Gu Mingyue walked over and gently patted her back: "Ningning, why are you crying? Where's Mommy?"
Ningning looked up, tears streaming down her face. She sniffled and said aggrievedly, "Aunt Mingyue, they... they took my candy bag away."
She pointed to the corner not far away, "Dazhuang and Huzi said I'm a girl and wouldn't let me play with them, and they also said it was a waste for me to eat candy."
Gu Mingyue looked and saw Erzhu hiding by the wall, his mouth bulging and his hand clutching a half-eaten candy bag, which was clearly the one Zhao Xiulan had just made for Ningning.
She quickly took Ningning's hand and comforted her, saying, "Don't panic, Auntie will take you to find your mother."
When they arrived at Zhao Xiulan's house, as soon as they explained the situation, Zhao Xiulan immediately flew into a rage, picking up Ningning without even taking off her apron.
"This is outrageous! I just made the dough and steamed three sweet buns, especially for her. Why should she take them!"
As she spoke, she headed towards Erzhu's house. Gu Mingyue, fearing that she would get angry, followed her.
When they knocked on Erzhu's door, Erzhu's mother was sitting in the yard picking vegetables. When she saw them, she smiled and said, "Xiulan, what's wrong?"
Zhao Xiulan pushed Ningning forward: "Ask your Erzhu! He stole Ningning's sweet bun, it was just steamed!"
Erzhu's mother's expression changed, and she turned to Erzhu and called out, "Did you steal someone's candy bag?"
Erzhu ran out of the house, hiding the bag of candy behind his back, and stubbornly said, "I didn't! My mom made it for me."
Zhao Xiulan pointed angrily at the sugar bun in his hand: "You ate corn porridge this morning, where did this white flour sugar bun come from? My sugar bun still has some red yeast rice powder on it, does the half you have in your hand have it?!"
Erzhu's mother, however, defended her son, shouting at the top of her lungs, "Why do you say my Erzhu stole it? Maybe Ningning lost it herself, and you're blaming my child!"
Both sides stuck to their own versions of events, and Erzhu refused to admit it, making Zhao Xiulan so angry that her face turned red.
Gu Mingyue quickly pulled her away, afraid that if they really started arguing, it would attract the attention of the leaders and make things difficult to handle.
Gu Mingyue quickly stepped forward and pulled Zhao Xiulan aside. She turned to Erzhu and smiled gently, her voice soft: "Erzhu, Auntie knows you didn't mean to snatch the candy bag. Did you think Ningning's candy bag looked especially delicious and wanted to try it?"
Erzhu paused for a moment, then secretly glanced at her without saying a word.
Gu Mingyue added, "Auntie has sweet potatoes roasting on the stove. They're even sweeter than sugar buns. If you tell the truth, Auntie will take you to eat roasted sweet potatoes and have your mom steam a sugar bun for you too."
She paused, then deliberately lowered her voice, "Actually, stealing things isn't scary; what's scary is not daring to admit it."
If you admit it, you'll be an honest and good child, and Ningning will forgive you. You can still play together in the future.
Erzhu loosened his grip on the sugar bun, glanced at his mother, then at the seemingly steaming roasted sweet potato in Gu Mingyue's hand, and finally whispered, "I... I just wanted to eat the sugar bun. Ningning wouldn't give it to me, so I snatched it."
After saying that, he handed over the packet of candy in his hand and lowered his head. "I'm sorry, Ningning."
Zhao Xiulan remained silent with a cold face, and Erzhu's mother, feeling somewhat embarrassed, quickly slapped Erzhu.
"You child, you wanted to eat but couldn't you tell me? Apologize to Ningning right now!"
"No way, we can't accept your apology. Keep your son away from my daughter. If he dares to bully her again, he'll be in big trouble."
Erzhu's mother also felt ashamed, "Then what do you want?"
"Apologize, apologize to my daughter."
Zhao Xiulan only has one daughter, whom she has doted on since she was little. Today, she was being scolded to her face. Anyone would be upset in that situation.
Knowing she was in the wrong, Erzhu's mother slapped Erzhu on the head and said sternly, "Hurry up and apologize to him."
Erzhu covered his head and stammered, "I'm...I'm sorry."
Zhao Xiulan snorted coldly and left with her daughter.
On the way back, Zhao Xiulan held Gu Mingyue's hand, her face full of gratitude: "Mingyue, thanks to you today, otherwise I wouldn't have known that Ningning was bullied for no reason."
As she spoke, she pulled a cloth bag out of the house and stuffed it into her hand. "These are steamed buns I just made, filled with red bean paste. You're pregnant, so eating more sweet things will put you in a good mood. Take them back for Lu Lin to try too."
Gu Mingyue couldn't refuse, so she had to accept it. The cloth bag was heavy and still warm.
When she got home, she opened the cloth bag and saw that the red bean buns were all plump and snow-white. When she took a bite, the sweet aroma of red bean paste spread in her mouth, smooth and not greasy.
When Lu Lin came home from get off work, he tried one and said with a smile, "Sister-in-law's cooking skills are getting better and better. This steamed bun is even tastier than the ones sold outside."
As the days draw closer to the twelfth lunar month, the festive atmosphere in the residential compound grows stronger.
Every household is busy preparing for the New Year.
Seeing her staring blankly out the window, Lu Lin walked over and gently hugged her from behind: "What are you thinking about?"
Gu Mingyue smiled and turned around: "I'm thinking that next year during the Spring Festival, we'll take the kids to visit relatives and friends. It'll definitely be lively."
Lu Lin nodded and pointed to the steamed buns on the table: "Let's steam some mantou and baozi this weekend, and buy some candy and melon seeds to entertain guests during the New Year."
As the year draws to a close, Lu Wanwan's workplace has also given everyone a holiday, but He Xiao is busier than usual.
The island patrol missions before the Lunar New Year were heavy, and he had to leave early and return late every day, even having to time his meals at home.
Lu Wanwan then spent every day at Gu Mingyue's house, and the two of them would get together and prepare New Year's food in a lively atmosphere.
Gu Mingyue's kitchen became the main battlefield, with bone broth simmering on the coal stove and soaked lotus root, minced meat, and beaten eggs laid out on the cutting board.
Wearing an apron, Lu Wanwan followed Gu Mingyue to learn how to make lotus root cakes.
"First, cut the lotus root into slices, stuff the middle with a mixture of lean and fatty meat, coat it with a layer of batter, and then deep-fry it."
Under Gu Mingyue's direction, the first batch of lotus root slices was successfully cooked. The freshly cooked lotus root slices were crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, and their aroma made people's mouths water.
"Sister-in-law, how does this look when I fry it?"
Lu Wanwan picked up a golden lotus root box and handed it over like a treasure.
Gu Mingyue took a bite, smiled and nodded: "Much better than last time! Next time, turn the heat down a bit when frying, and it will be more even."
When they were making egg dumplings, Lu Lin came home from get off work and happened to be there to help.
He took a long-handled spoon, heated it over a fire, scooped a spoonful of egg mixture and swished it to spread it evenly. Once the egg mixture solidified into a thin pancake, he placed the meat filling on it, and gently folded the egg skin in half with chopsticks. A round, plump egg dumpling was thus formed.
Lu Wanwan looked on with envy and wanted to try it too, but she poured in too much egg mixture, turning it into a "thick-skinned egg dumpling," which made the three of them burst into laughter.
When frying the meatballs, the two worked together: Gu Mingyue was in charge of preparing the meat filling, and Lu Wanwan was in charge of rolling the meatballs.
The small meatballs rolled in the oil, gradually turning dark brown. They were then scooped out, drained of oil, and placed in a bamboo basket, filling it to the brim.
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