“Of course, we eat everything in our coastal city, so while I haven’t tried this fermented fish in rice wine lees before, I’m willing to give it a taste,” Sun Li replied.

Fermented fish in rice wine lees contained both wine and rice, making it quite expensive for this era.

Generally, ordinary people wouldn’t make it themselves, and they weren’t particularly picky about their food either.

“Then you can give it a try,” Ning Shu said, handing the basket back to Sun Li.

Inside was a piece of fermented fish in rice wine lees. Although it was just one piece, it was sizable, weighing about half a pound.

“I won’t hold back then,” Sun Li said confidently.

Their interaction was equal since their husbands held the same rank.

Therefore, she didn’t feel the need to tread carefully around Ning Shu. “By the way, Ning Shu, I heard you say your name was Ning Shu?”

Ning Shu nodded. “Yes, is there something you’d like to ask?” She had already anticipated what Sun Li was going to say.

Since Sun Li lived next to the family of Zhang Xian, she must know Ning Qin. Hearing her own name, Sun Li probably thought it was similar to Ning Qin’s.

Sure enough, Sun Li continued, “There’s a family living next door to you, the Zhang family. Zhang Xian’s wife is named Ning Qin, and you share the same surname. I thought it was quite rare, but now we’ve met two people with the same surname on the same street. It’s quite a coincidence.”

“Is that so? That is quite a coincidence,” Ning Shu replied without revealing her relationship with Ning Qin.

In her mind, her connection with Ning’s family had ended when she went to the countryside.

If Ning Qin didn’t cause trouble for her, she could pretend not to know her and wouldn’t expose their relationship.

“Mom, we’re hungry. Can we eat now?”

Yibao and Erbao came out, holding hands with the Sanbao. They were already dressed.

Standing at the door, their hair was tousled, and their eyes lacked energy due to just waking up.

“You haven’t eaten yet? Then I won’t disturb you. Let’s chat later when you’re free,” Sun Li hurriedly said.

“Sure, let’s chat later,” Ning Shu agreed.

She didn’t say much more and went back to the kitchen to wash some greens and put them in the pot.

She then turned to the chilsren. “You two go sit in the dining room. The cornmeal gnocchi soup will be ready soon.”

Yibao said, “Mom, I’ll bring it over.”

Erbao added, “I’ll help too.”

Sanbao glanced at his two brothers each. “Brother, bring them over.”

Ning Shu said, “The freshly boiled gnocchi soup is too hot for you to carry. Go sit down first, it’ll be ready in a moment.”

“Okay,” Yibao held Sanbao’s hand. ” Sanbao, let’s go sit.”

Erbao followed his older brother, holding his other hand.

The greens soaked briefly in the hot soup. Ning Shu used the wooden bowl brought from their old home by the second bao to scoop up the green and bacon gnocchi soup.

Then she carried it to the dining room.

As soon as she entered, she saw the. children eagerly waiting, looking genuinely hungry.

“You can eat now, but it’s a bit hot. Remember to blow on it first,” Ning Shu instructed.

“Got it,” Yibao replied.

When Ning Shu placed the cornmeal gnocchi soup on the table, he pouted his lips and blew hard, like blowing up a balloon.

He looked like a frog puffing its cheeks.

Pfft…

Ning Shu couldn’t help but laugh at how adorable her Yibao was.

Confused by her laughter, Yibao looked at her and asked, “Mom?”

“It’s nothing, nothing. Keep blowing,” Ning Shu said.

Although Yibao didn’t understand why his mom was laughing so happily, seeing her smile made him happy too.

So he grinned and laughed along with her, then continued blowing into the soup.

When Ning Shu brought the second bowl of cornmeal gnocchi soup down, Yibao was still blowing.

Ning Shu glanced at him, feeling curious about how long he would keep blowing.

Finally, when she brought down the second bowl, Yibao finished blowing.

He pushed the wooden bowl he had just finished blowing in front of Sanbao. “Sanbao, you can eat now. Take small bites. If it’s too hot, blow on it like this… Hoo… Got it?”

Sanbao didn’t know if he understood his older brother’s words, but he recognized his own small wooden bowl and spoon.

When the pot was pushed in front of him, he immediately started eating.

However, before eating, like his older brother, Er Bao puckered his lips and blew several times.

“San Bao’s mouth looks like a frog’s.” Seeing this, Er Bao laughed.

When Yi Bao heard Er Bao’s words, he deliberately looked at San Bao’s mouth.

Then he laughed out loud, a sound rarely heard from him before.

Ning Shu brought her bowl of cornmeal dumplings and heard Yi Bao’s laughter when she entered.

Curiously, she asked, “What’s Yi Bao laughing about?”

Yi Bao smiled and said, “Er Bao said San Bao’s pouting mouth looks like a frog, like this… hoo…”

Ning Shu smiled wryly, “You imitated it quite well.” Didn’t he realize he had just done the same thing?

Er Bao took the opportunity to say, “Mom, does it look like a frog? Like a frog?”

San Bao seemed to know they were talking about him, so he also puckered his lips to show his mom. “Mom… hoo…”

” Yibao and Sanbao, also look like frogs, so cute.” Ning Shu praised as she sat down.

When Er Bao heard his mom mention his older brother and Sanbao, he immediately asked, “Mom, do I look like it? Hoo…”

Er Bao also wanted to be praised.

“Like, like, like, you all look like it.” Ning Shu shook her head.

Who would compete to look like a frog?

After breakfast, Ning Shu washed the dishes and then started to tidy up the vegetables brought by Lu Hong and Sun Li.

There weren’t many types of vegetables, but there was a lot of them, including spinach, radishes, and celery.

Ning Shu picked out some celery. It was her first time eating celery since she traveled to the present. When she was at the Ning family’s home, her mother always bought vegetables like Chinese cabbage and radishes, never celery.

After coming to the countryside, most of the vegetables grown were radishes and Chinese cabbage, and she hadn’t seen any celery being grown.

Unexpectedly, she encountered some here.

“Mom, do we just pick these leaves?” Yi Bao picked up a stalk of celery and imitated Ning Shu, plucking off a leaf.

“Yes, Yi Bao, you’re very smart.” Just as Ning Shu praised Yi Bao, she heard Er Bao say, “Mom, what about me?” Er Bao also plucked off a leaf.

“Er Bao is also very smart.” Ning Shu continued to praise them.

Er Bao was satisfied and plucked the leaves even more vigorously.

“Are you picking celery?” A woman’s voice came from the doorway.

Ning Shu looked up and saw an elderly lady. Perhaps due to frequently frowning, there were deep creases between her eyebrows.

Although she had a smile on her face, her stern appearance made people feel somewhat wary.

Ning Shu stood up, “Hello, auntie. Yes, we’re picking celery. May I ask who you are?” As she spoke, Ning Shu continued to assess the woman.

Her clothes were very clean, and although patched, the patches were neatly done, indicating skilled handiwork.

As Ning Shu assessed the woman, the woman also assessed Ning Shu.

She was a fair and young-looking girl.

Oh my, her face was really tender, like it could be pinched to produce water. Looking at her clothes, there wasn’t a single patch visible on the outside.

From her clothes to her appearance, it was evident she was living extremely well.

But facing Ning Shu, she just smiled lightly, a bit puzzled, but without any disdain, unlike the eerie vibe from next door.

“Girl, I’m from next door. My son is the deputy company commander under your man, named Yang Zhenhua. You can just call me Aunt Yang.” Over there, women followed their husbands’ surnames.

Since her man’s surname is Yang, everyone called her Aunt Yang, Granny Yang, or Old Lady Yang.

“Aunt Yang, hello. Do you need anything from me?” Ning Shu was taken aback.

She remembered Lin Guodong saying that when Commissar Zhang introduced this house initially, he mentioned that the neighbor, Aunt Yang, might be a bit difficult to get along with, not an easy person.

She didn’t expect to encounter her on the second day in the army. What was she here for? To cause trouble?

Ning Shu actually didn’t like trouble, but she wasn’t afraid of it either.

Wait… Ning Shu suddenly remembered something.

According to the plot setting, after she died, San Bao died prematurely, and Lin Guodong brought the twins to the army because she was often busy and had missions.

So, he paid Aunt Yang 10 yuan a month to take care of the twins.

Aunt Yang didn’t have grandchildren of her own and particularly liked boys, so she took good care of the twins.

But because Aunt Yang had a grudge against Ning Qin, the twins, under Aunt Yang’s influence, also didn’t like Ning Qin.

Later, they found out about her story and thus embarked on the path of revenge.

Could it be that the Aunt Yang in the plot setting was this Aunt Yang?

“No, just came to say hello. My son and Captain Lin are in the same company. We should be one group in this family compound. Let me introduce you.” Aunt Yang’s gaze passed over Ning Shu and stopped on the twins.

Her eyes brightened.

They were really twins, identical in every way, it’s really a joy to see.

Apart from the twins, the younger one was chubby, just like the New Year’s paintings she had seen on stickers.

It was really festive.

Looking at both kids picking celery leaves, they were really obedient.

Ning Shu noticed Aunt Yang’s gaze on the two kids and spoke up, “Yi Bao, Er Bao, say hello to Grandma Yang.”

Yi Bao and Er Bao obediently said, “Hello, Grandma Yang.”

Both kids also noticed Grandma Yang looking at them.

Yi Bao even felt that the way Grandma Yang looked at them was similar to the way Er Bao looked at meat.

Er Bao felt that the way Grandma Yang looked at them was similar to the way his older brother looked at their mom.

Aunt Yang was stunned, then her eyes suddenly reddened. This little kid actually called her Grandma.

“Okay okay okay… Hello to you too…”

She only had one son, and he had two daughters, so she had never been called Grandma by a grandson before.

The twin calling her Grandma made Aunt Yang’s heart flutter. “Look at me, not even prepared to meet the children and haven’t got any gifts. You wait here, Grandma Yang will go prepare some gifts for you.” With that, she hurriedly ran out.