Xia Minmin and Wang Yu, smelling of baby cream, sat at the dining table while the others had already started eating breakfast.

Xiao Wu said with a smile, "You two little girls, there's something wrong with your thinking if you're not enthusiastic about eating."

Xia Minmin swallowed the milk in her mouth. "Uncle, you shouldn't talk while eating or sleeping."

At this moment, Xia Minmin looked at Xiao Wu as if he were an ignorant child.

Well, since a child said that, everyone had no choice but to finish their meal in silence.

Xia Xiaomei looked at the five people who had been playing cards all night and kept yawning. "You guys go and get some sleep. I'll clean up the dishes."

Xia Xiaomei stood up, supporting her back. With her pregnant belly in between, she could only turn sideways to clear the dishes. Everyone felt sorry for her when they saw her like this.

Xia Damei took the bowl and chopsticks from Xia Xiaomei's hands. "Washing the dishes and cleaning up won't take long, we can do it. Your main task now is to take good care of your pregnancy."

Xia Minmin stepped forward and took the bowls and chopsticks from Xia Damei's hands. "Auntie and Auntie, you can rest. I'll clean up the dishes and chopsticks and make sure they're spotless."

Xia Damei looked her niece up and down, "Are you sure you can do it? Can you reach the sink?"

The restaurant erupted in laughter. Xia Minmin pouted, her face turning bright red.

Xia Damei quickly explained, "Xiaomin, I didn't mean you're short!"

Xia Damei realized she had misspoke as soon as she finished speaking. "Xiaomin, you know your aunt is bad with words, please don't blame her. Your aunt was just worried about getting your sleeves wet."

Li Chunmei comforted the bewildered Xia Damei, "Damei, it's alright. Xiaomin knows your good intentions. She's tall and often helps us wash the dishes at home. If she can't reach something, she'll make a stool for herself. Let's all go and rest! You have to go to work tomorrow."

Xia Damei, Wang Jie, and Xiao Wu went downstairs to their rooms to rest, while Xia Xiaomei went to work at the supermarket.

Before going downstairs, Xia Xiaomei was still worried and repeatedly asked her nieces, "Xiaomin and Xiaoyu, are you really okay? Don't you need your aunt's help?"

"No need, Auntie, you should go to work!"

Li Chunmei and Xia Jianguo held their pajamas, watching the push and pull between the aunt and niece.

Xia Jianguo said, "Little sister, just go to work! Those two can't destroy the house, they can do whatever they want."

Although Xia Xiaomei did not agree, since her second brother and sister-in-law, who were her parents, agreed, she couldn't say anything more.

After washing the dishes, Wang Yu took out her winter vacation homework with a bitter expression, placed it on her desk, and sighed.

Xia Minmin opened her winter vacation homework and found that she hadn't written a single word. No, she should say she had written her name.

Wang Yu stared intently at Xia Minmin, who had her hands clasped together in prayer. "Xiaomin, please help me! Help me with my math homework!"

"No." Her expectations were ruthlessly rejected by Xia Minmin.

Xia Minmin had a physics test paper for the second year of junior high school in front of her. She had been studying on her own for a while and didn't know how effective it was, but her score was not bad, with 95 out of 100.

Li Chunmei and Xia Jianguo finally came out of the master bedroom at noon after resting. The two children were doing their homework at the dining table.

Li Chunmei opened the locker and found a lot of uneaten fruit and nuts inside. "What should we do? There's so much left. We only have enough space in our suitcases, and it'll be a hassle to carry it all back."

"Shall we divide it among my eldest and youngest sisters?"

"Okay, you do the installation."

“Okay, I’ll pack them.” Xia Jianguo took two cardboard boxes and packed the fruits and nuts from the storage cabinet.

Li Chunmei was watching the two children do their homework with great interest.

Xia Minmin wrote furiously, undisturbed by the outside world.

Wang Yu scratched his head and ears, flipping through his textbooks, occasionally glancing at Xia Minmin.

"Xiaoyu, is there any question you don't know how to answer?" Li Chunmei's voice made Wang Yu turn her gaze away.

"Auntie, how come there's such a big difference between people? Xiaomin is so smart, how come I'm so stupid?" Wang Yu told Li Chunmei, feeling dejected.

Li Chunmei patted Wang Yu's head and said, "Xiao Yu, Xiao Min often says that diligence can make up for clumsiness and that even a slow bird can fly first. She is the same way. Do you want your aunt to copy her schedule for you? You can try it. Maybe it will help you."

Wang Yu quickly shook her head. She had heard about Xiao Min's daily routine before. She didn't even have time to watch TV, which was simply too painful.

Ding-dong...

The doorbell rang, and Xia Jianguo put the neatly packed cardboard box on the coffee table and went to open the door.

Xiao Wu is outside.

Xiao Wu handed the boxed lunch in his hand to Xia Jianguo, "Second Brother, I ordered boxed lunches from outside. These are for you. I'll go downstairs first."

Li Chunmei walked to the entrance hall and said, "Xiao Wu, wait a minute. There are still some fruits and snacks left over from the New Year celebrations. Take them with you. We're going back to Dudu Garden this afternoon."

Wang Yu poked Xia Minmin, who was sitting next to her, and asked in a low voice, "Are you going back to Dudu Garden this afternoon?"

Xia Minmin looked up at Wang Yu with a blank expression. "What did you say?"

Wang Yu had no choice but to repeat it.

"Yes, two more stores will open tomorrow."

"Okay, no one's playing with me again!" Wang Yu leaned weakly against the dining table.

"You'd better hurry up and do your winter break homework!"

Wang Yu, whose sore spot had been hit, clutched her head and wailed.

Xiao Wu changed his shoes and followed Xia Jianguo into the living room. There were two identical cardboard boxes on the coffee table. "One is for you, and the other is for your older sister."

"Thank you, Second Brother! I was thinking of asking you and Second Sister-in-law where you bought them. Xiaxia loves pistachios, and the ones you bought are better than the ones I bought."

"I'll have your second sister-in-law give you the address later. We often buy their pistachios. They're unbleached and simply stir-fried with salt, which is suitable for children and pregnant women."

Xiao Wu listened attentively to Xia Jianguo's words, which reminded him of the taboos mentioned in the book he had bought about caring for pregnant women. The book said that pregnant women should eat fruits and nuts regularly, as it is good for both the mother and the baby.

"Then I'll go downstairs first, Second Brother." Xiao Wu carried two cardboard boxes to the entrance to change his shoes.

Li Chunmei said, "Xiao Wu, don't forget to meet your little sister at noon on the twelfth of the first lunar month."

"Second sister-in-law, I'll remember. You guys eat, I'll go downstairs now."

Xia Minmin and Wang Yu rushed to open their lunchboxes and start eating with disposable chopsticks while they were talking. They were just too hungry to wait any longer.

Wang Yu commented while eating her boxed lunch, "The food tastes pretty good, but the rice is awful!"

"It'll be better to pour the broth over it, you should try it."

Wang Yu followed Xia Minmin's example, pouring the broth over the rice and stirring it well. "It tastes better than plain rice."

After seeing Xiao Wu off and closing the door, Xia Jianguo and Li Chunmei walked to the dining table. The two children had already eaten more than half of their boxed lunches, indicating that they were really hungry and ate much more than usual.

Xia Jianguo watched the two children eating with relish and asked, "How's the boxed lunch your uncle ordered?"

"It's alright, the dishes are good! But the rice is not good."

"The rice is unpalatable, which is a common problem with all boxed meals." Xia Minmin's words are always so incisive that no one can refute them.

After lunch, Xia Jianguo and Li Chunmei went in and out cleaning the room, airing out the quilts and washing and tidying up the sheets so that it would be convenient for them to stay next time.