Making A Fortune Through Hunting To Support My Wife - Chapter 2

The sharp blade sliced a slit across the rabbit’s chest and abdomen, and deep red blood seeped out. Holding the handle firmly, Xu Jing deftly and skillfully separated the fat layer between the skin and the meat.

A beautiful rabbit pelt was perfectly stripped away.

She didn’t currently have the means to tan the fur, so she could only scrape away the clinging fat layers for a temporary, simple cleaning.

Xu Jing carried the pelt, the cleaned meat and organs, and a large porcelain bowl filled with the collected blood back home. In her mind, every edible bit of a small rabbit was too precious to waste.

Among the three houses nestled near the foot of the mountain, the Xu household finally saw wisps of cooking smoke rising. Inside the hearth, tongues of fire licked the bottom of the iron pot, making the firewood crackle and the metal glow with heat.

As Song Yu was about to toss the rabbit meat into the pot, Xu Jing, who was tending the fire, paused her movements and spoke up.

“Aren’t you adding oil? Use oil to sear the meat first; it makes it much more fragrant.”

Song Yu glanced at her in surprise. The old Xu Jing never bothered with such things. “Grandma says the meat has its own fat, we don’t need to use oil for stews.”

Xu Jing’s lips twitched. She looked at her earnestly. “Listen to me, use the oil. I caught the rabbit; if Grandma wants to blame someone, I’ll take the fall.”

Unused to such a direct gaze, Song Yu averted her eyes and looked down. Obediently, she went to the small wooden cupboard to fetch the oil crock, which was about half-full of vegetable oil.

Watching her submissive manner, the corners of Xu Jing’s mouth turned up slightly.

A small amount of vegetable oil slid into the scorching pot, quickly turning into a shimmering liquid under the high heat, filling the kitchen with a nutty aroma.

Chopped green onions, ginger, and garlic were tossed in to sauté until fragrant, followed by a large basin of rabbit meat. An intense, savory meat aroma exploded instantly.

Xu Jing reflexively swallowed her saliva, imagining the joy of shoveling that bubbling stewed rabbit over steaming white rice. It was going to be incredible! She was genuinely starving.

Clang.

The lid was placed over the simmering meat, cutting off Xu Jing’s hungry gaze.

Xu Jing looked up blankly at Song Yu, who had covered the pot. Through the hazy steam, Song Yu’s delicate features seemed soft and restrained. She probably didn’t do that on purpose, Xu Jing thought to herself. She sat back down on her small stool and went back to watching the fire.

The kitchen fell silent again. Xu Jing felt a bit restless; her throat moved as her “chatterbox” instincts kicked in. She wanted to find something, anything to talk about.

“Xiao Yu-ah…”

Back in the apocalypse, Xu Jing had raised a mutant cat. It was highly intelligent, almost human-like, and could understand complex commands. It had been her only confidant, which led to her habit of talking to herself.

She wondered how “Dark Cloud” was doing now that she was gone. Would the cat return to their small shack and wait for her?

The words Xu Jing intended to say lost their flavor. Her mood suddenly turned melancholic.

Song Yu was startled by the long, drawn-out way Xu Jing called her name. She looked up suspiciously. The old Xu Jing never spoke to her like that.

Sensing the gaze, Xu Jing snapped out of her emotions and forced a gentle smile. Though she missed her cat, she knew there was no going back. Everyone she loved had died early in the cold, cruel apocalypse.

“Nothing, I just wanted to talk to you. Since it’s just the two of us in here, it’s a bit dull if we stay silent,” Xu Jing said, propping her chin on her hand.

Song Yu stared at her warily, pursing her lips. “What are you planning?”

Inwardly, she found this Xu Jing increasingly strange, as if she were a different person entirely. She wondered if her husband had been possessed by something unclean. I need to stay alert tonight, she thought.

Seeing her “wife” looking at her like she was a thief, Xu Jing realized it probably wasn’t the best time for a heart to heart. She shut her mouth awkwardly.

Fortunately, the rabbit was done.

When the lid was lifted, a cloud of steam carrying the salty, savory scent of meat billowed out, enough to make anyone’s mouth water. Huge chunks of stewed rabbit filled two large sea-bowls to the brim. Song Yu quickly stir-fried a side of green vegetables.

Seeing that Song Yu couldn’t carry it all, Xu Jing jumped up happily. “I’ll help.”

Song Yu gave her a look but said nothing. She picked up one large bowl of meat and purposefully put some distance between them as she headed out.

Xu Jing, focused entirely on the food, didn’t notice the snub. She followed closely behind, bowl in hand.

As the Xu family began their meal, the scent of meat wafted out of the house. Next door, the two bratty boys of the Wang family were pestering old Mrs. Wang, who was outside enjoying the breeze.

“Grandma, Grandma, it smells so good! I want meat! I want meat!”

The newly-married younger daughter-in-law, Xu Hongcui, was snacking on roasted pumpkin seeds. She sniffed the air, her eyes widening. “Tsk tsk, how fragrant,” she muttered, a hint of drool at the corner of her mouth.

Mrs. Wang shot her a fierce glare. If it weren’t for her youngest son being so old that no decent family would take him and his stubborn insistence on marrying this woman, she would never have accepted this lazy, greedy daughter-in-law.

Feeling the glare, Xu Hongcui shrugged, planning to leave. However, Mrs. Wang stopped her, glancing toward the smoke rising from the Xu house.

“Hongcui’er, how is your relationship with Jing-ge’s family lately…?”

Inside, the soy-braised rabbit and stir-fried greens were on the table. Xu Jing held her coarse porcelain bowl, wishing she could pile it high with rice, but there wasn’t as much grain as she hoped. At least there was plenty of meat.

The Xu family’s main hall was modest. A wooden square table sat in the center, spacious enough for three. As evening approached, the only light came through the door and two open windows, leaving the room quite dim. Xu Jing, used to the darkness of the apocalypse, didn’t mind.

According to Xu family rules, no one could eat until Grandma Xu took the first bite.

Grandma Xu, sitting at the head of the table, scanned the dishes. Her face darkened as she looked at Song Yu. Her thin, purple lips pursed, and she spoke in a slow, raspy voice.

“Didn’t I say we don’t use oil when there’s meat? Jing-ge’s wife, do my words go in one ear and out the other? Those who don’t run the household don’t know the price of oil and salt.”

The atmosphere turned icy.

Xu Jing raised an eyebrow and smiled. “Grandma, I told her to put it in. With oil, the meat stews much better. Try a piece, it’s guaranteed to be delicious.” She playfully placed a large chunk of rabbit into the old woman’s bowl.

Grandma Xu shifted her gaze to Xu Jing and snorted. “We aren’t some wealthy family; we’re just dirt-diggers. Don’t do it again.”

The remark was aimed at both of them. Xu Jing glanced at Song Yu, whose head was bowed so low her face was hidden in the shadows.

Xu Jing stopped smiling. She wasn’t the original “Xu Jing,” and she wasn’t about to let the old lady’s rigid rules ruin her meal.

“Grandma, don’t worry,” Xu Jing said calmly. “In the future, we’ll make money and eat even better. A little oil is a small matter, don’t make a mountain out of a molehill. Let’s eat before it gets cold.”

Grandma Xu’s face had softened at the first half of the sentence, but the “molehill” comment hit her like a needle. Her face flushed purple. She slammed her hand onto the table, making the bowls rattle.

“I’m making a mountain out of a molehill? I’ve spent my life pinching pennies for this family!”

Xu Jing had expected this scripted outburst. She remained unfazed. “Then you should stop worrying and just enjoy your blessings. From now on, Xiao Yu and I will handle the food and clothes for you.”

Grandma Xu exploded. This sounded like Xu Jing was trying to strip her of her authority over the household. “You call this enjoying blessings?! You’re being unfilial! You’re trying to provoke me to death!”

“How is giving you meat cooked in oil not a blessing? If you think it’s too greasy, we can eat separately from now on. We’ll cook you your own portion without any oil.”

Xu Jing spoke nonchalantly while placing a piece of meat in Song Yu’s bowl and taking one for herself. Song Yu stared at the meat in her bowl, stunned.

Grandma Xu was so furious her chest heaved. But, ever the miser, she didn’t dare flip the table and waste the food. She sat back down huffing and grabbed a massive piece of rabbit for herself.

Xu Jing grinned as she chewed, ignoring the old lady’s livid expression. She nudged Song Yu with her elbow. “Xiao Yu, eat up. Stop dazing off.”

Song Yu looked at Grandma Xu, then at Xu Jing, only to see Xu Jing making a playful face at her. Her heart stirred slightly. She whispered a quiet “Mhm” and began to eat, her eyes downcast to hide her changing emotions.

Just as the house settled into a quiet, savory rhythm, a loud, overly familiar voice called out from the courtyard gate.

“Third Cousin-in-law! Is Jing-ge home?”

The voice drew closer, accompanied by the pitter-patter of children’s bare feet. Xu Hongcui appeared at the doorway, trailing the two Wang boys.

“Oh, Third Cousin-in-law, Jing-ge, you’re eating? My, it smells heavenly!” Xu Hongcui chirped, still spitting out pumpkin seed shells. Her narrow eyes scanned the table greedily.

The two boys stared at the rabbit stew, drooling. One tugged at her sleeve. “Aunty, we want meat! Meat!”

Xu Hongcui patted him but didn’t tell him to stop.

Xu Jing felt the threat to her meal immediately. Without a word, she significantly increased the speed at which she was shoveling meat into her mouth.

Since Xu Jing didn’t speak, the frustrated Grandma Xu had to put down her chopsticks to address the guest. “Oh, Hongcui. Is there something you need?”

Seeing the bowl was still half-full of meat, Xu Hongcui’s smile widened, her double chin wobbling. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “Well, I went back to my mother’s house a while back and missed seeing Jing-ge’s new wife. I just came by to check in.”

She glanced at the silent Song Yu. “Jing-ge’s wife is a beauty. She’ll surely bear handsome sons.”

At the mention of her name, Xu Jing looked over and noticed Song Yu’s shoulders tremble. The girl buried her head even lower.

Grandma Xu gave a cold “Oh,” a complex look flashing in her eyes.

Xu Hongcui, seemingly immune to awkwardness, leaned in toward the porcelain bowl. “Third Cousin-in-law, you guys are living the life, eating meat today! I haven’t had meat in so long, I’ve forgotten what it tastes like.”

The trap was set. The two boys stared expectantly at the three adults.

Grandma Xu sighed. If it had been that old hag Mrs. Wang, she would have kicked them out. But Xu Hongcui was part of the Xu clan. Given the family’s shaky standing with the rest of the clan, they needed to maintain some ties.

“This rabbit was caught by Jing-ge,” Grandma Xu said stiffly. “The house hasn’t had grease in a while, so we’re having a treat today. Xiao Yu, go get bowls and chopsticks for Hongcui and the boys. It was kind of her to visit.”

Xu Hongcui’s face lit up like a flower. “Oh, don’t make the bride do the work! I’ll do it, I’ll do it!”

Xu Jing wiped her oily mouth and put a hand on Song Yu’s shoulder to keep her from getting up. She looked at Xu Hongcui with a sharp smile. “You aren’t familiar with our kitchen. I’ll get them.”