In addition to adding a bed to the inner hut, a double-doored wardrobe and two chairs were added to the outer room. Two nearly new stoves were placed on the floor next to the table in the outer room.

This is an incredibly thoughtful approach.

After putting down her things and taking a quick look, Xu Keke quickly took the two children to the front yard.

Mr. Lin was also in Mr. Cao's room. Upon seeing Mr. Lin again, he regained his lively and talkative personality. He quickly became familiar with Yuanbao. Da Cui, resting her chin on her hand, listened along with Mr. Cao. Occasionally, Mr. Cao would interject, and Yuanbao and Mr. Lin would chat back and forth.

When they arrived, the room that A-Qiu came out of was Mr. Cao's kitchen. Xu Keke offered to go in and help, but A-Qiu stopped her. "You don't need two people to stretch noodles."

Seeing that Xu Keke was unwilling to leave, A Qiu knew that she was polite, so she didn't stand on ceremony anymore. She tapped the windowsill with her chin and said, "There's garlic over there. Can you peel some for me? I need two cloves. Mr. Cao likes garlic with his noodles."

There was a narrow table on the windowsill, looking quite lively, covered with all sorts of things. On the table were peppercorns, star anise, bay leaves, and other spices, some in small baskets, others in porcelain jars. On the floor beneath the table, large scallions were laid out face down, next to two pickling jars side by side. Strings of garlic and red chili peppers hung from the window frame, and at the very edge, a nail was empty, presumably where the keys had been hung.

Xu Keke took two heads of garlic, found a small blue-and-white porcelain bowl in the cupboard, and stood by the table, peeling them while chatting with A Qiu.

"We haven't had a chance to thank you and Mr. Cao for thinking so much about us and preparing so thoroughly."

"It's not easy for people to leave their hometowns. They have things at home that are already in use, and some of them were originally used in that house, so they just leave them there."

Ah Qiu held the two ends of the dough, stretched it apart, and slammed it onto the cutting board. His movements were skillful, each one not only powerful but also skillful.

Cooking is something Xu Keke is extremely bad at, yet she greatly admires.

While sprinkling the noodles, A-Qiu gave another instruction. "There's coal in that little shed outside. You've just arrived, so use it for now. If you find the house smells bad when you cook, come here to cook. When it gets warmer, we'll build a shed outside against the side. It's still a bit cold now, and it's hard to stand still."

The water on the kitchen stove boiled, and the room warmed up.