As the sun sets and dusk falls, wisps of smoke rise from the chimneys of every household in the dim afternoon light.

When Mozhu came to pick up dinner, she could smell a rich aroma of food even before she entered the courtyard.

He subconsciously swallowed, then cheerfully pushed open the door.

As soon as he stepped inside, the two big dogs, Wujin and Coconut, enthusiastically rubbed against him, licking and nudging him from all sides.

Mo Zhu affectionately patted the heads of the two big dogs and praised them, "You loyal brothers haven't forgotten me."

Thinking back to the two dogs' initial hostility towards him, and their current attitude towards him, it was a complete 180-degree turn. Mo Zhu had also put a lot of effort into this matter, getting quite a few good things for the two dogs to eat.

He Shitou also happened to come out of the house and greeted Mozhu warmly when he saw her.

"Brother, you've arrived."

The two men, who considered themselves good buddies, hugged each other. He Shitou said cheerfully, "Brother, you're in for a treat tonight. The fish are fresh, caught this afternoon in the rice paddies."

"Really? That's great! My family loves fish."

Last year during the drought, there were practically no fish to be found in this area. This year, we can finally eat them earlier than usual.

He remarked on how delicious it smelled, especially the rich aroma of grilled fish emanating from the oven in the yard.

Just then, Zhao Xiaolu finished cooking the meal for the old lady.

The meal included a fish soup, two side dishes, and a grilled fish. The grilled fish was prepared on a lighter side, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, retaining the fresh aroma of the fish.

Mo Zhu picked up the food box, exchanged a few more pleasantries, and then left.

He Shitou swallowed hard. He had exhausted himself catching fish that afternoon, and his stomach was growling loudly.

He couldn't help but crane his neck to peek into the kitchen again, "Little Green, Sister, is the food ready yet?"

He Tiantian was too lazy to pay attention to He Shitou's urging, so she didn't say anything.

Zhao Xiaolu took a deep breath, her tone becoming somewhat impatient, "Instead of nagging me here, why don't you go and clean the main room? And wash the dishes too..."

Zhao Xiaolu gave him a whole bunch of chores, but He Shitou immediately shut up and went to do them silently.

He Tiantian then continued chatting with Zhao Xiaolü. She suddenly thought of Xiaolü and Xiaolan's older sister, Zhao Dahong. She had only seen that girl come back once a few years ago, and she seemed to be doing alright. She wondered how she was doing now.

"Little Green, do you know which mansion Big Red works in?"

Zhao Xiaolu shook her head dejectedly, "After that, my older sister didn't contact me and Xiaolan anymore. When I asked her before, she didn't give me a very clear answer."

Okay, let's not talk about such sad topics anymore.

He Tiantian then recounted Xiaolan's medical training at the clinic. Zhao Xiaolan was able to pass the assessment not because she had any talent in this area, but because the child worked incredibly hard.

When she visited Xiaolan last time, she learned that many people had previously come to the clinic. However, after going through layers of assessments, only five students remained in the end.

Elaine Chao was under even more pressure than Marie Chao during that period; she was very worried that she would be eliminated.

Therefore, He Tiantian would visit Xiaolan almost every two days to encourage her.

During those days, He Tiantian felt like she was taking two children to take the college entrance examination. Unconsciously, she also felt some pressure.

It wasn't until dusk that He Tiantian's family's dinner was finally ready.

A large bowl of milky white fish soup was served on the table, along with two grilled fish.

The aroma of the two grilled fish made Wujin and Coconut, two large dogs, drool. The two dogs sat a step away from the dining table, their eyes shining as they stared at the large fish on the table.

When He Tiantian brought in the food, she saw this scene.

She couldn't help but find it amusing. "Look how hungry you two are. I've never been too harsh on you."

Pet expenses have increased dramatically these days; freeze-dried beef, chew sticks, and even canned deep-sea fish are all being fed to our two dogs.

Why are you still so eager to eat it, as if you've never had it before?

The two dogs immediately became affectionate and cuddled around He Tiantian's trouser legs.

Just then, Mr. Xu was invited into He Shitou's home. He Tiantian saw that Mr. Xu looked energetic and quickly greeted him.

"Mr. Xu, please come in."

Xu Qingyun was a frequent visitor to He Tiantian's home, and he was very grateful for the hospitality the He family had shown him over the past year.

So as soon as he entered, Mr. Xu couldn't help but say, "I just asked Shi Tou, and he said that Wanzi got into the academy, right?"

He Tiantian nodded, "Thanks to your painstaking guidance, sir, the matter of Wanzi has been settled."

Xu Qingyun seemed very excited, "Oh my, I knew Wanzi was a promising child. To be honest, she does have a talent for studying."

Xu Qingyun has taught countless students, and those he says have a talent for studying must be quite good.

"So I specially prepared fish to entertain you today, sir. Please have a seat."

He Chun also returned from outside and was very happy to see Mr. Xu.

He is not a talkative person, but being able to sit and talk with someone of similar age and have a meal makes him feel much better.

He Shitou busied himself getting bowls and washing chopsticks, while Zhao Xiaolu stir-fried several vegetarian dishes, all of which were the tenderest and most fragrant in the current season.

There are many kinds of wild vegetables in the mountains now, and if you're lucky, you can even find some delicious mushrooms. When you get home, you can stew a pot of delicious mushroom soup to warm your stomach.

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