Chapter 5

"An hour is an hour."

Shang Nanchen found that Fusheng had not left and was still looking at him, as if he didn't understand. He was a little confused for a moment.

If one hour is not one hour, can it be two hours?

Jing Xian realized that it might be a mistake to let Shang Nanchen have more contact with the child.

She had no choice but to speak out: "One hour is equal to sixty minutes, and one minute is equal to sixty seconds. Do you know how to count? If not, let Dad teach you."

The two children looked at Shang Nanchen eagerly.

Shang Nanchen had no choice but to teach the two children to tell time. He really couldn't do it at first, but he was smart and understood how to teach children from Jing Xian's two sentences.

He took off his watch, and the two children came closer before he began to talk.

"The short one is the hour hand, and the long one is the second hand. The second hand moves one small grid for one second, and one circle is sixty seconds, and sixty seconds equals one minute. One large grid is five minutes. The hour hand moves one large grid for one hour. The second hand makes sixty circles, which is sixty minutes, and the hour hand moves exactly one small grid."

Shang Nanchen raised his head and asked, "Do you understand everything?"

The two children didn't speak.

I don’t know whether I understand or not.

Shang Nanchen looked at Jing Xian for help, and Jing Xian thought Shang Nanchen was a big fool.

"Ask them if they can count?"

“…”

Shang Nanchen looked at his two sons and didn't ask any questions, so Tiedan said, "No!"

Okay, let’s start from the beginning.

"Count with me, 1, 2, 3..."

The room was filled with the sound of counting, a bit noisy, but warm.

When the two children were learning to count, they also knew how to light a fire. After an hour, the two children could already count from 1 to 100. Shang Nanchen let the two children talk and got up to get firewood.

"It's one hour now, keep the fire low."

The two children nodded.

A piece of wood was put inside. The fire was not big, just the small fire that Jing Xian requested.

"Call me in an hour?"

Jing Xian told the two children with a smile.

Fusheng nodded vigorously: "Mom, I can tell the time now!"

"Um?"

Fusheng is a bit smart.

Tiedan said unyieldingly, "I can do that, too."

Jing Xian smiled and praised the two children: "You two are really smart! I will make delicious food for you two later."

The two little boys had red cheeks and studied more seriously.

"Dad, please continue teaching!" Tiedan urged.

Shang Nanchen continued to teach the two children how to count.

An hour later, the two children could already count to 1,000. Shang Nanchen didn't notice that their learning speed was too fast, but Jing Xian turned around and glanced at the children.

The soup was ready and Jing Xian served it out.

The two kids looked over immediately.

She scooped out two bowls of soup and asked the two children to sit on a small stool and drink from it. "Don't drink too much. You still have to eat dinner."

"Just one bowl."

She picked up a few pieces of meat that had fallen off and put them in the two children's bowls: "There's no salt in it, you two try it."

The two children blew on the soup, took a sip carefully, and said loudly, "Mom, it tastes so good!"

It has no taste at all, how can it be delicious?

Jing Xian saw that the children liked to drink it, so she didn't say anything else. She started to cook the pig's offal. The pig's offal had been washed clean a long time ago, and she put it in the pot to cook. Shang Nanchen was very self-conscious about lighting the fire, and the two little guys were holding bowls beside them, watching while drinking the soup.

After the pig's offal is boiled, take it out and put it in a basin.

There was quite a bit of pig liver in it, not just from one pig. She cut two pieces of the cooked liver and stuffed them between the two brothers.

"Mom, you eat too." Fusheng couldn't bear to eat it himself, so he gave it to Jingxian first.

Jing Xian didn't refuse and took a small bite: "Thank you, Fusheng!"

Tiedan looked at the pig liver in his hand, sighed and said, "Dad, you eat it."

Shang Nanchen didn't intend to eat it at first, but the boy was unwilling to eat it, so he took a big bite. Tiedan wanted to cry but couldn't. He felt that his brother was really a thief. Compared with his father, he was naturally

The mother is better.

Tiedan didn't cry, but took a bite viciously to protest to his father.

Shang Nanchen was not angry at all, looking at his son who looked like a skinny monkey. He had only been with Jing Xian for one day, but he had become different from when he first met the two children.

He could see that his sons liked her from the bottom of their hearts.

Jing Xian went into the house, took out two pieces of rock candy, and stuffed the candies into the two children's mouths as she passed by them.

The two children opened their eyes wide, their expressions were synchronized, and they laughed in a particularly silly way.

She put a large piece of rock sugar on the chopping board, picked up a rolling pin as thick as her arm and smashed it. Shang Nanchen saw her take out the rock sugar and was about to say that he would do it. Jing Xian had already raised the stick and smashed the rock sugar into pieces with two bangs.

Shang Nanchen: “???”

He looked specifically at Jing Xian's fair little hands, which were as thin as chicken claws. He didn't expect them to be so strong.

"Make a fire, but not a big one."

Jingxian put sugar in the pot and started to stir-fry the sugar color. Finally, she took it out and set it aside for later use.

It is said to be evening, but in fact it is the early setting of the sun in winter.

It's only six o'clock now.

But by the time the meal was ready, it was almost seven o'clock.

Jingxian started to cook rice.

Shang Nanchen was mainly responsible for lighting the fire. The two children were reluctant to leave, so they sat next to Shang Nanchen.

Jingxian washed the pickled cabbage, cut it and put it in a basin. She also brought out the fish she had just cleaned and scooped out the millet and put it in a basin.

"Cooking on high heat."

Jing Xian reminded Shang Nanchen to wait for the pot to heat up before frying the pickled cabbage. The old man said that the taste of pickled cabbage fish made from pickled cabbage in the northeast is different from that of pickled cabbage fish made from pickled cabbage in the south.

But since sauerkraut is sauerkraut and fish is fish, they will definitely taste good if they are eaten together.

Finally, Jing Xian placed the fish on top of the sauerkraut, scooped two ladles of broth, took out a rack and placed it in the pot, placed the millet rice on top, and covered the pot.

"It's boiling now, just simmer it slowly over low heat."

Jing Xian didn't add any chili pepper because she was concerned about the children.

She washed the seasoning with hot water, wrapped it in gauze and put it aside for later use.

Now we are just waiting for dinner.

A large bowl of pickled fish, although it was a non-spicy version, because Jing Xian was willing to use more ingredients, although there was not much oil, but it tasted really good. The two children couldn't stop eating, and finally lay on the kang with their round bellies, unable to get up.

Shang Nanchen was also very satisfied with the meal, and in the end he even ate up all the soup with his rice.

He looked at Jing Xian more eagerly than before.

After dinner, Shang Nanchen took the initiative to wash the dishes. Seeing Jing Xian coming out, he took the initiative to add firewood to the stove.

A lot of water was put in the pot and it was kept boiling while we were eating.

Jingxian put the cooked pork offal into the pot, added the seasonings, and finally sprinkled salt on it. There was no wine at home, so Jingxian threw a lot of orange peels into the pot, and finally covered it with a color and put it in the pot.

"Two hours, look at the time! But it doesn't matter if it takes a little longer, just cook it slowly over low heat."

"You go and rest, I'll watch over you."

"Then I'll go in."

Jingxian still has things to do.

The cotton trousers for the two children were not good. They were leftovers from someone else and the knees were worn out. She planned to make two new pairs of cotton trousers for the two children. There were old mattresses and Shang Nanchen's old cotton trousers in the cabinet. One pair of Shang Nanchen's trousers was enough for the two children.

Jing Xian took out the cloth, drew on it, cut it, and placed it on the cloth, then took apart Shang Nanchen's old cotton pants.

The cotton was hard, so she tore it apart little by little with her hands and spread it on layer by layer.

Tiedan came over and asked in a low voice: "Mom, who are you making clothes for?"

"Who else can I give it to? It must be you two." Jing Xian is quick and efficient at her work, and it is pleasing to the eye to watch.

Tiedan and Fusheng sat happily beside her, not making any noise, just quietly accompanying Jingxian.

Jing Xian has a lot of things in her mind. Even in the end times, she is desperately absorbing knowledge.

Seeing the two children sitting beside her obediently, she couldn't help but ask, "Can mom teach you two to recite Tang poetry?"

"good!

”

Tiedan nodded hurriedly. He also wanted to learn Tang poetry. Before, he had listened to Sun Baoyu reciting it. Sun Baoyu even deliberately didn't let them listen. He and Fusheng were very jealous.

"Then let's start with the simple things. Goose, goose, goose, singing with their necks raised to the sky."

After Jing Xian finished speaking, the two kids followed suit and said, "Geese, geese, singing with their necks bent toward the sky."

"White hair floating on green water."

"White hair floating on green water."

"Red palm pokes clear waves."

"Anthurium..."

…

Shang Nanchen sat on a bench, leaning against the wall behind him, listening to the woman in the room teaching the two children to recite ancient poems in a soft voice. The cold-blooded man raised his hand to support his temple and tilted his head back to prevent the hot stuff in his eyes from falling out.

He was killing enemies on the battlefield, but his son had no food to eat or new clothes to wear.

He is obviously a five-year-old child, but he looks like he is two years old.

Because of this incident, he will never be able to forgive his ex-mother-in-law and his ex-wife's family.

The noise in the house became quieter and quieter.

Jing Xian opened the curtain and came out, lowering her voice and saying, "The children are asleep, help them take off their clothes and put them under the quilt. It's best to use a towel to wipe their faces and hands."

"Okay, I'll do it."

Shang Nanchen had never done it before, and he was clumsy when he did it. Jing Xian didn't plan to intervene, and Shang Nanchen would definitely not spend as much time with the children as she did in the future. Men have a hard life, and they can't spend more time at home like women. But they can't do nothing, because over time they will develop the bad habit of doing nothing when they get home.

Jingxian heard these words from an elder sister at the end of the world.

That elder sister used to be very kind, serving her parents-in-law, taking care of the children, and doing housework. Not to mention her husband's socks, even the clothes he needed to change into when he went to take a bath were all prepared by her.

Later, she fell ill and felt unwell, and the man got angry and looked sullen when he got home.

She forced herself to cook and then passed out.

If the child had not come back and taken her to the hospital, she might have died.

When the elder sister said this, her eyes were red. She said, "Fortunately, no one will say anything if I don't get married. No one will gossip about me anymore. The end of the world is actually a good thing for people like me. I don't care about them now, I only care about my children. Even if I have to survive a near-death experience, I feel happy."

Jingxian wrote down all these words at that time.

Now that I have the chance to do it again, I can learn from that sister’s lessons.

Jing Xian finished making a pair of cotton pants and began to sew them. Shang Nanchen would add a piece of firewood to the stove from time to time, and the aroma from the pot gradually wafted out. Shang Nanchen was obviously full, but he couldn't help swallowing his saliva.

He didn't expect that pig offal tasted so good.

"When you get your salary next month, buy me a pig's head. I'll do the same for you." Jing Xian didn't make the decision on her own, after all, it was Shang Nanchen's money that was being spent.

Shang Nanchen didn't say anything and gave all the money he had to Jing Xian.

Jing Xian took out five yuan from the bag and gave it to him: "Pocket money."

"I don't need it. I don't spend money normally." Shang Nanchen was surprised.

"How can a man be without money? Take it. If you can't spend it, just keep it. I won't give you any money next month." Jing Xian picked up the rest of the money and put it away. She got out of bed, put it in the cabinet, and locked the cabinet.

After a pair of cotton pants were ready, Jing Xian turned them over and placed them under the child's mattress to keep them warm. When the children got up in the morning, they would be warm when they put them on.

The second pair of cotton pants was made very quickly, with Shang Nanchen's help.

Two people tearing cotton is much faster than one person. After finishing, Jing Xian stretched her stiff shoulders and went to the outer room.

She lifted the lid of the pot, poked the vegetables twice with chopsticks, and when she felt they were cooked through, she found a bowl to put them in.

Shang Nanchen stood in the back, and Jing Xian whispered to him, "Do you know where to buy a stove? It's that small stove with coal balls in it and a pot on top to light the fire."

Shang Nanchen said: "I have seen it. It is sold in the market. The logistics staff will be out in a few days. I will ask them to bring you one.

"The stove is back. Do you want the pot?"

"want."

"Is there anything else you need?"

Jing Xian didn't hesitate, and after a moment's thought, she said, "Let's buy some coal! We can use it to heat water in the summer, and to make more halogens in the winter, and then we can eat them after heating them up. If we can't buy any, it's okay, we can just use it to heat the kang."

"Let me take a look and buy it back if I find any."

"Okay." Jing Xian cut a few strips of pig ears and placed them on the chopping board. She turned around and asked the man who was standing behind her, "Would you like to taste it?"

"Can."

Shang Nanchen had wanted to eat it for a long time, but he was too embarrassed to do so. Now Jing Xian asked him to eat it, but he pretended to be reserved. When he put it in his mouth, he was not only astonished, but also wanted to swallow his tongue.

"Is it delicious?" Jing Xian asked with a smile.

She knew the answer from the look on his face.

I didn't expect it to be so successful the first time I made it. And today's pickled fish, both children ate so much that they cried.

“It’s very delicious, better than what the chef in our cafeteria makes.”

"Then would you like to eat some more?" Although Jing Xian asked in a questioning tone, she had already cut a lot of food for him before she finished speaking.

Shang Nanchen returned to the house contentedly and took the initiative to pour water for Jing Xian to wash her feet.

"You're tired after a long day. Go to bed early."

Jing Xian wasn't actually tired. Her special powers were coming along, nourishing her body. Besides, this little bit of work was nothing to her.

She slept at the end of the kang, Shang Nanchen slept at the head of the kang, and the two children slept in the middle.

Shang Nanchen came back with the water for washing feet, and fell silent when he saw where Jing Xian was sleeping.

He said nothing, took off his clothes, turned off the lights, lay down and covered himself with the quilt.

the next day.

Shang Nanchen got up before dawn.

Before going out, he grabbed two handfuls of millet and put them in the pot, and put a big piece of wood into the stove.

Jing Xian got up and saw the porridge cooking in the pot. She took out the cornmeal that had been fermented yesterday and looked at it. The flour had fermented, so she planned to make dry noodles. Dry noodles are pancakes made of cornmeal.

If the food is not eaten with rice, it is really hard to eat and swallow.

Jingxian put some white flour in the dough when she was making it yesterday.

She took out the pickled cabbage, cut it up, and put it in the pot to stir-fry over high heat. She scooped a ladle of soup and put a handful of vermicelli in. The pot was boiling, and she began to stick the pancakes on it, sticking them around the edge of the pot, then covered the pot and cooked it over low heat.

Jingxian peeled the eggs that she hadn't finished eating and put them in there, four in total.

When she returned to the room, the two children had woken up.

They sat under the quilt in their cotton jackets, looking at their new cotton pants with red eyes. Tiedan wiped away his tears secretly when he saw her come in.

Fusheng held the cotton pants and asked in a baby voice, "Mom, are these new cotton pants for me?"

Who doesn’t like a well-behaved child?

Jing Xian didn't laugh at the two children and pretended not to notice they were crying: "Yes, yes, yes, these aren't new cotton pants for you. Are they for your dad? Hurry up and get dressed. It's time for breakfast."

I don’t know where Shang Nanchen went. I guess he disappeared before the porridge was even cooked.

"Do you want me to help you two dress?" Seeing that the two children didn't move, Jing Xian reached out to help.

Tiedan said awkwardly: "No, I can put it on by myself."

He put on the new cotton pants, and the corners of his mouth kept rising. Seeing the tattered pants next to him, he didn't want to wear them at all. He wanted everyone to know that he and his brother also had new cotton pants, which were made by his mother.

Super warm.

But he was reluctant to get his cotton trousers dirty because dirty trousers were difficult to wash.

He and his brother had been beaten countless times by their grandmother before.

"Wait!"

When Jingxian saw Tiedan getting his old trousers, she remembered that she had bought the two children some outer trousers. Cotton jackets are easy to change, but cotton trousers are not. She had finished her work very late last night and had forgotten about it.

Jing Xian opened the cupboard, took out two pairs of brand new black trousers and threw them on the kang: "You two can wear them by yourselves. If you can't wear them, wait for me to come back and give them to you. You can go downstairs and wash your faces first. I'll pour hot water for you two. Don't get your clothes wet. I'll

Go see where your dad is and why he hasn't come back yet."

As Jing Xian came out of the house, the cold wind blew into her neck.

She shrank her neck and walked to the door against the cold wind. As soon as she opened the door, she saw a woman standing outside.

"You just got up?"

Zhao Xiuzhi's voice was so loud that even people in the tourist city could hear it.

Jing Xian narrowed her eyes and smiled, "Sister-in-law, you got up so early, didn't you? You are such a hardworking person! I was young and felt so mature. When I got up, Captain Shang had already prepared breakfast. If I were half as hardworking as my sister-in-law, Captain Shang would be able to have a hot meal when he gets up in the morning."

"Captain Shang even got up to cook for you?" Lu Xiuzhi was shocked and said disapprovingly, "How can a woman let a man cook for her?"

"Sister-in-law, why can't men cook? There is not a single female chef in the state-owned hotel. You have serious problems with your thinking!" Jing Xian's face was filled with shock and disapproval, and Zhao Xiuzhi was so scared that her face turned pale.

Zhao Xiuzhi said anxiously, "How can you talk like that? I just said a few words less, do you have to accuse me? Your captain Shang is so busy, but he still gets up to cook for you. Can't I scare him?"

Jing Xian smiled: "Okay, but it's useless for me to say yes, sister-in-law."

"It's my fault. Thank you for reminding me, sister." After saying this, Zhao Xiuzhi hurriedly walked back, as if Jing Xian would grab her braid if she walked slower.

Jing Xian smiled, but when she looked up, she saw Shang Nanchen standing there like a wooden stake not far away. The corners of her mouth slowly blossomed into a brilliant smile.