"Hmph, so you still knew to come help? I thought you were all waiting for me to serve you."
When the mother and daughter from the second branch entered the kitchen, the chicken had already been slaughtered and placed beside the stove. Its blood had been collected in a large vegetable bowl, and the old madam happened to be carrying a bundle of tree branches from the backyard as she entered through the door on the other side.
Her expression changed when she saw the two of them.
Seeing this, Madam Liu immediately knew what the old madam was thinking and hurriedly said, "Mother, we know this chicken is being stewed to nourish Father and Danie. Don't worry, Mother. We won't even touch a bit of the oil floating on top."
Danie opened her mouth, but remembering what her brother had said, she closed it again and walked over to the stove to start the fire.
"Mother, Danie will tend the fire. I'll help you pluck this chicken."
Madam Liu quickly took the dry branches from the old madam's hands, placed them by her daughter's feet, and began ladling water into the large iron pot on the stove.
Seeing this, the old madam's expression improved considerably.
"Clean it properly. Don't throw away the intestines, either. Scrape them thoroughly with hot water."
Madam Liu briskly covered the pot and wiped the stove again. "I understand, Mother. Don't worry. I'll clean everything inside thoroughly for you, too."
"Hmph, don't let me catch you scheming about this chicken."
At this point, the old madam was genuinely worried about her husband. She snorted, strode out of the kitchen, and returned to the main room.
As soon as she left, the mother and daughter in the kitchen both let out a sigh of relief.
In