He forced me to sever ties with my family and sleep on a dilapidated boat, then turned around and be

Niu Bayi returned to his maternal grandmother's house.

Grandma sat on a stool in the corner, holding a bowl of hot brown sugar water, drinking it with great relish.

When Deng Ju saw Niu Bayi return, she quickly put on a smiling face.

"Hey, look, I'm giving your grandma some brown sugar water. I usually don't even use brown sugar to make water, but it's good for your grandma as it nourishes her heart and lungs and replenishes her blood and energy."

After being thoroughly beaten by Niu Bayi, Deng Ju completely changed her shrewish ways and became incredibly well-behaved.

Cao Hongshan stood by with a smile, constantly praising how filial he was.

Niu Bayi ignored him completely and said to Granny Cao, "Grandma, look, I caught a lot of sparrows and four crucian carp. I'll make crucian carp soup for you for lunch today."

"It's very nourishing to drink."

Grandma Cao trembled with joy as she looked at the large and small bags in his hands.

She scolded again, "You...you child, why did you buy so many things? You don't need them, you don't need them. Even if you have money, don't spend it recklessly. Grandma is already so old, why do you need supplements? Just being able to breathe is enough."

"Keep this money, use it to buy things for Zhenzhen, or to build a house or something, isn't that great?"

Niu Bayi said, "Grandma, don't worry, it won't cost much. Your grandson can earn money very well now."

Then, he glared at Deng Ju.

"What are you standing there for? Hurry up and tidy up all the things I bought. First, pluck the feathers and clean the sparrows. Take four or five to make soup. Make the soup for my grandma to drink tomorrow morning."

"Tonight, she'll have crucian carp soup."

"The other sparrows were first salted, along with this pork and medicinal herbs..."

He explained everything in detail, as if he were the rightful master of the house.

Deng Ju and Cao Hongshan could only stand aside and listen obediently.

After making the arrangements, Niu Bayi didn't rest. Acting as if he were the master of the house, he quickly started a fire.

Then I washed the five-finger peach root I bought and put it in, intending to use it to cook crucian carp.

Five-finger peach is not a peach, but a kind of tree root.

It's so good, it's perfect for Grandma to drink right now.

Five-finger peach and crucian carp soup is sweet and neutral in nature, nourishing without being drying, and warming without being hot.

In the south, it has long been known as the number one soup ingredient for replenishing qi and removing dampness.

My grandmother had lived in the cave for quite a few days, and her body was covered in a lot of dampness, so she definitely needed to expel the dampness.

Let's give her some more energy.

perfect!

Next, in a separate pot, all the crucian carp were killed.

Open it up and clean it thoroughly.

Fry the ingredients in rapeseed oil until golden brown, then pour in the prepared five-finger peach water, add a small piece of dried tangerine peel and a few slices of ginger, and simmer until it turns milky white.

A milky and fishy aroma mingled together, not only swirling in the kitchen but also spreading throughout the entire courtyard.

It smells so good it makes your mouth water like the Huangpu River.

Because Niu Bayi secretly added some space seawater, the flavor was richer and more nutritious.

After the soup was cooked, Niu Bayi ladled out a bowl and brought it to his grandmother. He also used chopsticks to pick off the tenderest, boneless parts of the crucian carp, such as the belly and swim bladder, and put them into her bowl.

"Grandma, drink it while it's hot, it will make you feel much better."

The aroma of the soup brought tears to Grandma's eyes.

"Bayi, you are truly my good grandson. My four grandsons usually ignore me. How can they compare to you? Why aren't you my own grandson?"

Niu Bayi said, "Grandma, stop grumbling. Whether you're my own grandson or not, I'm still your grandson. If no one else takes care of you in your old age, I will. Hurry up and drink!"

Grandma Cao does indeed have four grandsons: two from her eldest son's family and two from her youngest son's family.

All four grandsons live in the town or county, either running small businesses or working for others.

It's better than staying at home and toiling in the fields for a living.

She nodded, carefully picked up the soup spoon, scooped up some fish soup, and took a small sip.

Instantly, the wrinkles on his face relaxed, and his expression revealed a hint of surprise.

"Bayi, your cooking skills are really good. The fish soup you made is so delicious. Although Grandma rarely drinks fish soup and can't afford it, she has had it a few times, but none of them tasted as good as yours."

"Oh my, I really want to drink more after I've had it."

Seeing that his grandmother loved the fish soup he made, Niu Bayi smiled so hard his eyes narrowed into slits.

"Grandma, drink more if you like it, and eat the fish too. There are no bones or thorns left. Tonight, just drink the fish soup and eat the fish. That should be enough to fill you up. But don't eat too much, or you won't be able to digest it."

"I'll eat the rest."

When Niu Ba saw that there was enough fish and soup in his grandmother's bowl, he scooped all the remaining crucian carp into his own bowl, filled it with fish soup, and sat down next to his grandmother to slurp it up.

He was hungry too.

Moreover, this crucian carp is quite delicious.

Although it has many bones, the bones were already crispy when it was pan-fried earlier.

Moreover, Niu Bayi has good teeth and can chew meat and bones together in one bite.

He even stuffed the golden-brown fried fish head into his mouth, crunching it like he was chewing beans.

It tasted incredibly delicious when chewed.

A bite of fish and a sip of soup, and you feel completely refreshed.

The uncle and aunt standing next to him, holding empty bowls, stared in disbelief, their mouths watering.

They thought that by making soup with four half-pound crucian carp, they would get a share of the whole pot.

Little did anyone know that Niu Ba only cared about eating it himself, but also gave some to his grandmother.

They didn't even intend to let them sit down and eat.

In the past, he would have already started cursing.

Now he can only watch longingly from the sidelines, drool constantly dripping from his eyes.

After eating and drinking to our hearts' content, it was getting late, and another day was about to pass.

Niu Bayi took out ten ten-yuan bills and stuffed them into his grandmother's hand.

Grandma was taken aback, and hurriedly stuffed the money back into her hands.

"Bayi, what are you doing? Don't give me money! Why... why are you giving me so much? Take it back! Take it back!"

Cao Hongshan and Deng Ju, who were standing nearby, stared wide-eyed.

I wish I could rush over and pull Grandma Cao's hand back.

That's a whole 100 yuan!

Their whole family didn't know how long it would take to earn that much.

Why shouldn't you accept a gift from someone who's being kind enough to give it to you?

Niu Bayi resolutely stuffed 100 yuan into his grandmother's pocket.

"Grandma, please don't return the money to me. It would hurt me too much. You used to be in poor health and you would walk such a long way through the mountains to come see me and give me money to use."

"Now it's my turn to give you money to use."

"You'd better accept it properly, or you don't treat me like your grandson, do you hear me?"

Grandma finally stopped, shaking her head and sighing, her old face revealing a mixture of joy and emotion.

"Bayi, now you can earn money, take care of yourself, and even got married. Your mother's spirit in heaven can finally rest in peace. When she passed away..."

"You're the one I worry about the most. You kept telling me to take good care of you."

"Because she knows your dad... your dad doesn't care about you."

Niu Bayi felt a lump in his throat and a pang of sadness, and shook his head.

"Grandma, let's not talk about sad things anymore. Anyway, we'll live a good life from now on."

Then, he turned his head, his lightning-fast eyes sweeping over Cao Hongshan and Deng Ju beside him.

The sweeping motion made them feel as if they'd been electrocuted, and they hurriedly jumped back a large step.

My subconscious urge was to kneel down and beg for mercy again!

He was truly terrified of his nephew's beatings.

Niu Bayi said coldly, "Remember, this money is for Grandma to spend. She can spend it however she wants. If you try to trick her into giving the money away, and I find out—"

"Instead of hitting it with a wooden stick, we'll find an iron rod to hit it."

"I guarantee one hit with this stick and I'll break a few of your bones, you hear me?"