Looking at that piece of meat, Jian Dan had already figured out his thoughts and couldn't help but laugh.
"I told you you liked this flavor. If you don't mind, you can keep using this broth for braising. People always say that the older the broth, the better it tastes."
Lin Dongfang glanced at his wife.
"What's there to complain about? This is good stuff. We're only able to enjoy it because of you; otherwise, we really wouldn't be able to eat this good food."
Mingzhu also smiled and linked arms with Jian Dan.
"That's right, that's right. Let me tell you, I've been craving it lately."
"If you're willing to part with it, we might really take it all, pot and all!"
He simply rolled his eyes at her.
"So what? If I can't bear to eat it, you won't eat it?"
"No way! If you can't bear to part with your food, I'll just come and mooch off you. That would save me the trouble!"
Simple looked disgusted.
"You wish! You not only want the soup, but you also want to steal my meat. Lin Dongfang, hurry up and take your wife away!"
Watching the two bickering, Lin Dongfang pretended not to hear anything, as he couldn't afford to offend either of them.
The two families have reached a tacit understanding now. When they eat meat or other rare foods, they will refrain from mentioning it once they leave the house. After all, their living conditions are among the best in the village, and they don't want to become a target for others.
They were given a pot of braising broth, and the remaining half pot was not ladled out. Instead, all the prepared vegetables were poured into it. Lin Dongfang also contributed a piece of pork belly. As for their own, they could take it back and braise it themselves.
When Jian Xin returned, looking radiant, with her puppy in tow, the braised dishes in the pot were already bubbling and emitting a fragrant aroma. Jian Dan and Mingzhu had already started clearing the table, preparing for dinner.
He immediately greeted the two guests cheerfully, then headed straight for Simple.
"Sister, you made something delicious again?"
"The little glutton is back? Have you seen Little Flower?"
This topic clearly appealed to the child more, and he immediately put on a smug little expression, his eyes shining.
"Yes, Sister Xiaohua is very happy. She even asked me about some of the people she didn't recognize!"
That smug little face made Jian Dan want to try and touch it.
"Really? My Xin Xin is amazing, she can even be a little teacher!"
Mingzhu laughed along with him.
"Wow, how amazing! Whose child is this? I'd love to take him home!"
"No, no," the little girl said anxiously, waving her hand seriously.
"I belong to my sister's family, I can't go to other people's houses."
The reddish-brown, unappetizing cornbread was served with a large bowl of braised dishes—though there was no meat—yet the group ate with greasy mouths and sweaty brows, interspersed with the occasional exclamations of surprise from the little girl.
"Wow, this potato is delicious!"
"Is this...is this a cabbage?"
Mingzhu couldn't help but tease Jian Dan.
How is it like to raise a child?
He simply put down his chopsticks, took a sip of water,
"It was so sudden, I was just figuring it out as I went along."
You say I'm not that old? To be sentimental, I'm still a child.
At first, I was scared too. I had absolutely no experience. I didn't even dare to hold her. I felt like I didn't dare to use my little arms.
"Since she's already here, there's nothing I can do. She's grown up and understands things. If I don't know something, I just ask her. She knows what she wants to eat. She says I'm taking care of her, but really, she's keeping me company too."
Compared to Lin Dongfang, Mingzhu was simpler and knew a little bit, so she was surprised to hear this.
"You're amazing. How old was she last year? Four, right?"
You're asking a four-year-old what to eat?
Lin Dongfang picked up an egg for his wife.
"It's only you who can eat meat whenever you want, and eggs whenever you want. You can also be picky about what you eat, whether it's fine grains or coarse grains. Most people don't have that kind of confidence."
“An ordinary family? In this village, besides her, the two of us are probably considered good. It seems like neither of us can do that.”
"You two are really something! This sour smell makes it sound like you've been eating coarse grains and wild vegetables."
Lin Dongfang laughed heartily.
"It's not that we're eating coarse food and wild vegetables; in fact, I'm quite envious and jealous of that."
As he spoke, Lin Dongfang even adopted a hint of smugness.
"However, there is one thing you can't compare to us in."
After saying that, he stared at Jian Dan, waiting for her to ask. His eyes seemed to say, "Ask me already." Jian Dan couldn't guess what he meant, so she simply went along with it and asked.
"Really? All we're missing is the two of us sisters, and you two, the couple?"
He stared at Lin Dongfang suspiciously for several seconds before slowly speaking.
"A married couple, they're still better than me, it can't be,"
His gaze immediately shifted to Mingzhu, lingering on her stomach with a subtle, almost imperceptible, intensity.
Could it be that there's good news?
Lin Dongfang's grin stretched to his ears, and Mingzhu's face turned bright red. Her eyes began to dart away, but the curve of her lips only grew wider.
This reaction was simple: he simply sat up straight.
"Could it be true? Is she really pregnant?"
Lin Dongfang chuckled, his loud voice making no attempt to hide his joy.
"Yes, yes, Zhuzhu is pregnant, she's already three months along."
He paused in his simple movements. No wonder Lin Dongfang had been circling around the kitchen earlier—or rather, circling around Mingzhu's backside.
Whenever Mingzhu needed to lift something heavy or make a big move, Lin Dongfang would always conveniently take it from her.
She sensed that something was amiss.
"Why didn't you stop her in the kitchen? What if she had bumped or fallen?"
Mingzhu spoke gently,
"It's okay, I'm not that delicate."
"No, I'll take care of things at home. You just need to focus on getting better. Your body needs nutrition right now, so you can't overwork yourself."
A quick glance reveals he's a warm and caring husband?
They're quite thoughtful.
Mingzhu, who used to be so cheerful and outgoing, has now become a gentle and demure woman.
"Alright, alright, stop showing off your love in front of me. I know you two have a good relationship."
"However, you'll be going back to work in a few days. What are your plans? Even though it's been three months, you still need to be careful with this kind of heavy physical labor."
Once you start work, you're always busy, so how can you pay attention to anything else? Even if you don't put in any effort, you're still busy carrying things like bags. Isn't that normal?
At this point, Lin Dongfang's expression turned serious.
“I asked the village chief, and it’s not impossible not to work, but then we won’t get our food rations in the fall. We can think of a solution.”
I think it's fine. The main thing is that Zhuzhu thinks that if we don't work at all, it will be too conspicuous. There are a lot of people in the village who talk a lot. What kind of rumors will spread? Wouldn't that be asking for trouble?
But I'm not comfortable letting her work like us. I was thinking, could we ask the village chief for leave? We won't get involved in things like tilling the land, and those things aren't suitable for her anyway.
In a few days, when we start planting corn, I'll talk to the village chief and ask her to be assigned some seed-planting work. She's not really counting on earning those work points.”
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