Xue Yan's Plan

Jiang Yue watched as Yu Hongyan took the egg and then sat back down on the small stool. Looking at the harmonious scene before her, she felt a sense of warmth. During the apocalypse, having even one family member survive was already a great fortune, such warm scenes were rare. She had become an orphan at the onset of the apocalypse. Both her parents died at the hands of the zombies. It could be said that she hadn't felt what kinship was for many years. Yet she also knew, this was what kinship was. Picking up the small wooden spoon, Jiang Yue scooped up a spoonful of the coarse grain rice and put it in her mouth. There were husks in it, and the rice was brown rice, which itself had husks on it as well. Sorghum was not very tasty either, eating it was harsh on the throat and hard to swallow. But Jiang Yue, as if without any feeling, naturally swallowed it down. Then, she took a spoonful of the wild vegetables on top of the rice. The vegetables were simply stir-fried with water, and only a few grains of salt were added, barely enough to taste it. These wild vegetables were somewhat bitter too. Jiang Yue still, as if without any feeling, swallowed it down very naturally. The dried radish shreds didn't taste like they had oil or salt either; the pickled vegetables did have a salty flavor, but they weren't very salty, also to save a bit of salt, they were reluctant to use too much. This was the way of a poor family, everything had to be saved as much as possible. Jiang Yue kept eating her rice while surveying everything in the courtyard, feeling that this family's living conditions urgently needed improvement. Since she had come to this family, she naturally would think of ways to help improve it. But Xue Yan was also behaving strangely, suddenly not going to school, wanting to cultivate crops at home, he must have other plans, she would wait and see what Xue Yan planned to do. So as not to mean well but make things worse. "Yue Bao, do you want more vegetables?" Xue Wufu asked, squatting next to her with a large bowl of rice, eating large mouthfuls as he cheerfully asked her. Jiang Yue shook her head, indicating no. Xue Yan also came over with a bowl of rice, sitting on the small bundle of firewood he had brought back, eating in a far more refined manner compared to the boorish Xue Wufu, unhurriedly. Liu Guixia and the rest had also started eating. They all came over to her side. "Yue Bao, are you accustomed to eating this rice?" "Yue Bao, here, have some water, it will stop you from choking." "Yue Bao, tell us if the rice is not enough." "Yue Bao…" They all showed much concern for her. Even Xue Dafu and the others at the table kept glancing her way, worried that she was not accustomed to this new home. Jiang Yue felt warmth in her heart. After lunch, Jiang Yue found out that Xue Yan had his own small room. This small room was partitioned off from the master bedroom. The middle of the master bedroom had a clay wall built, and a door was opened from another side. What used to be one master bedroom had become two small rooms; one for Xue Dafu and Liu Guixia, and the other for Xue Yan. It was all for Xue Yan to be able to read in peace. The house originally only had one master bedroom, one side bedroom, one main hall, one kitchen, one firewood room, and a large courtyard. The master bedroom, which was slightly larger, had been divided in two to provide living space; the main hall was not suitable for living in, so the remaining people could only stay in the other rooms. Couples who were married needed a room for themselves. Xue Yifu and Li Hehua, being the first to marry, lived in the side bedroom; Xue Erfu and Yu Hongyan, who married later, lived in the tidied-up firewood room; Xue Sanfu, Xue Sifu, and Xue Wufu, the three brothers, could only squeeze in the arranged kitchen area. Actually, in the year when Xue Yifu and Li Hehua married, Xue Dafu had intended to build a large house. But back then, Xue Yan was displaying such intelligence among the children, it motivated Xue Dafu to consider sending Xue Yan to study in town.