When Xiao Yunying returned to her parents' home, Luo Xin rushed up to her and said, "Mother is biased. She actually secretly took my second brother out for a walk."
Xiao Yunying tapped the little girl's pouting lips: "Mother didn't take him. Your second brother secretly went with her."
"Second brother's name isn't Xin'er anymore. Xin'er doesn't like you today."
Luo Yang rubbed Luo Xin's head: "If you don't like it today, what about tomorrow?"
Luo Xin shook her head, refusing to let Luo Yang touch her: "Let's see how Second Brother performs tomorrow."
Zhang was chopping chicken feed in the yard: "Your little girl is really clever and witty. She has a sweet tongue and knows how to talk. She keeps calling our mother 'Grandma' so much that it makes me blush."
Mu Lianrong came out of the kitchen: "What's there to be embarrassed about? She's my daughter's daughter, shouldn't she call me grandma?"
Her nephews came out of the kitchen together, each grabbing a handful of red berries and showing them to Xiao Yunying like treasures: "Auntie, eat some red berries. Grandma said that eating these will make your stomach feel less full."
"Hawthorn."
Xiao Yunying took a small bite and her face immediately scrunched up from the sourness, which made the children burst into laughter.
Luo Xin asked curiously, "Mom, what is this?"
Xiao Yunying picked out an even smaller one for her: "Hawthorn fruit, also called hawthorn, is what candied hawthorn is made from."
The little girl took a big bite when she heard about candied hawthorn, and ended up with the same wrinkled face as Xiao Yunying.
"Mom, where did you get these hawthorns? Are there many?"
"There's a patch of wild hawthorn trees on the eastern hill behind your house. Around October, they turn bright red, but there aren't many left now. These fruits keep well and don't spoil easily. Once picked, they can last for a long time. The kids aren't afraid of the sourness, and they often grab a few to eat when they don't have many snacks. There are two sacks of them at home, on the shelf in the kitchen. If you want some, just go and get some."
Xiao Yunying wrinkled her face and ate the rest of the hawthorns: "Eating them dry is too sour. If you have a lot of hawthorns, I'll make some snacks for you."
The children cheered immediately upon hearing that there would be snacks.
I took two basins and filled them with about five pounds of hawthorns, then washed them with clean water.
The children were in charge of washing the hawthorns, while Xiao Yunying was in charge of cutting them open and removing the pits.
Mu Lianrong muttered about how troublesome it was, but she also brought over a stool to help with the pitting.
Luo Yang and Luo Xin naturally joined the children's group, leaving only Luo Chen and Luo Li watching from the sidelines, wanting to help but not daring to step forward.
Luo Yang whispered a few words to Luo Xin, and the little girl ran over and grabbed one of them with each hand: "Why didn't you come to help, big brother and third brother? You can't be lazy, otherwise you won't get any of the delicious food I make, Mom, don't you think so?"
For the sake of the little girl, Xiao Yunying was willing to give them a way out: "Xin'er is right, those who don't help can't eat."
A glimmer of hope flashed in Luo Chen's eyes. His stepmother was willing to talk to him. Did she forgive him?
Obediently pulled by Luo Xin to join the group washing hawthorns, Luo Chen couldn't help but steal glances at Xiao Yunying.
Mu Lianrong was unaware of what had happened between them and her daughter: "If you want to see, just look openly. Why are you peeking? There's nothing on my daughter's face."
Luo Chen lowered his head after being told that. Luo Yang said, "Big brother, stepmother is out of hawthorns. Take some over there."
Luo Chen carried a handful of hawthorns over and placed them in the small porcelain basin in front of Xiao Yunying: "Stepmother, are you... feeling any better?"
Speaking haltingly, Mu Lianrong said with dissatisfaction, "You only think of asking now? What were you doing the past few days? You live in the same courtyard and didn't even bother to check on me."
Luo Chen's face turned pale, and he lowered his head.
"Mother." Xiao Yunying winked at her mother, Mu Lianrong snorted and continued peeling the hawthorn pits.
"I'm fine now. Go help Xin'er; she can't hold it anymore."
Luo Chen squatted down next to Luo Xin with his head down, took the hawthorn from the little girl's hand, and told her to wash it and put it in his hand.
Once all the hawthorns were processed, Xiao Yunying carried them into the kitchen, poured them into a clean pot, added water to cover the hawthorns, and asked Luo Chen to start the fire.
Being singled out by Xiao Yunying to start the fire, Luo Chen's previous gloomy mood vanished, and he was filled with enthusiasm.
Mu Lianrong leaned against the door, feeling a little puzzled. What was wrong with this child? Why was he so energetic about starting a fire? He had been so quiet these past few days. Was it because she hadn't made him do any work?
Xiao Yunying went back to the house, pretended to take out a jar of rock sugar from the trunk, poured it all into the hawthorn, and put the pot lid on.
Mu Lianrong felt a pang of regret: "So much rock sugar just went in?"
"Don't worry, Mom. You'll see how delicious it is once the hawthorn cake is made."
"How could it not taste good with so much rock sugar?"
Mu Lianrong muttered something under her breath. Not wanting to spoil her daughter's mood, she stopped talking about it: "By the way, Yunyun, where did you buy this rock sugar? I asked someone to buy some for me, but they said they looked in several shops and asked a lot of people, but no one had ever heard of rock sugar."
Luo Chen and Luo Yang looked at Xiao Yunying nervously.
Xiao Yunying remained relatively calm, quickly turning her head to find an excuse.
Got it!
“Mother, this rock sugar and all these seasonings of mine are custom-made for wealthy families. They are only supplied to the powerful and noble. Ordinary people would never even hear of them, let alone eat them. Take this salt, for example. Have you ever seen such fine, white salt as snow? I got together with the manager who makes seasonings because I sold snow fungus. He secretly sold it to me. Don’t tell anyone. If he does, both the manager and I will be in trouble.”
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