After teaching Xiaoqing how to make snacks, Li Hehua began to teach Xiaohong how to make pastries.
Girls may be born to like things like pastries. Because they love to eat, they love to make them, and their interest in them is much higher than that of boys. Although Xiaohong is not as good as her brother at cooking, her strong interest in making pastries makes her much better than Xiaoqing.
Kneading the dough is not a problem for Xiaohong. What Li Hehua wants to teach her are the steps of making each kind of pastry, the amount of each filling to be used, and the control of the heat. Whether the cake tastes good or not lies in these details.
She taught while making the dishes, and Xiaohong followed behind her. If there was anything wrong, Li Hehua would point it out. Soon, the pastries were put into the pot, and the kitchen was filled with rich fragrance again. Everyone in the family was immersed in this sweet smell, even Xiaoqing and Xiaohong were sniffing and were greedy.
Li Hehua couldn't help laughing at the two of them. He took a few cakes for them to eat, then put a piece of each cake on a plate and brought it to the main room.
In the main room, Zhang Qingshan was weaving a basket with bamboo strips in his hands. While weaving, he would glance absentmindedly towards the kitchen from time to time. He felt that his greed was about to creep into his head, but when he saw Li Hehua coming out of the kitchen, he immediately retracted his gaze and pretended to be weaving the basket seriously.
Li Hehua almost burst out laughing, but the boy's face was very important. If she laughed, it would be over. So she pretended to be serious, brought a plate of cakes to the table, and said to him: "Qingshan, I made some cakes, please help me taste them. If there is anything not tasty, I will improve it in time, so that the business will be much better."
Zhang Qingshan's eyes flashed, and he controlled his desire to glance at the pastries. He looked at the bamboo strips in his hand, pretending to be indifferent and said "Oh" lightly.
Li Hehua's eyes were full of smiles. Without saying anything more, he turned and left.
Seeing Li Hehua leave, Zhang Qingshan immediately glued his eyes to the cakes on the table, looking at the various cakes exuding sweet fragrance, his eyes almost straightened. You know it's delicious without eating it!
After all, he is just a thirteen-year-old boy, still a child, so he naturally likes to eat such sweet things. Zhang Qingshan has only eaten pastries a few times since he was a child, let alone such delicious pastries. Now, seeing so many different kinds of pastries in front of him, his heart is about to fly with joy.
Afraid of being seen, he glanced in the direction of the kitchen, and when he was sure that no one was there, he immediately reached out and took a piece and stuffed it into his mouth. The next moment, a strong sweetness entered his mouth, and his whole body was surrounded by sweetness. The pleasure rushed straight to his brain, and before he finished one bite, he couldn't wait to stuff the next one into his mouth.
Li Hehua saw this scene behind the kitchen door and couldn't help but smile. In fact, Zhang Qingshan was just a half-grown child, and his heart was still cute. His previous dislike for her was just dislike for the original Li Hehua. She didn't get along well with him, so their relationship was so bad. Now it seems that he is still easy to get along with. As long as you are attentive and sincere to him, he will slowly feel her kindness.
Children are never that resentful.
After watching Zhang Qingshan finish a piece of cake behind the door, Li Hehua stamped his feet and gave the person inside a hint. Sure enough, Zhang Qingshan immediately wiped his mouth, picked up the bamboo strips, and pretended to be still weaving the basket seriously.
Li Hehua held back his laughter, walked past the main hall carrying a plate of pastries, and walked into Zhang Tieshan's room without looking around.
In the room, Shu Lin was snuggling in Zhang Tieshan's arms and taking a nap. Zhang Qingshan also had his eyes closed, his chest rising and falling quietly.
Li Hehua thought that both of them were asleep, but she didn't expect that as soon as she entered, Zhang Tieshan opened his eyes and looked at her.
"Aren't you asleep?"
Zhang Tieshan curled the corners of his mouth and stretched out his hand towards her.
Li Hehua walked over, put the pastries on the small table beside the bed, and held out her hand and placed it in his palm. Zhang Tieshan immediately held it, and his rough thumb gently stroked the back of her hand, making it itchy.
"Are you tired? Do you want to take a nap?" Zhang Tieshan asked.
Li Hehua shook his head and said, "Not tired. Now I'm just teaching Xiaoqing and Xiaohong how to do it. I don't do much else." It's much easier now than before when he was setting up a stall to do business.
Zhang Tieshan kissed the back of her hand gently, "Take a nap in the future and rest more before you get busy." Seeing her working non-stop every day, he felt distressed. This woman just didn't know how to treat herself well. She made herself busy like a top. Even though she didn't have to be busy with business these days, she still lost weight, and it was obvious to the naked eye.
He really didn't understand why she had become so thin. Her face was almost smaller than his palm. He used to think that being fat was ugly, but now he couldn't bear to see her being thin. If his woman was thin, it meant he was incompetent.
Zhang Tieshan touched Li Hehua's face, which was already devoid of flesh, and frowned slightly, "In the future, you should not only sleep more, but also eat more. You eat too little now, and look how thin you are now."
Li Hehua was speechless. How could she be as thin as he said? She was far worse than those hard-working thin women in the village. She definitely weighed less than 100 kilograms now and could lose even more weight.
Li Hehua patted Zhang Tieshan's hand and scolded him: "How can I be that thin? I'm not thin at all now, okay? Do you know how much I weighed before? I only weighed 90 kilograms! I'm more than ten kilograms thinner than now." Since she confirmed her relationship with Zhang Tieshan, she no longer hesitated to talk about the past in front of him. She wanted him to understand her better.
When Zhang Tieshan heard this, a dark light flashed in his eyes. He hesitated for a moment and asked, "Can you tell me about your past? What were you like before? Where is your home?" In fact, he was eager to know everything about her, but he didn't dare to ask, fearing that she didn't want to tell.
Li Hehua recalled that the pain she felt when she first came here was no longer as intense. Although her longing for her parents remained the same, she no longer felt that deep loneliness and sadness. Perhaps it was because here, she was finally no longer alone. She had people she loved and who loved her, and they were by her side.
Li Hehua told Zhang Tieshan about some modern things. "Where I live is completely different from here. There, everyone lives a good life, with many ways to entertain themselves. Women receive education and study just like men, and then go out to work. Women can be teachers, doctors, and businessmen. Many women are more capable than men. Moreover, we can only have monogamy there. We cannot be with multiple women or multiple men. And..."
Zhang Tieshan listened quietly, his heart was filled with waves. He tried hard to imagine that world, but he couldn't. However, he knew that it must be a very good world, otherwise she wouldn't be so outstanding and charming.
However, although this place is not as good as her hometown, he hopes that she will stay here forever, because he wants her to be by his side forever. Now, what he fears most is that she will suddenly leave here one day and return to her original world. Whenever he thinks of this possibility, his heart tightens and he even has trouble breathing.
Zhang Tieshan subconsciously tightened his grip on her hand, "Then...then you won't suddenly go back again, right?"
Seeing the deep worry and fear in Zhang Tieshan's eyes, Li Hehua felt unspeakable pain in her heart. Going home was something she would never be able to accomplish. She could never go back.
"Zhang Tieshan, I can't go back. I'm already dead in that world."
Zhang Tieshan breathed a sigh of relief, but seeing the sadness in her eyes, he also felt distressed. He gently held her in his arms, patted her back like a child and coaxed her, "Okay, don't be sad. Although you can't go back, you have Shulin and me in the future. We are a family and we will always be together, right?"
Li Hehua sniffed and nodded in his arms. Indeed, she couldn't go back, she could only stay here, but fortunately, she also had someone she cared about here.
At this moment, Li Hehua suddenly felt his palm itchy, as if something was gently stroking it, and that touch was definitely not from Zhang Tieshan.
Li Hehua looked up and saw a pair of dark eyes looking at her.
The little guy woke up.
Li Hehua left Zhang Tieshan's arms and held the little guy in his arms, "Baby, are you awake?"
The little guy and the chick pecked the rice and nodded.
The warmth in his arms disappeared. Zhang Tieshan looked at his empty arms and covered his forehead. It was not so good to have his son around sometimes...
Li Hehua brought the cakes over and said to Shulin, "Look, mom made cakes for you."
The little guy was happy to see the cakes and stretched out his hands to take them. Li Hehua only gave him one piece and said to him, "You can only eat one piece today. Mom will play games with Shulin later. If Shulin cooks well, you can give all of them to Shulin and not give any to Daddy, okay?"
The little guy blinked, looked at her, and then turned to look at his father.
A smile flashed in Zhang Tieshan's eyes, and he made a sad expression and looked at the pastries reluctantly.
The little guy smiled and nodded firmly.
This is also my own son...
Li Hehua looked at Zhang Tieshan teasingly. Zhang Tieshan pointed at her with his finger, his eyes full of doting.
Li Hehua felt that if he wanted to teach Shulin to speak, the first thing he had to teach him was to be brave enough to make a sound. Shulin's vocal cords had no problem, he could speak, but he was used to not speaking. The only time he made a sound was when Zhang Tieshan was unconscious, he cried, but since then, he has never made a sound again.
Li Hehua held Shulin in his arms and sat him on a small stool. She sat opposite him, like a teacher and a student.
"Shulin, mother wants to play a game with you now. You should learn from me and do it the same way I do, okay?" Li Hehua said.
The little guy nodded and sat obediently, with his hands on his legs and his back straight, looking like he was listening attentively, just like he did in the academy.
Li Hehua started by opening his mouth and motioning Shulin to follow.
The little guy blinked his eyes, opened his mouth like her, and showed his tiny teeth.
Li Hehua had a smile in his eyes, opened his mouth, and made the most primitive sound, "Ah——"
The little guy tilted his head, moved his mouth, and exhaled, but no sound came out. Seeing that he was different from his mother, his little brows frowned.
Li Hehua patted his shoulder and said, "It didn't work just now. Let's try again and see the sound my mother makes. Ah——"
The little guy twisted his hands, tried again, opened his mouth and blew out a breath, but still no sound came out.
Li Hehua pursed her lips and said, "Then let's do it together. Mom will shout once, and you will shout once. Wouldn't it be good if each of us shout once?" She demonstrated again, making a louder "ah" sound.
The little guy also opened his mouth and made a silent "huh" sound. Li Hehua was not in a hurry at all. He smiled so hard that his eyes narrowed. He naturally followed him with an "ah" and then signaled to him with his eyes that it was his turn.
Seeing that his mother seemed to like this kind of play very much, the little guy gradually lost his nervousness, treated this as a fun game, and opened his mouth and let out a sigh again.
Li Hehua's expression became more and more happy, and he let out an "ah" quickly.
A smile also appeared in Shulin's eyes, and he quickly opened his mouth and uttered "ah" silently.
In this way, mother and son kept yelling one after another. Although only Li Hehua's voice was heard, both of them were very involved and kept playing. Shulin was very happy and began to compete with Li Hehua in speed. After one person finished yelling, the other would take over immediately, and they never got tired of it.
Finally, after playing for about a quarter of an hour, after Li Hehua's "ah", a childish, small "ah" sound finally appeared.
That is the voice of Shulin.
Li Hehua's heart skipped a beat, and he glanced at Zhang Tieshan calmly, seeing the same excitement in his eyes. However, neither of them showed it, and they still pretended to be calm.
Li Hehua pretended not to notice the sound and continued to shout following Shulin.
The little guy didn't notice it himself and was still shouting behind Li Hehua. This time, he made the same childish and crisp "ah" sound.
Li Hehua then shouted even louder, silently encouraging Shulin to shout louder as well.
Sure enough, under Li Hehua's lead, Shu Lin's shouting became louder, loud enough that Zhang Qingshan in the main hall could hear it.
Zhang Qingshan was shocked. He put down what he was holding, walked to the door of the room where they were, and looked inside. He saw two people, one big and one small, sitting opposite each other. One of them shouted, and Shulin's voice was clear and pleasant.
Zhang Qingshan's eyes were red with excitement. Apart from the time when he was just born, this was the first time he had heard Shulin make a sound on his own since he grew up. He had secretly taught Shulin to speak before, but the little guy just refused to open his mouth and ignored anyone. He gave up after a few times, but he didn't expect that he could speak now.
This is all thanks to her. Because of her, Shu Lin is willing to speak.
Zhang Qingshan turned his gaze to Li Hehua, seeing her calling out seriously again and again, and suddenly felt that his brother was right, she was completely different now, and it was very good for her to be like this.
Li Hehua saw that Shulin's shouting was getting louder and louder, and things began to change. From one shout, it became three consecutive shouts. Out of inertia, the little guy also followed suit and shouted three times in succession. After he finished shouting, he realized it himself and stared in surprise, feeling puzzled and surprised at the sound he had just made.
Li Hehua couldn't help but hug him and kissed him on the forehead, "Shulin, how can you be so awesome! Can you scream to me again like you did just now? I love it so much."
Shulin blinked his eyes, and with Li Hehua's encouragement, he recalled the sound he had just made, opened his mouth, and tentatively said "ah".
The sound was indeed made.
"Ah——" The little guy opened his eyes wide, joy flashed in his eyes, and he opened his mouth and screamed again, making the same sound.
As if encouraged, the little guy shouted three times in a row. The three shouts sounded so clear in the ears of Li Hehua and Zhang Tieshan.
Li Hehua looked at Zhang Tieshan excitedly. Zhang Tieshan's eyes were full of smiles, silently expressing his excitement.
Li Hehua struck while the iron was hot and said to Shulin: "Shulin, you did a great job just now. Let's change to something more interesting. Will you follow me and learn from me?"
The little guy nodded excitedly.
Li Hehua opened his mouth and uttered: "Mom——".
The little guy hesitated for a moment, and under Li Hehua's expectant gaze, he imitated her, opened his mouth, raised his tongue to touch his palate, and made a sound, "Nang——"
Although the little guy's pronunciation was not correct, Li Hehua was still very surprised because Shulin was already able to make sounds and was willing to make sounds.
She quickly kissed him and said, "Shulin, you are awesome. You can even call me mother. I am so happy! Can you call me mother again?"
After saying that, he demonstrated it to him again.
The little guy tried many times, and finally made the sound of "mother" correctly, which sounded like nature.
"Mom--" The little guy also realized that he had called out the right name. He leaned forward excitedly, grabbed Li Hehua's hand, and called out "Mom" again. This time, he took the initiative to call out.
Li Hehua sniffed and looked at Zhang Tieshan, "Zhang Tieshan, did you hear that? Shulin is calling for his mother!"
Zhang Tieshan nodded, and for the first time, his eyes turned red as a grown man.
"Mother-mother-mother-"
Looking at the way Li Hehua smiled, the little guy seemed to have discovered a new continent and was exploring the world with curiosity. He called out for his mother in a series of calls. Every time Li Hehua called out, she would respond. After she responded, he would call out again. The whole room was filled with the sound of Shulin calling out for his mother. Zhang Qingshan, who was outside, had red eyes when he heard it. Even Zhang Lin, who had just come out of the room, was wiping her eyes silently.
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