Yang Ruxin was walking out of the mountains at this time, with a troop of monkeys leading the way, and a great tiger protecting her. She left the deep mountains smoothly, and that creature was quite grateful too, catching her a wild rabbit and a wild chicken along the way.
She had meat to eat now!
However, standing at the foot of the mountain, Yang Ruxin faced a dilemma. If she took the wild chicken and rabbit home, she’d surely get none of it, but if she didn’t, how could she get her family to eat it?
She must admit, she felt an urgent desire to split from the family again.
After hesitating for a moment, Yang Ruxin gripped her catch and ran towards the back of the village.
When Feng Family’s matriarch opened the door and saw it was Yang Ruxin, she was stunned for a moment, but then her face broke into a smile, "Xinxin is here, come in and sit."
Gu Qingheng heard the noise outside and his mood lightened inexplicably. The girl was really okay.
"Auntie, I came to ask for your help," Yang Ruxin said, placing the rabbit and wild chicken on the ground.
"Xinxin, you just have to say if you need anything, there’s no need to..."
"Auntie Feng, this is what I came to ask of you." Yang Ruxin smiled, "You probably know the situation in my family. Our branch is utterly disregarded, and my siblings and I have never had our fill of food..." she said, casting her eyes down.
To outsiders, it seemed like she was about to cry.
"Xinxin, say no more. Your grandparents’ partiality, I’ve heard a thing or two about it in the village." Feng Family’s matriarch sighed, "Ah, it’s all one’s own flesh and blood, I never imagined..."
"I’ve finally managed to get some game by risking my life in the mountains, but I dare not take it home." Yang Ruxin quickly looked up, "Even if I did, they’d eat it, and then they’d turn around and beat us again, so..."
"When Ayao comes back later, I’ll have him sell it in town for you," the Feng Family’s matriarch expressed her sympathy for Yang Family’s main branch.
"No need." Yang Ruxin hurriedly shook her head, "I just want my younger brothers and sisters to have a few bites of meat."
"Well, keep this rabbit as a token of my gratitude. Auntie Feng, please stew this wild chicken for me. After all, stewing it requires firewood and seasonings, and I’ll come back later to sneak a few bites for my siblings," said Yang Ruxin, cheered by the idea, "Thanks, Auntie Feng. I’ll head back now."
"Ah..." Feng Family’s matriarch wanted to say there was no need for thanks, but Yang Ruxin had already run far away, "This child..."
"Mother." Gu Qingheng spoke from inside, "Just do as she asks, and accept the gratitude if she wants to give it..."
"This rabbit must weigh three and a half pounds," Feng Family’s matriarch could only nod, "If it were sold, it would be worth a hundred coins. That girl really is..."
"When she comes, just give her a few steamed buns," Gu Qingheng understood Yang Ruxin’s temperament quite well, "She’s very straightforward. With her, there’s no need for pretense."
"Okay." Feng Family’s matriarch nodded.
Yang Ruxin ran back home swiftly, but as soon as she entered, she felt the atmosphere was off: "What happened?"
Xun Hui merely lowered her head even further, hugging Yang Rufeng and crying.
"What’s going on with all of you?" Yang Ruxin frowned, going over and lifting Xun Hui’s face forcibly. It was swollen like a pig’s head. Erni, Sanni, and Sini’s little faces were also red and swollen, and nestled in Xun Hui’s arms, Yang Rufeng had a big blue bump on his forehead, probably from hitting something.
"Big sister..." Sini threw herself at Yang Ruxin’s legs, "The buns... the buns are gone..."