Chapter 56.2

Today, they had braised fish for lunch. The golden pomfret fish, with its meaty flesh and fewer bones, was the most suitable choice of food for the elderly and children.

Su Xiaoxiao started by frying both sides of the fish until they turned golden brown. Then, she poured a sauce mixture of soy sauce, salt, white sugar, aged vinegar, and a little water along the edge of the pot. Next, she sprinkled a generous amount of shredded ginger and added a few drops of white wine. She covered the pot and let it stew for a few minutes until the sauce was reduced. Once the juice was almost gone, she added a large number of prepared scallions, covered the pot again, and let it stew for about a minute. And there it was, a simple and delicious braised Golden pomfret fish in brown sauce, ready to be served.

Li Yufeng’s mung bean sprouts, which had been nurtured in the sand for several days, finally started to sprout. They broke through the outer shell of the mung bean, revealing small, white, chubby bean shoots. It is estimated that they will be ready to eat in another two or three days.

Today, they had vinegar-pickled Chinese cabbage for their meal. Since they had an ample supply of oil at home, Su Xiaoxiao willingly stir-fried the cabbage in an oil pot. She scooped up a small spoonful of lard and added shredded ginger and garlic to it. Li Yufeng always mentioned that Chinese cabbage is cold in nature, so when stir-frying it, it was necessary to include some shredded ginger or dried chili peppers to balance the dish. Since the children couldn’t handle spicy food, Su Xiaoxiao made it a habit to add shredded ginger, which had become a regular part of her cooking habit.

Stir-fry the cabbage until it becomes tender, adding an appropriate amount of salt for seasoning. Instead of using msg, a little sugar is added for flavor. Before removing from the pot, sprinkle a circle of white vinegar and stir-fry evenly to incorporate the flavors.

Today’s dish is simple and appetizing.

As Han Cheng stepped inside the yard and smelled the delicious aroma of the food, he couldn’t help but feel hungry.

Seeing the children gathered in front of the chicken coop, he was taken aback and asked Su Xiaoxiao, “What are they doing there?”

Su Xiaoxiao took Han Cheng’s briefcase and asked him to wash his hands and get ready for dinner. She then explained, “Today, I went to the market near the East Bridge and bought some eggs and I also bought a weak little hen. The chicks seem to be fond of it, but the hen has a partially bald tail. I don’t know if it’s sick and won’t lay eggs anymore. I’m worried that she won’t live long.”

Su Xiaoxiao is worried and feels some regret for impulsively buying the hen. She is not willing to kill the hen, but she understands that if they don’t, the cubs will be even more saddened if it dies from illness.

Han Cheng untied his cufflinks and gently kissed Su Xiaoxiao’s forehead. He reassured her, saying, “Don’t worry, I’ll go and check on the hen.”

Fantuan poked his finger at the head of the little hen, who remained motionless. Worriedly, he asked, “Why doesn’t it seem happy at all? We only want it to lay eggs; we won’t eat it.”

Zhuzi was also worried. He shook his head and said, “I haven’t seen such a quiet little hen before. The one in my family that couldn’t lay eggs used to run very fast.”

“Let me take a look. “Han Cheng squatted down.

Fantuan stood up as if he had seen a savior: “Dad, you’re back. You’re a doctor. Please check if Huahua is sick. He’s been squatting here for a long time and won’t move.”

Han Cheng: “…” He is a military doctor, not a veterinarian.

Yes, after a short period of time, the little hen’s name became Huahua because its tail had a few remaining speckled hairs. Little Fantuan named it Huahua.

Han Cheng picked up the little hen and carefully looked at it before putting it down. He then said: “There are worms in its belly and on its body. I will bring some insect repellent back in the afternoon, feed it a little, and rub some on its body. It should be fine in a few days.”

“Wow!”

The two cubs cheered and cast admiring glances at Han Cheng, giving him thumbs up and saying, “Dad/Uncle Han is great!”

The little hen was fine, which reassured the cubs. Finally, they could have a delicious lunch.

In the afternoon, Han Cheng came back from work with insect repellents, both orally and externally taken, and the cubs adored him more and more.

After dinner, Su Xiaoxiao called the two cubs over and had them sit in a row. She handed each of them a new backpack and said, “Tomorrow we’re going to school. This is a gift from me, to mark the beginning of school. Mom hopes you can study hard and make progress every day.”

Zhuzi couldn’t help but feel delighted as he touched his new backpack. The backpack he was carrying had been made from old clothes by his grandmother, with patches scattered all over it. He used to envy his classmates who had brand-new backpacks. When his grandmother had made a small backpack for Xiao Doubao, he had secretly wished his grandmother would make one for him too, but he never spoke up about it. Unexpectedly, Aunt Su had already prepared it for him. “Thank you, Aunt Su. I will study hard and make progress every day,” Zhuzi expressed gratefully.

Fantuan swiftly slung his backpack onto his back and strutted around the room, his chest puffed up with pride. “I hereby declare that Xiao Fantuan is about to become a glorious elementary school student!”

Xiao Doubao ran back to the room and carried his small backpack on his back, pretending to be like his brother, and said: “I’m a student~!”

It made the whole family burst into laughter.

The next morning, as Han Cheng led the children to their morning exercises, Su Xiaoxiao hurriedly went to the state-owned restaurant with Xiao Doubao in her arms. She bought some deep-fried dough sticks and also picked up ingredients for lunch.

Upon Su Xiaoxiao’s return home, Han Cheng and the children also arrived. The eggs that were cooked with congee at home were ready and taken out of the pot.

Su Xiaoxiao placed a deep-fried dough stick and two eggs arranged in the shape of “100” for each member of the family. She then said to the children: “Today is your first day of school. Mom hopes you have a joyful journey throughout primary school and that you can score 100 points in every subject!”

“Wow!”

The cubs cheered again, “Mom/Auntie Su, don’t worry, we will definitely score 100 points!”

Su Xiaoxiao sounded the cup and said, “Honorable elementary school students let’s begin! We are aiming for 100 points!”

Cubs: “Aim for the 100 points!”

Han Cheng gazed at his wife with tender eyes and a gentle expression. He extended his hand to caress her head, deeply moved beyond words.

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T/N: Hiii! Another update~ Oh and You’re welcome Blood~ I will be more active this month, thank you for your comment and for reading this novel~~

Thank you, everyone, and I hope you all had a great day~ (✿◡‿◡)