The wild chicken and rabbit were really fat. He checked and saw the chicken was male, so it could lay eggs.
If their family could get one egg every day, that would be thirty eggs a month. They could take them to town to exchange for coins.
He wasn't thinking about eating the eggs. Since they had always been poor, he just wanted to buy more food. Even if they only ate a little grain, it would be better than drinking wild vegetable soup.
He really didn't want to drink that bitter, astringent soup every day. It didn't even fill his stomach.
Julie didn't have any opinions. "You decide. Cook that chicken for me, I want to drink the soup. Call me when the food's ready."
Then she went back to her room to continue her training.
The three brothers started busying themselves in the kitchen.
They were already getting used to the change in their wife master's personality.
No matter who she really was, she was now their wife master and their support. That was enough for them.
If they kept asking questions, they might hear answers they didn't want.
Sometimes, it's better to pretend not to know.
After the food was ready, Bailee went to Julie's door.
Before he even got there, Julie had already sensed it.
This showed that her powers were slowly recovering and might even get stronger.
This body was weak but had the advantage of being young.
"Wife master, it's time to eat."
"Got it, I'll come out right away."
Julie sat at the table, looking at the bowl with the smallest crack — the same one from yesterday — and sighed inside.
She decided to go to town tomorrow.
There were many things at home they needed to buy.
"Eat up. Tomorrow I'm going to town. Do you want to come too?" If you go, I'll buy you a set of clothes. Your current clothes are too ugly to be seen outside. If you don't go, I'll just buy fabric and you can make your own.
The three brothers looked up at the same time. Really? They could go to town too?
Lorrie almost wanted to ask, "Didn't you used to forbid us from leaving the house, saying we would attract trouble and bring shame to you?"
But remembering something, the three stayed silent. In their eyes, there was a flicker of hope.
No one wanted to stay in this broken, thatched hut all the time.
But as men in this era, they were considered the woman's property.
They had to obey their wife master completely.
Bailee thought for a moment. "Wife master, is there anything specific you need to buy?" He knew that she had gotten some money back from Liu Hongjuan.
He was worried that she might go back to her old ways — gambling and wasting money on food and drink.
The food at home wouldn't last half a month. He was really anxious. If he went with her, at least he could help keep an eye on her.
Julie didn't know what Bailee was thinking.
Even if she knew, she wouldn't bother explaining.
Some things, no matter how much you explain, are useless.
Time will show the truth.
"Yes, we need pots, bowls, and more grain. I also want to buy a few baby chicks, some fabric, and some clothes. If you want to go, go. If you don't, stay home. I don't care."
Bailee looked at Julie. "Wife master, I'll go with you. I can help you carry things." Mainly to keep an eye on you, make sure you don't gamble again.
Haven glanced at his older brother, understanding what he meant. "Wife master, I'll go too." One more person watching is better. Even though he felt the wife master had changed, he still wanted to be close to her.
Lorrie saw that his brothers had spoken, and he didn't want to be left behind. "I… I'll go too. Hmph, it's not because of you! It's because I'm worried you'll bully them. That's why I'm going!" Not because of the bad woman!
Julie didn't care. "Fine. If you want to go, all of you come. We'll leave tomorrow at sunrise."
Then she started eating her rice porridge. The chicken soup was cooked very purely. Julie wasn't picky about food — as long as it was cooked, it was fine.
She noticed that the men's bowls still only had clear soup with a few wild vegetables, and none of them dared to touch the chicken.
Julie felt annoyed but also had a bit of mischief.
"What's the meaning of this? I'm drinking porridge, and you're drinking vegetable soup. Are you trying to make people think I'm abusing you? Or did you just ignore what I said? Didn't I say, from now on, whatever I eat, you eat too? Don't you understand?"
She was really annoyed. If she could, she wouldn't want any of these three men. None of them were easy to deal with.
But where could she go if she left?
She'd be a homeless wanderer.
She had to live with it for now.
She couldn't accept their fake obedience. Were they trying to fight back this way?
How childish. They were only hurting themselves.
So stupid.
The brothers instantly shrank back like little quails. They knew the wife master was angry.
They wanted to explain but didn't know how.
Could they say they didn't dare eat because they were afraid she would beat them even worse?
Suddenly, a memory surfaced in Julie's mind. It was something from a month ago.
The original owner had actually done something like this.
She had tricked them into drinking porridge, then screamed at them, saying they were stealing her food and trying to starve her to death.
After yelling, she had beaten them badly, leaving wounds on their hands and bodies.
After that, they never dared eat porridge again.
Even if she later allowed it, they wouldn't touch a grain of rice.
Julie sighed inwardly. She would have to bear the consequences of what the original owner had done.
It was the price of saving her own life.
She didn't like eating alone while the others looked like beggars. It ruined her appetite.
She was cold-hearted, but she wasn't twisted. She didn't enjoy seeing others suffer.
Looking at the three men, she didn't feel sorry for them, but she did feel a headache coming on.
She wasn't good at comforting others. She had no experience.
In the apocalypse, strength was everything. If you were strong and had resources, men would throw themselves at you just to survive.
There was no need to care about their feelings.
She just needed to make herself comfortable and happy.
The men of this era really had a hard life.
They had no human rights or freedom. Before marriage, they obeyed their mother. After marriage, their wife master controlled them.
Their wife could beat or sell them with just a word.
The three brothers were lucky to meet her.
At least she didn't bully the weak on purpose.
As long as they didn't fake obedience, she would protect them.
Julie looked at Bailee sitting beside her. He really was good-looking, with a calm and restrained appearance.