Chapter 13: Green-Eyed Monster, I’ll Drive You Mad with Envy

Miao Qin was full of doubts but still pulled over a small stool for her daughter. She wondered to herself: Could it be that she was really too gentle and hadn’t laid a hand on anyone? That didn’t make sense! She wanted to act, but simply hadn’t had the chance.

The flames flickered as Su Yanwen flipped the fish in his hands, the aroma far richer than if it had been boiled. In times of famine, no one could resist such a fragrant smell.

Su Cuilan wiped the saliva from her lips and kept urging, “Hurry up, is it done yet?”

“Zhao Yue’e, be quick about it and gut all the fish.”

“Wait, I want to bring some home for myself.”

“Yes, your in-laws will be so touched to see you bringing roasted fish; bring back a couple more,” Miao Qin chimed in from the side.

Having been troubled by Su Yanwen these past few days, Miao Qin hadn’t tasted anything good herself. Seeing the delicious fish made her salivate intensely. Both of their eyes were practically glued to the roasted fish.

Su Yanwen pretended not to notice and continued with his work.

“Mom!” Cao’er squatted beside Zhao Yue’e, lowering her voice repeatedly, “Is Auntie going to take all the food again? Will Dad leave any for us?”

Zhao Yue’e’s face was pale. She didn’t even dare to look at Su Cuilan, and her hands twitched slightly as she gutted the fish. Forcing a strained smile, she said, “Mom will use the innards later to make you something tasty.”

Cao’er pressed her lips together and fell silent. She knew the roasted fish was delicious and fragrant, but equally, she didn’t want her mother to get beaten.

Suddenly, Cao’er said, “I’d rather have Dad be the bad Dad from yesterday. At least then Mom would have something to eat.”

“Alright,” Su Yanwen called out, taking the roasted fish off the rack and holding it beneath his nose. The smell was truly irresistible.

These wild crucian carp, fresh and unpolluted, retained their original flavor without any muddy taste after being lightly roasted. In his world, it was rare to find fish from such pristine waters—mostly farmed fish, and fishing was illegal during the decade-long moratorium.

“Quick, give it to me,” Su Cuilan’s throat practically reached out as she lunged for it.

Su Yanwen sidestepped and smoothly popped the fish into his mouth.

“Oh, it’s really fragrant!” With a mouthful of fish, Su Yanwen smiled, letting out a satisfied sigh.

Su Cuilan missed her chance and, seeing Su Yanwen eating the fish, let out a sharp scream.

“Ah! My fish!”

Her face flushed red, as if roasted herself. “Su Yanwen, are you crazy? How dare you eat my food?”

“Your food? I caught the fish; what does that have to do with you?” Su Yanwen rolled his eyes. “Is your man so incapable he can’t get food and comes here begging?”

“Want me to teach you the basics of begging?” he said, deadpan.

“You… what nonsense are you spouting?” Su Cuilan was confused but could tell it was an insult.

Hands on her hips, she pointed at Su Yanwen’s nose and snapped, “Give me the fish right now, or I’ll tell Dad to punish you.”

“Suit yourself.”

“But I’m about to eat now!” She bit into the fish again.

The flavor lingered on the lips and teeth.

“Gurgle, gurgle…” The people present, unable to resist the aroma, let out rumbling stomach sounds like drums.

---

Cao’er swallowed her saliva and squatted beside Zhao Yue’e.

Quietly, she asked, “Mom, even though Dad is bad and scary, why do I feel a little happy?”

“Children, don’t say nonsense,” Zhao Yue’e quickly scolded.

Seeing Cao’er licking her lips, Su Yanwen knew they were hungry too.

He had eaten a bowl of millet porridge himself, while Zhao Yue’e and Cao’er shared a small half-bowl each, worried there would be nothing left later.

Just thin gruel, after nearly a full day, it was no wonder they were hungry.

He casually handed the roasted fish to Cao’er.

Cao’er reached out to take it.

Zhao Yue’e immediately shook her head at her.

Suddenly, Su Cuilan’s sharp scream erupted once more: “You little bastard, how dare you eat my food! I’ll beat you to death!”

Cao’er’s eyes reddened and she lowered her head, too afraid to eat.

“Stinky woman, mind your mouth! She’s my child. If you keep talking nonsense, I’ll rip your mouth apart,” Su Yanwen shouted back fiercely.

“How dare you insult me?” Su Cuilan shouted in disbelief, “Are you crazy?”

“Oh, you just realized that?” Su Yanwen sneered. “Want to try me?”

Miao Qin hurriedly tugged at Su Cuilan’s sleeve and whispered in her ear, “Don’t lose your temper. That madman is dangerous enough to kill even himself.”

Miao Qin had witnessed it firsthand and was terrified to her core.

Su Cuilan, who hadn’t seen it herself, was horrified but not enough to back down.

“Eat.”

Su Yanwen once again offered the fish to Cao’er.

Seeing Cao’er timidly hesitate to move, his heart ached. He just wanted to be a good person—was that a crime?

Helplessly, he put on a fierce face again: “Don’t make me feed you like a dog.”

“Want it!” Cao’er poked her head out and snapped up the fish. Her mouth burned and instinctively let go, but she quickly caught it with her small hands.

Her hands were red from the heat, but she wouldn’t let go, holding it with both hands and offering it to Zhao Yue’e: “Mom, eat.”

Zhao Yue’e hurried to take it, carefully removing tiny bones and feeding Cao’er bit by bit.

She chewed the fish bones slowly herself.

“Are you a dog? Why are you eating bones when there’s so much fish?”

“If you keep acting pitiful, I’ll leash you by the neck and raise you as a dog,” Su Yanwen shouted fiercely, feeling sorry for them.

Zhao Yue’e dared not eat anymore.

Cao’er choked back tears and cried, “Dad’s bad! He’s bullying Mom.”

Su Yanwen didn’t care.

As long as they ate well, it was fine.

Survival was the priority this winter.

One string held three fish: one for Cao’er, one for Zhao Yue’e, and one for himself.

Another three fish were put on the fire to roast.

The family ate, savoring every fragrant bite.

Miao Qin pulled her daughter’s arm, looking pitiful. “Cuilan! Mom’s so hungry!”

“Who isn’t hungry?” Su Cuilan wiped her mouth arrogantly. “Su Yanwen, last chance—give me all the remaining fish.”

She didn’t dare ask him to roast them first; if she waited, he’d eat everything.

Su Yanwen quickly ate one fish.

He tossed the bones and fish skeleton to the ground and gestured: “Take this if you want.”

When had Cao’er ever eaten roasted fish?

After a few bites, she sincerely exclaimed, “So fragrant! Really fragrant!”

---

“Better than rabbit meat.”

“So delicious! Mom, you have to eat more.”

As if eating weren’t enough, she even voiced her delight?

Su Cuilan was going crazy, gnashing her teeth and plopping down onto the snowy ground.

She slapped the earth with her hands, her voice sharp and shrill: “Su Boss is really no good, bullying a pregnant woman like this!”

“Everyone, come see! Su Boss’s family is heartless, abusing a sister!”

The neighbors, long drawn by the aroma, had gathered.

Amid the commotion inside, they barged in.

Seeing the fish wasn’t boiled into soup but roasted and eaten straight, this was luxury!

Everyone’s first reaction was to salivate.

Then they took Su Cuilan’s side.

“Su Boss, you’re terrible! Cuilan’s your sister and pregnant, yet you don’t give her any food?”

“Exactly, what right does a girl have to eat?”

“Yes, share the food quickly! You can tell from her belly it’s a big, healthy boy.”

“Right, only men deserve to eat fish.”

Voices piled up, spitting insults like a hailstorm at Su Yanwen.

The scene terrified Cao’er, who shrank into Zhao Yue’e’s arms, too afraid to eat.

Su Yanwen remained calm, even with only one hand, quickly roasting fish.

When the crowd’s shouting died down, he calmly added, “You all know you came from women’s wombs, right?”

“Sounds like you think you sprang from a rock or something.”

“What’s wrong with girls? If you look down on women so much, throw yourself into the ravine behind the mountain and then talk to me.”

Despite the principle that filial piety comes first, they dared insult his own mother.

One by one, they stomped and cursed.

Everyone kept attacking Su Yanwen with harsh words like machine-gun fire.

Zhao Yue’e cried from shame and anger, wishing she could sink into the ground.

Su Yanwen still didn’t flinch.

Catching them between breaths, he asked, “You’re all hungry, aren’t you?”

“Heh heh, here, smell this.”

He took out a battered fan and waved it towards the crowd.

Their growling stomachs were louder than their insults.

“Su... Su Boss, you’ve gone too far.”

“Yeah, since we’re here, at least share some.”

Shameless.

Even Su Cuilan was surprised. So they weren’t here to help, but to grab a share!

Su Yanwen smiled: “Want some?”

Seeing everyone nod in unison, he smiled warmly.

“Good. No problem. I’ll eat and show you.”

He picked up a roasted fish, bit off the head, pulled out the bones, and tossed them to the ground.

The white, tender fish meat went straight into his mouth.

Delicious!

“Ah!”

The crowd’s cries of despair rose again.

“Su Boss, you’re crazy! Are you even human?”