There was limited space at home, and it was difficult to get water. She might as well clean up by the stream. Anyway, there was a stream next to their house, and there was shade there.
When she reached the stream, Lin Xiaoyue found some hay and lit it with a lighter, burning the feathers on the pheasant.
Then she cut open the belly of the pheasant with a dagger and dug out all its internal organs.
She threw away some of the inedible parts, leaving only chicken intestines, liver, heart, gizzards, and so on. Then, she removed the feces and cleaned up the internal organs.
After cleaning up, Lin Xiaoyue cleaned up the scene.
She kicked the ashes into the bushes and buried the unwanted internal organs before returning with Lin Xiaozhi.
Considering that there were not enough containers at home, and that Lin Xiaoyue did not want to arouse suspicion, Lin Xiaoyue simply wrapped the internal organs with the pheasant's meat and stewed them together.
The two pheasants were about seven or eight catties, almost filling up the pot at home.
After Lin Xiaoyue added water, she closed the lid and started the fire.
Lin Xiaozhi stayed by her side, eating the lollipop with a face full of satisfaction.
Soon, they could smell the fragrance of the pheasant meat.
The delicious smell that drifted out was tempting, and soon made Lin Xiaoyue salivate.
Lin Xiaozhi, who was beside her, also felt that the lollipop in her hand was not as tasty as before, and her beautiful eyes kept looking at the stove from time to time.
Outside, the three people who were sewing purses under the big tree in the courtyard were also attracted by the smell, and they could not focus anymore.
The days were not easy, and they had not eaten meat for a long time.
Lin Xiaoyue added firewood to the stove from time to time. She moved the stool further away from the stove.
Then, she told Lin Xiaozhi the story of Little Red Riding Hood to distract themselves.
Lin Xiaozhi listened attentively. When he heard about the wolf pretending to be Little Red Riding Hood's grandma, his eyes were full of fear.
Lin Xiaoyue was not afraid of scaring her little brother, so she continued to tell the story vividly.
She thought that her little brother was obedient and cute, so she needed to tell him more stories to guard against strangers so that he would not be kidnapped by bad people.
After telling the story, it was finally time for a lecture.
"So, what did you learn from this story?" Lin Xiaoyue looked at Lin Xiaozhi.
The little boy scratched his head and looked at his sister.
"Well... the hunter is so powerful! I want to be a hunter! He saved Little Red Riding Hood and her grandma from the Big Bad Wolf!"
Yes, he wanted to be a hunter, as powerful as his sister. He could hunt wild chickens and rabbits, and he could make so much delicious food for his family!
Lin Xiaoyue was stunned.
Then, she knocked lightly on the little boy's head with her hand.
"Hunter? I'm a hunter. You have to be a scholar and bring honor to our family!" She lectured him with a smile.
"Hehe." The little boy did not feel any pain at all. When he saw his sister laughing, he laughed as well.
"Don't laugh." Lin Xiaoyue put on a straight face.
As expected, the little boy stopped laughing.
"Then is a scholar better than a hunter?" Realizing that his sister probably did not want him to compete with her for the position of a hunter, the little boy asked in a sullen tone.
"Of course! A scholar knows right from wrong, has a broad vision, and can even take the examinations to become a high-ranking official!" Lin Xiaoyue suggested it to her brother.
"Being a hunter can only feed our family. Being a scholar and becoming an official in the future can feed the whole village and even more people!"
A yearning expression appeared in the little boy's eyes.
"Then I want to be a scholar," he said.