After seeing the person off, Jian Dan didn't really intend to be a hero, but she didn't sit idle either. She cut and cleaned the chives, and thinking about the dumplings from last night, the dumplings from this morning, and the dumplings for the next few days, she suddenly wanted to try something different.
"Slurp!"
Perhaps it's related to pregnancy hormones, but just thinking about it made my mouth water. When Cheng Rui and Cheng An returned, Jian Dan was drooling and munching on fruit. She was practically impatient to see them.
"I didn't do any work, I want braised beef noodles!"
The two brothers, who had just been discussing how to make the dough and chop the filling on the way back, were completely stunned. Where did this braised beef noodle soup come from?
However, the two sisters, being doting on each other, kept their doubts to themselves and immediately got busy. One kneaded the dough, while the other went to find beef, with Jian Dan giving instructions from behind.
"There are also eggs and vegetables in the kitchen,"
"I know, sis, it's definitely well-nourished."
Cheng Rui covered his mouth with his arm, laughing uncontrollably, the flour in his hands trembling as it fell into the basin.
"Is your sister really craving it?"
"Yeah, I see. It's only because we're watching that we've taken action ourselves."
"Haha, this is delicious. The dough is ready, let it rest for a while. You cook, I'll help you. If you need anything else, I'll go get it."
"I'll put the beef in the pot first. Go get a persimmon, a few bok choy stalks, half a carrot, a handful of shiitake mushrooms, and some soybean paste. Also, put a few eggs in that small pot over there to boil; we'll make tiger-skin eggs in there later."
"Okay, okay, I'll wash the eggs first."
While the two brothers were secretly amused, Jian Dan resigned himself to researching meals for his pregnant older sister. The effects of Jian Dan's efforts were evident. Before long, Jian Dan couldn't sit still in the room; the aroma was simply irresistible.
Fortunately, they knew she was in a hurry, so they didn't keep her waiting too long, and lunch was served quickly.
"Sis, come and try it! See if my cooking skills have gotten worse?"
A large bowl of beef noodles, topped with bright red, soft, peeled tomatoes, golden carrots, and vibrant green bok choy, with large chunks of brownish-yellow beef, light brown shiitake mushroom pieces, and brown tiger-skin eggs floating in the soup. It's sprinkled with cilantro and chopped scallions, and served with chewy, hand-pulled noodles. Just looking at it makes your mouth water and gives you the urge to eat it right away.
"Sis, you try some. You can choose what you like, and I'll keep the rest."
Simply staring at the steaming bowl, he unconsciously swallowed his saliva. He didn't hear what they were saying, just nodded haphazardly, grabbed his chopsticks, and wolfed down his food.
Actually, she herself was puzzled. She didn't lack anything. With such a large space base as her backing, she could eat whatever she wanted. There was nothing she couldn't eat from all over the world. So why was she still so greedy?
The way she ate made Cheng An feel a pang of heartache. If she didn't know Qin Qinghuai's personality and was well aware of her situation, she would have thought that Qin Qinghuai had been mistreated and was missing a mouth.
"Sis, eat slowly!"
Cheng Rui's chopsticks didn't even touch the bowl. Seeing that she had slowed down, he simply pushed his own bowl forward.
"Sis, if it's not enough, you can have this bowl too."
"Stop!"
Cheng An rolled her eyes, slapped him, and took the bowl back.
Are you stupid?
How big is that bowl? Look, it's almost empty. My belly is only so big, and you still want me to eat more? What if I get sick? Don't you have any sense of proportion?
Sis, that's enough, don't eat anymore. If you want more, I'll make it next time.
Simple, still feeling unsatisfied, put down his chopsticks and spoon, and let out two unabashed burps.
"Xiao An, your cooking is absolutely amazing! The beef flavor is rich, and it even has a slightly sour taste. It tastes so good!"
As she spoke, she let out several more burps, exhaled, and patted her stomach with satisfaction.
"Xiao An, shall we have this again tonight?"
After being slapped, Cheng Rui didn't dare to speak, only chirping softly.
"Sis, are you really full?"
Cheng An angrily raised her hand and slapped him again.
"What nonsense are you spouting?"
After eating and drinking my fill, I yawned a couple of times, and a wave of weariness washed over me. Since there wasn't much to do during the New Year holiday, I told the two kids what I needed to do and went home for a nap.
Cheng Rui only dared to speak loudly after watching the person enter the house and the door close.
"Xiao An, is my condition normal? People say pregnant women get hungry quickly and eat a lot, right? Why don't you let her eat more? I think she didn't even finish that bowl."
Cheng An remained silent, sat down, and ate a few bites of his noodles.
"Have you forgotten what I told you before? It's true that you get hungry easily, but you should eat small meals more often. Eat a little at each meal, and you can eat more over several meals. If you eat until you're so full, you'll be the one who feels uncomfortable."
Cheng Rui scratched his head and recalled,
"It seems so, but don't children also need to absorb nutrients? Is this much food enough?"
Cheng An gripped his chopsticks tightly, afraid he might accidentally drop them. Suppressing his urge to explain, he simply posed a multiple-choice question.
"Then tell me, do you understand, or does Mom understand?"
Should I listen to you or Mom?
It's good for children to have a thirst for knowledge, but when they're too thirsty, Cheng An is also worried.
As the old saying goes, the New Year is easy to get through, but the days are hard to endure.
The year passed quickly.
School continued, and coal mining in the mountains gradually became more organized. Jian Dan didn't interfere or ask questions, but judging from the increasing smiles on the man's face, it was clear that progress was going quite smoothly.
As her belly grew bigger day by day, Jian Dan practically became a hands-off manager, really not caring about anything. She spent her days eating and drinking, playing with the babies, and occasionally going to Mingzhu to chat idly for a while. Time flew by.
Springtime here is long, but by April and May, the busy season of the new year begins. The entire residential compound is bustling with activity. Last year was a fruitful year, and this year, needless to say, the residents are all burning with enthusiasm and full of energy.
At this time, Jian Dan's belly was already very obvious, growing as if it were being inflated. Counting the days, there were less than three months left before the baby in her belly would be born.
It was alright for me to be simple, but everyone around me was very nervous.
The old lady prepared a lot of baby clothes, diapers, and blankets. She wasn't very good at making them herself, so she had someone else make them for her.
Even if Jian Dan doesn't go over there normally, she still watches over her several times a day from over the wall. She strictly teaches her children not to be reckless; the younger ones must be led by an older one before they can go over to Jian Dan's yard, just in case they accidentally bump into something.
Tang Sumei made several trips back and forth, but it was just too inconvenient recently. Otherwise, she would definitely have shown favoritism and asked Cheng Jin to transfer her back.
Needless to say, Qin Qinghuai stayed by Jian Dan's side almost every day except when he was at work. As the situation progressed, he couldn't even sleep soundly. He would wake up several times every night to make sure his wife was by his side and everything was alright before he could feel at ease. In the end, Jian Dan had no choice but to take him into her space to rest.
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