Xu Chang's face instantly turned pale.
He subconsciously wanted to step forward and explain, but not a single word came out.
Yan Aini also rushed out from the kitchen, still holding a spatula, her eyes red with anxiety: "Xu Laosan, you... don't spout nonsense! The meat in my house was hunted by my Fan'er with great effort!"
"Hunted?" Xu Laosan sneered, crossing his arms and raising his chin high, "Ask everyone, who would believe it? With his physique, he'd fall over with a gust of wind, how could he fight with beasts in the mountains?"
"Don't tell me he exchanged the last bit of rice at home for a piece of rotten meat, just to put on a brave front here!"
His younger siblings were frightened by the commotion, each hiding behind their parents, looking out timidly.
Six-year-old Xu Wenwen was even more scared, almost crying, clutching her brother's clothes tightly.
Xu Fan slowly walked out of the kitchen.
He held a cleaver in his hand, with some minced meat still clinging to the blade.
He didn't look at Xu Laosan, but first reassuringly patted his younger sister's head, then gave a comforting smile to his mother and younger siblings, instantly calming his family's panicked hearts.
Then, he turned around, his gaze calmly falling on Xu Laosan's face.
"Uncle Xu San."
"You say I stole? Then tell me, whose house did I steal from? Was it the Zhang family's chicken, or the Li family's duck?"
"Go and call them over for a confrontation right now. If it really was me who stole it, I, Xu Fan, will pay with my life in front of the entire village, no questions asked."
"But if... you're just slandering me with baseless accusations, ruining my Xu Family's reputation..." He raised the cleaver in his hand and lightly patted his palm with the flat of the blade, making soft 'clack, clack' sounds, "Then this matter won't be settled so easily."
Hiss—
The surrounding villagers gasped.
Is this... is this still the Xu Family's Eldest Son who was usually quiet, even a bit timid?
That look in his eyes, that tone, he didn't resemble a nineteen-year-old youth at all; he was clearly a ruthless character!
Xu Laosan was also stunned by his demeanor, subconsciously taking half a step back.
He looked at the cleaver in Xu Fan's hand, his throat feeling dry.
But in front of so many people, he couldn't back down, so he could only stubbornly retort: "You... who are you trying to scare! If you have the ability to hunt, show us the evidence!"
"Otherwise, who knows if you got this meat through some unspeakable means!"
"Evidence?" Xu Fan chuckled as if he had heard a joke, the corners of his mouth slightly upturned, "I entered the mountains by my own ability, and I eat by my luck. What do I need to prove to you? Who do you think you are?"
"You!" Xu Laosan's face turned crimson with anger.
"Or perhaps..." Xu Fan's gaze swept over Xu Laosan's cloudy eyes, "Uncle San, you also want to eat meat? Just say so if you want to eat meat. We're all from the same village, why beat around the bush?"
"However, my family isn't well-off either. This meat is for my parents, grandparents, and younger siblings to nourish their bodies. If you're really craving it, after the pot is cleaned, I can scrape off the oil from the bottom of the pot for you to taste."
Pfft!
Someone in the crowd couldn't hold back and burst out laughing first.
Immediately after, the laughter spread like an infection, rising and falling.
Xu Laosan's finger, pointing at Xu Fan, trembled, and he was so angry he couldn't speak for a long time.
At this moment, Xu Fan's second brother, fifteen-year-old Xu Chengbo, suddenly rushed out of the house.
He wasn't as composed as Xu Fan; the youthful fire surged up, and he pointed at Xu Laosan and cursed: "You old man! You're incompetent yourself, so you can't stand to see others do well! My elder brother went into the mountains before dawn, risking his life to hunt this game, how dare you spout nonsense here!"
As he spoke, he held out his hands, which were covered in blisters from chopping wood, imitating his elder brother: "Everyone in our family is trying to survive! Unlike some people, who spend all day gossiping by the wall, like a busybody!"
Although Chengbo was young, he had worked hard for years, and his physique was much sturdier than a lazy man like Xu Laosan.
When he stood out like that, his menacing demeanor truly had some Aura.
The father and son, one as steady as a mountain, the other as sharp as a knife, actually managed to suppress Xu Laosan's arrogance.
Xu Chang looked at his two sons, and a surge of unprecedented courage welled up from the bottom of his heart.
How could he, as a father, always hide behind his sons?
He suddenly puffed out his chest, his voice louder than ever before: "Xu Laosan! My son is right! If you dare to spout any more nonsense and ruin my family's reputation, I... I'll go invite the Clan Chief to arbitrate!"
"Right! Invite the Clan Chief to arbitrate!" Yan Aini also shouted, spreading her arms like a protective hen, shielding her children behind her.
For the first time, the family stood together so united against an outsider.
The strength of their unity made all the onlookers take notice.
Xu Laosan hadn't expected that this 'nest of paupers,' which he considered the easiest to bully, would today grow fangs.
Looking at Xu Fan's cold eyes, he inexplicably felt a jolt in his heart.
He had a premonition that the Xu Family was probably going to be different.
"Good... good! You Xu Family have guts!" He blustered, leaving a harsh remark, and then, amidst a chorus of laughter, he scurried back into his own house, not daring to show his face for a long time.
As the commotion subsided, the surrounding villagers gradually dispersed, but their gazes towards the Xu Family had changed from mere sympathy and disdain to awe and curiosity.
Silence finally returned to the courtyard.
With a 'thud,' Xu Chang seemed to have all his strength drained, and he sat down on the ground, panting heavily.
That moment just now had used up half a lifetime's worth of his courage.
"Father." Xu Fan walked over and helped him up.
Xu Chang looked up at his eldest son, his lips moved, but his eyes were red.
He patted Xu Fan's shoulder, a thousand words ultimately condensed into two: "Well done."
Yan Aini also walked over, holding Xu Fan's and Chengbo's hands, tears streaming down her face, but they were tears of joy.
"It's alright, Mother, don't cry anymore, or the meat will get cold." Xu Fan said with a smile, comforting her, "Hurry inside, today our whole family will have a good meal!"
"Yes, yes, yes, eat!" Yan Aini quickly wiped away her tears and led the children into the house.
In the kitchen, a large basin of stewed rabbit and chicken, cooked until tender, was steaming hot.
The aroma of the meat was enough to make anyone's appetite surge.
[Cooking Proficiency + 1]
[Cooking Proficiency + 1]
...Yan Aini first served a large bowl of meat broth and a few pieces of the tenderest meat to her bedridden parents-in-law, and then distributed the rest to the children.
"Eat, everyone eat." She watched her children devouring the food, smiling from ear to ear.
Six-year-old Xu Wenwen and Xu Ruize, the twins, had their small mouths stuffed full, eating with oily faces, like two little calico cats who had stolen food.
Ten-year-old Xu Huining was the most sensible; she ate in small bites and didn't forget to put food on her younger siblings' plates.
Eight-year-old Xu Jielang ate and mumbled indistinctly: "Big Brother, this meat is too delicious! It's even more fragrant than what we eat during New Year's! How did you make it?"
Xu Fan smiled: "When you make it with your heart, it naturally tastes fragrant."