The restaurant staff loaded dozens of roast duck meals into the trunk of Gu Xingzhao’s car, and then handed her two separately packaged meals.
“Miss Gu, these two meals have an extra chicken leg,” the staff member explained, worried the labels might fall off, so they had put the meals in a separate bag.
Gu Xingzhao accepted the bag, thanked them, and drove home. Along the way, she checked the time and noticed it was still early. She wondered if Lu Qing and the others were still on the road.
Meanwhile, in the past, the exiled group had been traveling all day. Seeing the increasing number of refugees along the way, Lu Qing’s brow furrowed.
Next to him, Lu Zhou noticed his father’s worried expression. “Father, what’s troubling you?”
The others nearby also turned to look at Lu Qing.
Lu Qing sighed. “Lately, we’ve encountered a lot of refugees.”
Lu Zhou and the others finally realized this too—they had indeed crossed paths with many displaced people in the past few days. Lu Xingyan was the first to react. “Could it be a natural disaster?”
Lu Qing nodded. “It’s likely. On the route from the capital to Huaibei, we pass through Qingjun. West of Qingjun, the area suffers from frequent droughts, and the crops have failed year after year.”
In Huaibei, floods were common, and during this time of year, he usually submitted reports to the court to prepare for such events. Now, he wasn’t sure how things were being handled. Thinking of the suffering people, he couldn’t help but sigh again.
The others wanted to comfort him but didn’t know how. Lu Qing was no longer in the court, yet he still worried about the state of the nation and the plight of its people.
But Lu Qing’s concerns extended beyond just these matters.
The officers, including Du Hangwu, remained alert. Though the refugees were pitiable, banditry had been rampant among them in recent years. While no one would be foolish enough to rob an exile group, you never knew when someone might try.
Gu Xingzhao waited until the exiled group had found a place to rest before she transported the meals to the past.
The two meals with the extra chicken legs she delivered personally. “Lu Qing, it’s time to eat.”
Since Lu Xingyao’s arm was still injured, distributing meals had fallen to the younger members of the clan.
“Thank you, Ancestor,” Lu Qing said as he took the meal. When he opened the box, the warm, fragrant aroma filled the air. The sight of the large chicken leg made his mouth water, but he couldn’t help thinking of the refugees and recalling You Xian’s words. When would the country finally know peace and prosperity?
Sensing Lu Qing’s troubled thoughts, Gu Xingzhao noticed several refugees camped nearby for the night. There were elderly, women, and children, but none dared approach the exiled group, as the armed officers watching over them looked fierce, and the group included dangerous criminals.
Seeing Lu Qing eating his meal with a heavy heart, Gu Xingzhao wanted to cheer him up but wasn’t sure how. The refugees were indeed pitiful, but in their current situation, it was hard enough to take care of themselves, let alone offer help.
She knew this, and she was sure Lu Qing understood as well.
Just as she was considering cracking a joke to lighten the mood, she saw him grab the chicken leg from his meal and take a huge, satisfied bite. His eyes filled with contentment, completely erasing the image of the worried former Grand Chancellor.
Gu Xingzhao: “…” He’s like a child—his mood changes so fast.
Meanwhile, Lu Xingyao was in bliss. His meal had duck meat, vegetables, and even the rice was fragrant and delicious.
But his joy was short-lived when he noticed his third uncle munching on a chicken leg.
Chicken leg?
Where did that come from?
Lu Xingyao looked through his own meal, poking around the white rice with his chopsticks, but couldn’t find any chicken leg. Could it be an old chicken leg his third uncle had saved?
Smacking his lips, he asked, “Third Uncle, where did you get that chicken leg?”
Lu Xingyan, though eating his chicken leg, remained composed. “It was in the meal box.”
Lu Xingyao: “???”
Feeling perplexed, he glanced at his own meal again—just a few pieces of duck meat and some vegetables. His third uncle, noticing this, raised an eyebrow. “You didn’t get a chicken leg?”
His question felt like a dagger to Lu Xingyao’s heart.
Lu Xingyao forced a laugh, thinking maybe the meals were just different. Surely someone else must have a chicken leg. There’s no way their ancestor would favor his third uncle, right?
So, he got up and checked other family members’ meals, starting with his parents. They had the same thing as him: duck meat and vegetables.
His second uncle and aunt also had the same. Even his sister, Lu Youtang, who was still growing, didn’t have a chicken leg.
Lu Xingyao walked around while eating his meal, glancing at everyone’s food. His eyes finally landed on his grandfather.
He watched as Lu Qing placed the picked-clean chicken bone on the lid of his meal box and continued eating.
Lu Qing: The food sent by the Ancestor is truly delicious, especially this chicken leg—so tender and flavorful!
Seeing how much he enjoyed it, Gu Xingzhao mentally added the restaurant to her favorites list, planning to try their pork leg rice next time, as she’d heard it was their specialty.
Sensing someone’s gaze, she looked up and saw Lu Xingyao standing there, staring at the chicken bone with a wounded expression, as if he had been abandoned.
That’s when it hit her—Lu Xingyao had realized she had secretly given Lu Qing an extra chicken leg!
Seeing his heartbroken face, Gu Xingzhao suddenly felt guilty, as if she had been caught cheating.
But that feeling quickly passed. She straightened her back. Lu Qing was getting older, so why shouldn’t he get an extra chicken leg?
Lu Xingyao’s heart sank. Sure, his grandfather was old, so it made sense for him to get a chicken leg. But why did his third uncle get one too?
Seeing Lu Xingyao’s gaze shift to Lu Xingyan, Gu Xingzhao thought, Well, Lu Xingyan isn’t in good health, so giving him a chicken leg to nourish him makes sense.
But Lu Xingyao didn’t know what she was thinking. All he felt was betrayal, as if his beloved ancestor no longer cared for him and favored his grandfather and third uncle instead!
Seeing how devastated he was, Gu Xingzhao hesitated for a moment before rummaging through her pocket and pulling out a small handheld game console she usually used to pass time playing Tetris. She scribbled a note on a sticky pad and slipped it into Lu Xingyao’s coat pocket.
As Lu Xingyao wandered off, heartbroken, Gu Xingzhao sat down, feeling conflicted. Ah, too many kids really is a hassle. They’re all equally important to me.
She pulled out her phone and posted on her social media: The struggles of having many kids—they even want their meals to be identical.
Later, as Lu Xingyao was moping in the corner, he felt something in his pocket. Confused, he reached in, pulling out a small handheld device with a few raised buttons, along with a note: Something to pass the time with.
Lu Xingyao: “!!!” It was from his beloved and mighty ancestor!
His heart instantly warmed, and he felt happy once again.
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