"Sister-in-law, why do I feel like there's pity in your eyes when you look at me?" Xia Xingchen asked, puzzled.
"You're not completely clueless, there's hope for you yet." Yi Roujing said heartfeltly, handing the duck in her hand to Ding Anmin and even patted Xia Xingchen's back reassuringly.
"Anmin, how should we eat this duck and wild duck eggs?"
Yi Roujing, who had walked ahead, wished she could turn back and knock on Xia Xingchen's head upon hearing this, hoping she could focus her mind in the right direction.
Yi Roujing was walking alone, with Ding Anmin and Xia Xingchen's sneaky figures behind her. When the three of them got inside, Ding Anmin and Xia Xingchen hurriedly went into the kitchen and put down all the things they had obtained.
"Huh—where did all this come from..." Li Hongying's words were cut off abruptly in the kitchen.
Yi Roujing had already taken a seat at the dining table in the yard, looking at the fragrant stir-fried chicken, potato chicken soup glistening with oil, the soft and tender eel stewed in an earthenware pot, and river clams stir-fried with wild vegetables, paired with sweet potato dry rice. This was the most lavish meal Yi Roujing had seen in recent days.
She swallowed involuntarily and then waited eagerly.
For Yi Roujing being the first to sit down, the Ding Family wasn't surprised at all. It wouldn't be normal if she didn't act this way. However, Yi Roujing waited for Ding Weihuo to move his chopsticks before starting, which surprised Li Hongying, Ding Anmin, and Ding Anguo, who also slowed down to pick up a couple of bites.
"Auntie Hongying, your cooking skills are really getting better and better." Xia Xingchen praised with wide-eyed surprise after taking a few bites.
"Haha, eat more if you like it, you're weak, you need the nourishment. This eel is the best for your health, and this chicken soup as well." Li Hongying said with a cheerful invitation.
Li Hongying took the opportunity to glance at Yi Roujing, seeing her natural expression without a trace of reluctance. Thinking of what she just heard from Anmin, she knew the wild duck and eggs were found by Yi Roujing. She picked a piece of eel from the pot and placed it in Yi Roujing's bowl, "You should eat more too, you just recovered from an illness, your body is still not strong."
Li Hongying put down her chopsticks and focused on eating, missing the surprise and hint of tenderness in Yi Roujing's eyes. It was the first time in her memory someone had given her food.
"Thank you." Yi Roujing whispered a word of thanks and then focused on eating, surprising Li Hongying, who looked up and glanced at Yi Roujing's head a few times, and silently continued her meal.
After dinner, Li Hongying and Ding Anmin swiftly cleaned up the dishes, while Ding Weihuo and Ding Anguo moved the table and chairs. Yi Roujing and Xia Xingchen had nothing much to do.
"I'll take Xingchen home." Yi Roujing suggested, seeing that she wasn't needed.
"No need, sister-in-law, I can go back myself." Xia Xingchen waved her hand.
"Hey, wait a minute, I'll go with you." Ding Anmin came rushing out of the kitchen, her sleeves still rolled up, saying as she walked, "You two, really, even though things seem stable now, it's not entirely safe for young girls to be out so late. Even in the village, it's not a hundred percent safe, never go out alone."
Ding Anmin admonished them and led the way out the door.
The sky was already gray-black, with just a sliver of light left at the horizon. The village paths without streetlights were somewhat quiet, but listening closely, the sound of babbling water, sporadic insect chirps... it felt particularly comfortable and peaceful. This was a life Yi Roujing had hardly experienced, so she couldn't help but walk a bit leisurely.
Ding Anmin and Xia Xingchen walked ahead, while Yi Roujing with her hands clasped behind her head, walked slowly, thinking about the day's events. The situation with the sickle blade might have initially seemed coincidental, but for her to find eel, river clams, and pearls, and even stumble upon wild chickens, and the stone she accidentally kicked just now happened to knock out some wild ducks, getting her several nests of wild duck eggs.
One or two coincidences might still be normal, but having so many in a row wasn't. Could this be some special favor from heaven for her coming here?
"Hurry up, or it'll be dark by the time we get back." Ding Anmin called out to Yi Roujing from ahead, snapping her back to reality and speeding up her steps.
Since she was here, she might as well make the best of it. What was there to worry about? After all, she was now—smart Yi Roujing!
Watching Xia Xingchen enter the house at the educated youth point, Ding Anmin and Yi Roujing then headed home.
"Get to your room early and rest. We have work tomorrow." Ding Anmin said to Yi Roujing as they arrived home, before going inside.
However, Yi Roujing didn't get a chance to go to work the next day, not just her, but the Ding Family as well, because Yi Roujing's family came to visit. They came in full attendance—parents, three brothers, two sisters-in-law, and even nephews and nieces, all together, a complete family.
"Nannan, are you alright? Oh my, you've lost weight, and seem to have gotten darker too." A woman about 1.64 meters tall, dressed in a green sweater, beige Dacron pants, and shiny leather shoes, with shoulder-length permed hair, a slightly round but very fair face, and delicate features, despite traces of age, she was undeniably still a beauty.
This beauty had a straightforward way of speaking, her big eyes showing evident displeasure at others, almost rolling back. But when she saw Yi Roujing coming out of the room, her face changed, becoming benevolent and gentle, plainly showing heartache.
The most significant person in the original owner's memory, her biological mother—Liu Huilan.
"Mom." A smile appeared on Yi Roujing's face, perhaps an instinct of this body, an unexpected sense of closeness seeing this beauty before her.
"Oh, oh." Liu Huilan touched Yi Roujing's cheek, her face full of tenderness, "Is your body alright? I heard that you fell into the water a few days ago and couldn't get out of bed for several days. Have you seen a doctor? What did the doctor say?"
"It's nothing serious, just need a few good meals to recover." Yi Roujing said nonchalantly.
"Really?" Liu Huilan seemed a bit skeptical, but she understood her daughter's nature too well to hide anything from her, and seeing her spirited state, it seemed she was really fine. After all, if she was truly upset, she would have gone back to her maternal home.
Hmph, that damned Liu Cuiju, trying to scare me.
"Mm, last night I even had a nourishing meal." Yi Roujing honestly replied, "Dad, Mom, why don't you stay for dinner before heading back? We have some great dishes today."
"In-laws, have you had breakfast? The kid's mother has prepared quite a bit..."
"We've eaten." Liu Huilan interrupted Ding Weihuo politely, "In-laws, we came because we heard that our Nannan fell into the water and got sick. We were worried and wanted to check on her."
Liu Huilan pulled Yi Roujing's hand, walked over to sit opposite Ding Weihuo and Li Hongying, but didn't let go of Yi Roujing's hand.
Some were standing, some crouching. With the Yi Family's arrival, the yard felt a bit cramped. The Ding Family had limited stools, only the elders were seated, with Yi Roujing being the sole exception among the younger ones.
"Our Nannan was raised delicately, never having suffered nor been mistreated, so she is a bit simple and direct, but she's kind-hearted like no other." Liu Huilan said while looking at Ding Weihuo and Li Hongying.