Chapter 66: Yun’an, You’re Pretty Clever

“What can you even do?! I already said this kind of thing should be left to Man’er, but you just had to get involved!”

On the way home, Old Madam Bai was scolding the Second Son’s Wife. Though it sounded like a scolding, it was clear from her tone that she was quite fond of her.

Lowering her voice, Old Madam Bai said, “This kind of thankless task should be left to the Fourth Son’s Wife. If it really makes money, the profits will still go to the family! Would your aunt really harm you?”

Second Son’s Wife looked displeased. “I’m just worried she’ll get greedy!”

Old Madam Bai sighed. “You’re too rash. In someone else’s village…”

The Fourth Son’s Wife followed behind her mother-in-law, her watery eyes watching the two women ahead, while her hands slowly clenched.

She didn’t need to guess—they were talking about her again.

But what could she do?

The Second Son’s Wife was Old Madam Bai’s own niece, and the Second Son was her favorite.

Meanwhile, her own husband had accomplished nothing with his studies, burned through the family’s silver, and now spent his days wallowing in self-pity. Completely unreliable!

She looked at her mother-in-law and sister-in-law chatting and laughing ahead.

Sometimes, she could understand why her brother-in-law had once dared to strike their parents.

Maybe he really just couldn’t take it anymore.

In a few months, it would be New Year.

And when the New Year came, the Second Son’s Wife’s son, who had joined the army, would be returning home.

Word was, he’d been incredibly lucky—spotted by a Centurion under General Mu and recruited into the prestigious Mu Family Army.

If he came back for the New Year…

Then there really would be no place left in this household for the Fourth Branch.

…

Meanwhile, Bai Tian, who couldn’t take it anymore, was shoveling down spoonfuls of fragrant egg fried rice.

It was so delicious!

He just couldn’t help but eat more.

And it wasn’t just Bai Tian—Jiang Dai and the Bai family brothers were all eating heartily.

Sure, egg fried rice wasn’t exactly a complicated dish.

But Juanjuan had nailed the heat control!

Jiang Dai: 【I could never get it to taste like this! I followed the recipe exactly, but it still came out bland!】

Bai Tian: 【This is it—the taste of real egg fried rice! It’s not just warming my stomach, it’s warming my heart!】

Bai Yunqi: 【This stuff (munch munch) is actually pretty good!】

Bai Yunxing: 【This is my first time eating rice stir-fried with egg and meat like this. It’s really tasty.】

Bai Yun’an: 【So good! Hot, fresh rice!】

Listening to her family praise her cooking in their hearts, Juanjuan felt a warm pride bubbling up inside her.

A very happy Juanjuan quickly realized—

The egg fried rice was gone.

Even her third brother was eyeing her bowl.

Juanjuan immediately covered her bowl with both hands, her round eyes staring at Bai Yun’an, silently asking: What are you trying to do?

Bai Yun’an said, “Juanjuan, do you not like the egg fried rice? I noticed you barely touched it.”

In the apocalypse, the rule was: if you found something good, you ate it fast. If you didn’t, someone else would take it. Only what made it into your stomach was truly yours.

Juanjuan, who liked to save her favorite food and eat it slowly: ?

“No, that’s not it.”

Juanjuan shook her head at her third brother and tried to explain, “I like to save the good stuff and eat it slowly.”

Bai Yun’an: …

Well, that was awkward.

【Ahhh! I thought she didn’t like it! Please don’t let my favorability points drop!】

【In the apocalypse, when you could go days without a decent meal and had to rely on dry energy from crystal stones, who could resist devouring good food the moment they saw it?!】

Juanjuan listened to her third brother’s inner screaming, her little brain instinctively trying to understand what he meant.

So… Third Brother used to go days without a proper meal and had to eat rocks?

As Bai Yun’an nervously fretted—

The floating Favorability Points, which had been at 8, wobbled and ticked up to 10.

Bai Yun’an: Huh?

“You… you can have one spoonful.”

A small spoon scooped up a bit of rice and, with a soft clink, dropped it into his bowl.

Bai Yun’an looked at Juanjuan, his gaze filled with surprise, confusion, and a touch of joy.

Still, he said, “Thanks, Juanjuan.”

Then he promptly ate that spoonful of egg fried rice in one big bite.

Juanjuan: …

She silently covered her bowl again, signaling that was all he was getting.

One spoon. That’s the limit. Absolutely the max!

Bai Yun’an could tell the little one wasn’t too happy about it.

He picked up his bowl and forced himself not to look at the small portion of egg fried rice still left in Juanjuan’s bowl. Holding his empty bowl, he walked over to the water bucket to wash up.

【Bai Yun’an, you finished yours. That’s Juanjuan’s! It’s totally normal to guard your food!】

But he didn’t feel anything strange about it.

Totally normal!

In the apocalypse, who didn’t have a strong sense of possession?

To Bai Yun’an, the little one guarding her food was perfectly natural. In fact, he wholeheartedly approved—this was a good habit!

It’s just… he still wanted to eat more.

Juanjuan tilted her head, puzzled, watching her third brother mutter in his heart as he walked away. Then she lowered her head and began eating her rice in small, careful bites.

After the meal—

Jiang Dai had already fed the family’s chickens and the rabbit they’d picked up.

The orange sun had dipped below the horizon, leaving only a faint trace of warm light lingering in the sky.

Jiang Dai sat on the wooden bench in the courtyard, Bai Tian standing behind her. And in front of her…

Naturally, standing before her were her four precious children!

No other reason—Jiang Dai was here to conduct a postmortem.

She nodded slightly, crossed one leg over the other, and cast her gaze over her eldest son, second son, and youngest daughter.

“You three—did you climb out the window after I locked the door?”

All three children nodded in unison.

Jiang Dai took a deep breath, feeling a bit worn out, but her mouth didn’t pause for a second as she spoke crisply:

“Bai Yunqi, how do you usually keep an eye on your younger siblings?”

Bai Yunqi: 【With my eyes, obviously! Isn’t that good enough?】

But he didn’t dare say that out loud.

“Bai Yunxing, couldn’t you have stopped them? Your big brother goes charging out the window and you just follow?”

Bai Yunxing stayed quiet and still. He knew full well he hadn’t listened this time.

“Juanjuan… you didn’t stop your brothers? Did you hurt yourself climbing out the window?”

Jiang Dai treated all three children equally, but… Juanjuan had short legs. She couldn’t help but worry whether her little shortie had taken a tumble.

Juanjuan shook her head. “Second Brother helped me. I didn’t fall. Landed steady.”

Jiang Dai: …

“You three are not allowed to climb out windows again. I know you’re worried about me and your father, but things were chaotic, and your second aunt is fierce. What if she’d hit you?”

Jiang Dai hadn’t planned to scold them too harshly.

Of course she knew the three of them were worried about her and Bai Tian, but… they were still so young. What if they’d gotten hurt?

Bai Yunxing was the first to admit fault. “Mother, Father, I was wrong. I made you worry.”

Juanjuan quickly followed suit. “Mother, Father, Juanjuan was wrong.”

Bai Yunqi: ? “Father, Mother, I was wrong?”

Jiang Dai: ? That tone?

But she didn’t press Bai Yunqi on it, because her gaze had already shifted to Bai Yun’an, and a pleased smile appeared on her face.

“Yun’an, you’re quite clever. You really know how to work with your mother as a team!”