Cai Lihua shot him a glare. "You wait."
She still got up, returned, and scooped a bowl, shoving it into Madam Wu's hand.
"I'll say it upfront, everything we're eating was obtained through the Meng family's efforts. You shouldn't presume on your seniority. This Dragon-Phoenix Stew is extremely beneficial for your legs; don't fail to cherish it."
Madam Wu's face was unsightly, but upon hearing it was good for her legs, she quickly nodded.
"Yes, yes, yes, you are all good people."
Saying that, she tilted her head and gulped it down, the heat making her face turn red.
A Jiu sat by the stove, watching the Dragon-Phoenix Stew in the pot still bubbling and steaming from the residual heat.
"Dad, let's set off once we're done eating," she said.
"I have the same thought," Wu Dalei was also considering this.
That snake was too terrifying; it was so small that feather arrows were not effective in killing it.
Meng Shaode had heard the two of them talk about this just now, and he was now holding a bowl of nourishing soup, lost in thought.
"Where else can we find a good place to settle down?" Meng Shaode's tone was somewhat weary, neither a question nor a statement.
"Let's talk about it after we've eaten our fill. A Jiu, hurry and eat." Cai Lihua then served herself a bowl and began to eat.
This was the most nourishing meal they had had since they started their journey.
Although there were no ginseng, red dates, or goji berries, and no salt, a little snake skin had been added to it. It could still nourish their daughter, couldn't it?
Nourishing her daughter was her lifelong aspiration.
The moment A Jiu thought of the snake skin inside, her scalp tightened. Where had her mother learned these things?
"Eat, taste it. When we get to Nanming City, I'll be the first to go buy some salt. If we add some salt, it'll be so delicious it'll make you lick your tongue clean."
Cai Lihua cheerfully lifted her daughter's bowl further, bringing it closer to her mouth.
A Jiu then took a sip.
Her brows immediately relaxed. "Mom, this is too delicious! It's so good even without salt. Then in the future, we could open a small restaurant?"
"Of course, your mother is..." Meng Shaode's words were cut short.
"Don't interrupt." Be careful not to let the cat out of the bag.
"Opening a restaurant also requires ingredients. We need to consider when we can leave Qiming Mountain first. Reaching Nanming City is the main thing."
Cai Lihua sent a signal to her husband with her eyes, telling him not to butt in unnecessarily.
"I'm full," Madam Wang, who had been squatting in the corner, suddenly stood up.
He had thought she would have the leisure to go for a stroll after eating, as the old lady always appeared to be detached from worldly affairs.
Unexpectedly, he walked towards the depths of the cave.
"Grandma, there are snakes inside. Where are you going?"
A Jiu quickly reminded her.
She thought Madam Wang would stop, but instead, he strode as if deaf, instantly disappearing into the darkness where the firelight couldn't reach.
A Jiu could see that he hadn't stopped walking. Even when Madam Wu greeted him, saying, "This soup is truly delicious, sister-in-law, could you ladle me another bowl?"
Madam Wang didn't stop.
He went straight to the end of the cave.
"Shaode, our mother..."
"I don't know. The more I look at her these days, the more I think she's not well. You were right; when we reach Nanming City, we'll definitely find a doctor for her."
Meng Shaode hadn't spoken to his mother for days. The key was that she didn't respond even when he spoke to her.
"What is it? Brother Meng, is your mother unwell?" Wu Dalei asked with concern.
"We'll have to go to Nanming City to see a doctor to know if she's possessed by a ghost. Putting aside other things, brother, think about it, my mother has been living like an old couple for so many days, she..."
Meng Shaode couldn't finish his sentence.
"But I see that Brother Meng's mother has a very good physique. Just climbing the mountain today, despite her age, she didn't complain of being tired."
Wu Dalei had already noticed this.
Meng Shaode gave a wry smile. "Brother, please don't laugh at me when I say this. Fleeing from famine all the way, apart from the issue of water, this is really... it's even become nourishing."
"Ah?" Wu Dalei's face froze.
But Meng Shaode recalled it seemed to be the case. Back home, they had nothing to eat, yet while traveling, they managed to find some game, and upon closer thought, their meals were even better than at home.
"This..." Hearing this, Wu Dalei felt completely uneasy. Why had he almost lost his life?