Xing Zhaozhao hung up the phone and went back to make dumpling soup for Gao Hongfei.
While Xing Zhaozhao was stirring the dough, Hongfei woke up, rubbing his sleepy eyes. He walked into the kitchen, saw the dough, and instantly became wide awake. His eyes lit up, and he leaned over the stove, watching Xing Zhaozhao's movements, and asked, "Mom, are we having dumpling soup today?"
Xing Zhaozhao looked down at her son's bright eyes and said with a smile, "Yes, I knew Dafei loved to eat this, so I made it especially for him. Aren't you happy?"
Hongfei's little face flushed with joy: "I'm so happy." He then sat down behind the stove, saying, "I'll help Mom watch the fire."
"Is there something delicious to eat today? What's delicious?" Hongyu ran in when he heard the noise, with the new family member, a puppy, following at his feet. The two brothers agreed to give it a proper name: Black General.
"Would you like some dumpling soup?" Xing Zhaozhao asked with a smile.
Hongyu immediately smiled and said, "Yes, I love dumpling soup the most. Mom, make a lot. I want to eat a big bowl later."
"Okay, I'll serve you a big bowl in a bit." Xing Zhaozhao replied with a smile. This kid is easy to please; there's nothing he doesn't like to eat.
"I love Mom the most." Hongyu happily hugged Xing Zhaozhao and rubbed against her. Seeing her brother sitting behind the stove watching the fire, she wanted to help her mother. However, she couldn't find a place to help, so she simply squeezed in with her brother and even tried to snatch the fire tongs from his hand.
Xing Zhaozhao was afraid that they might cause some trouble if she wasn't careful, so she chased the little guy away: "Go to the room and see if your sister is awake. If she's not awake, keep an eye on her and make sure she doesn't roll off the bed."
Hongyu received the task and ran off excitedly: "Okay."
General Black remained close at his feet.
Xing Zhaozhao glanced at it and couldn't help but remind her again: "Don't carry General Hei onto the kang (heated brick bed)."
"I understand." Hongyu agreed verbally, but whether he will remember it or not is another matter.
When Fu Lan got up, Xing Zhaozhao had already prepared the dumpling soup and set it on the table. Hongfei and Hongyu were already seated at the table, looking longingly at the big bowls of dumpling soup their mother had served them, ready to dig in.
"I'm sorry, Sister Xing, I woke up late." Fu Lan glanced at the sun, which was already quite high in the sky, and looked at Xing Zhaozhao apologetically.
"It's alright. I'm glad you slept so well on your first night here," Xing Zhaozhao said with a smile. "Go wash up and come have breakfast."
"Mm." Fu Lan felt relieved and nodded in agreement. She quickly finished washing up and returned. Xing Zhaozhao had already served her the dumpling soup and placed it on the table.
"Eat it while it's hot. There's more in the pot if you're not full. Go get some yourself." Xing Zhaozhao instructed Fu Lan before turning and going back to the kitchen. A little while later, she came out of the kitchen again, carrying two heavy porcelain jars and two pairs of chopsticks. Although the two porcelain jars were covered, you could tell what was inside just by smelling them.
"Sister Xing, where are you going?" Fu Lan asked Xing Zhaozhao with a puzzled look.
The two little ones also looked at Xing Zhaozhao, their mouths bulging as they ate, their little faces full of curiosity.
"Oh, I made too much dumpling soup today. There's probably not enough for just the few of us to finish it. I'll send some over to others," Xing Zhaozhao explained with a smile.
"Oh, right," she said, then, remembering something, she asked Fu Lan, "I might not be back for a while. Little Hongling is still asleep in the room, and I don't know when she'll wake up. Could you please keep an eye on her for me? If she wakes up and is hungry, the formula is in the cupboard. Just make it for her. Dafei knows how to do it. I'll be back as soon as possible." After saying that, afraid that the two little ones wouldn't know and would give themselves away by asking too many questions, she winked at them.
The two little ones were stunned for a moment, glanced at each other, and quickly realized what was happening. Their eyes lit up, and they looked at Xing Zhaozhao again, nodded, and replied, "We understand, Mom. Don't worry, go ahead."
Fu Lan noticed the subtle glances exchanged between the mother and her two children, realizing they probably had some little secret. She wisely refrained from asking further, simply smiling and nodding to Xing Zhaozhao, saying, "Okay, Sister Xing, I understand."
"Thank you for your trouble." After saying that, Xing Zhaozhao turned around and went out the door. Where Fu Lan couldn't see, she quietly went to the cellar in the backyard and went to the door.
Emerging from the abandoned cellar, Xing Zhaozhao found a relatively flat rock among the pile of stones ahead, placed the two large porcelain jars she was carrying on it, and then took out her phone to call Gao Mingcheng to ask if they had arrived yet.
Before she could make the call, Gao Mingcheng called first, and Xing Zhaozhao answered immediately: "Hello?"
"Zhao Zhao," Gao Mingcheng called out.
"Where are you?" Xing Zhaozhao asked.
Gao Mingcheng fell silent.
Xing Zhaozhao frowned in surprise and called out again, "Mingcheng?"
"What are you doing?" Gao Mingcheng suddenly asked.
Xing Zhaozhao: "??" What the heck?
"Did you get through to Mom? Give me the phone, I'll talk to her." Gao Hongfei's voice came from the other end of the line.
“This is my phone, why should I give it to you? Besides, I have a mouth, I can talk to her myself,” Gao Mingcheng said coldly.
“I’m your son. As an adult, don’t you know you should show some courtesy?” Gao Hongfei said matter-of-factly.
“I’m your father, and you, as his son, don’t you know how to respect your elders?” Gao Mingcheng retorted.
"Give it to me," Gao Hongfei said firmly.
"No." Gao Mingcheng was even more resolute than him.
"If you don't give it to me, I'll take it by force," Gao Hongfei threatened.
"You can give it a try," Gao Mingcheng scoffed dismissively.
"..." Xing Zhaozhao was speechless. The father and son were 150 years old combined, yet they were arguing like children. Weren't they ashamed?
"Both of you shut up!" Xing Zhaozhao shouted angrily.
The father and son, who were arguing fiercely on the other end of the phone and looked like they were about to fight, suddenly fell silent.
"Where are you now?" Xing Zhaozhao asked.
"We are..." The father and son spoke almost simultaneously, then stopped.
“I’ll talk to Mom,” Gao Hongfei requested.
“I know how to tell your mother,” Gao Mingcheng refused.
Seeing that another argument was about to break out, Xing Zhaozhao's temples throbbed: "If you keep arguing, I'm going back. You two can keep arguing."
The father and son immediately quieted down again, and then apologized in unison: "We're sorry."
“We’re already at the foot of the mountain, right at the entrance to the mountain road,” Gao Mingcheng said.
"I brought a lot of stuff, I can't carry it all up," Gao Hongfei added.
"Just you wait." Xing Zhaozhao said irritably, then hung up the phone and went downstairs to pick up the person with a dark face.
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