Duofu: "You've dirtied Duoxi's clothes. Uncle will have to wash them for a long time."

The kids are full of energy and play around the house every day, getting their clothes dirty in no time.

In addition, winter clothes are thicker, unlike summer clothes which can be washed with just a few rubs. Gao Shujing spends at least half an hour washing clothes each time.

The sensible Duofu saw this and would always take out a handkerchief to wipe his younger brothers' hands on their clothes or take them to wash their hands.

Gao Guojing dirtied Duoxi's clothes, and Duofu, who was bursting with a sense of responsibility, felt that he couldn't let him continue.

Gao Guojing followed Duofu's gaze and saw several lumps of porridge sticking out on Duoxi's clothes. The carefree boy said, "It's okay, Uncle Guojing will wash them."

Seeing that Gao Guojing wouldn't listen to advice, Duofu looked to Yu Rujia for help.

Yu Rujia patted his little head: "Our Duofu is a good older brother. Come on, sit down and eat. Let's leave Duoxi to Uncle Guojing."

Duofu then gave up trying to correct Gao Guojing and sat down in front of his own seat.

Gao Shujing brought out all the dishes and then took over the task of feeding Duoxi: "Guojing, you've been working hard for two days. After you finish eating, take a shower and get some rest for the night. I'll be going out for the next few days, so I'll leave the things at home to you."

Yu Rujia placed the packed meal in front of Duofu: "Where are you going?"

Gao Shujing: "The person who brought us back today was Captain Fang from the Tongfeng Brigade. They went to the city to replace the power lines and gave us a ride back. If nothing unexpected happens, they should be able to get the power back on before the Lunar New Year."

Yu Rujia: "There are only half a month left until the Chinese New Year, and the time is very tight."

Gao Shujing: "Guojing's arrival is just in time. I won't be home during the day, so if you need anything, just ask Guojing to do it, or wait for me to come back in the evening."

It takes one or two hours to walk from Tongfeng Brigade to Shangfen Brigade, but only about half an hour by bicycle, so he can come back to sleep at night.

Yu Rujia: "The cured pork and sausages are already prepared. We'll just buy some more New Year's goods and do some cleaning later. It's not much trouble, so you can focus on your work."

Gao Shujing: "We can buy the New Year's goods later. By then, I might already be on holiday. Let Guojing do the cleaning."

As soon as Gao Guojing entered the house, he was greeted with a host of problems, but fortunately he was easygoing and didn't mind them.

His attention was now focused on the delicious dishes on the table: "Did Sister Rujia make all these dishes? They look so good. Sister Rujia has learned so much since I last saw her a year or two ago."

Gao Guojing was playing with some children earlier and then feeding Duoxi. He didn't go to the kitchen, which led to these speculations.

Yu Rujia: "This was made by your brother. It not only looks delicious, but it also tastes delicious."

After several months of real-world practice, Gao Shujing's culinary skills improved significantly, surpassing even those of the head chefs at state-run restaurants. He also incorporated many new and creative cooking techniques.

Gao Guojing picked up a piece of pig's stomach and put it in his mouth. It was fresh, refreshing, and appetizing, an absolute must-have for eating with rice. It was Gao Guojing's first time eating this dish. He ate a big mouthful of rice and then ate several more pieces of pig's stomach to satisfy his craving.

Gao Guojing kept working with his hands while chattering away, asking, "This dish is so delicious, it's just a bit spicy. What kind of meat is it made of? I've never had this kind of meat before."

Gao Xiujuan and Xia Taishun have jobs, while the Gao brothers, Gao Shujing and Gao Shujing, spend half their time eating in the cafeteria and don't have much chance to eat pork tripe.

For the remaining half of the time, Xia Taishun and his wife would cook for themselves, choosing simple dishes. Pig stomach, which requires time to prepare, was not on their menu.

This was Gao Guojing's first time eating pig's stomach.

Gao Shujing: "It's pork belly. If you can't handle spicy food, you can eat these plates which don't have much chili."

Yu Rujia is a person who can't live without spicy food, but her children are young and have delicate stomachs, so they can't eat strong-flavored dishes.

Every time they cook, they set aside a portion of the dish with a little chili, letting the children practice cooking it gradually. Once they are older and have gotten used to the taste of chili, they won't need to cook a separate portion for them anymore.

Neither Yanjing nor Jiangcheng eats spicy food much, so when Gao Guojing suddenly ate Yu Rujia's dishes, it was no wonder he couldn't stand the spiciness.

Gao Guojing picked up a piece of non-spicy food and tasted it: "The non-spicy food is delicious, but it doesn't have the same chewiness as the spicy food. I still prefer the spicy food."

At first, Gao Guojing was in the mood to eat and chat, but after trying several other dishes, he could only bury his head in his food and eat. Even though the food was so spicy that he kept panting and drinking water, he still wanted to eat the spiciest dishes.

After eating his fill, Gao Guojing sprawled on the sofa, patting his belly contentedly, and said, "Brother, when did you develop such culinary skills? I've never seen you make this at home."

Gao Shujing: "If you make it every day, you can make it just as delicious."

Gao Guojing: "That's not necessarily true. Mom and the canteen staff cook for us every day, but I've never seen their cooking skills as good as yours."

Having eaten at Gao Xiujuan's and the cafeteria's restaurants for over a decade, I can say that both dishes are far inferior to tonight's food.

He had eaten at state-run restaurants many times before, but he had rarely had a meal as good as the one he ate tonight.

Gao Shujing: "If you like, I'll teach you. After I go out to work, you'll have to do the housework. You, Rujia, are a girl, so you can't overwork yourself."

He used to be content with food as long as it was edible, until he met Yu Rujia, who was a picky eater, and he realized that he had to improve his cooking skills.

Ever since Gao Guojing entered this place, he had felt that his older brother was acting strangely, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. Upon closer inspection, he felt that there seemed to be something wrong with the expression on his older brother's face.

The bright yellow light was a bit dazzling. Gao Guojing turned around to rub his eyes to see what was wrong, and rubbed them several times.

Yu Rujia, who was carrying a cup of homemade herbal tea, was unaware of Gao Guojing's ulterior motives. When she saw Gao Guojing wiping his eyes several times, she assumed that something had gotten into his eyes.

Yu Rujia: "What's wrong with Guojing's eyes? Should I take a look?"

Gao Guojing paused in wiping his eyes, put his hand down, and lied: "My eyes were a little itchy just now, so I rubbed them a few times. They're fine now, Sister Rujia, don't worry."

Yu Rujia: "Don't rub your eyes. If you're really uncomfortable, just tell me. I'm quite skilled in medicine. Here, drink this cup of herbal tea. It's your first time eating something so spicy, so drink some herbal tea to cool down."

Gao Guojing accepted the herbal tea: "Thank you, Sister Rujia. I heard from Third Brother that you are a team doctor here and that your medical skills are excellent. You've been away for a while, so I never thought that you would be a doctor one day."

Yu Rujia: "To earn a living, do whatever you can."

Gao Guojing downed the herbal tea in one gulp, and his mouth, which had been numbingly spicy, returned to normal within two minutes, and the hissing sounds stopped.