After walking around the house a few times to digest my food, I felt my stomach wasn't so full anymore, so I had the children rinse their mouths and go back to their rooms to sleep.

She coaxed Luo Xin to sleep, then went to the kitchen to put the pig liver (which had been boiled several times) into the supermarket. She hadn't had time to cook it tonight, so she would cook it tomorrow.

Back in my room, I went into the supermarket, picked out two sets of underwear on the third floor, took a shower, washed the underwear, and hung them on a hanger in the bathroom to dry.

She really wasn't used to the ancient-style bellyband and underpants.

After drying my hair, I went back to bed, reached out and hugged the little girl, closing my eyes as if I were holding a doll.

I got up in the middle of the night and took Luo Xin to the outhouse, then slept soundly through the night.

Xiao Yunying's biological clock is very accurate. When she has something on her mind, she can get up no matter how early it is, but when she has nothing on her mind, she can sleep until eight or nine o'clock.

I woke up naturally and saw Luo Xin already dressed and sitting quietly playing with her fingers.

The two little tufts on her head popped open again.

"Mom, you're awake."

It was already bright outside, and Xiao Yunying's face was a little hot. The children were already awake, but she was still sleeping in.

She hurriedly got up and dressed, asking, "When did Xin'er wake up? Why didn't she call for her mother?"

Luo Xin got out of bed and handed Xiao Yunying her clothes: "Second brother said yesterday that Mother has been working hard these past two days, and Xin'er wants Mother to sleep a little longer."

Long hours of sleep are indeed a way for the body to self-regulate and relieve fatigue. Xiao Yunying felt relieved. Anyway, she was the boss at home, and no one could control her.

My body is still a little sore, but it's much better than yesterday.

I took Luo Xin to the yard to wash up, and sure enough, Luo Chen and the other two were already awake and heating up buns in the kitchen.

Luo Chen was a little uneasy. That woman used to not allow them to touch the food without permission. Even if they didn't want to eat, they couldn't do so without her permission.

It was getting late, and Luo Li kept saying she was hungry. He thought he would heat up the buns first so she could eat them when she woke up, without wasting any time.

At worst, I'll get a scolding.

Xiao Yunying combed Luo Xin's hair: "Luo Chen, how many steamed buns are left?"

"There are still nine left, and I'm already hot."

Nine isn't enough. Luo Chen and Luo Yang, the two older ones, can eat a lot. Last night there were so many dishes, and they each ate three.

"Add two more pieces of firewood, and take five eggs from the basket under the cabinet and put them in the pot to boil."

Unable to go into the supermarket to wash up in front of the children, Xiao Yunying simply washed up in the yard.

My mind searched the supermarket for breakfast drinks, and I picked out a can of instant oatmeal.

Simple, quick, and filling.

After having Luo Chen take the steamed buns and eggs away, Xiao Yunying quickly took out four bags of milk and threw them into the hot water in the pot, and put two spoonfuls of oatmeal into five bowls.

Use chopsticks to pick out the heated milk, cut an opening in it, and pour it into a bowl while holding one corner of the milk bag.

He called out to the main hall, and the two brothers, Luo Chen and Luo Yang, walked away with milk and cereal, their expressions as usual.

Only Xiao Yunying, holding a bowl that was still scalding hot, grimaced and wished she could throw the bowl away.

Her hands were delicate in her past life, and they're even more delicate in this one; she can't stand the slightest heat.

"Let's eat. I woke up late today. If I don't wake up next time, just come and wake me up. I'm a light sleeper, I'll wake up after a few calls."

Luo Yang said, "My stepmother has just recovered from a serious illness and has worked hard these past two days. It's alright for her to sleep a little longer. There's nothing else going on at home."

Luo Li smelled the aroma of the oatmeal: "What is this?"

Xiao Yunying peeled an egg for Luo Xin: "Milk and cereal."

What is milk cereal?

"Just drink it like porridge."

"Where did you come from...?"

Luo Chen stuffed an egg into her talkative younger brother's mouth: "Hurry up and eat, the buns won't taste good if they get cold."

Luo Li took a bite of the egg and said, "I was just asking..."

Luo Yang grabbed a steamed bun and stuffed it into his brother's mouth again: "Don't talk while eating or sleeping. Eat properly and don't talk anymore."

Luo Li: ...When did our family have this rule? You were just talking about it.

Forget it, as long as there's food, who cares where it comes from.

Xiao Yunying understood; it seemed that the two big ones... had discovered something.

It didn't matter. She never thought of hiding her personality or anything else from them. She just didn't want to be too obvious, lest she scare them.

He handed the egg to Luo Xin, stirred the cereal in her bowl, and said when he felt it was warm enough, "Eat slowly, be careful not to burn yourself."

"Mother will eat too."

Xiao Yunying took a steamed bun and ate it: "I'm going to Xishan in a little while and will be back before noon."

Luo Chen put down the wooden spoon: "What are you going to West Mountain for?"

"Go cut down a bamboo and make some bamboo tubes for our little Xin'er to play with as bubbles."

Xiao Yunying's intention was to tease the little girl, but the little girl's eyes reddened: "I don't want Mother to go to West Mountain, I won't let Mother go!"

"Don't cry, why won't you let your mother go to the Western Hills?"

“Mom went to Xishan for two days last time and didn’t come back. She even got sick when she came back.”

Xiao Yunying felt a warmth in her heart: "Xin'er, don't cry. Mother promises that she will come back after cutting the bamboo. It won't be long, and she won't get sick, okay?"

"Oh no, Xin'er doesn't want her mother to go. Xin'er doesn't want to play with bubbles anymore."

"But we need bamboo tubes at home, not only for making bubbles for Xin'er, but also for other purposes."

"But...but..."

The little girl didn't know what to do. She didn't want her mother to go to the Western Hills, but she also didn't want her mother to be without bamboo tubes.

In an instant, her little face became so wrinkled it almost matched the steamed buns on the table.