After seeing the Village Chief off, the Zhao family settled for a simple evening meal. Having eaten their fill at noon, no one was truly hungry. Madam Chen simply boiled a pot of thin porridge and served it with some salted vegetables to round out the meal.
After eating, Madam Chen busied herself with housework. Washing dishes, cleaning pots, sweeping the floor—she was tirelessly active; she had to keep moving to feel at ease. Zhao Gao, meanwhile, went to draw water for the vegetable garden. The weather was so sweltering that the crops were wilting; he knew that if they missed even a single watering, the plants might not survive until the next day. He had put immense effort into that garden, tending to it with more care than anything else. Regardless of how tired he was, he watered, weeded, and checked for pests daily while observing the growth of his greens.
Zhao Yun had disappeared right after the meal. Zhao Yan guessed she had gone to check on the chicks again. Given how much care his little sister poured into them, Zhao Yan was certain the family’s poultry was destined to thrive.
Chapter 117