Jiang Yu handed the candied hawthorns she had bought to Chen Niannian, placing them on the table along with a small cake. Chen Niannian suffered from severe motion sickness and was worried she would vomit in the car if she ate anything, so she returned home with a rumbling, hungry stomach.
Shen Niannian reached out and took it, his eyes shining. His mother hadn't lied to him after all; she had indeed kept her promise.
He put the candied hawthorn in his mouth, licking the rock sugar coating, which was sweet. Shen Suisui glanced at it and immediately looked away. She wanted to eat some too, but she was more reserved than her brother.
Jiang Yu noticed her gaze, knowing the girl was shy, and said nothing. She took another string of pearls from the bag and put it into Chen Suisui's hand.
"Eat up, I'll buy you more another day."
She was only six years old; her facial expressions were hard to hide. She took it and carefully observed Jiang Yu's face.
In the past, their mother would buy snacks, but there were never any for them. Even though she knew they wanted some too, she pretended not to see it.
Jiang Yu, worried that she might feel awkward, rolled up her sleeves and began organizing the ingredients. She had bought everything she needed, so it would take some time to prepare.
The oil, salt, soy sauce, and vinegar were put into the cupboard in the outer room, and the flour that had been bought was put into the jar. The cut meat was then placed on the cutting board and covered with a plastic bag.
There were many vegetables planted in the backyard, all of which could survive the winter, such as cabbage and potatoes. After eating them for a few days, Jiang Yu got tired of them, so she bought some vegetables that could be stored for a long time.
She spread the floral fabric she had bought on the table, covering up the large stains that were impossible to wipe off. The clean surface made her look much happier.
The children are so thin and bony; it will probably take them a long time to catch up with their peers. It's the end of the year, and thieves are starting to operate. Fortunately, every household buys some meat to store, so what she bought won't be too conspicuous.
Otherwise, it would be bad if we were targeted by people with ulterior motives and attracted unnecessary trouble.
As darkness fell, Jiang Yu fumbled for the candle and gently lit it.
The candlelight was dim, and the room was dark. Although light bulbs existed in this day and age, the original owner's family was far from being able to afford them. Jiang Yu sighed. Other things could wait; she had to find someone to install lights in the house tomorrow, otherwise it would be too much trouble.
After finishing these tasks, she began preparing dinner. The leftovers from lunch could be reheated and eaten. Looking at the small amount of staple food left in the pot, Jiang Yu decided to make a dumpling soup.
She took a bowl out of the cupboard and put three or four spoonfuls of flour in it. She cracked in an egg and stirred it into clumps. She then cracked another egg and set it aside in the bowl. Thinking of the children's health, Jiang Yu gritted her teeth and cracked two more eggs.
Wash and dice the tomatoes you bought, then set them aside. Heat oil in a pan. Sauté chopped scallions and ginger, then add the diced tomatoes. Add a spoonful of salt and cook until the tomatoes release their juices and become mushy. Add water and seasonings.
Children shouldn't eat too much salt and soy sauce, so Jiang Yu added very little.
While waiting for the water to boil, she only needed to add firewood slowly. Seeing that there wasn't much firewood left, she planned to ask Sister Cuihua where to gather it the next day. Besides, pickling vegetables was also a major undertaking.
After mentally reviewing the process, Jiang Yu watched as the pot began to bubble gently. She placed the dough pieces from the bowl into the pot and drizzled in beaten egg. Finally, she added two drops of sesame oil, let it simmer briefly, and prepared it for serving. At that moment, the house and surrounding area were filled with a delicious aroma.
Chen Niannian, licking her candied hawthorn, whispered in her sister's ear:
"Mom made delicious food again, I feel so happy."
Shen Sui Sui also smelled the fragrance, but she was more wary than her younger brother.
Normally, the original owner would always serve the leftovers from the previous night to the siblings. The food was cold and spoiled, not only unpalatable but also insufficient to satisfy their hunger.
Shen Sui Sui tried to eat as little as possible, leaving the food for her younger brother. Even so, her mother still complained that they ate too much. The fact that she suddenly started cooking delicious food these past two days inevitably aroused suspicion.
Despite her caution, Shen Suisui didn't argue with her younger brother. She thought she would have a good meal tonight, since her mother had let them sleep in their rooms and even bought them candied hawthorns.
Under the watchful eyes of the two little heads, Jiang Yu carried the soup into the house, and Shen Suisui, being sensible, ran to the outer room to fetch bowls and chopsticks.
Just as the family of three was about to eat, there was a loud banging on the front door. Jiang Yu immediately guessed that someone had come looking for trouble.
The original owner of this body wasn't well-liked, and no one helped her when her family was in trouble. Thinking of this, Jiang Yu grabbed a stick from behind the door, her heart pounding. Now, she'd probably be terrified and crying. But now, as a mother of two, she could only muster her courage and be on guard.
Seeing this, the two children wisely picked up whatever tools were at hand.
Shen Suisui held the stool, while Shen Niannian picked up the bed broom from the kang (a heated brick bed).
As the door was pushed open, a tall figure was projected onto the wall, and the three of them held their breath. Jiang Yu was about to swing the stick at that person when, in the tense moment, Shen Suisui blurted out...
"dad."
Jiang Yu's hand froze in mid-air, stunned. The book described how the male protagonist only took leave to go home and be with his children during holidays. Now, with more than a week left before his annual leave, he was back so soon without even giving her a heads-up. It was obvious that news of what happened a couple of days ago had already reached the military, and he wanted to take advantage of the situation to get rid of the original owner and eliminate her, thus preventing future troubles.
However, the scene at home was a great disappointment to him.
The man gave the woman a cold look, cleared his throat, and made sure not to frighten the child.
Shen Suisui put down the stool she was holding and threw herself into the man's arms. Shen Ying squatted down and patted her head. He then got up and walked into the inner room.
Shen Niannian was overjoyed to hear her father's voice. Shen treated both children very well, hugging one while not neglecting the other.
He bent down and ruffled Shen Niannian's hair before sitting down beside him.
At this moment, the only one who felt uncomfortable was Jiang Yu.
She didn't have much of an impression of this man to begin with, and considering what the original owner of this body had done, she really hadn't figured out how to face the male lead.
Shen Ying placed Shen Suisui on the kang (a heated brick bed), staring sharply at Jiang Yu, as if determined not to give up until he could explain himself clearly.
He did indeed have another week before he could go home on leave, but two days ago the village chief called the army, saying that she was so worried about Lu Yi that she hadn't left the house for several days. The two children were also locked at home; they only explained the situation because they were worried something might happen.
Before Shen Ying could even finish speaking, he rushed to his supervisor to get leave approved. Given his special circumstances, his superiors immediately granted him leave, allowing him to return early to handle these matters.
Along the way, he considered various possibilities. If that woman really did something reckless, it would be a relief for him and his child. But if she was perfectly fine, he certainly wouldn't let it go. Even if it meant filing for divorce and facing public condemnation, he couldn't go on living like this.
But upon entering, they found a completely different world. Not only were the two children not being abused, but the food on the table was as plentiful as if it were Chinese New Year.
Looking at Jiang Yu again, she has completely changed her sloppy image. After washing her face, she is just as beautiful as she was back then. To be precise, she has become even more charming.
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