Eating Meat

Manbao searched for a long time before finding a book with illustrations. After looking at it for a while, she realized that it was a book recording various herbs, some with pictures and others with only textual descriptions.

Behind the names of the herbs were their main places of origin, therapeutic effects, and preparation methods.

Manbao's spirits lifted as she sat down on the ground, thoroughly engrossed in reading.

When she encountered words she didn't recognize, she asked Keke for help. Similarly, when she came across sentences she didn't understand, she turned to Keke for clarification. Although she read haltingly, she was still very interested in continuing.

Baishanbao, on the other hand, found a book specifically about supernatural beings and mysterious stories.

The beginning of the book featured the author's self-praise, where he claimed that it was based on his travels and the things he had heard and seen in various places, all of which were true.

Baishanbao, like Manbao, also loved reading storybooks. He didn't enjoy reading other types of books, but he was thoroughly engrossed in this particular genre.

Why did he particularly enjoy reading "The Analects" and listening to Mr. Zhuang's lectures?

"The Analects" focus on the words and deeds of Confucius, each consisting of small stories. Mr. Zhuang's lectures also emphasized the element of interest by explaining each sentence, its origin, and the situation at the time, making it feel like listening to a story. He loved it immensely.

The two children sat together, each with a book, thoroughly engrossed in their reading.

Mrs. Liu brought her daughter-in-law to take a look. Seeing the two children engrossed, she asked her daughter-in-law to set the food on the table and then left quietly.

Mrs. Zheng was pleasantly surprised and whispered, "Shanbao is actually reading books on his own, and so attentively…"

It is worth noting that Baishanbao used to dislike reading at home. On several occasions, he even hid books to avoid attending the family school.

Every time he came home from school, he would play with the neighborhood boys and servants, climbing trees, swimming, catching bugs, and play-fighting. He did all sorts of mischievous things.

Mrs. Liu also smiled, "So this time we moved to the right place."

Mrs. Zheng also nodded repeatedly, not minding that her mother-in-law insisted on moving to this remote valley. Originally, she had suggested taking the children back to her mother's house.

If they were uncomfortable, they could buy a house near her mother's house, with the Zheng family for support. Life would be better that way.

She never expected her mother-in-law to insist on coming to Qili Village. It was inconvenient to come and go, and there were no renowned teachers in this location. She had secretly cried many nights, but now she felt that everything was worth it, as long as their Shanbao could study well.

Mrs. Liu said, "The land has been chosen. I will go to the county town tomorrow to exchange some copper coins, and the foundation should be dug as soon as possible." Since we have decided to settle here, the house should be improved.

Mrs. Liu had no objections.

Baishanbao and Manbao were unaware that adults had come by. After being engrossed in reading for a long time, they felt their eyes getting tired. Consequently, they stood up from the ground to take a walk.

Upon seeing some snacks and water on the table, Shanbao immediately called Manbao to come and eat.

The two of them enjoyed the snacks and then sat in chairs to continue reading until a servant came to report that Manbao's guardian had arrived to take her home.

Manbao put the book back, said goodbye to Shanbao, and left happily.

Baishanbao, of course, accompanied her, mainly because he didn't want to read alone.

He escorted her to the gate and watched her leave with her guardian. Then he didn't go back to reading; instead, he went to find his grandmother. On the way, he saw some beautiful insects on the flowers in the garden and forgot about finding his grandmother. He decided to catch the insects in the garden instead.

He caused quite a bit of damage to the flowers and plants in the garden. Feeling guilty, he ran back to find his grandmother.

When Manbao walked back with her guardian, she suddenly remembered that he hadn't come to pick her up in the afternoon. She quickly asked him where he had been.

Before coming, the guardian had been warned not to tell the little girl about these things, so he said, "I went to play and lost track of time."

Manbao, being very loyal, said, "Don't worry, I won't tell my mother and sister-in-law."

The guardian thought to himself, "Even if you don't tell them, they'll find out."

But it was still very commendable for the little girl to have this awareness, so he thanked her.

From the Bai family to the Zhou family, there was quite a distance. The Zhou family lived near the village entrance, surrounded by several other families. Villagers often gathered to chat under the large banyan tree nearby. So, every time Manbao passed by, she could see many people there.

But this time, there was no one there, not even the children playing on the road.

Manbao was very curious and asked, "Where are the people in the village?"

"They're at home."

"What are they doing at home?" "Why aren't they coming out to chat?"

The guardian couldn't help but say, "They're working and having dinner." It's dinner time now.

"But there are always people here." They even like to bring their meals outside and squat to eat. "Why is no one here this time?"

The guardian felt a little guilty. "Maybe there's meat at home today?"

Only when there was meat at home would those people refrain from coming out with their bowls to eat.

At the mention of meat, Manbao's eyes lit up, and she ran home, shouting, "Meat, meat, chicken meat!" "We're going to have chicken for dinner tonight."

The guardian was stunned for a moment, then followed her with his mouth watering.

Before they even reached home, the two children smelled the aroma of meat and couldn't help but salivate. They ran home eagerly.

Mrs. Xiao had not started cooking yet. When she saw her daughter-in-law carrying her book bag and her silly son with empty hands, she tapped his forehead and said, "You're such a blockhead." "Your little sister is younger than you, and you can't even carry her book bag?"

The guardian immediately took Manbao's book bag and returned it to her room. Then, they came out and stood outside the kitchen with Manbao and her younger siblings, eagerly watching the steaming clay pot inside.

It smelled so good!

The system sensed the host's desire and spoke at the right time, "So, host, do you now understand the benefits of points?"

Manbao, smelling the meat and feeling a bit hungry, was slow in her thinking and responded with a puzzled "Hmm?"

The system said, "Points can be exchanged for candy, and candy can be exchanged for the currency of your time." "With sufficient points, it is not difficult for the host to lead a good life."

Manbao then said, "Oh, right. When are you going to give me the points for the Chinese scholar tree?" "Haven't you calculated it yet?"

After a moment of silence, the system responded with a "Hmm" and asked the host to be patient.

Manbao felt that she couldn't just wait for those points. It seemed that she needed to pick some flowers and plants that she hadn't picked before to give to Keke.

But her older brothers were so clueless. Despite the abundance of flowers and plants in the woods, she was unable to find even a single one. It seemed that she would have to go by herself.

Manbao thought about when she could find time to go up the mountain. Of course, she couldn't go alone; she needed someone to accompany her.

During dinner, the whole family gazed at Manbao with affectionate expressions. Zhou Siliang even reluctantly gave a piece of meat from his bowl to Manbao, saying, "Younger sister, if anyone bullies you in the future, tell Fourth Brother, and he will beat them up for you."

Zhou Wulang and the others also didn't want to be left out, so they all contributed a piece of meat from their bowls to her, expressing the same sentiment.

Manbao, with her mouth full of oil, looked up in confusion and said, "No one bullies me."

"We know, but we agreed in advance." If you ever face bullying in the future, whether it's a physical altercation or a verbal dispute, simply inform your brothers, and we will handle the situation for you.