Chapter 6: It Seems the Third Brother Has Truly Changed

Steam rose from the pot lid, and the fire in the hearth blazed fiercely.

In this poor household, there was hardly any oil or seasoning, not even salt; they simply boiled and steamed whatever they had.

But this snake proved to be quite useful. Everyone in the courtyard kept sniffing, as if the savory aroma of meat filled the air.

Sister-in-law Qin occasionally lifted the pot lid to peek inside, then handed two nuts to the other women. Finally, it seemed ready. She put out the fire and began preparing to gather everyone for the meal.

The old patriarch returned from his errands outside. After hearing the explanation from the matriarch, he nodded silently, saying little.

Li Ping’an personally divided the snake broth into small bowls, serving each person a modest portion to give their stomachs a taste of meat.

The soup was hot, but in the Li household, it was almost gone in the blink of an eye.

The boys, showing no restraint, stuck out their tongues and hissed with delight, clearly savoring every drop.

Li Liang glanced at his third uncle, Li Ping’an, twice, noticing that he had gotten a piece of meat just moments ago but hadn’t had time to chew it before it was gone. That feeling was truly wonderful.

The girls, however, looked pitifully at the tiny piece of snake meat in their bowls, too timid to touch it.

Their eyes darted back and forth, sometimes at the snake meat, sometimes at the old patriarch eating nuts, swallowing nervously.

In the past, when the family had such delicacies, adults would finish eating, leaving only scraps and bones for the children to chew on just to taste.

But today, there was actual meat in their bowls.

“What’s wrong? Afraid to eat what your third uncle gave you? Think it’s poisonous?” Li Ping’an teased.

The little niece, Li Mei, too young to use chopsticks, clutched two nuts—apparently chestnuts. Her hands were a bit red from the heat, but she was reluctant to let go, afraid Li Ping’an would change his mind.

Li Ping’an guessed she wouldn’t eat them anyway, so he picked up a few chestnuts, gently cracked one open with his chopsticks, and placed it in a small bowl, pushing it toward her.

The little girl looked at her father nervously.

Li Hu glared, “Your third uncle gave it to you, so eat it.”

Cautiously, the little girl put the two chestnuts into her small pouch, then ate the nuts prepared by her uncle.

The chestnuts were slightly sweet, with a chewy texture that made them the most delicious thing in the world—better than meat.

The younger children tried to imitate Li Ping’an, using chopsticks to pick up chestnuts, but lacking skill, nuts flew everywhere, some even hitting the old patriarch on the head.

Li Ping’an shook his head with a smile, but sister-in-law Qin was angry, scolding the children, “What are your teeth for? If you don’t know how to bite properly and make a mess, then don’t eat.”

Her stern voice made the children tremble.

In this family, besides the grandparents, Qin was the most caring toward the younger generation, and her authority was absolute.

At her sharp tone, the girls almost burst into tears.

Li Ping’an chuckled, “Sister-in-law, why scare them? There’s plenty more, if they fly away, they fly away.”

At that moment, the matriarch had just finished her bowl of snake broth and was about to place a piece of snake meat into Li Ping’an’s bowl, all the while watching the children.

The children, mimicking her, wanted to put the snake meat into Li Ping’an’s bowl.

Li Ping’an quickly lifted his bowl. He was hungry, yes, but that didn’t mean he would eat from someone else’s bowl.

“You eat yours; I’m about done,” he said, grabbing a handful of chestnuts. Their flavor was quite good, and he thought cooking them with lean pork would be even better.

He took the piece of snake meat the matriarch had just given him and placed it into the bowl of his second brother’s child, Xiao Dingdang.

Everyone was shocked by Li Ping’an’s gesture.

They couldn’t believe he would give away perfectly good snake meat instead of eating it himself. The matriarch had given him an extra piece, and in a blink, he passed it to his little niece.

Previously, at the table, when picking out the best bits, Li Ping’an always insisted on having the last share.

Was this a dream?

“Hey!” the eldest son, Li Hu, suddenly frowned and looked at Li Xiao beside him. “Second brother, why’d you step on my foot for no reason?”

Li Xiao was chewing on his snake meat with a mischievous smile. “Big brother, does it hurt?”

“Of course it hurts!” Li Hu frowned.

“Good, good, I’m scared I’m dreaming!”

The old patriarch shot a stern glance at his two undisciplined sons and said, “Eat quickly. After you’re full, while you still have energy, take the children to the fields and clear the weeds!”

Without Li Ping’an at the table, things returned to normal, especially once the old man commanded them to eat. The children bowed their heads and ate with such vigor it looked like a battle.

Li Ping’an grabbed a stool by the door and sat down, shelling chestnuts. Each time he finished one, he tossed the shell into the air and caught it with his mouth.

Eldest brother Li Xiao approached, carrying a large basin of what he considered delicious nuts, carefully filling a box. “Third brother, there’s some left...”

Li Ping’an looked at him with confusion. “The kids have eaten their fill? You’ve all eaten enough?”

Li Xiao frowned. “We’re all miserable souls. If we eat this much, we won’t sleep tonight. You should take these to the Song family; maybe...”

Li Ping’an’s voice turned cold. “If you won’t eat them, I’ll throw them outside for the wild dogs!”

Li Hu immediately grabbed the nuts and ran back.

Returning to the table, he glared at the eager children and whispered to his wife, “Third brother really is different now.”

“Dad, I still want to eat!” little nephew Li Liang licked his lips, craving more.

Li Hu kicked him hard, and Li Liang collapsed to the ground, not daring to utter a sound.

Li Hu scolded, “Eat, eat, eat, that’s all you know. Your third uncle has turned over a new leaf, but look at you—a useless lump! Over twenty years old, yet can’t do a single thing right.”

He handed the remaining food to his wife. “Put it in Dad’s room for tomorrow. That way, they won’t be so stuffed they can’t go to the bathroom.”

Qin gave Li Hu a look, and seeing this, he walked away with her to whisper a few words.

Meanwhile, Li Ping’an had nearly finished all the food. Honestly, aside from the chestnuts, the other nuts were just average.

By the time he returned, the table was spotless. The little girls were chewing on nut shells, making a crunchy sound.

Li Ping’an looked at his eldest brother with some resentment. “I told you to eat it all. I’ll figure something out tomorrow. Why did you insist on saving some?”

Li Hu shook his head, signaling Li Ping’an not to worry. Then, pulling the second brother and the men of the family to their feet, he said, “Third brother, you’re not having this meal for nothing. Come on, let’s go to the Song family.”

Li Ping’an looked puzzled. “Why go to the Song family?”

“To deal with them!” Li Liang ground his teeth. “Do they think the Li family men are extinct? We won’t just deal with them — we’ll bring back our brothers and sisters!”

“Exactly!” The second nephew, Li Yun, was frail but somehow brandished a stick. “We can’t let them bully us!”

Beside them, the second brother chuckled darkly. “I have some ruffian friends. I’ll talk to them; they can back us up! This grudge won’t go unavenged!”

Seeing Li Ping’an unmoved, the eldest looked worried. “Third brother, do you still harbor illusions about the Song family? Are you thinking of going back?”

At that, the busy sister-in-law and second sister-in-law nearby stopped their work, glancing toward them nervously.

Li Ping’an smiled wryly.

Illusions? Impossible.

As for the Song family, he did want to go.

But as a former son-in-law of the Song family, he knew better than anyone how much stronger they were compared to the Li family. Seeking revenge now would only bring humiliation.

He said calmly, “Stop this nonsense. I will avenge the grudge, and I will find a way to bring the children back.”

“Right now, my top priority is to fulfill the bet I made with sister-in-law.”

The others exchanged glances. It was obvious they didn’t believe Li Ping’an could win.

They suspected he hadn’t given up hope of returning to the Song family. As for not sending the nuts as gifts, they thought it was just pride getting in the way.