When the bell rang for class, the children immediately looked nervous as soon as they heard that they were going to have a test.

Han Qingping and several other teachers distributed the test papers according to grade. Xiaowang was still in the first grade, Sanwang was in the second grade, Mai Sui and Erwang were in the third grade, but Dawang was in the fourth grade - if he scored over 50 points on the test.

After receiving the test paper, Da Wang calmed down first. What flashed through his mind was Lin Lan's calm and smiling face. She seemed to be saying, "My eldest son, there is nothing to be afraid of. I have summarized everything you need to learn. I believe in you!"

He calmed himself down, then took a pencil and started answering the questions.

Han Qingping and Huo Yuan had been observing him. They saw Da Wang sitting there straight, looking down at the test paper with an expressionless face. They had no idea what he was thinking.

Yes or no? Are you angry because you think the test paper is difficult?

Although they knew that Da Wang had learned well during the summer vacation, the time was too short after all. What could one learn in just one month? It would take at least half a year.

The two exchanged glances, and Han Qingping quietly walked towards Da Wang and found that Da Wang had already picked up a pencil and started writing.

Regardless of whether you can write or not, being able to write is a good sign. If you can't write a single word, it means you can't do it.

Because there were many students in the three large rooms, it was inevitable that there would be some noise, and some children would protest.

Da Wang was unmoved. When he was at home, even if San Wang was howling outside, he could still do his exercises and read books by himself. He didn't feel any pressure now.

After Da Wang finished the test paper, he signaled to the teacher to hand it in.

Han Qingping: "Student Dawang, please check again carefully."

Dawang: "Write what you know, and there is nothing you can do about what you don't know."

Han Qingping: Despite his young age, he is really... able to see things clearly.

Seeing that it was still short of time, he took out a red pen and started marking the papers. Since they were all questions he was very familiar with, Han Qingping read very quickly.

There is a composition requirement for Chinese, but the word count is not too long, only about 300 to 500 words, and the content is very simple, after all, it’s only elementary school.

The scores were announced quickly.

Han Qingping couldn't believe it. He looked back and saw that it was still... 87 points? He thought the essay was too serious and gave it an average score.

This... am I too sympathetic to this child and my answer is too simple?

You said 50 points would be enough, how come you only got 87?

Although I knew that Da Wang had made great progress during the summer vacation, I didn't expect it to be so good. After all, he only studied in the first grade, and now he is taking the test on the third grade level.

He went to see a few other children who were going from third grade to fourth grade, and what he saw was horrible!!!

You students have been studying seriously since the first grade, but you are not as good as Da Wang who never studies. You... you really make me mad.

After taking the Chinese and math exams, Dawang's speed became even faster.

Finally, the test paper was graded and I got 95 points in mathematics.

Several teachers wondered if the questions were too simple, and then they wondered if Da Wang had guessed the right answer.

They looked at Da Wang curiously, but Da Wang still had no expression, as if it was just a small matter.

The teachers nodded frequently, "This child is patient and can accomplish great things."

After grading the papers, the teacher returned the papers to Da Wang and said, "Take it back and show it to your mother."

There will be exams in the morning during the Mid-Autumn Festival and we will have a holiday in the afternoon.

Mai Sui and Er Wang were very concerned, "Brother, is it over yet?"

Da Wang glanced at them and said, "Let's talk about it when we get home."

Sanwang tried hard to snatch Dawang's test paper, but he couldn't get it.

The children got home faster than before, and Lin Lan was already preparing lunch.

Today is the Mid-Autumn Festival, she went to the supply and marketing cooperative and used Han Qingsong's ticket to buy meat, moon cakes, apples, glutinous rice sticks, sugar and other food. There are many children in the family, and she often makes hawthorn and red dates, apple and hawthorn syrup, so she consumes more.

When they came back, Lin Lan was making meatballs. One type is steamed meatballs. Chop the fat and lean meat into small pieces, beat an egg into it, then add the appropriate amount of salt, soy sauce, and sugar, and stir vigorously in one direction. Then roll them into balls with your hands, put them on a tea tray, and steam them in a pot while cooking. She also fried vegetable meatballs. She shredded gourd and carrot, beat in an egg and added the appropriate amount of flour, and fried them in oil with chopsticks until they turned into golden balls.

Although it is a waste of oil, it is the Mid-Autumn Festival after all, and the festival needs to be special. Even if you usually eat less oil, you can save it and be a little extravagant today.

"Wow, it smells so good!" The children rushed in impatiently. Sanwang took the lead, pulling Xiaowang, standing on the left and right of the pot, tiptoeing and looking inside.

Lin Lan served the children vegetable meatballs and some sugar water. She handed Da Wang a bowl of hawthorn apple water and asked with a smile, "How did you do on the exam?"

Da Wang glanced at her, his face showing no joy or sadness, and it was hard to tell whether he was happy or not.

Lin Lan's heart skipped a beat. Oh, there was something wrong with her eldest son's expression. Why did he look so sad and aggrieved?

Is this not passed?

She withdrew her smile and said, "It's okay. It doesn't matter if you don't do well in the exam. After all, studying is not for the exam. Just learn what you need to learn. In the future, being able to write and calculate will be better than anything else. We'll still kill the chicken."

Da Wang handed the test paper to her, just as usual, but this time Lin Lan felt that his expression looked a little sad.

She took the test paper and thought that if it wasn't 50, it should be more than 40. She thought Da Wang usually had a good grasp of the subject, so she estimated that he could get more than 60 points, not less than 50.

She unfolded the test paper and saw the real score. She exclaimed, "Brother Dawang, you are great! You are a role model for your brothers and sisters and you make mom and dad proud! Well, not bad, mom and dad are proud of you!"

She praised him harshly and without reservation.

Sanwang: "Haha, big brother is blushing."

Sure enough, a suspicious red color appeared on Da Wang's wheat-colored face.

Mai Sui smiled and said, "Brother, congratulations, you can be promoted to the fourth grade!"

Erwang: "Brother, your hard work over the past month has finally paid off. I don't have to do homework in my dreams anymore. Haha." Dawang was so nervous about doing homework this month that he started talking in his sleep and often muttered to himself about a question.

Yes, it was the same question, "Why are you so difficult? Is there something wrong with you? Can't you be simpler?"

Ha ha.

Others didn't know, but Erwang knew, and he only told Mai Sui and Lin Lan quietly. He didn't dare to let Sanwang know, otherwise the whole village would know.

Sanwang clapped his hands: "Ahhh, I can finally chew the big pig's trotter without worry."

Because Da Wang has been very nervous about his studies recently, San Wang has to keep his voice down at home and be careful when he goes to bed. He can't chew pig's trotters at will, because if he tries to chew them, his eldest brother will kick him away even harder than before.

One time, he was kicked awake by Sanwang. He then accused his elder brother of not sleeping well and kicked him, without any idea that he was the one who provoked him first in his sleep.

When he was blaming Da Wang, Da Wang directly showed him his shoulder, which still had his teeth marks on it.

Sanwang then became obedient. Hehehe, he touched him and said, "Brother, you are really strong, just like our father." He quickly flattered him.

Xiao Wang also took Lin Lan's hand and looked at the test paper, "Brother is so good, I don't even know how to do it."

Lin Lan touched his head and said, "You are still young."

She clapped her hands and said, "Kids, let's kill a chicken to celebrate big brother's promotion! You should thank big brother for eating chicken today!" Although they were going to kill a chicken, she was more willing to say that it was all thanks to her eldest son. The children were happy, and Dawang was happy too.

Han Qingsong brought back the hen. It laid an egg after coming home. Later, every time Lin Lan said she would kill it for meat because it stopped laying eggs, it laid another one. Now it finally stopped laying.

If chickens don't lay eggs, it's a waste of food to keep them, so they have to be killed for meat.

We kill the chicken after lunch, pluck it and stew it in the afternoon, and then eat it when Han Qingsong comes back in the evening.

"Ahhh, kill the chicken!" Sanwang's eyes were the brightest, "Second brother, quickly get the recipe! There's chicken to eat!" He happily picked up Xiaowang and swung him around, then put Xiaowang down and pestered Dawang, "Big brother, big brother, spin on the swing!"

To spin on a swing, the adult crosses his hands and clasps them on top of his head, and lets the child hold his elbows. Then the adult starts to spin, making the child spin.

Da Wang is extremely strong, and even without this, he could still lift them up and spin them around a few times with his hands, and the two younger brothers would shout excitedly.

Sanwang was excited, but Xiaowang was a little scared.

Da Wang put them down, and San Wang started to spin in circles.

Xiaowang also felt as if the world was turning upside down before his eyes. He laughed as if he was drunk, "I feel so dizzy," and sat down on the ground with a thump.

Erwang wants to help him.

Dawang said: "No need to help, it will be fine in a while."

It's no use trying to get up when you're dizzy. You still have to get through the dizziness period.

They had a simple lunch of bread with pickled vegetables and fried meatballs. After lunch, the children went to cut grass.

After returning, Lin Lan asked Da Wang and Er Wang to kill the chicken. While they were killing the chicken, she heated water to remove the feathers. After cleaning up, she cut the chicken into large pieces, boiled the chicken pieces in boiling water to remove the foam, and added seasonings such as green onions, ginger, and basil. She didn't add any spices to the stewed chicken because she thought the taste was too strong and the soup was not tasty. She also added some mushrooms and black fungus and stewed it directly in water.

This is a two-year-old hen, so it needs to be stewed for a little longer. But this big pot is very good for stewing things, so an hour is enough.

Chicken is stewed at the bottom, and mixed noodles are stewed on the side of the pot. Mixed noodles are basically cornmeal, sorghum rice, thin noodles, and sometimes bean noodles. Then stew some pickled vegetables, stew eggplant and mashed garlic. This way, all in one pot can save firewood.

After an hour, there is no need to add grass, just simmer it over the charcoal fire under the pot. This way, it will be ready to eat when Han Qingsong comes back.

Lin Lan clapped her hands, "Children, we are going to have a special welcome party today to welcome Director Han home and officially report the good news to him!"

She was in charge of publicity and often asked the children to help with performances. They were all familiar with her routines. Even Dawang had been a background player for Lin Lan's shows.

The children cooperated well in the rehearsal, and even though Da Wang was not enthusiastic, he did not refuse.

…

When Han Qingsong came back in the evening, he found that Lin Lan and the children were causing trouble again.

Lin Lan and the five children formed two lines and bowed slightly to Han Qingsong with a smile, "Thank you for your hard work, Director Han. Welcome home."

Han Qingsong stopped his bike and looked at them in confusion. "What's the matter?"

Lin Lan immediately ran over and hugged his arm, "Good news, good news."

This was the first time her son succeeded in doing something seriously. This was a big deal for her, so she naturally had to celebrate it in a very formal way.

This is the sense of ceremony in life.

She wanted Da Wang to feel proud and honored, to know that he had done something great, and to remember for the rest of his life how he and his mother had worked hard together that summer to accomplish an incredible task. No matter what he did in the future or what difficulties he encountered, he could always remember this summer, this exam, and how his parents, brothers and sisters were proud of him!

She held Han Qingsong's arm, tilted her head, and said to Dawang with a slight smile: "It's okay."

Dawang: “…………”

It’s really… okay, not boring, but really… embarrassing.

He stood at attention and said to Han Qingsong, "Dad, I'm in the fourth grade now."

Really? Han Qingsong did not hide his surprise and stared at Dawang, "Not bad!"

Seeing Han Qingsong looking at him with such surprise and approval for the first time, Dawang felt very happy and couldn't help but smile.

Lin Lan smiled and said, "Son, laugh if you want to. Don't be like a chopping board when you are young."

The smile on Da Wang's lips suddenly disappeared, and he returned to his previous cold expression.

Lin Lan: "..." I don't know my eldest son well, and I didn't take the right picture. To make up for it, she quickly said: "Haha, don't be embarrassed, look at your father, he has a gloomy face every day, but he is not like that in his heart, he has no idea how depressed he is... and how humorous he is."

Lin Lan accidentally said a word that no one understood at that time.

They don't understand the general meaning of "sour" and only focus on the word "sour". Nowadays, "sour" means being coquettish and wild, which is the most widely understood meaning!

Lin Lan clearly felt Han Qingsong's body stiffen for a moment, and then she felt the burning attention from Director Han above her head.

Lin Lan: Haha, I'd better keep silent.

Sanwang: "Mom, what's wrong with my dad?"

Lin Lan: Shut up! I've caused trouble! Watch out for my wrath!

Xiao Wang waved his hands quickly, "It's not over yet. Keep going!"

After the eldest brother finished his report, his younger brothers and sisters expressed their opinions.

So Lin Lan took Han Qingsong's hand and walked around as if she was inspecting the troops, saying that the children were all good.

The children immediately thanked their parents for their efforts and promised to study harder in the future.

Xiaowang took out his harmonica and played a song, which brought the atmosphere to a climax. Afterwards, the whole family congratulated Dawang on his successful promotion.

This was Lin Lan's idea, reflecting the harmony between husband and wife, loving father and filial son, but it was ruined by her. After congratulations, the children's attention was diverted to how Director Han was so coquettish.

Lin Lan: You're lifting a rock and dropping it on your own feet, that's what it means.

Sanwang and Xiaowang whispered, "Is Dad a jerk?"

Xiao Wang shook his head: "No, Daddy smells good, not smelly. Xiao Fu is the one who smells good."

Sanwang: "He always pees on himself."

They asked Erwang and Maisui, "What's wrong with Dad?"

Erwang and Mai Sui are two years older and have a strong imagination. They immediately thought of the women outside cursing each other, "You bitch, you are always trying to hook up with men!"

Σ(⊙▽⊙"a

But it seems like it could be changed, thinking about hooking up with women all day long... hooking up with their mothers.

Mai Sui: "Haven't you noticed? Daddy looks at Mom differently than we do. He's flirting with Mom and teasing her."

Several children immediately agreed with this statement. Their father was indeed a jerk and their mother was right!

Han Qingsong: I vaguely feel that someone is slandering me.

Lin Lan squeezed his hand quickly to comfort him, but he held her hand tightly, as if asking for an explanation.

Lin Lan couldn't help laughing and signaled him not to be stingy.

He looked at her fiercely, and Lin Lan immediately understood what he meant. It was nothing more than... ahem, Director Han never has any serious work at home!

This year, because of the division of the family property, and because Han's sister-in-law overturned the table during the Chinese New Year, Han Qinghua came back and left again, and was unable to stay for the Mid-Autumn Festival. The old lady was not feeling well, so she would not invite anyone to dinner.

Each room is also quiet and peaceful.

Lin Lan quickly told the children to set the table and start eating. Since it was not that cold, they moved the table to the yard so that they could enjoy the moon after dinner.

When the chicken was cooked, I cut a large bowl of coriander and threw it in. Nowadays, coriander has no fertilizers or pesticides, and its aroma is particularly strong. Throw a handful of it into the stewed meat with cold vegetables, and the taste will rise.

The children’s favorite cold tomatoes are also a must, and cut cucumber strips are dipped in the sauce.

The family sat around the table, eating stewed chicken with mushrooms and coriander, which was so delicious that it made people feel like they were dreaming.

Xiao Wang was dizzy from the aroma of the stewed chicken. He was about to stand up and exclaim loudly when San Wang shouted, "Brother Xiao Wang, I'll do it for you."

He laughed and picked up the bowl, "Ah - meat, ah - a wonderful life! Ah, I love you!" Then he sat down and buried his head in drinking the chicken soup.

Xiao Wang looked at him and said seriously, "Third brother, I didn't think about it. I wanted to sing the chicken song."

Sanwang swallowed the chicken soup in his mouth and said, "Is that so? I learned a phrase from my mother. You guys should listen to it."

He cleared his throat and began to sing: "I trusted you, I trusted you, I laid eggs for you, but why did you betray me, oh oh oh, you hurt me and just laughed it off, I laid eggs for you, but you stewed me in a pot~~~"

"Hahaha... stinky Sanwang, if you don't want to eat it, forget it!" Mai Sui stomped her feet and laughed until her stomach hurt. Erwang also laughed so hard that he leaned his head on Mai Sui's shoulder and laughed until he got a stitch in the side. Lin Lan also laughed so hard that she held the table with one hand and rubbed her stomach with the other, "Sanlu, you... are you going to make us laugh to death and have this pot of chicken all to yourself?"

Da Wang on the opposite side couldn't help it anymore. He grinned with his neat white teeth showing. He raised his hand and slapped San Wang who was gnawing on the chicken.

Han Qingsong put his fist to his lips, his shoulders shaking with laughter, but his bright black eyes were looking at Lin Lan across from him. The way she laughed out loud was just like the other children, which made him feel particularly beautiful.

Xiao Wang was still young and didn't understand some things, so he couldn't understand Xiao San Ge's sense of humor. He saw everyone laughing so hard, but Xiao San Ge was eating, so he immediately said, "Xiao San Ge, you are so cunning. You made everyone laugh so hard that their stomachs hurt, but you eat by yourself."

He quickly picked up a piece of chicken thigh meat and put it in Lin Lan's bowl, "Mom, I'll take it for you."

Lin Lan reached into his bowl and said, "Good boy, eat quickly. It's a big bowl. Mommy will have some too."

The chicken at this time was different from the hormone-fed chicken of later generations. The soup was covered with a layer of golden oil. Not only was the chicken meat extremely delicious, but the chicken skin was also very elastic. The chicken was stewed into rolled pieces, and it tasted fragrant and chewy, which was truly delicious.

Lin Lan let them eat as much as they wanted. They only ate chicken twice a year, and she wanted the children to enjoy their meal.

The children all ate until their bellies were full, and walked around the yard with their hands on their stomachs to digest the food. They ate so much that no one touched the mooncakes and apples that Lin Lan had prepared.

There are no cicadas or turtles to be found in autumn, and there is nothing fun to do except listening to the radio. Dawang has achieved his wish and has no worries about his promotion, so he leads his younger brothers and sisters to the production team to peel corn and earn work points.

During the Mid-Autumn Festival, the days were already short. It was still light when they ate, but it was already dim when they finished. Lin Lan lit the lantern and hung it on the door frame to provide light for Han Qingsong.

The dishes on the table were almost finished, but there was still some chicken left. Lin Lan picked it up in a bowl and handed it to Han Qingsong, "Third brother, eat more and replenish yourself."

Han Qingsong gestured to her and patted the stool next to him, asking her to sit over.

The full moon on the 15th was big and round. It had not yet risen to the middle of the sky, but was hanging on the treetops in the east, peeking at the world like a shy little girl.

In the moonlight, her face shone with a pure white light, which made his heart as agitated as the moonlight.

He quietly held her hand, but continued to eat seriously. Thinking back to last year's Mid-Autumn Festival, it seemed like a long time ago.

After dinner, the two of them cleaned up and waited for the children to come back. Lin Lan then let Mai Sui take a bath with her.

This year, it is much more convenient to take a bath with the bathroom. After dinner, they can just boil a pot of water and take a bath.

When it was cold, Lin Lan would take a bath with Mai Sui and rub his back. After washing, he would dry himself, put on his inner clothes, wrap himself in a cotton jacket, and rush onto the kang. He would then eat some apples or pomegranates. It was very comfortable.

After taking a shower, Lin Lan went to bed and wiped her hair with a towel. There was no hair dryer at that time, so her hair was not easy to dry. She usually washed her hair at noon, and it dried in a short while when it was hot. But in autumn harvest, she had to go to the fields, and her face was covered with dirt. Even if she washed her hair in the morning, she would feel itchy and uncomfortable if she didn't wash it in the evening. Fortunately, she kept her hair neatly short.

Han Qingsong came in after taking a shower and casually used a towel to brush his hair. His hair was short and his body was hot, so he dried quickly.

Lin Lan lay on the mattress, resting her head on his thighs, and asked him to help her wipe her hair. Soon she felt sleepy.

I was about to fall asleep, but was woken up by his kiss.

"Nothing. I caught a cold from sleeping too much." His slender fingers combed her hair again and again, giving her a tingling sensation.

Because the kang was hot, Lin Lan also felt warm. The heat in her body rose, making her snow-white cheeks bright and attractive.

Han Qingsong looked at her intently.

Lin Lan felt embarrassed by his gaze and glared at him, "What are you looking at, an old couple? It's not like you don't know each other."

He raised his hand and held her chin, preventing her from avoiding his sight. "It looks good. I like it." His voice became deeper and more magnetic, carrying a deep desire.

Lin Lan felt that he was going to kiss her, so she smiled and pulled his hand, "Come, let me see you."

Han Qingsong had already kissed her lips and said in a low voice, "I don't look good."

He kissed the base of her ear and stroked her back with his big hands lightly. The rubbing fingers rubbed her skin, sending a current through her, causing her to shiver slightly.

…

…

After a few days, the autumn wind was blowing, and Lin Lan prepared to take some time to sew a cotton coat.

This morning, she said to Han Qingsong, who was blowing a whistle to do morning exercises, "It's cold. Don't go swimming in the morning. The children will freeze."

Han Qingsong: "Xiaowang, forget it. The other three guys can continue." Don't you like to go swimming when it's very cold? It's not cold yet.

Da Wang didn't care, but Xiao Wang was a little eager to try, and Er Wang's face changed.

Oh my god, why are we driving them down to the river in the middle of winter? The ducks and geese are shivering in their nests.

The author has something to say: Lin Lan: Sanluzi, you make so much fuss just eating a chicken. Mother decided to give you an Oscar statuette.

Sanwang: Mom, don’t fool your silly son. Who else has a golden man? Why don’t you give me some dimes to spend?