“Teacher Qiao, are you killing a chicken?!”
“Oh, Professor Qiao, it’s not a holiday, but your family’s food is really good.”
“What are you saying?! The two children in the Qiao family just recovered from their illness. What’s wrong with them eating something good?!”
“But they’re eating too well?! For two consecutive days, it’s been roasted duck and meat. Professor Su and Professor Qiao are really rich.”
“What they eat is none of your business?! You really can’t stand to see others doing well.”
“You’re speaking up for them so much, but why haven’t they invited you to eat meat?!”
“I have my own job, money, hands, and feet. I don’t want to be like some people who are just jealous of others’ lives.”
“What did you say?! I’m jealous?! Everyone is an ordinary citizen, but their family lives like capitalists.”
… …
In the afternoon, Qiao Jiuru boiled a pot of water, then went to catch two chickens, killed them, drained their blood, and directly started plucking their feathers in the yard. Such a commotion naturally couldn’t be hidden from others.
Sure enough, the family members in the residential compound all heard it. Seven or eight people gathered outside her house, chattering and watching, some making sarcastic remarks, others speaking up for her.
Qiao Jiuru: “…”
If it weren’t for the fact that everyone in the residential compound knew how many chickens she had at home, she wouldn’t have killed them so openly. If those people found nothing later, they might become suspicious and escalate their actions. It was better to let them know they had been eaten and were gone, so they wouldn’t think they were hidden.
“Alas, the children have been sick for so many days and just recovered. The doctor said they need more nutrition, and there’s nothing good at home, so chicken soup is the most nourishing. We’re usually busy with work, and we only have these few chickens at home. It’s better to kill them and save on feeding them. Xiao Feng and Hua Zhu will also be coming home soon, so let the children eat something good.”
Although she had been reborn, she still couldn’t bring herself to feign misery, and feigning misery wouldn’t dispel the dark thoughts in some people’s minds or change the fact of the impending demotion.
However, not explaining wasn’t good either, so Qiao Jiuru chose to tell mostly the truth.
That’s right, today was Saturday, and the two children from the Su family who were studying were coming home from school. Wasn’t it normal to add extra dishes?! Of course, no family would be willing to kill a chicken just to add extra dishes.
However, other families might be reluctant, but Qiao Jiuru was willing, so others could only gossip.
No matter how jealous the people in the residential compound were, they couldn’t say much, let alone snatch the Qiao family’s chickens.
After Qiao Jiuru finished speaking, she didn’t care what others thought. She deftly plucked the feathers, gutted the chickens, then carried them into the kitchen to chop them into pieces, and threw them into a washed pot to stew.
She didn’t waste any of the chicken blood or offal either. After cleaning them, she chopped them up to stir-fry as chicken giblets.
As soon as the chicken soup was ready, Zhou Wanwan and the others returned home from work one after another. A little while later, Su Feng and Su Huazhu, the siblings, also returned home together.
“Mom, what day is it today?! You’re so good to us.”
Su Huazhu never expected to have chicken to eat when she came home for the holiday. Just smelling the aroma was incredible. As soon as she put down her schoolbag and clothes, she quickly ran to her mother, hugging her affectionately and acting spoiled.
“…As long as you two are well, Mom will be good to you every day.”
After Qiao Jiuru was reborn, her younger son and daughter were both at school. This was the first time she had seen these two children again after several decades, and she almost couldn't control her eyes from welling up, nearly unable to speak.
In this life, the children must be well, even if it cost her own life.
“Mom, you’re already good. When are you not good to us?!”
Su Feng, who was standing by, couldn’t help but interject after hearing his mother and sister’s words.
After a lifetime, seeing Qiao Jiuru again and seeing her strong, tall younger son, her tears finally couldn’t be held back.
“Mom, why are you crying?! Did I say something wrong?!”
“Mom, I was wrong, I’m sorry.”
As a result, when Qiao Jiuru cried, Su Feng and Su Huazhu were startled, immediately panicked, and somewhat at a loss, instinctively thinking that they had upset their mother.
“Your mother is happy to see you. She’s always been thinking about you. Also, Daba and Xiaobao have recovered from their illness, so her heart has relaxed. Furthermore, Xiao Feng, your mother is reluctant for you to go to work in a very distant place soon.”
Only Su Huaiyuan knew why his wife was crying, so he quickly stepped in to smooth things over, not wanting the children to notice anything amiss in the family.
Su Feng looked puzzled: “…What?! He’s going to work in a very distant place?! Why didn’t he know about this?!”
“Dad, Little Brother hasn’t even graduated yet?! Where is he going to work?!”
Su Huazhu’s mind was quick, and her mouth was quick too. She was also particularly good at grasping the main point, so she immediately asked.
“It was your Uncle’s old comrades from his time in the military who specifically requested Xiao Feng to intern and work at the military Hospital. They’ve always been following Xiao Feng’s academic performance in medical school, and now they’re short-handed. Anyway, where does Xiao Feng intern that isn’t interning?! Where does he work that isn’t working?! So they found Uncle Zhang and discussed it with us, asking Xiao Feng to go over in a couple of days.”
Qiao Jiuru finally decided not to let her younger son know that something was about to happen to the family. She was worried that he wouldn’t want to leave and would insist on staying to suffer with them, which was completely unnecessary.
Everyone in the Su family knew about Uncle Qiao Yin’s affairs, and many people had been saved by Qiao Yin, so it was no problem at all for Su Feng to intern and work at the military Hospital.
Therefore, after Su Feng and Su Huazhu heard about it, they really didn't think much of it, just felt it was a bit fast and sudden.
“Mom, I can go for my internship at the end of August. There’s no rush for these few months.”
“What do you know?! It just so happens that there’s a position there. You’d be interning with teachers at the school Hospital anyway. Where is it not interning?!”
“Yes, Xiao Feng, opportunities are rare. Haven’t you always wanted to be like your Uncle?! Now that you have this opportunity, you can’t miss it.”
“Xiao Feng, Big Brother also supports you. I’m still at home. You work hard, learn from Uncle, and become a capable person like Uncle.”
Since his parents and older brother all said so, Su Feng felt it made a lot of sense and agreed.
Dinner was a large bowl of chicken soup for everyone, stir-fried chicken giblets with pickled vegetables, stir-fried cabbage, and for the main course, steamed buns and rice.
With Su Feng and Su Huazhu back, the house wasn’t big enough. The house the Su family was allotted only had three rooms, a living room, a kitchen, and a small courtyard. Su Huaiyuan and Qiao Jiuru shared one room, the elder couple and their two sons shared another, and Su Huazhu, being a girl, also needed her own room, so Su Feng could only sleep in the living room when he came back.
Daba and Xiaobao were very happy to have their uncle and aunt home. The two little ones were taken into their aunt’s room to play.