Chapter 9: The Arrogant Older Brother? The Lamb Soup and Fine Noodles That Sparked His Envy

Chu Feng ignored the other person.

Chu Long kept talking.

“Do you know how long I worked on the winter wheat since you weren’t home to help?”

“Mother saw I was too tired, so she took your family’s monthly grain ration for next month, went to town to exchange it for money, and bought flour and salt to make two big steamed buns. Do you want to try some?”

Then, Chu Long bit fiercely into one of the buns he held.

Feeling the firewood was almost chopped, Chu Feng thought carefully. It seemed they really did need some flour and rice. They couldn’t eat meat every day; it would cause heatiness and discomfort. Besides, Miao Miao was still too young to eat only meat.

“What? Want to eat? Do you know how much your family’s monthly grain ration is worth? It’s all in my stomach now, and even if you want some, I won’t give it to you, ha ha!” Chu Long came over just to boast.

Unfortunately, Chu Feng wasn’t interested in those buns. The flour nowadays wasn’t like the future’s. In the future, flour was machine-ground, extremely fine, making buns delicious regardless of filling. But now…

Looking at the dark, rough buns in Chu Long’s hand, filled with who knows how much coarse flour, Chu Feng worried they’d scratch his throat.

Bengbeng seemed to sense Chu Long’s hostility again and crawled out of its nest, barking fiercely at him.

“Stop barking, or I’ll eat you!” Chu Long threatened.

“No bullying Bengbeng!” Miao Miao immediately stepped out to protect the puppy.

“Miao Miao, want a bun? Fresh and fragrant big buns.” Seeing Chu Feng ignore him, Chu Long switched his boasting target.

Miao Miao had never eaten buns before. The buns probably had oil in them. The aroma wafted right into Miao Miao’s nose.

“I don’t want any. Those buns stink! Worse than Bengbeng! My dad can get meat; who would eat those lousy buns?” Miao Miao said bluntly.

Hearing this, Chu Feng burst into laughter.

“Chu Feng, your daughter’s temperament is quite like yours—both full of pretense.”

Chu Feng didn’t care what others said about him, but when someone spoke about his daughter, he grabbed his firewood knife and stepped forward. The look in his eyes made Chu Long feel weak.

“So, am I wrong? You think you’re great just because you got a pig’s leg by luck in the mountains? How long do you think one pig’s leg will last? You’ve probably eaten it all today. Does your family still have meat left?”

“Yes! My family has more meat than we can eat!”

“Miao Miao, kids shouldn’t lie.”

“I’m not lying. My dad caught a sheep again today. We have more meat than we can finish!” Miao Miao declared.

Hearing this, Chu Long laughed again. Everyone knew Jade Dragon Mountain was extremely dangerous. The village chief had said it was an ominous place. Chu Feng was the most cowardly person in the village. How could he dare go there? Even if Chu Feng did go hunting, catching a wild chicken would already be a miracle, let alone a sheep. Were there even sheep on that mountain?

“Chu Feng, did you teach Miao Miao to lie? I mean, seriously, even if you can’t get food, you don’t have to teach your child to lie. Go apologize to your mother and do all the housework. She won’t let you starve.”

“Are you done? If so, get lost and go eat your buns.” Chu Feng picked up a stack of firewood and headed toward the kitchen.

Chu Long naturally wouldn’t leave so easily. Originally, the two buns could be eaten in two bites, but after half, he hadn’t eaten a single bite. He stood at Chu Feng’s door, as if afraid the family of three wouldn’t see him.

Soon, a delicious aroma wafted from Chu Feng’s house.

Chu Long sniffed. This smell was strange. The rich fragrance instantly overpowered the scent of the buns in his hand.

“How is this possible? Where is the meat aroma coming from? Didn’t you finish that pig’s leg yesterday?” Chu Long frowned.

“Miao Miao, it’s time to eat.” Zhou Xiaoxiao carried a big bowl.

The bowl was filled with thick, snowy-white soup, clearly floating with pieces of meat and sprinkled with green onions. It looked incredibly enticing at a glance.

Chu Long couldn’t help swallowing.

“What? That pig’s leg from yesterday hasn’t been finished? How long do you plan to eat one pig’s leg? The soup is so white—did you start boiling the pig bones last night?”

Then Chu Long bit into the bun in his hand. At that moment, it no longer smelled appetizing.

Villagers preferred to eat in their own yards, and Chu Feng’s family was no exception. The three of them each had a bowl of soup—pure white broth topped with scallions and a pinch of salt, making the whole soup exceptionally flavorful. Especially since it was lamb, there was almost no gamey smell.

Outside, Chu Long’s eyes went wide. He struggled for a moment before saying, “You’ve turned a little meat into three bowls of soup and a bit of bone into a pot you must be boiling for three days? Why no pancakes to go with it? Just drinking it plain? Pathetic. Look at the buns in my hand.”

“Chu Feng, if you just go home and admit you were wrong, kneel twice before your mother, she’ll forgive you and give you some coarse flour to make pancakes. Pancakes with soup are the real delicacy. Without pancakes, just soup looks so humble.”

“Chu Long? What are you blocking the door for? Move aside.” Behind him, the voice of Du Dahai came.

Chu Long hurriedly stepped aside, his face twisting into a flattering smile.

“Village Chief, what brings you to Chu Feng’s house?”

“I came to deliver some fine flour to Chu Feng. He helped me out big time today.”

Du Dahai then uncovered the bag in his hand. In this era, there was no pure white flour, only fine flour—the finer, the more expensive.

When Chu Long saw the bag containing two pounds of fine flour, as fine as dust, his eyes went wide.

Two pounds of fine flour! Which family in the village could afford that? Only the village chief’s family could hide some.

And he said he was giving all this to Chu Feng?

“Village Chief! That’s two pounds of fine flour! How can you give it to a useless guy like Chu Feng?”

“Useless?” Hearing this, Du Dahai was even more shocked than Chu Long, then laughed, though the smile was full of sarcasm. He ignored Chu Long entirely and entered Chu Feng’s yard.

“Xiao Feng, here’s the two pounds of flour.”

“Thanks. I still have some meat and wild vegetables left. I’ll make some buns. Want some soup? There’s plenty left in the pot.”

“No, no.” The village chief quickly refused. Everyone’s household had difficulties and no extra grain. The fact that Du Dahai was giving fine flour to Chu Feng meant Chu Feng had done him a huge favor. How could he accept soup from him?

“There’s really plenty; just have some.” Zhou Xiaoxiao had already ladled another bowl, still white broth filled with lamb offal and meat. Even Du Dahai couldn’t refuse this bowl. He hadn’t had any fatty food for who knew how long.

Chu Long’s eyes finally turned green with envy. He mechanically stuffed the bun into his mouth and shouted anxiously, “Chu Feng, just you wait! I’ll tell your mother you have meat and don’t hand it over!”