Chapter 63: You’re Not Allowed to Eat a Single Piece

Chapter 63: Chapter 63: You’re Not Allowed to Eat a Single Piece

When Bai Zhi saw the two of them return empty-handed, she asked, "Where’s our bedding and clothing?"

Liu pulled Old Mrs. Bai away from the hut. She had been on the receiving end of the wooden stick in Bai Zhi’s hand before, and her body still ached from it. Seeing Bai Zhi clutching the stick now, she couldn’t help but feel a surge of fear.

Liu spat in her direction from a distance. "It’s your own stuff. Don’t you have hands to carry it? If it’s really that inconvenient, get your old flame and your new boy toy to deliver it for you! Trying to order us around? In your dreams."

Bai Zhi followed them out of the wooden hut and was about to fire back with a few sharp remarks when she saw Hu Feng walk into the courtyard. He was carrying their packed bedding and a wooden basin in one hand and a large bowl in the other.

"What are you doing here?" Ignoring Old Mrs. Bai and Liu, she asked Hu Feng as he walked toward her.

"We weren’t sure how to cook the rabbit, so we didn’t touch it. We just cooked the pheasant. Dad asked me to bring a bowl over for you two." He gestured with the other hand. "And I brought your bedding while I was at it."

Old Mrs. Bai and Liu’s eyes were glued to the large, chipped bowl. It was filled to the brim with glistening, tempting pieces of chicken, and the rich, savory aroma wafted straight to their noses. Both of them swallowed hard. They couldn’t even remember the last time they’d had meat, let alone chicken. The family kept a single hen, but that was for laying eggs; they would never dream of slaughtering it to eat.

Old Mrs. Bai quickly shot Liu a meaningful glance. Liu understood immediately. Wreathed in smiles, she hurried toward Hu Feng and reached for the bowl in his hand. "Oh, Brother Hu, you’re too kind! Bringing such a large bowl of chicken... we couldn’t possibly accept."

Though she said she couldn’t possibly accept, her hands were already reaching for it. Her shamelessness was truly on another level.

Hu Feng lifted the bowl out of her reach, giving Liu an icy glare. "This is for Zhi and Aunt Zhao," he said coolly. "There’s none for you." With that, he walked straight past her and into the hut with the bowl and bedding.

Bai Zhi inwardly grinned. ’This Hu Feng is pretty sharp,’ she thought. ’Not bad at all.’

"You wretched girl! Don’t you dare eat that by yourself!" Old Mrs. Bai yelled, pointing at Bai Zhi’s nose. "The moment Hu Feng leaves, you bring that bowl to me in the main house! Don’t you eat a single piece. If even one piece is missing, I’ll skin you alive!"

’My precious grandson is still growing, and studying is so taxing on his mind. Of course any good food should be saved for him. I’ll have some too, naturally. With so many people in the Bai family, one piece each would just about finish it. How could there possibly be a share left for that wretched girl?’

Bai Zhi sneered. "Fine. You can wait, then." Toting her wooden stick, she turned and went into the hut. She saw Hu Feng had already set down the bedding and the bowl and was about to leave, so she quickly grabbed his arm to stop him.

"Wait, don’t go yet."

Hu Feng looked puzzled. "Is something wrong?"

Bai Zhi pointed to the half-open door behind her and grinned. "If you leave now, those two vicious old hags will storm in here and snatch this bowl of chicken. They won’t dare if you’re here. So, why don’t you just wait until my mother and I have finished eating? Then you can leave and take the bowl back with you."

He thought back to Liu’s desperate, grasping expression just a moment ago. ’If I leave,’ he considered, ’she really might come and try to snatch it.’

"Alright. You two eat. I’ll sit by the door for a bit."

After Hu Feng went outside, Bai Zhi found a small bowl in the hut. She began deboning the chicken from the large bowl, piece by piece, until the small bowl was filled to the brim with meat.

"Mother, hurry and eat. This is our dinner for tonight." She knew the Bai family wouldn’t have prepared a meal for her and her mother. ’That’s fine by me,’ she thought. ’I have no desire to eat their watery gruel anyway.’