If he actually killed the chicken like that, a stab to the belly wouldn’t be instantly fatal. The bird would just flap around, splattering the kitchen with blood, and the room would become impossible to stay in.

Qin Jiao said with a sigh of resignation, "That’s not how you kill a chicken. Go get some white liquor. We have to do this out in the courtyard. Auntie, please boil some water. We’ll need it to pluck the feathers."

Du Liya was still baffled, but she didn’t question it. She just nodded and went to boil the water.

Shen Yi went and got Mr. Du’s white liquor. When Qin Jiao saw the word "Maotai" on the label, the corner of her mouth twitched. 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

"Go swap this for some regular white liquor. Erguotou is fine. If you use this to get the chicken drunk, Grandpa Du will probably want to stew *you* into soup!"

Even though Shen Yi had been reborn, he came from a life of privilege and had never been short on money. Maotai might be expensive, but he didn’t think it was a big deal.

But since Qin Jiao told him to swap it, he turned and went back to do so without a second thought.

Du Liya had finished boiling the water. She carried a steel basin and the kettle out into the courtyard. Shen Yi then emerged with a newly acquired bottle of Erguotou.

Qin Jiao gave up on relying on the mother and son. She poured the white liquor down the hen’s throat and, after watching it start to stumble in circles, brought the knife down in one swift motion, lopping off the chicken’s neck.

Du Liya’s heart pounded in her chest as she watched. ’This girl is incredible!’

Shen Yi’s eyes shone as he watched. ’My Jiao Jiao is amazing!’

Both were full of admiration, though their feelings weren’t quite the same. Qin Jiao deftly plucked the hen and cut it in half.

The hen was quite large and wouldn’t fit in the clay pot, so they only used half, along with some other ingredients.

Oh, and it was Du Liya who added the other ingredients herself, with Qin Jiao telling her exactly what to add.

Next came the simmering, which just required time. Du Liya told Qin Jiao to take the other half of the chicken home. "Xiao Jiao, you’re so incredible," she said admiringly. "You can do anything. When you have a moment, you should teach me how to cook other dishes."

"Okay." Having lived two lives, Qin Jiao knew that Du Liya was actually a very sincere and straightforward person. Now that she was no longer infatuated with Shen Zhengfeng, she was perfectly normal.

She didn’t stay any longer. With the chicken in hand, she turned and headed home.

Listening to the BUBBLE BUBBLE from the clay pot, Du Liya felt a surprising sense of accomplishment. Although she had contributed less than a fifth of the work, she had memorized the steps. Next time... as long as she didn’t have to kill the chicken, she could probably do it all by herself.

When she looked up, she suddenly noticed her son standing there, gazing wistfully in the direction of the front gate.

"Xiao Yi, what’s wrong?"

"Oh, it’s nothing. Mom, watch the pot. I’m going upstairs to study." Du Liya had recently started to pay more attention to her father and her son. She suddenly recalled something and said, "Xiao Yi, I heard from your grandpa that you’ve been studying very late at night. I’m happy you’re studying hard, but you need to take care of your health. Getting into college is a good thing, of course, but it’s okay if you don’t make it. Even though your dad and I are divorced, I’ll never stop looking after you."

"I will get into college," Shen Yi said, his tone firm as he spoke slowly. "And I’ll support you and Grandpa in the future."

After saying that, he went upstairs. Du Liya stood in the kitchen, wearing her apron and still holding the soup ladle, when her eyes suddenly reddened.

’My son has grown up without me even realizing it. He’s become so much more sensible.’

’As his mother, shouldn’t I also try to be a little braver, a little more sensible?’

At the house next door, Qin Jiao brought the half-chicken home and explained where it came from. Su Yun sighed. "Mr. Du and his family are such good people. Xiao Jiao, when you’re successful in the future, you must not forget them."

Qin Jiao nodded.

She would never forget the kindness others showed her.

But then she remembered... ’Oh, right. After the college entrance exams next year, our family will definitely move away. It’ll probably be hard to see Grandpa Du again then.’