Chapter 60: To Take Without Asking Is to Be a Thief

Chapter 60: Chapter 60: To Take Without Asking Is to Be a Thief

Ji Huan stopped Widow Xie from going to cause trouble, but she never expected trouble to come knocking on its own.

These days, everyone was busy with the vegetables, so the task of cooking naturally fell to Hu Ximei.

She was just a young girl, so no one could expect her to be a master chef. She’d either forget to add salt or burn the pot. But no one held it against her; they all just shoveled down a few mouthfuls before dropping their chopsticks to get back to work.

The adults could make do, but Dabao was unfortunately neglected.

He woke up as early as Ji Huan did and waited up for her no matter how late she went to bed. He wasn’t resting well or eating well, and the little bit of weight he had finally managed to gain was visibly disappearing.

So that day, Ji Huan gave everyone half a day off and made a special trip to town to buy some meat and a few soup bones.

She sent the meat to the Hu Family to make dumplings for everyone that evening. She also shared half the soup bones with them and brought the rest back to her dilapidated shack, planning to make a nourishing bone broth for Dabao.

She had the butcher chop the bones for her. She rinsed the blood off, threw them in the pot, and added enough water to cover them. After bringing it to a rolling boil, she removed the bones and rinsed off the scum.

She refilled the pot with fresh water, put the bones back in, and added some scallions, ginger slices, and star anise. Once the water boiled, she turned down the heat and let it simmer for a full two hours until a pot of simple yet delicious bone broth was ready.

Ji Huan fished out a bone for Dabao to gnaw on first. She skimmed the fat off the surface of the broth, but in the time it took her to add salt, she turned around to find he had vanished.

She didn’t even have to guess. He had surely gone behind the shack to feed Dahuang.

That’s right, the very same Dahuang that once pretended to be a ghost to scare her in the middle of the night.

Ever since they moved back to the shack, Dahuang would visit from time to time, always choosing to come at night. However, Ji Huan usually left some leftovers for him in the kitchen, and with food to eat, he stopped causing trouble.

Annoyingly, even though she had been feeding him for so long, Dahuang still acted like a complete stranger whenever he saw her.

Then, at some point, he had suddenly taken a liking to Dabao!

He would wag his tail whenever he saw Dabao and even let the boy pat his head. If Dabao didn’t, the dog would insistently nuzzle against him.

Ji Huan couldn’t stand to watch his shameless fawning and often called him an ungrateful beast.

But her complaints were just that. In reality, she was happy to see Dahuang grow close to Dabao.

’When children grow up with a pet, it can help reduce their loneliness and anxiety. And dogs are humanity’s most loyal friends. A dog could teach a child what love is, and in turn, teach him the responsibility of loving and being loved.’

After Dabao and Dahuang became buddies, the boy clearly developed a richer inner life and even began to understand the concept of sharing.

Look at him—even while eating a bone, he remembered to bring a piece for Dahuang. She, his own sister, didn’t even get that kind of special treatment...

Fine, Ji Huan admitted it. She was jealous. Of a dog.

Seeing that the broth was about to get cold, Ji Huan marched with grim determination toward the secret hideout of the boy and his dog, planning to haul Dabao back.

No sooner had she left, someone pushed open the wicker gate to the yard.

The visitor was none other than Mrs. Zhu.

Ever since Ji Huan had publicly shamed her at the village entrance, after which she had been scolded by her in-laws, Mrs. Zhu hadn’t dared to wander over for quite some time.

Today, however, she wasn’t acting on her own. She had come on her mother-in-law’s orders.

That wretched girl had recently become the talk of the town again. Mrs. Zhu inevitably heard some gossip while visiting neighbors and promptly repeated it all to Aunt Kang.

With plenty of her own embellishments, of course.

Something about a rich young master showing up and giving the wretched girl a pile of money... and how the girl’s loyalties were all wrong, spending it all on Widow Xie’s family. Otherwise, where would the Hu Family get so much money to buy vegetables? She didn’t even have the sense to bring the money home for her fourth uncle’s education... And what nonsense pickled vegetables was she making? The whole village was just waiting to laugh at her failure!

Aunt Kang couldn’t care less if Ji Huan became a laughingstock, but Mrs. Zhu had a point. That jinx had money and was spending it on outsiders instead of bringing it home to support her fourth uncle. The Ji Family had raised her for nothing!

Thinking about all that Silver being squandered, Aunt Kang’s heart ached as if the money had been hers to begin with.

Mrs. Zhu suggested going to the shack to see if any Silver was left, lest the wretched girl get swindled out of all of it with a few sweet words. Aunt Kang said nothing, which was taken as silent approval.

Mrs. Zhu had gotten smarter. ’With Aunt Kang backing me up,’ she thought, ’let’s see if Ji Huan still dares to act so tough with me!’

She swaggered into the yard. There was no one in sight, but a rich aroma filled the air.

Meat!

Mrs. Zhu dashed into the kitchen and lifted the pot lid. Her eyes immediately fixated on what was inside.

Pork leg bones, meat stewed until it was falling apart, and a fragrant, creamy white broth!

Her stomach immediately began to rumble betrayingly. She swallowed again and again, her throat itching with a desperate craving.

Ever since she had used Ji Huan and the Hu Family eating meat as an excuse to throw a fit and successfully got a meal out of it, the main Ji Family household hadn’t seen a single scrap of meat. No matter how she asked—outright or by hinting—or even had Mingmao throw a crying tantrum, her in-laws refused to give in.

She was craving meat so badly. Several times, she’d had glorious dreams of gnawing on a huge pork knuckle, her mouth dripping with grease, only to be kicked awake by her husband.

But this was no dream. This was real meat!

Mrs. Zhu rolled up her sleeves, about to snatch a bone for herself, but then she worried Ji Huan might suddenly return. Spying a jar nearby, she grabbed a ladle and began scooping everything—broth and bones—into it. Once it was full to the brim, she picked it up and fled.

Ji Huan had just led Dabao around the corner of the shack when she saw Mrs. Zhu hurrying away, clutching something.

Her heart sank. She rushed into the kitchen and lifted the pot lid. The sight made her laugh with fury.

’That shameless Mrs. Zhu! It’s one thing to steal the broth, but she didn’t even leave a single drop!’

Ji Huan told Dabao to stay inside and immediately gave chase.

Mrs. Zhu glanced back and saw the wretched girl was actually chasing her. She wanted to run but was afraid of spilling the broth, so she could only hasten her pace.

But she was clumsy, and weighed down by the jar of broth, there was a limit to her speed. Just a few steps from the Ji Family’s home, Ji Huan blocked her path.

"Why are you blockin’ my way?" Mrs. Zhu blustered, trying to make a false counter-accusation.

It was nearly dinnertime, and many villagers heading home were passing the intersection. Seeing the aunt and niece confronting each other again, they all stopped to watch.

"Why do you think I’m blocking your path?" Ji Huan pointed at the jar. "I spent all afternoon simmering that broth, and you carry the whole pot away without so much as a word. Don’t you think that’s a bit out of line? I seem to recall the Ji Family prides itself on its good name and proper upbringing. What, did Grandpa and Grandma never teach you a certain phrase?"

"Wh-what phrase?"

"Taking what isn’t yours without asking makes you a thief!"

"How dare you call your third aunt a thief?"

Mrs. Zhu’s first instinct was to flop onto the ground and begin her usual performance of wailing and raising a ruckus, but her precious bone broth prevented her from following through.

She hesitated for a moment, then started howling at the top of her lungs, "Is there no justice in this world? My own niece is cursing me to my face! She called me a thief! Everyone, come and tell me who’s in the right here..."

But Ji Huan wasn’t falling for her act. Instead, she took a step forward, her gaze locked on Mrs. Zhu’s eyes.

"I’ll ask you just this: Did you knock before you entered my yard? Did you tell me you were taking my broth? You came empty-handed and are leaving with a full jar, choosing a time when nobody was home. If that isn’t a thief, then what is?"