Sweet Dreams in Famine Years: The System Leads to a Brilliant Life

Seeing Zeng Siyuan crying because of the spiciness, Zeng Zhengen couldn't help laughing, "Brother, this red thing is called chili pepper. Eating it alone is really not something that most people can bear."

"Chili?" Zeng Siyuan asked while coughing, looking a little puzzled. "I've never seen this before. Zeng girl, where did you get it from?"

Zeng Zhengen's heart tightened, knowing that if he didn't think of a way to explain it clearly, his elder brother would probably continue to ask questions. "I also encountered it by chance in the mountains. I have heard of this kind of thing, but I didn't expect to come across it, so I picked some and brought it back to try."

Zeng Siyuan was about to ask more when his mother interrupted him impatiently, "Kid, just eat what you can eat. Why are you asking so many questions?"

Zeng's father said bluntly, "Ms. Zeng has made so many delicious dishes. Stop asking questions and just focus on eating."

After being scolded by his parents, Zeng Siyuan finally shut up and lowered his head to eat obediently, secretly regretting in his heart, "Why am I so quick to talk! I know Zeng'er doesn't want to say anything, but I still want to talk too much."

Seeing that Zeng Siyuan stopped asking questions, Zeng Zhengen secretly breathed a sigh of relief. If she was asked again, she really didn't know how to save the situation.

Everyone was clear-headed, and Zeng Zhengen was secretly glad that these questions were raised by her family. If an outsider saw something, although she was capable of dealing with it, she didn't like getting into trouble after all. It seemed that she had to be more cautious in the future.

Just as everyone was preparing to eat, Zhang Jiahu suddenly asked in a baby voice, "Mom, is the beggar's chicken ready?"

Zeng Zhengen was stunned for a moment, then he suddenly remembered the beggar's chicken he had buried in the fire. "Oh no! I almost forgot about the beggar's chicken!"

She hurriedly got up and ran to the fire, but saw that it had gone out. She was secretly glad that she had not added more firewood, otherwise the beggar's chicken would not be delicious, but would be roasted into charcoal. She carefully dug out the beggar's chicken buried in the ashes and knocked off the mud shell with her hands.

The high temperature made the soil outside very hard, and Zeng Zhengen took several efforts to knock the soil away. Instantly, a strong fragrance came to his nose and quickly spread throughout the forest.

At this time, the villagers who had previously hunted game were eating barbecue. However, when they smelled the aroma, they couldn't help but stop what they were doing, and the meat in their hands instantly lost its appeal.

At the Zeng family's side, when everyone saw Zeng Zhengen take out the beggar's chicken, they couldn't wait any longer. The aroma was so fragrant that everyone's stomachs began to churn, and they almost couldn't help but want to eat it.

Zhang Jiahu's round eyes stared at the beggar chicken in Zeng Zhengen's hand, and his lips smacked from time to time, showing that he was very greedy. Zeng Zhengen couldn't help himself when he saw this little foodie, so he smiled and broke off a small piece of chicken and put it directly into his mouth.

As soon as he took a bite of the chicken, Zhang Jiahu squinted his eyes happily and shouted with satisfaction, "Delicious! It's really delicious!"

The deliciousness of this beggar's chicken simply intoxicated him, and he even thought it was comparable to his favorite braised pork. When the other children heard Zhang Jiahu's evaluation, they all swallowed their saliva, their eyes full of anticipation.

"Okay, don't worry, you can eat it soon." Zeng Zhengen said with a smile, then quickly peeled off the outer layer of leaves and placed the whole beggar's chicken on the plate.

"Okay, now we can start."

The children stared at the beggar's chicken on the plate, unable to hold back their desire. However, seeing that their great-grandfather and great-grandmother had not yet started eating, they could only hold back.

"Dad, Mom, please try this beggar's chicken and see how it tastes."

Zeng's father and mother then picked up their chopsticks and each picked up a small piece of chicken and put it in their mouths. The tender chicken instantly melted in their mouths, and the rich aroma immediately spread among their taste buds.

When the others saw Zeng's father and mother picking up their chopsticks, they also took some chicken to taste. Soon, the whole beggar's chicken was eaten by everyone, leaving only the bare chicken skeleton.

"Mom, this beggar's chicken is so delicious! I want to eat it again next time!" Zhang Jiahu touched his round belly, his face full of satisfaction but still unsatisfied.

Zeng Zhengen rubbed his hair lovingly and said with a smile, "Okay, next time I catch a pheasant, I'll make beggar's chicken for you."

"That's great! Mom is the best! I will definitely respect you well when I grow up!" Zhang Jiahu said excitedly.

"Me too, mom. When I grow up, I will definitely be filial to you!" Zhang Jiaqi next to him also echoed.

"I will study hard in the future, strive to pass the imperial examination, and bring back an imperial decree for my mother in the future!" Zhang Jiajun, who had been silent all the time, suddenly said seriously.

Zeng Zhengen was stunned for a moment. She didn't expect her son to have such great ambitions. She was secretly happy and said with a smile: "Okay! Then when we settle down, I will send you to a private school. You must study hard. I am waiting for you to earn an imperial decree for me!"

Zhang Jiajun nodded vigorously and said firmly: "Mom, I will study hard."

After Zhang Jiajun finished speaking, he suddenly became dejected again.

He had heard that it cost a lot of money to go to a private school. His mother was the only one supporting the family now. If he went to school, where would the money come from? He didn't want his mother to ruin her health just to earn money for his studies.

Zeng Zhengen looked at Zhang Jiajun's troubled expression, and his heart moved slightly, so he asked softly: "Jun'er, what's wrong? Why are you frowning?"

Zhang Jiajun lowered his head, as if he didn't dare to look his mother in the eye. He hesitated for a while before whispering, "Mom, why don't I just stop going to school? I'll help you with the housework at home, so you won't have to work so hard."

Although he was eager to study, he was more worried about his mother working hard for them. Zhang Jiaqi and Zhang Jiahu immediately agreed, "Mom, let's stay and help too!"

Zeng Zhengen felt warm in her heart, but she still shook her head firmly and said, "No, mother doesn't need you to worry about it. Your task is to study hard, and mother will take care of the things at home."

Zhang Jiajun raised his head, his eyes slightly red, with a bit of reluctance: "But, mother, it will cost a lot of money for the three of us to go to school, and I don't want you to exhaust yourself for us."

As soon as he finished speaking, tears began to well up in his eyes. Seeing the child so sensible, Zeng Zhengen felt sad and understood why he didn't want to go to school.

She squatted down, gently stroked Zhang Jiajun's head, and comforted him: "Jun'er, don't worry about the money. Although our family doesn't have much money, it is enough for you to study. After we settle down, mother will do some small business, which can also earn a lot of money."

Zeng Zhengen gently rubbed the heads of the three children and said softly, "You must study hard in the future and stop worrying about your mother."

Soon, after Zeng Zhengen's persuasion, the three little ones finally decided to study hard in the future.

As night fell, many bonfires were lit in the camp, and Pan Yang arranged a group of people to take turns to keep watch at night.

Although it was not Zeng Zhengen's turn to keep watch, he did not dare to sleep too deeply at night.

After all, she has three little kids with her, and now they are resting in such an open place. Even if there are people on night watch, they still need to be vigilant!

Fortunately, we had a peaceful night together.

The next morning, after everyone had a simple meal, Pan Yang let everyone start their journey.