Shen Zishan gazed quietly at his wife's prominent belly, his heart filled with pity and an urge to help.
However, he had to continue to pretend that his legs were still injured, because if his legs were to recover after the division of the family property, he would probably be subjected to endless gossip and backbiting, and such stigma might follow him for the rest of his life.
Everyone says that Shen Zishan faked breaking his leg to separate from the family, and he probably even sold his job, losing more than a penny. He didn't give any money to his parents, but kept the money for himself to live a good life.
Ma Aning slowly pushed open the door, carrying a bag of flour in her hand.
At this moment, Qian Danu, Chen Zhong, and the families of her two elder brothers were leisurely sitting in the courtyard enjoying the cool air.
Ma Aning carefully supported her belly and slowly walked into the kitchen, one step at a time.
She gently poured the flour she was carrying into a large bowl, then began to add an appropriate amount of water and skillfully stirred it with both hands.
In no time, the dough gradually took shape in her skillful hands.
For Ma Aning, these household chores were already second nature.
Despite being heavily pregnant and having difficulty moving around, she was still very agile.
Before long, she had rolled out a smooth and delicate dough into a thin sheet, and then quickly cut it into noodles of uniform thickness.
Meanwhile, the water in the pot on the stove was boiling happily, bubbling and gurgling.
Without hesitation, Ma Aning put the freshly cut noodles into the pot, then took some fresh scallions and tender green vegetables from the side, washed them, and threw them into the pot as well.
In an instant, a rich aroma filled the kitchen.
Before long, a bowl of fragrant noodles was ready.
Ma Aning even took out some oil and fried two golden-brown, crispy-on-the-outside and tender-on-the-inside poached eggs in the pan, then carefully arranged them on the surface of the bowl.
A bowl of steaming hot noodles, with its appealing color, aroma, and taste, looks incredibly appetizing and is filled with an enticing fragrance.
The aroma quietly spread, and everyone in the courtyard smelled it, unable to help but swallow their saliva.
You know, these days, noodles are a rare delicacy!
Meanwhile, Ma Aning carefully carried two steaming bowls of noodles on a tray and walked slowly toward the room, her movements somewhat clumsy.
Meanwhile, Qian Daniu saw Ma Aning's appearance and couldn't help but curl her lips, muttering with disdain, "Look at her, she doesn't seem like a person who knows how to manage a household at all! She just separated from her family and she can't wait to cook noodles, eat eggs, and even buy a house."
"At this rate, she'll squander all the family's money sooner or later!" After saying that, she glared fiercely in the direction Ma Aning had left.
However, Zhong Chen, standing to the side, took a slow puff of his pipe, exhaled a cloud of smoke, and said calmly.
"Alright, you should stop nagging. Now that they've separated, it's their life to live. Whether they live well or poorly is none of your business." With that, he turned his gaze into the distance and said no more.
Hearing her husband's words, Qian Daniu, though still dissatisfied, wisely kept quiet and remained silent. After all, things had come to this point, and further words would be pointless.
Qian Ahua gloated and exclaimed, "Look at this third sister-in-law! She's so unfilial! She doesn't even know to cook a bowl of noodles for her parents!"
Her tendency to stir up trouble is quite annoying to look at.
However, this time he remained unusually silent, perhaps because deep down he actually agreed with what Qian Ahua said.
Meanwhile, Ma Aning and Shen Zishan had no interest in Qian Ahua and the others gossiping.
The two were happily enjoying the delicious noodles in their bowls, and soon they finished them all, leaving not a single drop.
The next morning, just as dawn was breaking, Ma Aning couldn't wait to get out of bed. She originally planned to call her parents and two younger brothers to help tidy up the new house.
When she arrived at her doorstep, the scene before her left her speechless with astonishment—the village chief, leading several strong men, had just arrived at the door as well.
Ma Aning walked forward with a suspicious look on her face and asked, "Uncle Village Chief, why...why are you all here?"
With a kind smile on his face, the village chief replied warmly, "Haha, Aning, I'm thinking that given your current situation with Shanzi, it's probably beyond your capabilities to set up this new home on your own!"
"So, I specifically brought these young men along to lend a hand and help you out!"
Hearing these words, Ma Aning felt a surge of warmth in her heart.
Thinking about how her family members were indifferent to the matter, and then looking at the village chief, who was not related to her at all, she realized that he was taking the initiative to think about her.
Moreover, she was deeply moved by their kindness in bringing so many people to help.
"Uncle Village Chief, thank you so much! And thank you to all the uncles, aunts, brothers and sisters here for coming to help me."
Ma Aning bowed deeply to everyone with a face full of gratitude, expressing her sincere thanks.
Ma Aning took a key out of her pocket, walked up to the village chief, and handed it to him with both hands, saying, "Uncle Village Chief, please take this key and help us get everything sorted out."
"I need to hurry up and buy some groceries. Everyone will have to eat lunch at my house today!"
As soon as he finished speaking, everyone quickly waved their hands in refusal, saying, "Oh, Aning, it's only right that we neighbors help each other out."
"There's no need to buy groceries and cook for such a small thing. With the skills of a few of us, we can definitely take care of it properly in less than an hour!"
However, Ma Aning responded very firmly, "No, no, it has to be done! If it weren't for everyone's help this time, I don't know how long it would have taken me to get it done on my own."
"So everyone absolutely has to stay at my house for lunch today, otherwise I'll feel really bad, and I'll never have the nerve to trouble you all again!"
After hearing Ma Aning's resolute words, everyone looked at each other for a moment, but in the end they could not persuade her otherwise and had to nod in agreement.
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