The Peasant Wife: The Prime Minister's Beloved

"Why are you saying this? They are all grown in our own fields. They are all natural and have never been sprayed with pesticides. They are healthy and safe to eat. They are just a few small vegetables. Don't be polite. We neighbors are here to help each other."

Mrs. Xiong smiled brightly and, as she spoke, she stepped lightly over the threshold and walked into her own little house.

Just when he was worrying about not having suitable dishes for dinner, the green vegetables sent by Mrs. Xiong were like timely rain, instantly lighting up Chen Xi's cooking inspiration.

She suddenly remembered that the old hen that Xu Gaoping had forced upon her not long ago was still kept in the chicken coop in the backyard, but it had not laid an egg, wasting food in vain. She might as well take this opportunity to kill it and stew a pot of fragrant chicken soup to improve the food for the two children at home.

Having made up his mind, Chen Xi walked back home and called out loudly: "Xie Tianyi!"

But the house was silent and there was no response.

She raised her voice and shouted again: "Xie Tianyi!"

This time, the sound pierced the quiet air.

Xie Tianyi walked out of the bedroom slowly, his face calm as water, his eyes seemed to hide some doubts: "What happened?"

His tone seemed unusually calm.

"Are you available now? I plan to get rid of the chicken in the backyard that doesn't lay eggs. I want to make soup for Xiaoyang and Xiaochen tomorrow to add some nutrition."

As Chen Xi spoke, he signaled with his eyes, as if expecting Xie Tianyi's positive response.

Xie Tianyi heard this, and a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes, "Are you serious? You want to do it yourself?"

Chen Xi heard his hesitation and stared at Xie Tianyi with a sly smile: "How dare I? You are here. I will be responsible for holding the feet, and you will be the main surgeon, how about that?"

Xie Tianyi felt uncomfortable under Chen Xi's gaze, and an inexplicable sense of tension surged in his heart: "Can we not... not kill it? To be honest, I'm a little scared too. I've never used a knife to kill anything in my life..."

At the end of his speech, his voice unconsciously lowered and he seemed a little embarrassed.

Seeing this, Chen Xi couldn't help but chuckle. She didn't expect that a man who was usually so upright would show such a lovely side in the face of such a trivial matter as slaughtering a chicken. He was even more fragile than a woman like her.

"I totally understand that you have your principles."

Chen Xi comforted him, and then changed the subject, "I'd better look for someone else. I think Sister Xiong next door should be able to help."

Xie Tianyi seemed eager to save face, and quickly said, "Then leave the job of plucking the chicken feathers to me, is that okay?"

There was a hint of childish stubbornness in his words, as if this could prove his courage.

Chen Xi nodded with a smile, then turned and walked towards the chicken coop in the backyard.

The rooster there seemed to sense its impending fate and dodged several times, making it difficult to capture.

Finally, after a battle of wits and courage, Chen Xi had to use a fishing net to catch the agile rooster, and carefully tied its feet to ensure that it would not escape again.

After solving the problem, Chen Xi went straight to Sister Xiong's house for help.

The one who opened the door was Sister Xiong's son. He looked at Chen Xi with a confused look on his face: "Aunt, is there anything you want to talk to my mother about?"

"Yes, is your mother home? I need her help with something." Chen Xi politely explained why he came.

The boy seemed to understand what was going on when he heard this, and replied, "My mother is sewing in the room. I'll go tell her right away."

Soon, Mrs. Xiong appeared at the door. She was wearing a simple cotton dress and holding a half-finished embroidered purse in her hand. "Who is looking for me?"

Chen Xi stepped forward and said with a smile: "Mrs. Xiong, it's me, Chen Xi. I have something small to trouble you..."

Mrs. Xiong looked up and saw Chen Xi standing outside the door, and a simple and sincere smile naturally bloomed on her face.

She hurriedly took a few steps forward, gently placed her hands on her apron, and invited him with an almost familial enthusiasm: "Hey, Chen Xi, come in, come in, don't be polite, just tell me what you want to say."

Chen Xi stood outside the door, with a slightly awkward smile on his face, and shook his head and said, "Mrs. Xiong, I'll talk outside."

When Mrs. Xiong heard this, she smiled and said, "Hey, why should we be polite to each other? If you have any difficulties, just tell me. I will never refuse to help you if I can."

Chen Xi hesitated for a moment, and finally said: "Actually, it's like this, my child's birthday is tomorrow, and I want to stew a pot of chicken soup for him to nourish his body, but my family can't bring themselves to do it... So, I would like to ask you to do me a favor and kill a chicken."

Hearing this, Mrs. Xiong raised her eyebrows slightly, looking a little surprised, then smiled with relief and said, "So it's about this matter. Don't worry, leave it to me. Do you want to start now?"

Chen Xi nodded gratefully: "If you are not busy now, Sister Xiong, please come with me."

As soon as she finished speaking, Mrs. Xiong readily put aside the housework in her hands and followed Chen Xi out.

Chen Xi took out a chicken that was tied up tightly with ropes from the backyard.

Mrs. Xiong recognized it as a plump hen at a glance. She couldn't help but frowned slightly, and her regret was evident in her words: "This is a good hen that lays eggs. It's a pity to kill it. Why don't we keep it and let it continue to lay eggs?"

Chen Xi also felt bad, but when he thought about the chicken eating and drinking for free at home without laying any eggs, he sighed helplessly and explained, "I've raised it for quite a while, but I haven't even seen the shadow of an egg. It's just eating food and doing nothing. It's better to use it to make soup. At least it can nourish the child."

For them, killing a hen that might still lay eggs on such an ordinary day seemed a bit of a luxury.

But in Chen Xi's opinion, the family's daily meals were not bad, so eating chicken occasionally was not too much.

Seeing Chen Xi's firm attitude, Sister Xiong stopped trying to persuade him.

I saw that she was very skilled. She gently lifted the hen's wings with one hand, and held a porcelain bowl steadily under the chicken's neck with the other hand. The knife flashed, accurately and quickly. In an instant, bright red blood flowed out along the sharp blade and into the bowl.

After several weak struggles, the chicken finally calmed down.

Mrs. Xiong handled all of this so quickly that Chen Xi, who was watching from the side, couldn't help but secretly admire her.

She didn't even have time to see the whole process clearly before it was done. She couldn't help but admire Mrs. Xiong's efficiency.

"Now it's finally quiet. Let's see how much more trouble you can make." Mrs. Xiong muttered to herself as she looked at the silent chicken on the ground.

At this time, Chen Xi turned around and called Xie Tianyi who was waiting on the side, and told him to go to the kitchen to fetch the hot water that had been specially boiled before, so as to prepare for the next process of plucking the chicken feathers.

Xie Tianyi came out in response, carrying a steaming wooden barrel in one hand, and his steady steps made it hard to imagine that he had difficulty walking.

When Mrs. Xiong saw this, her eyes were full of surprise: "Xiao Xie, how did your leg heal so quickly? I remember seeing you using a cane before!"