Chapter 20

The second day of the Chinese New Year is the day when married girls return to their parents' home.

Hu Xiu is also a daughter of a wealthy family. Although her parents are no longer with us, her brothers and sisters are still there to take care of her.

So on this day, not only did Li Ting need to go back to her parents' home, but Hu Xiu also had a schedule.

But her relationship with the Lu family was not smooth, and she had to take care of the twins, so she definitely couldn't do it alone.

So at daybreak, Huo Xiao rode the bicycle that he had specially borrowed from Minister Hu to first send his mother and the twins off, and also to pay his New Year's greetings to his uncles and aunts.

Fortunately, the Hu family was also in a nearby village, and the round trip took less than two hours.

What made Huo Xiao laugh and cry was that when he got home at around seven o'clock, his wife was still curled up on the kang and hadn't gotten up yet.

If it were normal, I would just let her stay in bed. After all, it's cold and there's nothing wrong with getting up.

But today is the first time for him as a son-in-law to visit, so it would be bad to be too late.

So I had to ruthlessly dig the person out of his warm bed...

There are two daughters in this generation of the Lu family.

The daughter of a rich family, Luqing, who married into the next town, is going to give birth to a baby in the next few days.

Before the Lunar New Year, Mr. Shengli and Mr. Taohua took some things and went to see it in person, and reminded them not to rush around during the second day of the Lunar New Year.

The second daughter's marriage had many twists and turns, but now she finally got her wish. The military officer son-in-law came to her house for the first time, and the family started to get busy early in the morning, killing chickens to make soup, chopping fish and cooking...

"Why hasn't he arrived yet? It's almost nine o'clock." After Li Taohong urged her younger son to go out and check for the eighth time without success, she ordered someone to go and check again.

Ru Hong didn't feel annoyed and ran out again and again.

Don't get me wrong, he didn't go there for his second sister, he went there specifically for his second brother-in-law.

Young people who yearn for the outside world and the military camp think that soldiers are heroes!

Seeing this, although Shengli, who was polishing furniture for a customer, was also anxious, he still took the time to comfort his wife: "You also know that it's not even nine o'clock yet. Tingting doesn't get up until after seven o'clock. She won't be that fast."

Li Taohong knew this, but she was anxious, so she rolled her eyes at her husband and said, "You're the only one who's smart!"

Luo Shengli, who was criticized every day, didn't feel any pain or itchiness. He just smiled innocently and went back to work.

Seeing this, Lu Wei, who was helping his father and eldest brother, joked, "I guess it's because there were too many gifts and they couldn't carry them all, so they were a little slow. Mom, just wait for your daughter-in-law and son-in-law to be filial."

As expected, Li Taohong was immediately amused: "You are the one who said that. I don't need any big gifts. It's enough for the young couple to live in harmony!"

This is true; as parents, we always have endless worries.

Especially since she has never met her son-in-law, she doesn’t know how he treats her.

If it wasn't inconvenient to visit one's in-laws on the first day of the New Year, she would have gone to take a look yesterday.

Thinking of this, Li Taohong's mood, which had just calmed down a little, became restless again.

Without even waiting for Lao Wu to come back, she pulled the apron around her waist, fumbled to smooth her hair, and planned to go out and take a look in person.

Unexpectedly, just as he stepped out of the door, he saw Lao Wu running back quickly, shouting at the top of his voice: "...Second brother-in-law is here! Mom and Dad! Second sister, second brother-in-law is back!"

This voice is incredible.

Not only did Li Taohong and the other people in the house hear it, but even the neighbors ran out out of curiosity.

The one who usually goesssiped was about to say something curious when he saw the entire Lu family coming out to greet them, with the five-year-old Yuanyuan running happily.

As if Hun didn't see her, he felt that he couldn't save face, and immediately said sourly: "Look at how thin-skinned the Lu family is. They are so flattering to a son-in-law who is a soldier. Isn't he a second marriage!"

Upon hearing this, another tall and thin woman who was on good terms with Li Taohong immediately retorted: "Bullshit, you are such a greedy person! Believe it or not, if I tell Taohong this, do you think she will tear your mouth to pieces?"

After cursing, he saw the other person's expression shrinking, so he said "Pooh!" with disdain.

When she looked back to the other side of the road, she could already see Tingting and her son-in-law from a distance. The tall and thin woman muttered, "Wow, Taohong's sons-in-law are quite big."

Someone agreed: "Not that bad, I think he's a little more sneaky than that kid Lu Ming."

The eldest son of the Lu family, Lu Ming, is a big and strong man, about 1.85 meters tall, a typical northern man.

The tall and thin woman had a good relationship with Li Taohong. She was also happy that her old sister had a good son-in-law: "I was a little surprised when I saw him... Oh my, did you see that? The new son-in-law is so handsome! And he has a bicycle... His military uniform is also decent, and he looks so energetic. No wonder I saw Taohong grinning from a distance... Come on, let's go over and take a look and talk to the new son-in-law!"

As a result, Lu Ting and Huo Xiao were soon surrounded by the crowd.

And the crowds are growing larger and larger.

Under normal circumstances, the hot-tempered Li Taohong would have been annoying people a long time ago.

But Tingting's marriage has been subject to a lot of gossip. Now that her son-in-law is such an outstanding talent, she naturally wants to show him off.

Of course, after bringing the young couple into the house, she no longer had any desire to show off and started to chase them away.

But at this time, everyone's eyes were all fixed on the full bag, and no one was willing to leave.

Even the tall, thin woman who helped to talk at the beginning, leaning against the door with her hands in her pockets, joked, "Hey! Taohong, this is your fault? The new son-in-law is here for the first time, so he must have brought a lot of good things. Let everyone take a look at it, right?"

"That's right! That's right! Don't be in a hurry to hide it. I just showed you all the New Year gifts my son-in-law brought!"

"That's right. When my daughter Ni comes back, I'll ask you all to go check it out."

At this point, knowing that most people were just there for fun and since they were neighbors, Li Taohong couldn't refuse and unpacked one of the bags as a token of her appreciation.

Her daughter had already told her that her son-in-law and in-laws had prepared a lot of good things, and she also felt a little vain.

But after he actually opened one of the bags, bent down and rummaged through it a few times to see clearly what was inside, he immediately closed the bag again.

No wonder she was surprised, because the box was full of valuables.

Not to mention the fabrics, there were also cigarettes and alcohol. These two items alone were far more than what an ordinary family would spend on a wedding.

Nowadays, when a girl goes back to her parents' home, she is usually given some dates and a few eggs, and it is considered rare if she can get half a pound of meat.

Thinking of this, Li Taohong felt happy but also her hands were burning. At the same time, she was unwilling to take it out and show it to others.

Joke, although she can't read many words, she still knows how to keep her money secret.

As for the neighbors being unhappy? Who cares?!

All her attention was now focused on Huo Xiao. How could she have the time to deal with outsiders?

It is said that the son-in-law is capable and values ​​his daughter, so as a mother, she is naturally happy.

But the son-in-law was too capable and gave too much, which made Li Taohong feel uneasy.

I was thinking of just taking one or two items as a token of my appreciation and giving the rest back to the children.

But she didn't expect that after sending the neighbors away and entering the house, before she could even open her mouth, she heard something that made her even more frightened.

"What? You found a job for the boss?" Or the furniture factory in the county? If it really works out, you'll be a respectable person who eats government food, a stable job! You'll have hope for the rest of your life!

It's different from today, when ordinary people are poor. How many families are willing to make big things? No matter how good the craftsmanship is, there is no place to display it, and it is impossible to make much money.

Huo Xiao: "It hasn't been decided yet. I have an appointment with the director of the furniture factory. I will accompany my brother this afternoon to test the craftsmanship and make sure it's ok!"

When these words were spoken, everyone in the family was delighted, except Yuanyuan who didn't understand what the adults were talking about.

Gai Yinming learned the craft from his father, Yin Shengli, since he was a child. His father was well-known in the surrounding villages, so this job was basically a sure thing!

Thinking of this, Lu Ming became even more excited, his face turned red, and he rubbed his hands together.

Initially, he was a little intimidated by his second brother-in-law, as he always felt that he looked cold and domineering, and not easy to get close to. However, he did not expect that he would give him such a big surprise.

I wanted to say a few words of gratitude, but I'm usually tongue-tied and right now I couldn't utter a single word.

The situations of the other people were not much better than that of Lu Ming. Lu Wei was a man of quick tongue, but he did not rush to speak. He just smiled warmly and kept his scrutiny hidden in his eyes!

As a result, the atmosphere gradually developed in an awkward direction.

Finally, it was Ruting, who was sitting next to the man, who broke the silence: "Why didn't I hear you talk about this yesterday?"

If he said too much, he would inevitably be suspected of taking credit. Huo Xiao was used to doing more and talking less. Hearing this, he just said casually, "I was going to say it, but then Guoguo made a scene and I forgot about it!"

Hearing this, thinking of yesterday's embarrassing incident, she looked embarrassed and said unreasonably: "This is your fault!"

Huo Xiao responded with a good temper: "It's my fault!"

Seeing this, Li Taohong became curious.

Li Ting had not intended to say it, but seeing that her family was happy and satisfied with Huo Xiao's work-related talk, she decided to tell them so that everyone could relax and just treat it as a way to entertain her family.

Sure enough, after hearing this, everyone burst into laughter. Li Taohong asked while laughing, "Whose mouth did the peach cake end up in?"

Intent on stirring up the atmosphere, she patted the man's arm affectionately and said, "Ask him!"

Huo Xiao curled his lips and said, "Tingting, take it out and share it."

Being called Tingting all of a sudden, Tingting felt uncomfortable as if being pawed by a cat, but she said with disdain on her face: "I lost so much face and only got half a piece of cake. It's really not worth it!"

Li Taohong laughed and scolded: "Don't be so rude after getting such a good deal! Your son-in-law is thinking about you!" Then she looked at her son-in-law: "This girl of mine was raised by me and her father to be very spoiled. Please take care of her, son-in-law!"

However, the implication was not to ask the girl to change.

Although Huo Xiao was a son-in-law for the first time, he was no fool and immediately expressed his opinion: "Tingting is very good, but I owe her a lot."

Ruting also said: "Mom, don't look at your son-in-law as cold, he is actually very kind. The cigarettes and alcohol he brought this time were all obtained by their leaders in Chengdu. They are not available on the market. And the roe deer and rabbits were also hunted in the mountains in the snow. After returning, his hands and feet were frozen like popsicles. And the cloth..."

In fact, she is not really that type of person, and she has no intention of showing off.

But my husband is a talkative person who never tells me about the hard work he does behind the scenes, so I have to do it for him.

At least with these as a foundation, her parents can see how good Huo Xiao is to her, and they may even extend his love to his family members as well.

Let’s talk about following the army again, and everyone can feel relieved.

Sure enough, after hearing the explanation from Lu Ting, not only the two elders and Lu Ming who were already kind, but even Lu Wei's smile became more sincere.

It was not because of those rare good things, but because of the importance that Huo Xiao showed to Li Ting.

After understanding the intention behind the gifts, Li Taohong gave up the idea of ​​asking the children to take more gifts back. She thought about finding other gifts in return. If there were not enough, she would borrow some from her old sisters.

Thinking of this, she couldn't sit still anymore and waved to her eldest daughter-in-law He Yun, who was also so excited that her cheeks were red. "Big brother's wife, let's go and cook. We have to let Big brother go to the county town early. We can't let the leaders wait for him."

"Hey!" He Yun responded readily, turned around and handed the baby in her arms to her husband.

When she stepped out of the door, Li Taohong found that the girl was getting off the bed and putting on her shoes, so she rolled her eyes at her and said, "You are not needed. Your sister-in-law and I are enough."

He Yun also smiled: "Tingting, please sit down. A lady is a welcome guest when she returns to her parents' home. Besides, the dishes are almost ready."

Hearing this, thinking of what she had been thinking about for the past few days, she did not force herself to do it. She crossed her legs and got on the kang again, and then said, "My mother-in-law asked me to stay at home for one night. I will make breakfast for my parents tomorrow morning."

"Oh! Can I stay at home today? Why didn't you tell me earlier? My in-laws are so reasonable." She is much better than the eldest daughter's mother-in-law. Li Taohong, who had already stepped out of the door, immediately turned back, smiling with her teeth showing, and then changed her mind and said, "Why don't we bring my in-laws and the children over, so that the whole family can have a lively time!"

Huo Xiao also laughed: "That's not necessary. My mother has taken the children to my uncle's house and won't be back at night."

Li Taohong smacked her lips twice, feeling a little sorry, but said nothing more and went to the kitchen happily.

And Ruiting took the opportunity to talk about the idea of ​​letting the villagers raise rabbits.

The weather in the north is cold, but as long as you pay attention to the temperature and take proper care of them, some cold-resistant long-haired rabbits can still be raised. The problem is how to get orders.

Moreover, the person in charge will certainly have to negotiate with his superiors many times to apply for financial support, and may even have to go to Huacheng to study.

Trade, exports, foreign exchange... for ordinary people at the grassroots level, these are completely beyond their understanding.

Therefore, Lu Shengli and Lu Ming only vaguely understood what was said.

Lu Wei and Huo Xiao understood it immediately.

However, neither of them rushed to speak, but instead seriously considered the feasibility.

After a while, Huo Xiao spoke first: "I'll stop by the commune this afternoon to talk to Secretary Wang about this."

Wei also said: "This is not an easy task. Secretary Wang may not be willing to take the risk. Don't hold out too much hope."

Li Ting waved her hand: "I just mentioned it briefly. If it works, we can at least assign a few people to the factory. If it doesn't work, it's just a matter of words."

In fact, to be more rigorous, she should prepare a detailed data and evaluation report, so that she has a higher chance of being accepted.

But she was not a government employee, did not want to stand out during this sensitive period, and had no ambition, so she did not write in the end.

afternoon.

Huo Xiao and Lu Ming set out on their bicycles.

The Huo family, who always had the habit of taking a nap, all waited in the main room.

Seeing that his parents and eldest sister-in-law were so anxious that they were about to fly away, Ruting, who was playing chess with his second brother to kill time, brought up the matter of joining the army.

"Ah? You're going to join the army now?" Li Taohong's attention was diverted. Even though she had guessed it, she still felt reluctant: "When are you going?"

Tingting: "It will take at least another month. We have to wait for Huo Xiao to get familiar with the new unit."

In fact, apart from other factors, she would also prefer to join the army. The possibility of being discovered after spending too much time together was too high.

Even now, when I think of the scene when my second brother tempted me just after I got off the train, I still feel creepy.

Seeing that the lady was so heartless, Li Taohong angrily slapped her and said, "You stupid girl, a month has passed in a flash. When you go to the army, I don't know how many years it will take before I can see you again."

As she spoke, her eyes became red. It was no wonder that she had thin eyelids and could not hold back her tears; she simply could not bear to do so.

Seeing her like this, Huo Ting, who was eager to escape, felt a lump in his throat. However, he was afraid that the more he tried to appease her, the more tears she would shed. He simply stiffened his neck and said jokingly, "Then I won't go. Anyway, it's only four days from Tianjing to my home. I can just ask Huo Xiao to come back once a year!"

"What nonsense are you talking about? How can a couple separate? I still want to hold my grandchildren!"

In order to distract her old mother from her grief, Ruting, who had never even held her hand, said nonsense in all seriousness: "Is a granddaughter not okay?"

Li Taohong raised her hand: "You little bitch, I think you deserve to be punished. If I were the kind of person who favors boys over girls, would I have treated you and your elder sister so badly?"

Speaking of the eldest daughter, Li Taohong glanced at the younger daughter again, hesitated for a while, and then asked tentatively: "Your eldest sister will give birth in a few days. Do you have time to go and see her? How can sisters hold grudges overnight?"

Hearing this, Lu Ting was stunned for a moment before she figured out the conflict between her original self and her elder sister Lu Ting from her mind. For a moment, she didn't know what expression to use.

In fact, both she and Luqing were pampered by their parents.

But my elder sister’s grades were average, so she dropped out of school before graduating from junior high school.

Her family encouraged her to at least get a diploma, but even though she was only 16 years old at the time, she was already dating.

The target is my current brother-in-law, and we were classmates in junior high school.

Although it may be considered premature love in later generations, it was normal at that time.

Seeing that the young lady was devoted and the young man was in high spirits, Mr. Shengli and Mr. Li Taohong agreed.

But she didn't get married until she was 18.

The original body was 4 years younger than Lushuang. When she was only 15 years old, her 19-year-old elder sister gave birth to a baby.

Seeing that my eldest brother-in-law had been admitted to high school and was even thinking about going to college, I was worried that he would have bad thoughts after being admitted to college, so I persuaded my sister to continue her studies as well.

The two sisters are both the spoiled ones of the family. Although they sometimes have some conflicts with each other, they really don't have any bad intentions.

Therefore, the original starting point is good.

Unfortunately, he has a sharp tongue and his words are like knives.

The herb has just been produced and I feel uncomfortable everywhere. Even good words taste different in my ears.

The two sisters had a big fight, and their relationship became rather indifferent after that, although they never spoke to each other again.

The original body felt that her sister did not know how to be kind.

In addition, after being admitted to university, she was away from home for most of the year. Even though Ruiqing wanted to calm down, the contact between the sisters became less and less.

Thinking of this, and meeting her mother's expectant eyes, she wanted to agree immediately, but her words turned into a neutral tone: "Let's talk about it later."

There was no way, her second brother was right next to her, he was as cunning as a fox, and she was afraid of being exposed.

Although Li Taohong was disappointed, she was not surprised. She just cursed angrily: "You stupid girl, I really owe you."

When Huo Xiao and Lu Ming got home, it was already dark!

When the family saw Ruming's happy expression, they knew that the matter was settled.

But I still couldn't help asking for the result again and again.

After leaving the factory, Lu Ming, with a smile on his face, answered again and again without getting tired of it: "It's settled!", "I will officially start work the day after tomorrow!", "Thanks to my brother-in-law!", "The factory director is very gentle."

Huo Xiao also said at the right time that Secretary Wang was very interested in breeding rabbits and exporting rabbit fur, and there should be a possibility of success.

So, after another round of joy and excitement, the drinks that had been suppressed at noon were brought to the table.

Got to celebrate!

It’s time to celebrate!

After all, there are now two formal employees in the family.

This is the rhythm of going higher and deeper.

It is unacceptable not to celebrate with alcohol and meat.

Sitting next to her husband, looking at the bowl full of white wine in front of him, which was half a pound, her scalp felt numb. She couldn't help but move closer to him and asked in a low voice, "How much can you drink?"

Completely unaware of his wife's anxiety, Huo Xiao only thought that she was worried about him, so he lowered his head in a good mood and leaned against her: "I'm a little tipsy after this bowl of wine."

I understand. Ruting said to his parents and brothers, "You can only drink one bowl. Huo Xiao still has to make a car tomorrow."

"This bowl only has half a pound of food, not even enough to fill the gaps between our teeth. Besides, doesn't my brother-in-law leave tomorrow afternoon?" It was a rare opportunity for Wei to see his brother-in-law, and it would be a shame if he didn't seize the opportunity to get him drunk.

Half a pound is not enough to fill the gaps between teeth? Tingting was too lazy to listen to her second brother's bragging, and she kept a close eye on her husband the whole night.

Except for the initial half pound of wine, Huo Xiao was not allowed to drink even a drop more.

Even if his parents and brothers and sisters-in-law laughed at him, he would never give in.

There's no other way. The two of them have to sleep in the same bed at night. They have to take it easy!

Of course, this successfully eliminated the possibility of Huo Xiao getting drunk and going crazy.

When lying on the kang at night, Ruting still tried hard to stick to the wall again and again.

There were many people in the Lu family, and when Lu Ming got married, there was not enough space, so they built another room.

Although they are all made of mud and thatch, the roofs are covered with tiles, which is considered to be the best condition in the entire team.

And when most families were squeezed into the same north-south kang, Tingting and her sister were able to have a separate room.

The room where Ruiting sleeps now is the original owner’s bedroom before marriage.

The room is not big, but there are two skilled carpenters in the family, so the bedroom is fully equipped with furniture.

This also means that the remaining space is only enough to accommodate a kang bed of about 1.5 meters in length.

"Have you blown out the candles?" Huo Xiao came in after washing up. Seeing his wife already lying in the quilt, he sat down beside the bed and asked.

Tingting blinked: "Well, blow it!"

As soon as the words fell, the candle went out and the room fell into darkness.

Then, Ruting felt a tall and strong man beside her, who lifted the quilt and lay down next to her.

At the same time, there was also a stronger aroma of alcohol than yesterday, but not unpleasant.

Although we had slept together for two consecutive nights, today was the first time we lay together while awake.

Moreover, their arms were almost touching, so how far could they be from breathing entangled?

As she was thinking about this, she felt that the arm next to Huo Xiao was starting to get hot, and she subconsciously wanted to move it further inside.

But he didn't want to be too obvious and hurt people's self-esteem, so he pondered it in his mind for a few times before pretending to turn over naturally.

Just as she was about to roll out, she felt a tugging sensation on her scalp, causing her to gasp in pain.

Outside, Huo Xiao, who was lying straight, felt something strange under his shoulder and immediately sat up, asking worriedly, "Did it press on your hair?"

"Hmm..." It was her hair that was pressed. She had clearly smoothed her hair when she lay down.

"It hurts a lot?" Huo Xiao stretched out his hand and asked, "Where does it hurt?"

Tingting: "I have a headache, but it's fine now. It just hurt for a moment."

Having said that, Huo Xiao still rubbed his wife's head with his big hands.

The room was dark, and it was not until she felt a gentle rub on her head that she realized what the other person was doing.

She felt a little uncomfortable and whispered, "It doesn't hurt anymore." She is not a child. She needs comforting when someone's hair is pressed.

Huo Xiao didn't know if he understood the hidden meaning of her words. He chuckled, smoothed his wife's hair with his big hands, and then lay back in the quilt.

But this time, he did not maintain his previous sleeping position. Instead, he turned sideways, put one hand under his wife's neck, and put the other hand on her waist, holding her directly in his arms.

Unexpectedly, he would do this, and her whole body became stiff.

I don't understand why I'm not getting further away, but getting closer...

She is about 165cm tall, and when they hugged each other, she buried her face in the other's shoulders and neck.

The posture is unfamiliar, but not uncomfortable, and... surprisingly not disgusting.

Just when her mind was full of random thoughts, she heard the man say, "Go to sleep. You have to get up early tomorrow to make breakfast for your parents."

1. The...

How can I sleep like this?! Ruiting screamed inwardly.

As if sensing his wife's silent cry, the man raised his hand and smoothed her smooth long hair, reluctant to let go: "Don't worry, I won't touch you!"

Ruting, who was about to explode with anger, stiffened again for a moment, but this time she quickly relaxed... Is there something wrong with this man?

"Don't think too much. What if you are pregnant and it is inconvenient for you to travel far away?"

You wish! Ruting blushed and kicked the man.

Huo Xiao laughed again, and allowed himself to be kicked in a good temper.

After an unknown amount of time, he held his wife's soft body in his arms again, and then he sighed and murmured in satisfaction, "A small bed is good, too."

After the sleepy Ruting realized what it meant, he kicked again.

Huo Xiao...

The next day.

Huo Xiao, who already had his own biological clock, opened his eyes at 5:30 on time.

He lowered his eyes and glanced at his wife who was half lying in his arms and sleeping soundly.

After a few moments of silence, he slowly pulled out his numb arm.

After kneading it a few more times to ease the swelling and numbness, she quietly got out of bed and put on her clothes.

After everything was cleaned up, Huo Xiao walked to the bed again. Not surprisingly, he saw his wife with her face buried in the quilt. He pulled the quilt down with amusement.

He waited until her mouth and nose were exposed, then leaned over and smoothed her slightly furrowed brows as if to soothe her. He waited until her breathing became regular before turning around and walking out the door.

"What are you doing getting up so early? Go back and lie down for a while." Li Taohong, who was also used to getting up early, had just tidied herself and was about to go to the kitchen when she saw her son-in-law dressed neatly. She immediately smiled lovingly.

Huo Xiao: "I can't sleep. It's always this time in the army. I'll prepare breakfast for you after you wash up."

Li Taohong was stunned for a moment before she remembered what the lady said yesterday.

She was at a loss for words: "The little girl is used to being a good kid. She's the one that all the good people ask her to do. You shouldn't get too used to it."

Huo Xiao's eyes softened: "I'm not used to it. I didn't let her get up."

Hearing this, Li Taohong said nothing more, but in her heart she was extremely happy that the old lady had finally gotten her reward after all the hardship she had endured.

Although the son-in-law looks cold and indifferent, he is actually a very caring person.

That's great, now she and the old man can rest assured...

After breakfast.

Ruiting and Huo Xiao prepared to go home.

After all, he had to go to his uncle's house to pick up his mother-in-law and the twins, and Huo Xiao had to leave again in the afternoon, so the time was really too tight.

Before leaving, Li Taohong walked behind with her daughter on her arm, constantly teaching them how to get along with each other as husband and wife, and said that Hu Xiu was a rare good mother-in-law and that she should be treated with filial piety: "...Mom doesn't want you to suffer too much after getting married, but since you are married, you can't really be like a girl and do nothing. You have to share some housework."

This is about the time when her son-in-law was making breakfast in the morning but she was sleeping soundly.

Tingting felt really wronged, because she knew that she had not yet developed the so-called biological clock, and it was unlikely that she could wake up on her own, so she specifically told Huo Xiao yesterday and asked him to wake her up.

But I never thought that others were only concerned about their own performance.

Although...ahem...although she still likes it.

So, no matter how her mother advised her, she always endured it with a good temper.

It was not until Huo Xiao stuffed two large bags full of gifts that her parents had forced upon her and tied them to the back seat and looked at her that she escaped her mother's nagging.

After sitting skillfully on the big pole tied with thick cloth, and saying goodbye to his father, brother and sister-in-law, he looked at his mother and said, "Mom, I have to go. I want to prepare some food for Huo Xiao on the way back. If you miss me, come find me, or I'll come back to see you. Anyway, I'm very close."

"What are you talking about? You're already married, how can you go back to your parents' home every day?" Li Taohong slapped her daughter, then thought of the old lady who would have to join the army next month, so she immediately changed the subject: "Mom will come to see you in two days."

1. The...

Bike all the way home.

Huo Xiao just drank a bowl of hot tea and then hurried out again.

By the time I got there and got home, it was about ten o'clock.

Although the radish was frozen and very bitter, he did not dare to rest and immediately heated the kang.

When the temperature in the icy cave-like room gradually rose, she took off her thick clothes and started to knead the dough.

Just like my mother said, now that I'm married and I'm satisfied with my marriage partner for the time being, there are still some things that need to be managed.

Moreover, although Li Ting didn't say anything about the fact that Huo Xiao took the initiative to find a job for his elder brother, she kept it in mind in her heart.

So, yesterday, I thought about food for the journey.

It's cold everywhere at this time of year, and anything you bring outside will freeze solid.

In addition to the sesame and peanut fried flour prepared two days ago, which can be soaked in boiling water, steam two baskets of flower rolls, each one is bite-sized.

It is a bit troublesome, but it is easy to heat up on the way, and it tastes better than steamed buns when soaked in hot water.

If that is not enough, you can buy some boxed lunches on the train to cover two meals. That should be enough. After all, you only spend two and a half days on the train.

Just when I was scooping the noodles, I remembered that she also liked the small flower rolls wrapped in pork fat and chopped green onions, and there were also portions for the dragon and phoenix twins and my mother-in-law.

Ruting shook the flour cloth bag, then reached into the gourd ladle and scooped out a large spoonful.

Well... you can't blame anyone but yourself.

Kneading the dough, letting it ferment, preparing the fillings...Although I have never steamed flower rolls, I already know how to steam steamed buns.

And I have also roughly watched the production video of Hanamaki before.

So I worked through it according to my vague memory and it looked pretty good.

Finally, after the second fermentation is successful, they are placed one by one in the cage.

Put the food in a pan and turn on the fire.

When the rich fragrance wafted out, Ruiting heard the sound of bicycle bells.

Knowing that it was mother-in-law and her family who had returned, she got up from the stove and walked to the kitchen door.

Outside the house, two little guys who were wrapped up like balls saw her. Their eyes lit up instantly and they ran to the kitchen with penguin steps.

She didn't expect that they would be so excited to see her. She was stunned for a moment, then immediately squatted down, curled her peach blossom eyes, and opened her arms to catch the dragon and phoenix fetus that was flying towards her.

Just when I was about to ask them if they missed me, I heard Guoguo calling out in a baby voice: "Mom, what did you do? It smells so good!"

Ruting...it turns out it wasn't coming for her.

The adults were so mean. While helping the kid take off his thick sweater, she imitated his tone and teased him, "It's Huajuan! But mommy made them all for daddy. What if there's no Guoguo?"

Guoguo was dumbfounded, but he didn't rush to cry. After coming to his senses, he raised his hand and asked in a negotiating manner: "Then... Guoguo, can I just try one?"

They are quite polite. So human babies are really funny when they are having fun. Li Ting held back her laughter and shook her head: "No way!"

After being rejected again, Guoguo was disappointed for a moment, then her big eyes started rolling around, and she soon said excitedly, "Sister has some, Guoguo and sister will share."

Miaomiao had already noticed that her mother was teasing her brother, but she didn't say anything. She leaned in her mother's arms to see how silly her brother could be.

The girl hung her thick coat on the back of the chair and went to help get her hat and gloves. Upon hearing this, she said, "There's nothing for my sister either."

"That..."

Seeing the little guy looking at grandma anxiously again, she was so stifling that her stomach hurt, but she still extinguished the child's expectations: "Mom said, only Dad's, all of it belongs to Dad, Mom, Grandma, Guoguo and Miaomiao don't have any."

This was really too cruel, and the boy said he couldn't bear it.

He stared at the steaming cage and then looked at his tall and strong father.

Feeling that she couldn't get what she wanted and couldn't beat him, tears of sadness immediately burst out of her eyes: "Wow... wuwu... Mommy lied to me. She said the day before yesterday that she loved Guoguo the most. Wuwu... You obviously love Daddy the most... Wow!"

What does it mean to lift a rock and drop it on one's own foot?

That's it!

Originally, when the little guy just started crying, Li Ting wanted to coax him and tell him that the top layer belonged to them.

I didn't want to be startled by his words.

Then you put yourself in an awkward situation.

She didn't dare to look at the man who was laughing quietly beside her, and she was even more embarrassed to look at her mother-in-law who was laughing loudly.

She picked up the kid and carried him to the cage, covered his mouth and explained: "Mom was just teasing you. Look, the top layer is all ours, you can eat as much as you want."

Upon hearing this, the child couldn't care less and cried.

But it only worked for a while.

Guoguo, who already knew how to count, counted carefully.

There are three floors in total, but my mother said only one floor is theirs.

So... "Wow... Woohoo... Mom really loves Dad the most..."

藺葶...it's hard to explain.