She deftly picked up the plump rabbit.
Beaming with delight, she began planning how to prepare it.
Li Shan gave Li Xuan a long look, the scrutiny in his eyes growing deeper.
But in the end, he merely nodded and asked no more questions.
He turned and slowly shuffled back toward the heated brick bed, even his coughing seeming a little lighter.
Li Zhong was even happier. He slapped Li Xuan hard on the back, and this time Li Xuan did not dodge:
"Good lad! We're in for a treat tonight! I'll help your sister-in-law boil water and skin it!"
He bustled off, chuckling happily.
Li Xiuer perked up too, hovering around Wang.
She helped fetch a basin and pass over water, her little face brimming with anticipation.
Li Xuan watched the household suddenly spring to life with this unexpected windfall.
He watched genuine smiles appear on his family's faces, smiles he had not seen in so long.
Leaning beside the warm stove, Li Xuan slowly stretched his frozen fingers.
The gloom weighing on his heart from his transmigration and the mess the original owner had left behind.
Seemed to be dispelled a little by the stove's warmth and the promise of fragrant meat.
He quietly sensed the subtle changes in his body brought about by the "wild rabbit agility" trait in his mind.
And the [Physique: 1.0] displayed on the system panel.
Hunting, allocating points, eating meat to grow stronger, improving the family's finances...
This path had only just begun, but he was heading in the right direction.
In the coarse earthenware basin, rich, milky broth bubbled away.
Tender chunks of stewed rabbit bobbed in the soup.
The dried mushrooms, swollen with broth, had unfurled.
They released an irresistible aroma that mingled the fragrance of meat with the fresh sweetness of mushrooms.
A few pieces of bright green wild vegetables dotted the soup, adding an even more tempting splash of color.
"Time to eat! Time to eat!"
His sister-in-law Wang called out with a rare air of delight.
She carefully ladled meat and broth into everyone's bowls.
For Li Shan, she chose the portions with the most meat, stewed until they were softest.
Li Zhong also received two substantial chunks.
When it was Li Xuan's turn, she hesitated, then gave him a sizable piece of hind-leg meat too.
Only then did she serve herself and Xiu'er. Their bowls held mostly scraps of meat and broth, along with a few mushrooms and wild vegetables.
Naturally, Li Xuan noticed, but he merely sighed inwardly and said nothing.
In this world, men were the main source of labor for a household.
So whatever food there was, the men of the family always had first claim.
Li Xiuer had long since run out of patience.
The little girl stared fixedly at the tiny piece of meat in her bowl.
The moment Wang said, "Go on, eat."
She picked up her bowl and, heedless of the heat, seized the meat with her chopsticks and stuffed it into her mouth.
It scalded her so badly that she sucked in sharp breaths, yet she could not bear to spit it out.
She chewed it a few hurried times and swallowed.
Then she narrowed her eyes in utter contentment, as though she had tasted the finest delicacy under heaven.
Next, she lifted her bowl again and drank the hot soup in small but rapid sips.
She slurped noisily, tiny beads of sweat forming on the tip of her nose.
Li Xuan watched her practically wolfing down her food.
It felt as though a needle had lightly pricked his heart.
The girl probably had not tasted such a substantial helping of meat in a very long time.
Holding his bowl and smiling good-naturedly, Li Zhong first picked out a good piece of meat and gave it to Li Shan:
"Dad, eat some more. Build your strength back up."
Then he gave the other piece to Wang:
"You've worked hard too. Have some more."
Only scraps and broth remained in his own bowl, but he ate with relish.
He slurped his soup even louder than Xiu'er, as though that bowl of broth were the greatest delicacy imaginable.
Wang blushed faintly and tried to give the meat back, but Li Zhong stopped her with his chopsticks.
She gave her husband a mildly reproachful look, then finally ate it in small bites.
But she ate slowly, her gaze straying to the basin from time to time.
As though calculating how to divide the remaining meat.
Li Shan held the bowl with the most meat, yet he was in no hurry to eat.
His clouded eyes swept over the younger faces.
He saw Xiu'er's contented little face and Li Zhong's honest smile.
Wang's carefully calculating eyes, still bright with happiness.
Finally, his gaze settled on Li Xuan's face as he ate calmly.
He cleared his throat and tried to look stern, but his voice was much gentler than usual:
"Ahem... Eat up, all of you. I'm old. I can't stomach so much rich food..."
As he spoke, he moved to divide the meat in his bowl between Xiu'er and Li Xuan.
"Dad, eat your own share."
Li Xuan spoke in a steady tone that left no room for argument,
"Your health comes first. You need to eat more to recover faster."
He gently blocked Li Shan's hand with his chopsticks.
Li Shan's hand paused in midair as he looked into his youngest son's calm but determined eyes.
His throat bobbed. In the end, he did not insist. He lowered his head and slowly lifted a piece of meat to his mouth.
The meat had been stewed until it melted on his tongue, its rich aroma and long-unfamiliar succulence filling his mouth.
He said nothing, but his chewing slowed.
His eyes seemed to grow a little hot, and he hurriedly took a large mouthful of soup to hide it.
He savored this meal with particular care.
The meal was quiet, yet extraordinarily warm.
The aroma of meat filled the shabby main room, driving away its usual hardship and gloom.
The soft clink of bowls and chopsticks, the sounds of satisfied swallowing.
And the occasional contented sigh from Li Zhong or Xiu'er wove together into an ordinary yet moving melody.
Li Xuan carefully chewed the rabbit meat, tender and carrying the fragrance of the wild hills.
When he swallowed his final mouthful of meat broth.
A warm current, noticeably weaker than the one from his afternoon kill but gentler and more lasting.
Slowly rose from his stomach and seeped through his limbs and bones, leaving him feeling full and brimming with strength.
[First effective consumption of "wild gray rabbit meat"] [Points gained +10] [Currently available points: 10]
Li Xuan's heart jolted!
10 points!
He had not earned this much even from killing the rabbit!
So... this wild rabbit's meat is highly nutritious, which is why it gave me 10 points at once.
Whatever the reason, this was a "fortune"!
Wild joy surged in his heart, but his expression remained unchanged. He merely set down his bowl and said:
"I'm full. It was delicious. Thank you for your hard work, Sister-in-law."
Wang had been calculating how the little broth left at the bottom of the basin could cook some vegetable leaves tomorrow. At his words, her face blossomed into a smile:
"No trouble, no trou-
"ble! As long as you enjoyed it, Third Brother!"
The look she gave Li Xuan was warmer than ever before.
This third son... has he really turned over a new leaf?
Li Shan also set down his bowl. It was spotless, with even the soup finished.
He wiped his mouth and looked at Li Xuan, seeming about to speak. In the end, he merely nodded, the gratification in his eyes deepening.
This meal of meat had given them more than nourishment; it was like a pill that settled their hearts.
Li Zhong let out a satisfied belch and said with a simple smile:
"Third Brother, I'll go up the mountain with you tomorrow! With the two of us together, maybe we can bring back even more!"
Her little face rosy, Li Xiuer rubbed her round belly and looked eagerly at Li Xuan:
"Third Brother, tomorrow... can we have meat again?"
Seeing the hope and trust rekindled in his family's eyes.
Feeling the newly gained points and the warm current within him.
Li Xuan's determination to change things had never been firmer.
"Of course. From now on, we'll have meat every day!"
"Oh, wonderful!"
Seeing the sheer contentment on Xiu'er's face, Li Xuan smiled too.
He patted Xiu'er's head, then stood up:
"I'm a little tired. I'll go back to my room and rest."
Back in his cold room, Li Xuan shut the door and immediately summoned the panel.
He stared at the [10] available points!
I could raise my attributes now, but that wouldn't be worth it...
He would certainly need to do a great deal more hunting to earn points.
That made his archery skills crucial.
Without hesitation, he focused his attention on "Archery Mastery" again.
Spend all 10 points to improve Archery Mastery.
The familiar warmth once again poured into his arms and mind.
But this time, it was richer and reached deeper.
His muscle memory was further reinforced and refined.
The fundamentals of holding a bow, aiming, and releasing seemed to be carved into his bones.
He even developed a faint intuition for certain subtle adjustments.
Such as how to alter the arrowhead's direction slightly according to the strength of the wind.
And how to predict a target's path the instant it moved.
If his previous improvement had taken him from "unable" to "knowing a little."
Then now, that "little knowledge" had become more solid and reliable.
He had begun to brush against the threshold of "proficiency."
[Archery Mastery: Unpracticed (0/10) → Proficient (0/30)]
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