits left for dinner, and the remaining ones were hidden in the yard.
They were kept in the leaves and maintained in the dungeon, so that the meat could be kept for many days.
Wild roosters were never as chubby as home-kept roosters, but they were already quite big.
Qiao Xuan cooked dinner and made braised chicken soup with mushrooms, which tasted really fresh and delicious.
The other one was stirred and fried over a lot of oil, whilst the green garlic sprouts were cut into sections. The wild celery pulled from the mountains was chopped into pieces, and some dried chili peppers were added. Soy sauce, salt, and ginger pieces were put in as well. The taste was strong and fragrant. People just could not stop eating.
Then, she cut fresh bamboo shoots into thin slices, and made a light, fresh bamboo shoot soup. She even stirred and fried a vinegary and slightly spicy cabbage.
The smell went over the room and made people drool.
Ms. Xu helped her, and was stumped seeing how the seasoning was made.
Anyway, it was her dowry that paid for it all, and she could do whatever she wanted. Those were not from the family share, hence she did not care.
But Ms. Xu could not stop eating at dinner.
Shao Sanlang was the happiest. He got so delighted that he spoke highly of his sister-in-law, which made Shao Yunduan remind him that he should eat more and speak less.
Shao Sanlang nodded. “Yes, yes, I need to hurry up before you eat it all!”
When Eldest Uncle heard that the second and the third sections of the family were given some rabbit and rooster, he got very gratified inside his heart as well. They were a family and they should get on well with each other.
It was a great, happy dinner.
The following day, Qiao Xuan started to work.
She had already gotten the contract from Land Officer Ding the day before, and after dinner, she narrated what she was planning to do.
She was using her own dowry and Ms. Fang, as well as Shao Yunduan supported her. Hence, Eldest Uncle said nothing even though he did not quite agree.
Well, Qiao Xuan was not using the family money.
She needed some labor if she wanted to open a land. So after breakfast, Eldest Uncle went to the family land whilst Shao Dalang, Shao Sanlang and Ms. Xu as well as Shao Xiaoqi, Shao Taotao went to help Qiao Xuan.
Shao Yunduan was studying in the room.
Qiao Xuan felt that she still needed more people, so she asked Shao Dalang to get three men who were reliable to come and help.
“Just tell them to tell others that they are simply helping us. We will offer lunch and 20 wen for each of them. Don’t let them spill the truth.”