Chapter 57

Dinner was instant noodles, with added ham, dried shrimp, fried egg, and vegetables.

The fragrant smell made the whole family’s noses itch. The long-lost taste of junk food made Ning Shu feel like crying.

“Mom, are we having noodles for dinner too?” Er Bao felt so happy today. He had delicious noodles for lunch and now noodles again for dinner.

The smell seemed even more delicious for dinner.

In fact, few people can resist the smell of instant noodles, at least Ning Shu thought so.

But in later years, many people despised instant noodles as junk food, just like they despised fried chicken.

But Ning Shu didn’t care about that. She thought it was okay to have these things occasionally, so she would eat them herself and feed them to her children.

“Yes, let’s eat noodles. Quickly, taste it.” Instant noodles and fried chicken, those were soul foods.

You had to try them at least once in your life.

“So fragrant.” Yi Bao sniffed hard. “Mom, the noodles you made are so delicious, even better than the state-owned restaurant’s.” In Yi Bao’s heart, the things mom made were the most delicious.

“Our Yi Bao has such a sweet mouth.” Although these instant noodles were not made by her, she added the ham, dried shrimp, made the fried egg, and added the vegetables, so all in all, it could be considered that she made the noodles.

“Mom, my mouth is not sweet, it’s salty.” Er Bao said foolishly, “Mom, you’re wrong. Brother didn’t eat candy today, his mouth is not sweet either. He just drank soup, which must also be salty.”

Ning Shu: … Lin Er Bao’s words seemed so reasonable.

Yi Bao’s little face turned red. He understood mom’s praise. Then he glanced at Er Bao, feeling a bit disdainful of this little brother.

Just like Auntie said, not even two-year-old San Bao is so clever. He’s clever like mom,

Er Bao is definitely like dad, he doesnt understand things.. so foolish like dad.

San Bao waited a long time for his noodles. He pushed the bowl in front of Ning Shu and said, “Mom, San Bao wants to eat.”

Ning Shu gave San Bao a big bad wolf smile. Yi Bao and Er Bao could occasionally have instant noodles, but San Bao, being the youngest, didn’t have that privilege.

So… Ning Shu went to dip some rice vinegar again.

San Bao took a bite of the noodles from mom’s chopsticks, but he ended up with a sour taste of rice vinegar.

His eyes turned red instantly.

“Peh… Peh…”

San Bao stuck out his little tongue and spit out the noodles he had bitten.

Ning Shu almost burst into laughter from watching him.

In fact, San Bao’s age was the cutest, so silly and cute.

After dinner, Ning Shu thought about Lin Xiaoshan and wanted to go see him. So, she said to the three kids, “Let’s go for a walk. Walking after meals helps you live to ninety-nine yrs old.”

“Let’s go for a walk.”

Yi Bao and Er Bao held San Bao’s hands while Ning Shu walked ahead of them, occasionally turning back to look at them.

Ning Shu chose the route, deliberately passing by Lin Xiaoshan’s house.

Because Ning Shu’s family had dinner relatively early, the families of those who went to work started their dinners after they finished.

So, when the family of four went for a walk, there were hardly any people on the road.

Of course, some people in the yard saw them. Some sighed and once again felt that Ning Zhiqing was really happy.

There were also some people who had some interactions with Ning Shu because of the incident where she traded chestnuts for sugar with the children.

So when they saw her, they greeted, “Ning Zhiqing, had dinner yet?”

“Just finished. Haven’t you had yours?” Ning Shu remembered her.

She was Yang Meihua’s stepmother, the strong girl. That girl was also very clever. When they were picking chestnuts, it was her idea to use chestnuts to trade for sugar candies.

Some neighbors saw Yang Meihua’s stepmother and Ning Shu greet each other, and Ning Shu’s attitude was quite good, so they also chimed in, “Ning Zhiqing, I heard you’re a worker in the city now, is that true?”

Everyone had been curious about Ning Shu being called a worker but never seen her go to work.

They couldn’t remember who first said that Ning Shu was a worker, but since they had never seen her go to work, they had always doubted whether she really was a worker.

Ning Shu smiled faintly, “Guess.”

Why should she explain her own affairs to others?

The person asking was at a loss. How could she guess? She asked because she didn’t know.

“I… How would I know? Ning Zhiqing, stop being so mysterious.”

Although Er Bao was holding his little brother’s hand, he had been paying attention to the conversation beside him. When he heard the woman’s words, he interjected, “My mom is not being mysterious, there are no secrets in our family.”

“Er Bao is really smart.” Ning Shu praised him. The silly and cute Er Bao was simply her spokesperson.

The woman snorted and muttered something about affectation as they walked away.

Yang Meihua’s stepmother rolled her eyes at the woman’s back. It was none of her business to meddle in other people’s affairs.

Ning Shu finally walked with her three sons to Lin Xiaoshan’s house. The yard of Lin Xiaoshan’s house was quiet, but there was a thinly dressed boy sitting on a stone at the entrance.

Wasn’t this Lin Xiaoshan’s brother, Lin Xiaoshi?

“Xiao Shi ge…” Er Bao’s loud voice came into play again.

Lin Xiaoshi had been crying silently, feeling anxious because his mother had been taken to the town’s health clinic, and his brother went with her.

They hadn’t come back yet, and he was very worried. However, he didn’t know the way to the health clinic in town, so he could only sit and wait.

Hearing Er Bao’s call, Lin Xiaoshi raised his head. His eyes were red, tears streaming down his face.

“Er Bao…” as soon as he spoke, he couldn’t control his crying, “Er Bao, my mom and brother haven’t come back yet, I’m so scared, sniff…”

Er Bao didn’t know how to comfort people, feeling helpless. “Don’t… don’t be afraid, Xiao Shi ge.”

“Why are you crying? Mourning?” A scolding voice came from inside, a voice Ning Shu had heard in the afternoon, it was Grandma Xiaoshan.

Lin Xiaoshi stopped crying immediately after being scolded, but because he didn’t dare to make a sound, he hiccuped from crying.

If it were someone else, Ning Shu wouldn’t have intervened, but Lin Xiaoshi was Lin Xiaoshan’s brother, and they had met before. Plus, she had a good impression of Lin Xiaoshan.

So, Ning Shu squatted down and whispered something in Yi Bao’s ear.

Then Yi Bao walked up to Lin Xiaoshi, “Xiao Shi ge, have you had dinner?”

Lin Xiaoshi shook his head. His mother and brother were not at home, so there was no place set for him at the dinner table, and he didn’t dare to eat alone.

Seeing this, Yi Bao held Lin Xiaoshi’s hand, “Xiao Shi ge, come to my house.”

Lin Xiaoshi shook his head, “I… I want to wait for my mom and brother. If I’m not here, my brother won’t be able to find me when he comes back.”

His brother would worry if he couldn’t find him.

Yi Bao looked at his mother, unsure how to comfort him.

Ning Shu had to speak up, “Xiao Shi, why don’t you go to your aunt’s house to eat something? If you eat and warm up, then you can wait for your mom and brother. Otherwise, when they come back and see you hungry, they’ll worry, don’t you think so?”

Although Lin Xiaoshi was the younger brother, he had been influenced by his environment and was not as carefree as Er Bao, who was doted on by his brother.

He thought for a moment, then looked at Ning Shu with teary eyes, “Thank you, Auntie.”

Ning Shu smiled, “You’re welcome. Yi Bao, hold Xiao Shi’s hand, let’s go home.”

“Okay,” Yi Bao held Lin Xiaoshi’s hand tightly.

Er Bao saw this and also went to hold his hand.

San Bao looked at the two holding hands, then at his mother, and decisively hugged his mother’s thigh.

Ning Shu took Lin Xiaoshi back home. There were no leftovers in the house, otherwise, she could have fried some rice or eggs.

So, she made instant noodles for Lin Xiaoshi, using hot water from the thermos that had just been boiled.

This meal was the best meal Lin Xiaoshi had ever had in his short six years of life.

Since it was the first time he had eaten something so delicious, and it was at someone else’s house, he felt a bit embarrassed.

Seeing this, Ning Shu asked him to eat inside while she played with her three children in the yard.

By now, it was already quite dark, especially with the short days of winter.

“Auntie…” Lin Xiaoshi stopped eating halfway through and walked out of the kitchen, calling out weakly.

Ning Shu asked, “Yes, Xiao Shi, have you finished eating?”

Lin Xiaoshi nodded, then shook his head, and finally asked shyly, “Auntie, I… I still have some left. I want to save it for my mom and brother, is that okay?”

Ning Shu hadn’t thought about Lin Xiaoshan and his mother, but knowing Grandma Xiaoshan’s character, she wouldn’t have saved dinner for them.

She thought for a moment and said, “Xiao Shi, you’re really good, but you don’t need to save food for them. I’ve saved some for them.” She would make some porridge for them, using Lin Xiaoshan’s rice, which would cost her some firewood.

She also needed to make some steamed egg custard for Lin Xiaoshan’s mother. After losing so much blood, she needed some nourishment.

“Really?” Lin Xiaoshi’s eyes lit up.

“Yes, go ahead and eat.” Ning Shu walked into the kitchen to start cooking the porridge.

Feeling relieved, Lin Xiaoshi went back to finish his instant noodles.

By the time Ning Shu had finished cooking the porridge, Lin Xiaoshi had already finished eating and was playing with the three kids in the study area.

Seeing this, Ning Shu went to the head of the brigade’s house.

“Guodong’s wife, why are you here?” The head of the brigade’s wife asked when she saw Ning Shu, “The old man isn’t here, are you looking for him?”

Ning Shu asked, “Has Uncle returned from taking Xiaoshan’s mother to the town health clinic?”

The head of the brigade’s wife nodded, showing some concern, “No, it’s been half a day, why hasn’t he come back?”

She didn’t say it, but Xiaoshan’s mother’s condition was probably quite serious.

Ning Shu didn’t say much either, “Auntie, then I’ll go back first.”

“Okay, when the old man comes back, I’ll tell him,” the head of the brigade’s wife said.

Ning Shu said, “No need, I don’t have anything urgent.”

The head of the brigade’s wife was surprised. Nothing urgent? She had just come to visit?

Ning Shu returned home and saw that Lin Xiaoshi was still there, so she asked, “Xiao Shi, we’ll be going to sleep soon. Shall Auntie take you back?”

She was willing to let Lin Xiaoshi stay overnight, but if he stayed here and Xiaoshan didn’t come back at night and couldn’t find him, he would definitely worry.

When Ning Shu took Lin Xiaoshi back, there were no lights on in his house. She watched as Lin Xiaoshi entered his room before returning home.

The next day, breakfast was the porridge cooked the night before. Since Lin Xiaoshan hadn’t come back, Ning Shu and her three sons ate by themselves. After breakfast, Ning Shu took the three kids to the county town.

When Ning Shu arrived at the clothing factory, she immediately got to work. She had Yi Bao and Er Bao play with San Bao in front of the warehouse while she dyed fabric with the workers.

She only did it once, and then the workers did it themselves.

However, even when the workers were working, she was still busy checking the situation. So the morning passed quickly.

At lunchtime, many people gathered around Ning Shu, mainly to see the three kids.

At first, everyone had followed the factory director’s plan obediently, but when they saw the three kids in camouflage outfits, looking so adorable, everyone was smitten. Even many young men and women wanted to make a set for themselves.

During the lunch break, the three kids were surrounded by many female comrades, and even Er Bao, who usually had a thick skin, couldn’t resist their enthusiasm.

The day passed quickly, and because Ning Shu wasn’t a real worker at the clothing factory, she took the three kids home around three in the afternoon.

Back at the village entrance, she saw Lin Xiaoshi sitting there and stopped, “Xiao Shi, why are you here? Did your brother and mother come back?”

Lin Xiaoshi nodded, “Brother came back, packed up, and left again. Mother didn’t come back. My… brother said he wouldn’t come back today.”

Hearing this, Ning Shu wasn’t surprised. Since they didn’t come back last night, the situation must be serious. “Then go to Auntie’s for dinner and you can sleep at Auntie’s house tonight. Let’s go.”

“Okay,” Lin Xiaoshi didn’t hesitate. When his brother came back today, he told him about having dinner at Auntie’s house last night.

His brother said it was okay, Auntie was a good person, and when he came back, he would repay Auntie for the food, so he didn’t need to worry.

So now he wasn’t worried.

With one more person at dinner, it was particularly lively. However, because there was an extra person, Ning Shu kept the meal simple.

She made egg fried rice, adding ham to the dish along with cabbage, and also made seaweed soup.

After dinner, Ning Shu asked Yi Bao and Er Bao to take Lin Xiaoshi to take a bath, while she went to their room and found their winter clothes from previous years. Although Yi Bao and Er Bao’s old clothes weren’t great, they were better than Lin Xiaoshi’s.

Although Lin Xiaoshi was six years old, a year older than Yi Bao and Er Bao, he was smaller and thinner than them.

After all, the two brothers had their grandparents looking after them. Even if they didn’t gain weight, they ate better than Lin Xiaoshi.

Ning Shu repaired the torn cotton pants and jackets of Yi Bao and Er Bao, and also made a pair of underwear for Lin Xiaoshi. By the time she finished, the children had already bathed and were in bed.

“Xiao Shi, these are the clothes that Yi Bao and Er Bao used to wear. They were torn, but Auntie has fixed them. Although the clothes are old, they can still keep you warm. I hope you don’t mind. Also, wear this pair of underwear under the cotton pants.” Ning Shu handed Lin Xiaoshi the repaired clothes.

“Thank you, Auntie.” Lin Xiaoshi didn’t mind at all. He was shy, and his face turned red. His eyes fell on the clothes Auntie gave him, and he widened them, “This is a five-pointed star, this is a little dog…”

Indeed, Ning Shu’s patches were very creative. She cut them into shapes like flowers, five-pointed stars, or simple little animals. Although they were patched old clothes, they were quite charming.

Seeing that he really liked them, Ning Shu felt relieved. “Then you guys go to bed early. I’ll take San Bao with me.”

The next day, Lin Xiaoshi wore his own clothes outside, but inside he wore the cotton pants and jacket Ning Shu gave him.

He was no longer shivering. He had rice porridge and egg custard at Ning Shu’s house, and in his pocket were the egg tarts and boiled eggs Ning Shu gave him.

He went to sit at the village entrance again.

Meanwhile, Ning Shu naturally took the three kids back to the clothing factory. Just like yesterday, around three in the afternoon, Ning Shu and the three kids returned.

When they returned, they saw Lin Xiaoshi still sitting there. Lin Xiaoshi also saw them and happily greeted them, “Auntie…”

Ning Shu stopped her bicycle and brought out Yi Bao and Er Bao to play with Lin Xiaoshi.

“Remember to come back for dinner, and bring Lin Xiaoshi too.”

“Got it.”

“Thank you, Auntie.”