MGASC -Chapter 2 Lie Flat, Hug the Big Legs

“Dad, you’re back!”

Three boys stood neatly in front of her. The oldest looked around eleven or twelve, the youngest five or six. Their clothes were patched upon patches, their hair a mess like a chicken coop, their faces thin and gaunt. Yet their three pairs of eyes shone brightly, fixed on the doorway, full of light.

But as soon as they realized it wasn’t Lin Tianyue who had come in, the eldest, Lin Xun, immediately scowled, “Why is she back again?”

The second, Lin Ran, caught in the middle, gave Zhang Qiao an awkward smile.

The youngest, Lin Jin, was the most direct. Terrified, he bolted: “Big Brother, Second Brother, close the door! The fox spirit is back!”

Leaving Zhang Qiao standing outside, utterly dumbfounded.

Fox spirit?

Zhang Qiao recalled: the male lead, Lin Tianyue, had once adopted three boys—it must be these three before her.

From what she vaguely remembered from skimming the novel, Lin Tianyue’s good deeds were rewarded. The three children he adopted all became successful later: one became a top figure in scientific research, one took over the family business and became a tycoon, and the other joined the military, eventually becoming the youngest commander.

In short, the family was all successful, with one regret: Lin Tianyue never had children of his own…

Zhang Qiao lowered her gaze again, patting her still-flat belly.

Even though they were all fictional characters, she felt a tender affection for Lin Tianyue she hadn’t even met yet.

Wait a minute…

If this family were all future big shots, then if she clung to them tightly from now on, could she just lie flat for life and never have to struggle?

Before transmigrating, Zhang Qiao’s biggest wish had been to achieve financial freedom, to lie flat, slack off, and enjoy life. That’s why she had pushed herself so hard with livestreaming, reversing her days and nights, to the point that even a simple fall could break her. But after transmigrating, she still hadn’t achieved her dream.

Unexpectedly, a dream she couldn’t achieve before transmigrating might actually be possible now!

No—she needed to stay calm first!

Right now, the three little ones clearly disliked her. She had to think of a way to win them over.

It wasn’t even their fault for having a bad impression of her. The original Zhang Qiao had been too much.

Lazy and greedy, constantly whining about being “married off unfairly,” and frequently threatening to kick the three boys out—it was no wonder they didn’t like her!

Well, since she was here, she’d just go with it.

Zhang Qiao planned to go in and see the situation before making any moves.

As she approached, the three scattered like the plague.

The door opened into a courtyard with three rooms. The middle one had a dining table and benches—it was basically the living room.

The room on the right was Zhang Qiao and Lin Tianyue’s bedroom, with simple furniture, a pink mosquito net, and red wedding decorations on the walls.

The left room was simpler: just two big beds and a table—it was where the three boys lived.

Zhang Qiao set down the basket in her hands and called out to the yard, “Have you all eaten?”

No one responded.

After a while, the faint aroma of food drifted from the kitchen.

The eldest, Lin Xun, carried in a bowl of scallion soup noodles with a few oil droplets floating on top, slamming it down in front of her.

Although the noodles looked plain, in that era of scarcity, they were considered decent food.

“For me?”

Zhang Qiao had walked quite a distance and was genuinely hungry. She eagerly lifted the bowl to smell it, only to see Lin Xun’s serious little face: “Dad said that for as long as you’re here, there will always be food for you! He won’t let you go hungry!”

“What about you guys? What are you eating?”

“None of your business!”

With that, he turned and went back into the kitchen.

Zhang Qiao: Oh, I really do care!

She followed Lin Xun into the kitchen. Lin Ran and Lin Jin were crouched on the floor, peeling a roasted potato. On the stove, there were a few steamed buns and three bowls of noodle soup—this was their dinner.

Zhang Qiao’s sudden appearance left the three kids dumbfounded.

Their hands, blackened with potato peel, matched their messy hair, making them look pitiful.

For no reason, Zhang Qiao felt her eyes sting a little.

Here she was, getting a full bowl of noodles, while the kids only had soup and potatoes—starving and emaciated. No wonder the previous Zhang Qiao had been so domineering at home, always taking the best for herself.

What a sin!

“Stop eating! What’s so good about roasted potatoes? Just wait here!”

She snatched the potato from their hands and turned to leave.

Her stomach grumbled. Thinking of the child in her belly, she took a few mouthfuls of noodles, then carried the basket into the kitchen.

Inside were meat, rice, and sugar…

The three boys exchanged glances, as if saying, Look, she’s taking Dad’s money to buy delicious food for herself.

Since there was none for them, they didn’t bother watching her fuss.

In the yard, they could hear sizzling sounds, the aroma of meat, and the smell of cooking rice coming from the kitchen.

Zhang Qiao had never used this heavy stove before, but with the original owner’s muscle memory, she instinctively knew what to do.

As for cooking skills, before transmigrating she had been a foodie, constantly studying recipes, and cooking was her favorite hobby.

After over an hour, Zhang Qiao had prepared braised pork with potatoes, tomato and egg soup (she picked fresh tomatoes from the yard and cracked in an egg), and steamed rice.

The three Lin boys hadn’t smelled meat in ages. When Zhang Qiao brought out a bowl of glossy, oily braised pork, all except the eldest, Lin Xun, drooled in anticipation.

“Lin Xun, Lin Ran, Lin Jin, come eat! Hurry!”

The door was open, and Zhang Qiao set out the chopsticks, giving each a large bowl of rice, waving enthusiastically at them.

Lin Ran and Lin Jin were about to step forward when Lin Xun cleared his throat: “Don’t be a traitor!”

Lin Ran pressed his chapped lips together: “Brother, there’s meat. But why is she suddenly so nice to us?”

Lin Jin: “Yeah?”

Even Lin Xun was tempted by the smell, but stubbornly turned away: “She must have some bad motive. Remember last time, she and that old lady tried to get us drugged and sold!”

“Exactly! You can’t trust a bad woman! She usually hides the good food for herself; now she’s being generous, she must have drugged it!”

Lin Jin licked his lips furiously: “But… it smells so good. I really want to eat it!”

Lin Xun and Lin Ran: “Pathetic.”

Seeing the three still hesitating, Zhang Qiao stepped out and called again. Yet as soon as she crossed the threshold, the three bolted like they had seen a ghost.

“What’s their problem?”

Not good enough? This is meat!

Zhang Qiao, a little frustrated, tried a bite herself. She had specially caramelized the braised pork for a sweet, soft texture, sighing, “Delicious. Nothing beats pure, green, free-range pork!”

As she chewed, she observed the boys outside. But no matter how she tempted them, they weren’t falling for it.

What to do? The grudge was deep—they were hard to manage.

Zhang Qiao propped her chin on her hand, eyes twinkling with a new idea.

She pretended to eat for a while, then stood to clear the table, deliberately saying loudly: “Ah, nobody wants this delicious meat? Then I’ll hide it and eat it tomorrow!”

She put all the meat and rice in a big pot to keep warm. In the past, the original owner would hoard food to eat alone.

But these were kids. Starving, they would sneak the food when she wasn’t looking.

Moreover, in such a sparse time, who wouldn’t crave meat?

Sure enough, after she cleaned the pot and stove, tidied the yard, boiled some hot water, and prepared a washbasin, she returned to her room to wash up and sleep.

Not long after, sounds came from the yard, followed by the creak of the kitchen door opening.

Zhang Qiao smiled: Haha, can’t fool these three little ones!

…

In the dim kitchen light, the three children ravenously devoured the food.

“Delicious! My tongue is about to be charmed by the smell!”

“The fox spirit even hid the meat… she’s pretending to be good. Nope, number three… slow down, don’t choke.”

“Anyway, she bought the meat with Dad’s money. Why wouldn’t we eat it?”

Lin Xun had eaten most of his bowl and finally felt a bit full. Hearing this, he put down his chopsticks, worried: “Dad’s been locked up for five days. When will he get out?”

The three went silent.

Xiangshui County was remote; the winds of reform and opening-up hadn’t fully reached here. The local authorities were conservative, strictly punishing small unauthorized businesses. Getting caught meant several days in jail, or worse, imprisonment.

Lin Tianyue was a prime target.

Lin Xun’s face darkened: “I asked Uncle Chen Gang. Dad this time might be made an example of.”

Lin Ran: “What? Dad won’t be executed, right?”

Lin Jin chewed while tears glimmered in his eyes: “Does this mean the fox spirit is going to sell us? Wuwu… I want Dad! I want Dad!”

“Shh!”

Suddenly, there was a noise in the yard. Lin Xun pricked up his ears and was about to investigate when the doorway curtain lifted, and a tall, imposing figure stepped in.