C5 Russule Stewed Chicken

"Be good." Lingyan stood at the stove, trying to ignore her discomfort. She quickly blanched the diced pheasant to remove the blood, then placed the cleaned meat into a large soup pot, adding water and a bit of ginger.

Worried there might not be enough, she added half a ladle more water.

"Sis, when do we add the mushrooms?" Zixuan asked eagerly, his mouth watering as the pheasant began to simmer, filling the air with its aroma.

"Let it simmer on high for about half an hour. Once the meat is cooked, add the mushrooms and let it simmer for another fifteen minutes. Then, just add some salt, and it's ready. But remember, this pot of soup is for both lunch and dinner!"

"Got it, Sis."

Seeing the cleaned mushrooms, Lingyan couldn't help but feel a bit indulgent; it seemed like such a luxury.

In the end, she set aside half, realizing the wild fruits they had would last the family for two days. She took the wild greens outside to dry, needing to store them in case of bad weather, which would leave the family hungry.

Just as she spread the greens on the roof to dry, ten-year-old Zijin and little Xianer returned. Hearing there would be chicken legs for lunch and spotting the pheasant in the firewood shed, the kids danced with joy.

Without a clock, Luo Lingyan could only roughly estimate the time. As she lifted the lid off the pot, the aroma of chicken filled the air, making its way to her nose. She couldn't help but swallow, and her stomach growled in response.

"Big Sis, I'm so hungry!"

"It smells so good, I'm drooling."

"Sis, maybe we shouldn't add the russule mushrooms? Mom barely ate anything this morning; she must be hungry too."

"Yeah, let's save the mushrooms for dinner, Sis."

"You little foodies," Luo Lingyan said, softening as she saw the four kids looking at her with pleading eyes. She took one of the bowls.

"Taste this and then wash your hands. Dinner will be ready soon." After serving them half a bowl of soup each, she put aside the portion for the evening. Finally, she added a generous amount of russule mushrooms to the pot.

"Sis, I'll stoke the fire a bit more. The mushrooms should be ready in no time," Luo Fengjiao said, crouching by the stove and adding two bamboo sticks.

"Alright, keep an eye on the fire and make sure nothing falls out. I'm going to find some clothes and take a bath," Luo Lingyan replied, eager to free up the pot so she could heat some water for her bath and tend to the wound on her arm.

"Go ahead, Sis."

In the bedroom, Lingyan rummaged through drawers, searching for clothes. Just as she returned to the kitchen with a somewhat fitting pink patched dress, a woman in her thirties appeared, holding a soup bowl.

"Yan, is the chicken and mushroom soup ready? I heard you were hurt, so I came to get it myself. Otherwise, you'd have to bring it over. By the way, you caught some wild chickens, right? Could you give me a couple to take home?"

"It's almost ready, but why should I deliver it to you? And even if I did catch some wild chickens, what does that have to do with you?" Even if the visitor was Lingyan's aunt, she wasn't obligated to support her, right? How could she have the nerve to ask?

Was she taking advantage of their vulnerable situation?

"Sis..." Fengjiao spoke up timidly. Her sister used to respect their aunt, but now she was standing up to her. Honestly, she didn't like their aunt either.

"You..." Lijuan, the woman, was taken aback. Lingyan, usually so obedient and gentle, was now defying her. Embarrassed and angry, she shouted, "Chunfang, look at your daughter! She doesn't respect me anymore, dares to talk back! Ungrateful girl!"

"Yan, you little rascal, are you looking for trouble? Hurry up and check if the chicken soup is ready. If it is, serve it to your aunt right away!" Mrs. Chung's angry voice echoed in Lingyan's ears.