On the last day of May, the twins came back from school at noon and told me about the change in school hours.
Shen Anning was not very surprised. Since the resumption of classes in the county high school and junior high schools in various townships this year, the schools' teaching of students has become more and more formal. If this is the case in middle and high schools, it is only a matter of time before primary schools pay attention to teaching quality.
However, what Shen An Ning was most concerned about was the issue of lunch, and looking at her younger brothers and sisters, she asked.
"Did the school tell us what to do about lunch? Should we eat there, bring it with us, or come back? Is there a long break between morning and afternoon? Will we have enough time?"
Shen Anxuan swallowed the pork ribs in his mouth. "The principal said we can eat at school. We just need to pay 15 kilograms of food every month. But we discussed it. Anyway, we usually run to and from school together. Now that we have practiced our speed, it usually only takes us ten minutes to get home. We finish school at 11:30 in the morning and go to school at 1 in the afternoon. We have enough time."
On their way back, Shen Anyu and Shen Anxuan had already discussed with the children in the village that they could help with some chores at home and eat a little better if they came back at noon. Besides, it would be boring to stay in school, where they either played in the mud or fought with other children in the village. It would be better for them to go home.
In June, rice seedlings need to be planted and rapeseed needs to be sown. The task is heavy, so Shen Anning also started working, but she only takes half a day. After all, there are a lot of wild vegetables and herbs in the mountains now, and she also needs time to go up the mountain to collect herbs and leave them for the villagers to use in winter. The family's private plot also needs to be taken care of, with peppers, cowpeas, cucumbers, tomatoes, and eggplants. This year she also planted lettuce, planning to barbecue at home when the time comes.
Because she had to go to work in the morning, Shen An Ning didn't want to take Shen Zixi to the field. This little girl was going crazy and she couldn't control herself. She was tanned into charcoal in the field. Where could she go to reason with her? She was so well raised and couldn't be dazzled by the sun. Maybe because she knew that her aunts and uncles at home doted on her, this child was used to reading the expressions of her family members, and was very well-behaved in front of other strangers.
After thinking about it, Shen Anning decided to send little Xixi to live with Grandma Deng, the village chief's home. She is old now and doesn't work, so it's convenient for her to take care of her grandchildren at home.
In the space, Shen Anning began to negotiate terms with Shen Zixi.
"Xixi, starting tomorrow, I'll send you to Grandma Deng's in the morning. Be good at other people's homes, and I'll bring you back at noon, okay?"
I don’t know if she understood or not, but the little girl started saying “Ah, ah, no.”
"I'll bring you in to watch cartoons tonight." Shen Anning pointed at the TV and looked at the little guy with a change in his eyes. "I'll make egg custard for you every day."
Shen Zixi looked up suddenly. Although she was young, she knew about egg custard. Shen Anning adhered to the idea that silence meant tacit agreement. From the day she started working, she fed Shen Zixi in the morning, cooked rice porridge, put it in a lunch box and sent it to Grandma Deng.
Shen Zixi didn't feel anything at first, but when Shen An Ning left, the little guy cried very sadly, and the look in his eyes when he looked at Shen An Ning was full of pity.
Because Shen Zixi cried so sadly in the morning, Shen Anning was a little distracted in the field all morning. She had good physical strength and was assigned to plant rice in the field. For the whole morning, her waist was almost bent. She wore a straw hat and planted rice in rows along the red line drawn by the villagers without any effort. She planted about one acre of land by herself, more than the people next to her.
Because he was thinking of Shen Zixi, Shen Anning left at about eleven o'clock, asked the scorekeeper to record the work points, washed his hands by the river, cleaned his rain boots, and hurried to the village chief's house.
At the gate of the yard, Grandma Deng spread a straw mat on the ground, and Shen Zixi and the little grandson and granddaughter of the village chief sat on it. Because they were well raised, the little ones were white and tender, and they were particularly conspicuous among the three children.
Grandma Deng saw Shen Anning running over from a distance.
"Hey, An Ning, it's time to get off work. Your little niece is so well-behaved. She didn't cry or make a fuss all morning. She just hums when she's hungry or wet. She's so easy to take care of!"
Shen Anning smiled, picked up Shen Zixi who was sitting on the straw mat, and said: "Grandma Deng, you will take care of it. Thank you. I'll trouble you this month."
"No trouble, I'm dying for your little niece to come over. She's smart, so she can play with my grandchildren and take care of these idiots."
"Okay, grandma, I won't bother you anymore. I'll take her back first."
On the way home with Shen Zixi in her arms, the little guy lay on her shoulder and didn't say a word. Shen Anning was a little worried, but now seeing her like this, she felt a little funny.
I got home, closed the door, and went straight into the space. Sure enough, as soon as I arrived at the familiar place, I got the accusing look.
She kissed the little guy flatteringly and said, "Auntie is wrong, baby, let's go play in the water first, and then I'll make you something delicious, okay?"
Putting a swimming ring around her neck on the little girl, Shen An Ning filled the bathtub with water and let her play in it. It wasn't hot now, so playing for a few minutes was like taking a bath.
Go to the kitchen and steam the apples and bananas that Shen Zixi likes to eat, then cook some spinach and pork liver noodles. Cut the noodles into small pieces with scissors and cook them until they are softer, which is very suitable for Shen Zixi now.
Go to the bathroom and pick up the little guy, wash his face, wipe off the moisture, apply perfume, and carry him to the baby seat. A children's meal tray is filled with Shen Zixi's favorite food. The little girl stares at it and never leaves.
"Okay, stop looking and start eating, baby." After eating half a bowl of noodles, he was fed a banana the length of his little finger and two spoonfuls of applesauce. Shen Zixi had been playing with the two children of the village chief's family all morning and had not slept all the time. As soon as he finished his meal, his eyelids began to droop.
Put her on the kang and cover her belly with a summer quilt. The weather has been getting warmer recently, and it’s time for grandparents and parents to start preparing clothes and thin quilts.
The twins would be home in twenty minutes, so without wasting time, Shen An Ning fried a plate of pickled cabbage and pork, and stewed a portion of cabbage and tofu. The uneaten rice had been placed in the space kitchen, so she took it out and put it into the bowl. Shen Zixi was sleeping in the north room, so she ate at the table outside the east room at noon.
As soon as the food was placed on the table, Shen Anyu and Shen Anxuan entered the courtyard.
"Go wash your hands first, then come and eat."
"Oh, okay, sister."
Three people sat at the table, each with a bowl of white rice. The sauerkraut and tofu were both delicious. Shen Anyu even ordered another bowl after finishing his meal.
Shen Anxuan's chopsticks didn't stop, and he kept saying, "Sister, the tofu is delicious. I'll do it this way next time."
"Okay, I'll cook for you next time. When you're in third grade, I'll teach you both how to cook. Then you two will be in charge of the kitchen at home."
After dinner, it was still early, so the twins went up the mountain with a group of children from the village. Last year, the herbs had made everyone taste the sweetness, and this year, Shen Anning didn't need to say much, the children went to the mountains whenever they had time.
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