Chapter 151: Instructions

Xu An had finished his exam today, which meant he had officially graduated.

As he parked his bicycle in the yard, he noticed how quiet the house was. The children must have already fallen asleep, he thought.

“Xiao An, you’re back! I left your meal in the pot; hurry up and eat!” Lu Xiaotang said as he saw him, having just returned from fetching water from the well.

Xu An nodded and said, “Thank you, brother-in-law. Are my sister and the others asleep?”

“They just got the kids to sleep. Those two were quite a handful.”

“Did you ask your classmates how things are going at the machinery factory? Do you have any confidence?”

“Temporary workers shouldn’t be a problem. Fan Sizhe’s dad said they opened another workshop, and they’re hiring a lot of people this time. Since I graduated from high school, I should have a good chance,” Xu An replied.

“Just give it a try. If it doesn’t work out, I’ll find another way for you,” Lu Xiaotang said.

Xu An smiled and said, “Brother-in-law, Fan Sizhe’s dad said that as long as we pass the exam, no one else can replace us. I believe I can do it.”

Lu Xiaotang laughed and patted his shoulder, saying, “It’s good to have confidence. When’s the exam?”

Xu An replied, “It’s still early. The workshop isn’t finished yet. It’ll probably be after the autumn harvest when they start hiring. Fan Sizhe will come to notify me.”

Lu Xiaotang sighed and said, “Xiao An, I’ll be going back to the army in a few days. You’ll have to take care of things at home.”

Xu An hurriedly said, “Brother-in-law, don’t worry. I’m here! My parents, as well as Uncle Lu and Aunt Lu, are all here. They can come over in the evenings to help take care of things, so you don’t need to worry about home.”

Lu Xiaotang nodded and said, “Make sure to let your sister rest a bit longer. Don’t let her touch cold water too soon.”

“I know, brother-in-law,” Xu An replied.

“Go eat your meal. I’ll go in and check on your sister and the others,” Lu Xiaotang said.

As he entered, Xu Ning smiled and said, “You’re starting to nag again. I’ve already told you, it’s fine. Just go back with peace of mind. There are so many of us here.”

He walked over and hugged Xu Ning, saying, “Taking care of one child is exhausting enough, but you have to take care of three. How can I not worry? Mom and Dad can’t come over openly to help, either.”

Xu Ning replied, “During this time, you’ve been taking care of both me and the kids all on your own, and you’ve been doing a great job.”

“When you go back, I’ll have Mom and the others come over to help out at night. When Xiao Mo is on winter break, he can also help take care of the kids. Will that finally put your mind at ease?” Xu Ning asked.

As the two of them were talking, their eldest, Niu Niu, woke up. After wriggling a bit, he started to cry loudly.

His cries set off the other two, waking them up as well. Xu Ning immediately picked up Tang Tang to breastfeed.

Lu Xiaotang went to prepare the milk powder. The breast milk was reserved for Tang Tang, while Niu Niu and Pi Pi would have the leftovers. If they weren’t full, they’d get some milk powder to supplement.

The two little brothers weren’t picky eaters—they’d eat whatever they were given as long as they could get full, and they had big appetites.

Lu Xiaotang said, “When I get back to the army, I’ll find a way to buy more milk powder and send it over.”

Xu Ning replied, “No need to go through the trouble. We still have over a hundred bags left, and with the breast milk, it’s enough to feed them until they’re over a year old. By then, they’ll be able to eat solid food.”

“Before I leave, I’ll make another trip to the city. You should take out a bit more then and say it’s what I bought in the city. I’ll also send more over just in case. If anyone asks, just say it was me. This afternoon, I’ll go up the mountain to see if I can hunt something to leave for you all to eat.”

“Alright, I got it,” Xu Ning said.

Xu An, overhearing the talk about going up the mountain, excitedly chimed in, “Brother-in-law, let me go with you! There have been a lot of wild boars on the mountain lately. They’ve ruined a large part of Xiao Wang Village’s crops. A few days ago, the villagers organized a group to go up the mountain and hunt several of them. Every family got a few pounds of meat!”

Lu Xiaotang chuckled and said, “Alright, let’s head up the mountain for a bit, but we can’t stay too long. It wouldn’t be right to leave your sister alone at home for too long.”

That afternoon, the two of them went to the mountain. By the time they returned, the people from the youth camp hadn’t finished their work yet.

Although they didn’t manage to catch any wild boars, they brought back a sika deer, several wild chickens, and a few rabbits.

Xu An, a bit disappointed, said, “Maybe the people from Xiao Wang Village scared all the wild boars away. We didn’t see a single one today. Just as we were about to head back, a sika deer got separated from its herd, and brother-in-law caught it.”

Xu Ning smiled and said, “You two are lucky. Deer meat is much tastier than wild boar meat. And look at the size of this one—it’ll last us a long time.”

“Xiao An, it’s too hot right now. Once your brother-in-law finishes preparing it, use salt to cure the meat. That way, it’ll keep for longer.”

“I got it, Sis,” Xu An replied.

Lu Xiaotang placed the deer on the ground and said, “Xiao An, go grab a basin. I’ll drain the blood—we’ll save it to help your sister recover.”

“Got it! Tonight, I’ll make a stew with deer blood for her,” Xu An said excitedly.