There’s Meat
826 Words
Trinh Trieu looked at her for a while, then gently pulled the blanket over Linh Du’s belly before leaving the room.
Seeing her son come out, Trinh Shi immediately stepped forward and asked, “Is Ta Shi alright?”
Trinh Trieu glanced at her and replied, “She’s fine.” This was the original host’s mother — the second most influential person in the household after Old Master Trinh.
However, her personality was gentle, just like her husband’s. That was probably why the entire family had been so easily dominated by Ta Shi (now Linh Du).
Thinking about the family’s situation, Trinh Trieu felt… perhaps having someone like Ta Shi wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. Without someone strong-willed, the family might have been bullied long ago.
Trinh Shi continued, “How was the trip to the county town? Your wife was frightened this time, so I’m thinking we should s*******r the old hen at home to nourish her.”
Just then, Tien Shi and Trinh Nhi walked in from outside.
Hearing that Trinh Shi planned to kill the chicken for Ta Shi, Tien Shi immediately objected, “That hen lays eggs! If we kill it, what eggs will we eat? Besides, she already gets one egg a day. Isn’t that enough?”
Trinh Shi gently replied, “But we all share the food, don’t we?”
Ta Shi sneered, “If it’s shared, then most of it ends up in Sister-in-law’s belly anyway.”
Right then, Trinh Trieu pulled out 50 wen and handed it to his mother:
“No need to kill the chicken. Just go buy some meat.”
In his memory, meat was a rare luxury in this house. The watery soup was nearly tasteless—no wonder the original host had collapsed from exhaustion.
When they saw the money, everyone looked delighted. Trinh Shi beamed as she took the coins:
“Eldest son, you’ve worked so well this time. I’ll head to the market right away and buy some good meat to nourish your wife.”
Tien Shi said nothing more.
Even though she said the meat was for her sister-in-law, everyone in the family would get to eat it anyway.
“Niang, let me go with you,” Tien Shi offered.
Trinh Shi shook her head. “No need. You stay home and decoct the medicine for Ta Shi. I’ll stop by the Li family’s house and get some tofu as well.
Tonight, we’re having tofu cooked with meat!”
How long had it been since they last had meat?
Everyone was eager. Even Old Master Trinh looked pleased:
“Eldest son, you’ve really worked hard this time.”
Trinh Nhi chimed in, “Big Brother, let me go with you next time!”
Trinh Tam added quickly, “Me too! I want to go!”
Trinh Trieu shook his head. “No need. There’s still a lot of work to be done at home. Carrying loads is no easy task. Wait until there’s something lighter—I’ll take you along then.”
Just looking at Trinh Nhi and Trinh Tam’s build, he could tell—they were both physically weaker than the original host. Forcing them to do heavy labor might just cause more trouble.
Thinking back, the original host had collapsed because of sheer fatigue.
Years of deprivation and not having enough to eat, yet still growing up relatively healthy—perhaps it was thanks to a resilient body.
If Linh Du had heard this thought, she would surely say it was due to genetics.
…
Linh Du woke up to the tantalizing aroma of meat.
Meat?
She jumped out of bed and hurried outside. In the courtyard, she saw the three girls: Tiểu Lang, Tiểu Me, and Tiểu Yen playing together. Tiểu Me now had a pair of pants—clearly cut down from an adult pair.
When they saw Linh Du, all three called out in unison, “Big Auntie!”
Linh Du simply responded, “Mm,” and went straight to the kitchen.
In the kitchen, Trinh Shi and Tien Shi were busy preparing dinner. The meat was sizzling in the pot, sending waves of savory aroma into the air. Fresh tofu sat nearby, ready to be cooked.
Linh Du asked in disbelief, “Is that… real meat?”
Both women turned their heads at the same time.
“Ta Shi / Sister-in-law, you’re awake?”
Tien Shi smiled, “It’s thanks to Eldest Brother. He gave money to Mother to buy it. The county town really is a great place. Next time he goes to work there, maybe Trinh Nhi can go with him, don’t you think?”
Linh Du didn’t answer right away. Her eyes were still fixed on the pot of meat.
“We’ll talk about it later.”
Truth be told, she was already drooling.
It had been so long since she’d smelled real meat—her stomach was growling in waves.
- Writer
