Chapter 133: A Good Meal

Li Xuemei felt sorry for him running around so much and said, “Then stack a few more bundles and block off all the gaps at the front.”

Yan Lao’er immediately got to work.

He called over Sanbao and had them fill two buckets about seven or eight-tenths full.

Then, he pulled down two blankets and spread them out.

“What are you doing?” Li Xuemei was puzzled.

“We grown men don’t need such a soft bed. I’m setting it up for you.”

Li Xuemei’s heart warmed.

Once the bundle wall was completed, Yan Lao’er grinned foolishly.

“Haha! No need to worry about fitting everything in—see? It’s all packed up!” He secured it all with multiple layers of rope and punched it twice.

“Stuffing it with clothes and fabric really makes it solid—no empty spaces at all.” Yan Lao’er was very pleased, circling around to admire his work.

Li Xuemei commented, “Good thing our cart is sturdy. If it had any quality issues, the way you’ve packed it would have made it fall apart.”

“The front is a bit heavy now, so we need to put some weight in the back for balance.”

Yan Lao’er cleared all the straw from the rear section of the cart, wiped it down thoroughly with a damp cloth, and even used scented soap to make it foam up!

“What are you doing now?”

“Our daughter will be sleeping here, so I’m making sure it’s clean. As for the chickens, I’ve thought it over—I’ll tie them to the front for now. Later, I’ll find someone to help weave a few cages.”

Li Xuemei felt an ache in her heart, unable to speak for a moment.

Yan Lao’er laughed. “The kids are thinking about you, worried you won’t get enough rest.”

The group had been stationed in one place for a while, allowing the Yan family’s hens to roam freely. Their legs were tied with strings, clucking around nearby.

He glanced at a few of the hens that had grown plumper again, and his mouth watered.

He thought to himself: Once I have the right seasonings, I’ll stew a chicken to nourish my wife.

“I’m fine. I’ve been sleeping well,” Li Xuemei said.

Yan Lao’er continued working. “I think it’s good for our daughter to sleep below. When the platform opens, it’ll be easier for us to sneak out without making too much noise climbing up and down.

“You just get some proper rest—I’ll handle everything at night.

“Now that we understand how things work, we still have an ox and a cat. That should be enough support.”

Li Xuemei nodded silently.

Yan Yu had picked up the habit of rummaging for things from her father, which made Yan Lao’er a bit nervous.

So, during this major reorganization, he set aside all of Old Yan’s belongings in one place, keeping them in the lower bunk.

That way, if Old Yan ever remembered something and wanted to look for it, he wouldn’t have to climb up and search. It was unlikely, but it was better to be cautious.

Anything that shouldn’t be seen would be kept on the top bunk.

Da Ya was a well-behaved child and never touched things randomly.

As for Heng, there was even less need to worry.

Once everything was sorted out, Yan Lao’er started preparing dinner.

“How do you want the leftover fish cooked?” he asked his wife.

“Braised, with some chili,” Li Xuemei wanted something flavorful to go with the rice.

Yan Lao’er frowned slightly.

“Chili… alright, I’ll add just a little for flavor.”

In hot weather, it was best to eat less spicy food, especially since Li Xuemei was pregnant and prone to feeling overheated.

Yan Lao’er generously cooked rice, making a meal of braised fish, dry pot spicy pork cartilage, stir-fried pig’s blood with wild onions, and egg drop soup with the last remaining egg.

When the whole family gathered, they saw the small square table piled high with food.

Yan Xiangheng rushed over, his stomach growling from the mix of enticing aromas.

“Uncle, is today a special occasion? This is such a feast!”

“No special occasion—just making sure we have a good meal before we set off. Who knows how easy it’ll be to get water later?”

Yan Lao’er didn’t touch today’s freshly steamed mantou, opting to eat the water-intensive rice first.

Da Ya and her little sister had just returned with the cat. They weren’t tired, just anxious, their foreheads damp with sweat.

They fetched water, wiped their faces, and washed their hands—also helping their younger sister freshen up.

Yan Huaiwen carefully washed his hands and sat in his usual spot.

He told his son, “Wipe your face and head before coming over.”

Yan Xiangheng had been out patrolling all day, and his face was sweaty.

He hurried to freshen up.

When he returned, his uncle had already served everyone their rice.

The grains were white as jade, glistening beautifully.

Yan Xiangheng thanked him politely, holding his bowl and staring at the pearly rice for a long moment before taking a bite.

So this was the rice that Second Uncle had been secretly stashing away!

It was delicious!

Yan Huaiwen ate silently, his agile chopsticks picking from every dish evenly, ensuring he didn’t favor one over the others.

Like Yan Xiangheng, he assumed that Tianyou had hidden away this rice.

He wasn’t surprised and didn’t feel resentful—rather, he was pleasantly surprised.

Everyone has their own private stash.

He had long expected Tianyou to hoard silver and supplies.

But the fact that Tianyou was willing to share with the family instead of keeping it all to himself reassured him greatly!

Yan Yu loved the dry pot spicy pork cartilage!

Wuwuwu! It didn’t have much meat, but it was so flavorful to chew on!

She had strong teeth and always ordered this when eating barbecue.

It was rarely available in supermarkets, and even at fresh markets, barbecue shops seemed to buy it all up.

Her father hardly ever made it at home.

What a shame!

Such a shame!

But now, with her little rice grain-sized teeth, she couldn’t chew it properly.

She could only gnaw at it slowly, grinding it between her teeth.

Most of the seasoning got licked off, and the texture wasn’t nearly as enjoyable!

Li Xuemei focused on eating the fish, finishing one bowl of rice and getting another half-bowl.

Yan Lao’er, like his brother, ate everything without being picky.

Watching his wife and daughter eat so heartily made his own meal more satisfying.

After dinner, Da Ya took care of the cleanup.

Yan Huaiwen called Yan Lao’er over.

“What are you up to now?”

“Fetching more water from the mountain.”

“Still not enough?” Yan Huaiwen frowned.

Yan Lao’er replied, “Just one more trip should do it. I want to fill up all the jars and containers at home.”

Yan Huaiwen nodded and said, “Someone came by today to buy scented soap. I sold them a piece at market price.”

He pulled out eight qian of silver from his sleeve and handed it over.

Yan Lao’er was momentarily stunned.

Not because of anything unusual—

But because his brother had accepted the money, and now he was passing it to him. Could he still turn it in?

“Brother, you keep it,” Yan Lao’er said.

“You promised to do this business with the Qi brothers. Since it’s a partnership, you can’t make decisions alone. The charcoal doesn’t matter, but this first batch of scented soap was made by you alone. The Qi brothers did help this time, though—do you plan to share the profit or settle it later? You should decide on a system.”

“Brother, I’ll hold onto it for now and discuss it with them later.” Yan Lao’er thought it over and accepted the silver.

He secretly weighed it—this small piece felt almost as heavy as a full tael.

“Alright, Brother, I’m off to fetch water.”

“Go on.”

The water-fetching continued late into the night.

When Yan Lao’er returned, he still didn’t rest.

He took the sour fruits and started boiling them in a pot.

Secretly adding rock sugar, he planned to make a batch of wild fruit syrup for his wife to enjoy.

He also fried some ribs and crispy pork to serve as snacks for the family.

Old Yan had declared that they would set off early the next morning.

(End of Chapter)