Duofu was a little tired. Duolu had eaten so much, when would he be able to spare some energy for his brain? If he became smarter, he could share some of the burdens with Duoshou.

Duo Shou, who had never taken medicine before, could tell from Duo Fu's words that the medicine tasted bad, and couldn't help but roll his eyes at Duo Lu.

Bai Wanduolu and Duoshou turned their gaze to Gao Guojing: "Uncle Guojing, when we were born, did you really know that I was born later?" This was Duoshou's most troubling question.

Duolu, oblivious to his two brothers' disdain, was still preoccupied with how many firecrackers his meager savings could buy: "Uncle Guojing, how many firecrackers can I buy with this little bit of money?"

Gao Guojing: "There are so many, just wait and see. After a few days when there are no more red envelopes to give out, Uncle Guojing will go to town to buy firecrackers for you."

The family of seven had a simple lunch. Duofu and the others were very enthusiastic about going out to visit relatives and friends for the New Year. After lunch, they wanted to go out, but before they even left the house, they ran into Erdan and a few of his friends who came to visit them for the New Year.

Erdan: "Happy New Year, Uncle Gao! Wishing you prosperity!"

His friends also joined in offering New Year's greetings.

Gao Shujing gave each child a red envelope. The red envelope for Erdan contained one 10-cent note, while the red envelopes for the other children contained two 1-cent notes.

After they finished wishing her a happy new year, Yu Rujia gave each of them a red envelope with the same amount as Gao Shujing had prepared. She also gave each child a few candies and some cookies.

Having received the red envelopes and food, Erdan invited with satisfaction, "Duofu, how about you come with us to wish more people a Happy New Year?"

Duofu said something to Rujia, and then prepared to lead his three younger brothers to follow his group out.

With Erdan, a young boy, around, Gao Guojing didn't go with them. He instructed, "Duofu, remember to keep an eye on the younger brothers and make sure they don't fall behind."

Erdan patted his chest and assured, "Uncle Guojing, don't worry, I will bring Duofu and the others back."

After the little guys left, Gao Shujing took out the ingredients needed for tonight and started preparing them, while Yu Rujia made the essential sauce.

As for the barbecue spot, we'll choose the backyard, so we don't have to worry about making the whole house smell like barbecue.

After finishing the soul sauce, Yu Rujia took out the herbal tea she had prepared earlier and put it in a pot to simmer.

The barbecue is too hot, so drink some herbal tea afterward to cool down the grease and heat, so the little ones won't be too uncomfortable.

When the little guys returned, they had already prepared everything.

Seeing the vegetables all over the ground, the little ones got excited. Duofu asked, "Auntie, is this barbecue?"

Yu Rujia: "Yes, we'll put the vegetables on that iron rack to grill later. Keep an eye on the younger brothers and make sure they stay away from that rack so they don't touch it."

Duofu assured him, "Yes, I will definitely keep an eye on Duolu and the others."

Among the children, the one who jumped the most was Duolu. The chubby little dumpling circled around the table where the dishes were laid out: "So much meat and vegetables, Auntie, is it Potato?"

The hot pot he was referring to was the one served on Lunar New Year's Eve. The dishes were laid out everywhere just like they are now, except that back then we ate indoors, while now we eat outdoors.

Duoshou gave him a push: "This is barbecue, not pot."

Duolu: "I like barbecue, and I like hot pot too."

Duoxi stood on tiptoe beside him and echoed her brother, "I like it, let's eat grilled food."

That day, Yu Rujia planned to have Gao Shujing make a dense iron mesh. When Gao Shujing was making it, he considered that the oil dripping onto the firewood would produce a lot of smoke, so he suggested to Yu Rujia that the barbecue mesh be made into a frying pan. She thought that was a good idea and agreed.

Upon seeing the little ones return, Gao Guojing, who had been craving lamb all afternoon, immediately poured a pile of mutton into the flat pan: "Let's dig in!"

The little ones smelled the aroma of meat and gathered around him.

Duolu stared intently at the increasingly fragrant mutton in the pan, drooling as he urged, "Uncle Guojing, can we eat now?"

While turning the meat in the pot, Gao Guojing replied, "We'll have to wait a little longer."

Yu Rujia stood by the table and shouted, "Everyone come and sit here. Whoever doesn't come over won't get any food!"

Hearing the shouts, some of the little ones were reluctant to leave the fragrant meat, but hearing that those who didn't go over wouldn't get any food, Duofu still dragged Duolu over to Yu Rujia's side. Duoshou also pulled Duoxi over.

Gao Shujing had already set out the bowls and chopsticks: "Sit down, everyone. You'll be eating soon."

Although the lamb was cut a little thicker than the kind used for hot pot, it cooked easily. Gao Guojing flipped it a few times and brushed it with sauce twice, and it was done.

The cooked meat was removed, and some tofu and fish slices were added to make the most of the oil that came out during the roasting of the lamb.

A pot of roasted mutton was served, and after a few bites were placed in each of the seven family members' bowls, it was gone.

The little ones finished their food in a few bites, then their eyes were immediately drawn to the tofu and fish skin in the pot.

Thanks to what Yu Rujia had said earlier, the children didn't crowd around anymore, but instead sat in their seats craning their necks to look in that direction.

Duolu drooled incessantly from the corner of his mouth: "Uncle Guojing, how much longer? I'm so hungry."

Gao Shujing brought over a bowl of chicken soup: "If you're hungry, have some chicken soup first. Uncle will get you some."

Before the barbecue was ready, the aroma of chicken soup tantalized their noses. When Gao Shujing placed the soup in front of them, they pulled their heads back and started drinking the soup with spoons.

Duofu, the older brother, dutifully corrected Duoxi's spoon-using technique. The little guy had become much more skilled at using the spoon, but his hands were still unsteady, and he would still drop things.

The chicken soup, simmered for three hours, was incredibly flavorful, and the meat was so tender it was almost falling apart. Even a little over a year old like Duoxi could eat it without worry.

After finishing a bowl of chicken soup, the fish fillets were grilled and served. They were specially deboned, so there was no need to worry about fish bones getting stuck in the little ones' throats.

After finishing the pitiful piece of fish in her own bowl, Duoxi turned around and saw that her other brothers were still eating. She picked up her spoon, climbed off the stool, took a few steps, and reached into her favorite brother Duolu's bowl, wanting to scoop a piece of fish from him.

Just as Duolu was happily enjoying his grilled fish, a spoon suddenly appeared in front of him. Before he could even look up to see who it was, he reflexively moved his bowl away to avoid the spoon, and then looked up at the person who had snatched his grilled fish.

Seeing that it was his little follower Duoxi, Duolu's anger subsided: "Duoxi, have you finished your grilled fish?" After saying that, he looked at Duoxi's bowl and found that it was indeed empty.

Thinking of the usual scene of food being divided at home, and how Duoxi, the youngest brother, always received the least, Duolu understood and felt more sympathy for Duoxi.