Chapter 92 A close neighbor is worse than a distant relative
Familiar footsteps suddenly came from outside the courtyard gate, followed by Huo Zheng's voice.
"Mingyue, I'm back!"
Before he finished speaking, he walked into the yard carrying his military cap and immediately saw the dumplings lined up next to the cutting board, as well as the flour-covered creations in the hands of three children.
"Oh, these are dumplings made by our chefs?"
Huo Zheng leaned closer to the lid of the steamer, picked up a large dumpling that Lei Lei had made, and deliberately widened his eyes exaggeratedly, "This shape is unique, even more special than your mother's. I'll have to fight over it later."
Leilei shyly rushed over and tugged at his clothes: "This doesn't look good, Daddy won't eat it."
Mingming quickly covered the dumplings she had made that had leaked filling behind her back, saying, "I won't give these to Dad either; I'll eat them myself."
Yao Yao held her little gold ingot and timidly offered it to Huo Zheng, saying, "Daddy, eat Yao Yao's."
Lu Mingyue smiled as she finished pinching the last dumpling: "Stop teasing the children, hurry up and wash your hands and help me boil water and cook the pot."
Huo Zheng responded but didn't move. He reached out to wipe the thin layer of sweat from Lu Mingyue's forehead and then squeezed her arm: "Are you exhausted? I'll peel garlic for you when the dumplings are cooked."
Qin Lie felt the room was filled with the sour smell of love.
Xia Xiaofang had already boiled the water until it was steaming, and called into the house with a smile, "Qin Lie, come and lend a hand, the water's boiling!"
Qin Lie took this opportunity to leave quickly.
Huo Zheng reshaped the dumplings that the children had made but hadn't formed properly.
After washing his hands, he went into the kitchen and put the dumplings the children had made into the pot first: "Let's cook these precious dumplings first, so the little chefs can taste our skills."
The water in the pot had boiled, and the three children were peering eagerly through the window.
The last time they lit a fire, they accidentally spilled the firewood, and this dangerous situation startled everyone.
So the children were forbidden from entering the kitchen.
Lu Mingyue also planned to make some more potstickers.
Two men were in charge of cooking dumplings. Lu Mingyue and Xia Xiaofang were in charge of making potstickers.
Huo Zheng knew the dumplings were cooked when they floated to the surface twice.
He quickly used a slotted spoon to scoop out the dumplings and divided them into four rough porcelain bowls. He also specially picked out the small steamed buns and oddly shaped dumplings that the children had made and placed them separately in three small dishes.
Lu Mingyue's potstickers were also ready, with golden and crispy crusts at the bottom, looking very appetizing.
"Dinner's ready."
Qin Lie moved the table out, and everyone sat in the courtyard to eat.
Huo Zheng carried the bowl to the table. As soon as the adults put down the dumplings, the children couldn't wait to distribute the chopsticks.
"Everyone, try it and see how it tastes." Lu Mingyue took a bite, and the soup dripped down her chin.
The three children couldn't sit still any longer and were picking out the dumplings they had made from small plates.
Leilei took a bite of the dumpling he had made that had its filling exposed. Although the skin was thick and the filling was sparse, he ate it with a smug look on his face.
"My dumplings are really delicious!"
Mingming held her own little steamed bun and insisted on giving Lu Mingyue a bite: "Auntie, try mine!"
Yao Yao nibbled on the little gold ingot, glancing up at Huo Zheng and Lu Mingyue every now and then, oblivious to the flour smeared on her lips.
Looking at the lively scene, Xia Xiaofang smiled and put a dumpling into her mouth: "It tastes better when there are more people around."
Lu Mingyue picked up a dumpling and returned the favor: "Next time, let's make dumplings together as a family, it'll be even more lively."
While helping the children peel garlic, Huo Zheng added dumplings to Lu Mingyue's bowl, saying, "Eat more, you've been busy all afternoon."
Lu Mingyue nodded, her heart warmed as she looked at the child wolfing down his food, the friends chatting animatedly, and her husband who was always thinking of her.
After the meal, just as Lu Mingyue was about to clear the dishes, Huo Zheng pressed her hand down: "You rest, I'll clear them. You were exhausted from preparing the filling and kneading the dough this afternoon."
As they spoke, they stacked the empty bowls together, picked them up, and headed to the kitchen. Qin Lie didn't refuse and picked up a rag to wipe the table. The two of them worked together seamlessly, one washing and the other wiping.
Unable to sit down after finishing her meal, Lu Mingyue stood up to digest her food, then remembered that the vegetables in the yard hadn't been watered yet.
She found a tin bucket, filled it with water, and handed each of the three children a small water ladle: "Come on, let's water the vegetable patch so that the cabbages can grow strong and healthy, and we can use them to make dumplings next time."
Leilei ran ahead carrying a small water ladle, squatted under the cucumber trellis, and carefully watered the roots, afraid of splashing the newly formed cucumbers.
Mingming imitated him and poured water on the cabbage leaves.
He usually helps his mother with chores at home and enjoys the relaxed atmosphere while doing chores, watering the plants very carefully.
Yao Yao was small and weak, so she held the water ladle and poured it slowly. Occasionally, she would spill water on her little cloth shoes, but she would just giggle and continue to work with her brothers.
Lu Mingyue stood to the side, watching the children's earnest expressions and couldn't help but smile.
Xia Xiaofang said with a smile, "Since Mingming came back, he has been smiling more when he is with your two children. Qin Lie and I are much more at ease. Moreover, he is becoming more and more like a child."
Her tone was tinged with emotion: "You didn't see how wary and uneasy he was when he first came back. The day Qin Lie picked him up from the countryside, he stood at the door clutching the hem of his clothes, not even daring to move to change his shoes. When I offered him a piece of candy, he hesitated for a long time before daring to take it."
"Children are sensitive and easily become shy when they first arrive in a new place."
Lu Mingyue brought over two bowls of cooled warm water and handed one to Xia Xiaofang, saying, "Children's friendships are the purest; they let their guard down as they play."
It was getting late, so Qin Lie stood up and patted Huo Zheng on the shoulder: "You enjoyed the meal today. Next time, let my family show off their skills."
He then told his wife and children to pack their things and get ready to go home.
Lu Mingyue had already packed dumplings and potstickers into clean aluminum lunchboxes. Seeing that they were about to leave, she quickly grabbed the lunchboxes and chased after them.
"Take it back and give it to the kids for breakfast tomorrow. They can just heat it up and eat it."
Xia Xiaofang quickly stepped forward to stop her: "No, no, Mingyue, you've already eaten quite a lot today, how can I take any more of your things?"
As she spoke, she pushed the lunchbox back, saying, "Your kids love this too, so save it for Leilei and Yaoyao."
"Take it, it's not like it's anything rare."
Lu Mingyue smiled and stuffed the lunchbox into Xia Xiaofang's hands, "We make a lot of food at home, and it's just sitting there. We don't have time to cook for the kids in the morning, so this is perfect."
Huo Zheng chimed in, "That's right, neighbors shouldn't be so polite. Next time you cook something delicious, we'll come over and enjoy it too."
Xia Xiaofang glanced at Qin Lie, and seeing him nod, she smiled and accepted the gift: "Then we won't stand on ceremony. I'll make some sweet cakes and bring them over to the children later."
When the three children heard that there were sweet cakes, they jumped up with joy and surrounded the adults, urging them to go home.
After seeing Qin Lie's family off, Lu Mingyue smiled as she looked towards the courtyard gate.
Huo Zheng was helping to tidy up the benches in the yard when he saw this and joked, "You really know how to handle people. After a while, the neighborly relations have become even warmer."
Lu Mingyue picked up a broom and swept up the flour crumbs on the ground: "That's true. A close neighbor is worse than a distant relative. It's only when we visit each other more often that it feels like a home."
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