"Heavens, so much!"
When the yam was dug out whole and placed under the tree, Jiang Wan's entire family was stunned.
A rough estimate suggested it weighed around thirty catties.
Chen Yuezhi immediately had an idea, "Let's take one out to roast and eat, and hide the rest. This is our lifeline!"
No one had any objections, and no one spoke of taking the yams home.
The rule of handing over all possessions once they entered the Jiang family gate was something they had heard since childhood until their ears were calloused. Since that was the case, they decided not to let the items enter the house in the first place.
The group then began searching for places to hide the items in the woods.
Sanlang said, "Mother, I know there's a dead tree over there, and the inside is hollow."
Chen Yuezhi nodded, "Alright, take the rest of these over and hide them there."
Su Shi looked at the pile of yams, her lips moved, and her expression showed some struggle. She wanted to speak, but ultimately held back.
Chen Yuezhi saw her expression and finally turned her head away with a heavy heart.
She knew what Su Shi wanted to say, which was nothing more than to take care of her own family.
But she couldn't agree.
After all, her family had seven mouths to feed!
She also had her own family, and a married daughter, yet she hadn't dared to think of sharing the food.
Unless the yams were discovered by Su Shi, no one else could take away the food that Wan Wan had found!
Su Shi also understood the current situation, so she sensibly did not speak up.
Jiang Wan saw their expressions and could guess a little, but she didn't say anything.
After all, it was just a small amount of yams. Even if she took the initiative to share some, how much would each family get?
It would be better to wait a couple more days until she had accumulated more food with her abilities, and then consider looking after relatives.
Sanlang and Erlang went to hide the food together. Chen Yuezhi then took Dalang and his wife, along with Jiang Wan, back to where they had killed the chicken and set up a campfire to prepare for roasting it.
They did not openly roast the wild chicken over the fire, fearing that the smell would drift out and attract the jealousy of the villagers.
Instead, they first dug a pit, started a fire in the pit, and after roasting for half an hour, they cleared away the fire, wrapped the wild chicken in leaves, placed it in the pit, along with the yams, and then used the hot charcoal ash to slowly cook the food.
The bowl of chicken blood, along with the bowl, was placed on the fire.
After roasting for half an hour, the sky had already darkened. Chen Yuezhi cleared away the fire, and a wave of chicken aroma rushed out.
"Gulp~"
Several swallowing sounds were heard in unison.
Most of the leaves had been scorched. Chen Yuezhi cleaned them up, then tore off a large chicken leg and stuffed it into Jiang Wan's hand.
"Wan Wan, eat it while it's hot."
Jiang Wan was truly hungry. Despite her small frame, she had been transmigrated for so long without a drop of water or a grain of rice. At this moment, she was truly unbearable from hunger.
Without minding the heat, she took a bite of the chicken.
The aroma immediately shot up to her forehead, making Jiang Wan's eyes happily squint.
Even though this chicken was not seasoned with salt, to her at this moment, it was incredibly delicious.
"Mother, you eat too."
Jiang Wan held up the chicken leg, offering it to Chen Yuezhi.
Chen Yuezhi's heart melted, "You eat it yourself, there's more here."
As she spoke, she tore off two chicken wings, handing one to Sanlang and the other to Su Shi. Then she divided the chicken breast, neck, and head into four portions, for herself, Dalang, Erlang, and Jiang Pan.
Finally, there was one chicken leg left, along with Jiang Pan's portion. Chen Yuezhi carefully wrapped them in leaves.
"The wild chicken was caught by Wan Wan, and the yams were also found by Wan Wan, so this remaining chicken leg is for Wan Wan to eat."
No one had any objections. Each person held their portion of chicken, and with the fragrant roasted yams, and the slightly fishy but very precious chicken blood, they ate the best meal they had had in months.
"Wan Wan, come, open your mouth."
Chen Yuezhi picked a piece of meat and fed it to Jiang Wan's mouth.
Jiang Wan instinctively opened her mouth and took it. After it was in her mouth, she realized and pouted her oily little mouth, "Mother, I have my own."
Chen Yuezhi smiled, "Mother can't finish it, Wan Wan, help Mother eat a little."
Jiang Wan looked at the small piece of chicken in Chen Yuezhi's hand, her heart feeling a little sour.
A small rib, less than a palm's width, how much meat could it have? How could she not finish it? It was just a mother's love for her young daughter, wanting her to eat a little more.
"Wan Wan, come, brother can't finish it either."
Another piece of chicken was forcefully stuffed into her mouth, this time by her eldest brother.
Sanlang even gave her the meatiest part of the chicken wing, "Wan Wan, eat more, look at your little face has shrunk."
Seeing Erlang and Su Shi about to feed her too, she quickly said, "I really can't eat anymore. Eldest sister-in-law, second brother, third brother, you eat it yourselves. Mother still saved a chicken leg for me."
Chen Yuezhi also said, "Eat what's given to you. Don't worry, Wan Wan won't be shortchanged."
The family finished the food they were given, and then buried the bones that they couldn't chew and had to discard into the fire pit. Only then did they walk back, chatting and laughing.
In fact, everyone hadn't eaten their fill. After all, it was such a small amount of food, and Dalang and the others were in their prime growing years. But they hadn't eaten such good food in a long time, so even if they were only five-tenths full, everyone was very happy.
As they passed the edge of the woods, they heard Jiang Yu's wailing again.
Dalang and the others wanted to pull Chen Yuezhi away quickly, but Chen Yuezhi glared at them and whispered, "She is quite annoying, but after all, she is your cousin. In these times, if you let her spend the night outside, you might not even find her bones tomorrow."
The group no longer objected. Chen Yuezhi followed the sound to the pit and was somewhat shocked, "How did you get into this state?"
Jiang Yu was entangled by vines, her body twisted, and suspicious water stains mixed with mud smeared all over her.
Jiang Yu was disliked for a reason. As soon as she saw Chen Yuezhi, she shouted, "Quick, pull me up! I'm going home to tell Grandma that you stole the chicken and ate it!"
Chen Yuezhi stood up and pretended to leave, "Then you can stay in the pit."
Jiang Yu was terrified. It was almost dark, and she didn't dare to stay alone in the woods.
"Auntie, don't go, I promise I won't say anything when I get home."
Chen Yuezhi wasn't afraid of whether she would say anything when she got home. Anyway, the wild chicken was already in their stomachs, and it was useless to say anything. It was just that Jiang Yu was truly annoying. If it weren't for the principle of not making trouble, she would have slapped her a few times.
She still didn't abandon her. Chen Yuezhi pulled Jiang Yu out of the pit and untangled the vines that had wrapped around her.
Once free, Jiang Yu took off running towards the village, "You wait, see if Grandma doesn't skin you all later!"
Everyone: ...
Sanlang said with a sullen face, "She's just like her shameless father. We shouldn't have bothered with her life or death!"
Chen Yuezhi shook the mud off her hands, only to find it wouldn't come off. She brought it to her nose and immediately felt so disgusted that she almost vomited.