"If they’re all roasted, Grandparents and Mom and Dad can have a little too." Xu Mumu said somewhat embarrassedly. She knew what Li Caixia was thinking, especially seeing her mother looking proud, basking in the envious glances from Second Aunt and Fourth Aunt.
"We’re not having any special food, all of this is for you, no one can take it from you." Li Caixia was extremely moved; her daughter still thought of her, making her feel all the care given was worth it.
In the end, that wild duck egg and two bird eggs were all cooked in the pot by Xu Mumu.
Li Caixia felt a pang in her heart, such precious eggs, the wild duck egg being bigger than a chicken egg, and the two bird eggs, although small, were still a treat.
Looking at lunch, Xu Mumu slightly pursed her lips. The meal was dry sweet potato rice, the sweet potatoes cooked with skins, mixed directly, with a lot of wild vegetables; there was very little real rice.
Last night she was still unwell, so she had a bowl of egg custard and a bowl of millet porridge, although a bit thin, it was so different from what she was eating today.
In her memory, the whole family ate like this, otherwise, the home’s grain wouldn’t last, with so many people, Madam Chen had to ration the food carefully, otherwise, they couldn’t make it to the end of the year.
This family survived, all thanks to Madam Chen’s careful management of the food, preventing anyone in Old Xu Family from starving to death.
Xu Mumu skillfully peeled the duck egg and the two bird eggs.
The two bird eggs went into the bowls of her brother and little brother, while the duck egg was divided — two pieces for the old couple and her parents, leaving her with a tiny piece, about the same size as the bird egg in her brother’s bowl.
"Mumu, you’re still not fully recovered, you eat it yourself, Mom doesn’t care for it." Li Caixia placed the egg from her bowl back into Xu Mumu’s bowl.
Madam Chen and Old Xu were also very touched, not expecting their granddaughter to give them eggs to eat. Although they were the head of the family, they suffered a lot, saving good things for their sons and grandsons. They rarely had anything good to eat, even having an egg was a rare treat, reserved for New Year.
These memories of times past made Xu Mumu respect the old couple deeply.
"You all worked hard in the fields, you need nutrition. I’m completely better now, hurry and eat; I won’t eat it after giving it to you, once it gets cold it’ll smell fishy." Xu Mumu said with a warm smile.
"Silly child." Madam Chen turned her face, wiping her face with her hand, and spoke helplessly.
"Eat it, it’s a gesture from Mumu." Old Xu said earnestly, his gaze towards Xu Mumu was even more gentle.
"Minglei, eat this and grow taller." Li Caixia placed the duck egg into her youngest son’s bowl.
"Mom, you’re the best." Xu Minglei’s eyes lit up, he hadn’t even tasted the bird egg before he swallowed it down.
Xu Mumu ate the sweet potato porridge in her bowl, not quite tasty, but compared to the expired food during the apocalypse, it was much better, making Xu Mumu very content.
In the second room, no one dared to speak more, all ate quietly, while Xu Xue was contemplating the matter of splitting the family. Since there was no fuss this time, naturally, they couldn’t split the family, her body still hurting, recalling when she returned, Madam Chen beat her with a broom, leaving a large bruise on her arm.
She felt pain all over, having been beaten yesterday, fainted by Xu Minglei’s stone hit this morning, and was again beaten several times by the old lady with a broom at noon.
Xu Xue only had one thought right now — to quickly split the family; living with this large family together is driving her mad.
After lunch, Xu Mumu rested on her bed, the only one with her own room in this household, though the room wasn’t large and held little belongings, even as the pampered one having little, it was clear how poor the family was.
Sunlight shone in, warm with the spring breeze, having just eaten lunch, Xu Mumu didn’t feel cold, her room positioned nicely for catching sunlight.
Sunbeams laid across her bed as Xu Mumu retrieved her book from the cane basket.
Having the book again felt surreal to Xu Mumu.
In the months of apocalypse, thoughts focused solely on survival, slaying zombies, and filling her stomach; these were the biggest matters.
Flipping through the textbook, the contents were familiar, bringing a smile to Xu Mumu’s face; these decades-old textbooks had simpler knowledge than what she learned before, providing some confidence.
The work horn blew again, stirring the family into action; among the third generation of Xu Family kids, Xu Minghui was the one to labor.
"Sis, want to go out and play with me? I’ve arranged with Tiedan to gather firewood." Xu Minglei entered to find his sister reading, noting her big change since falling into the water.
"Sure, let’s take a look." Xu Mumu noticed Xu Minglei’s curious gaze but didn’t comment.
Originally, her scores were average, ranking mid-low in her class, a distressing thought for the previously good student Xu Mumu.
With such scores, there’d be no hope for reinstated college entrance exams next year.
Xu Minglei being ten now, could be considered half a laborer, not allowed to play daily despite being favored, having to work too.
Virtually all the firewood storage of Old Xu Family was filled by the grandkids, now brimming to the fullest.
"Second Brother, we’re coming too." Xu Tao and Xu Jiaojiao chimed in.
"Go ahead, go ahead, I won’t help carry your firewood." Xu Minglei dismissively glanced at the brother and sister, skinny like bean sprouts, especially Xu Jiaojiao, often crying, seemingly fragile.
"Big Sis, are you better now?" Xu Jiaojiao looked up at Xu Mumu.
"Much better, let’s go, I’ll take you all out for some sun." Xu Mumu reached to hold Xu Jiaojiao’s hand, comparing it to her slightly fleshy hand, the girl’s thin like skin over bones.
She’s seen many such emaciated forms in the apocalypse, some even thinner, but this girl suffered from malnutrition.
Looking at the girl’s features, delicate yet her skin was a yellow tint, all signs of poor nutrition. Observing Xu Xue and Xu Wan, both sisters were thin but not unattractive; members of Old Xu Family were generally good-looking.