Chapter 37: Roasted Meat

The entire village knew about the splitting of the family, leaving Old Zhou with no appetite and sat heavily on the edge of the kang, sighing deeply. His heart felt like it had been plowed over by a rake.

Sun watched him for a while. "If you're not going to eat, I'll save it for the eldest. He went out after the commotion and hasn’t come back yet."

The thought of Zhou Huaihai being out there with an empty stomach brought tears to Sun’s eyes.

Old Zhou turned to Sun, "From now on, you should care for the second and third as well."

Sun immediately spat, "Are they worth caring for? They're unfilial and you expect me to care for them! I've never heard of parents and grandparents having to curry favor with their children and grandchildren."

In the end, Old Zhou did not compensate Zhou Qing for the ruined red paper. 

Sun had a point—Zhou Yuan needed money for his studies, and it had to be saved for him. Now that the family was split, it would be up to them and the eldest household to support Zhou Yuan’s education.

Sigh!

Old Zhou felt suffocated. He had been angry and hit Sun, but now that he was calm, he didn't think she was entirely wrong. 

Ultimately, poverty was to blame; without it, there wouldn't be all these troubles.

Zhou Qing didn’t really expect the elderly couple to compensate her. The edges of the red paper ruined by Sun were severely damaged, so she had to trim the edges, making the entire roll smaller.

Shen Li wrote quickly, and Zhou Qing and Zhou Yao couldn't keep up with cutting the paper.

"I'll cut, you rest for a bit," Shen Li said, putting down his brush after finishing the last piece of red paper in front of him.

"I'm not tired. You take a break. Once Yao and I have cut more paper, you can write again."

Before Shen Li could respond, Zhou Huailin spoke up, "Is the chicken done?"

Zhou Ping immediately called out to Shen Li, "Senior Brother, come and check if the chicken is ready."

Shen Li had no choice but to turn and check.

Cutting into the chicken, the meat inside had already changed color. "It's done. We can eat it now."

"Wow!"

Zhou Ping jumped up, nearly falling into the fire in his excitement.

Zhou Huailin grabbed him, and Zhou Ping, waving his arms and legs, did a quirky dance.

"Eat chicken! Eat chicken! Eat chicken!"

Zhao had already taken out a large plate. Shen Li used a knife to cut the two wild chickens, and Zhou Ping immediately grabbed two drumsticks.

Zhou Huailin slapped him on the hand. "Put it down! Elders haven't eaten yet, why are you in such a hurry!"

Zhou Ping, holding the drumsticks, looked aggrieved. "I was going to give them to my master."

Zhou Huailin...

"Go ahead then."

Zhou Ping turned and ran off.

Zhou Huaishan, who had been peeking out the window, immediately sat up straight, pretending to be diligently copying texts.

"Second Uncle, eat some chicken."

Zhou Ping ran in, thrusting a drumstick in front of Zhou Huaishan.

Zhou Huaishan pretended to slowly set down his brush. "I was so engrossed in writing, I didn't realize time had passed so quickly and the chicken was ready."

Taking the drumstick, Zhou Huaishan took a bite.

The fragrant flavor filled his mouth.

Crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, this roasted chicken was even better than anything he had eaten when he was still a marquis!

Zhou Ping, eating the other drumstick, looked at Zhou Huaishan with dark, shining eyes. "Second uncle, it's delicious, right?"

Zhou Huaishan nodded.

Zhou Ping then said, "Second uncle, do you think if we roasted the pork belly, it would taste this good?"

Zhou Huaishan's mouth watered at the thought of roasted pork belly.

Roasted pork belly~~~

Finishing his drumstick, Zhou Ping came out of the second house with a piece of pork belly, swaggering with an air of importance.

"Second uncle said, since everyone is enjoying the chicken, we might as well roast this pork belly too and have a feast."

Inside the house, Zhou Huaishan...

I never said that!

Zhou Qing...

Roasted pork belly~~~

How nostalgic!

Zhou Yao, Zhou Huailin, Zhao...

They all raised their hands and slapped Zhou Ping. "Is it you who wants to eat or did your second uncle really say that?"

Zhou Qing quickly protected Zhou Ping and took the pork belly from him. "My father said to roast it. Why are you hitting him?"

She wanted to eat it too.

Then she turned to Shen Li. "Is this easy to roast?"

Shen Li looked at the pork belly. "It's not hard, but I'll need your help," Shen Li said, touching his chin.

Zhou Huailin immediately offered, "Let Qing rest, I'll help you. Cutting paper is quite tiring. I'll also learn from you so I can roast for them when you're not here."

Shen Li...

Can I refuse?

In the end, Shen Li and Zhou Huailin went to the kitchen. Zhou Qing and the others sat around the fire, eating chicken and chatting happily.

They hadn’t eaten so much meat even during the New Year!

There was no grill for roasting meat at home, so Shen Li cut the pork belly into thin slices, skewered them on branches, and roasted them like lamb kebabs.

As soon as the pork belly hit the fire, the flames licked the meat, making it sizzle. The fat dripped down, filling the air with an irresistible aroma.

Zhou Huaishan, pitifully leaning against the window, stared wide-eyed.

Zhou Qing thought, next time she goes to town, she'll look for a grilling rack.

Earning money is to spend it.

If you have no money, it's fine, but if you do, Zhou Qing doesn't want to skimp on herself. Especially since there was a pampered rogue at home who would rather die than be denied meat while writing.

The meat skewers cooked quickly. When they were done, Zhou Ping grabbed a bunch and ran to the second room, while the others ate and chatted around the bonfire.

Shen Li sat down next to Zhou Qing and handed her a skewer.

"We have two mule carts at home now. Tonight, you guys cut more paper and I'll write more. Tomorrow, your third uncle will take one cart and I'll take the other. We can sell more this way."

Zhou Qing ate the skewer, looking up at the starry sky, fascinated by its brilliance.

"Tomorrow, could you tutor my father? The county exam is coming up, and if he doesn’t pass this year, it will be even harder next year."

After spending the day with Shen Li, Zhou Qing was much more familiar with him and spoke without much formality.

Shen Li...

Can I refuse?

Taking a big bite of the skewer, he chewed and said, "Sure, I'll try my best to help him pass the county exam. What are your plans after that?"

Zhou Qing looked at Shen Li.

Meeting Zhou Qing's bright eyes, Shen Li smiled gently. "If your father passes the exam, have you thought about moving to the capital?"

Zhou Qing burst into laughter. "House prices are so expensive, it's not like I can afford it. If my father passes the exam, he’ll stay at the academy. As for moving to the capital, let's talk about it when he becomes a scholar."

Shen Li smiled and said no more.

Sitting by the bonfire under the starry night. next to Zhou Qing, listening to the laughter around them, and eating the skewer in his hand, Shen Li felt that life was wonderful.

It turns out that satisfaction and happiness were so simple.

After finishing the skewers, the bonfire still burned. Zhou Qing and Zhou Yao continued cutting paper, Shen Li resumed writing, and Zhou Huailin cleaned up the mess.

Zhou Ping squatted by the fire, playing with a small stick, and suddenly saw someone entering the courtyard. "Brother Cheng Wu?"