“Mom, we’re back…”

Arf Arf!

“Auntie, we’re here too.”

The voices of the three brothers, Da Mao, Tie Dan, and the other children, one after another, echoed at the courtyard gate.

Before Ning Shu could respond, their voices rang out again.

“Wow, so much food.”

“It smells so good. Twins, are these all for your birthday?”

“Better than what we have for Chinese New Year at our house.”

“Even better than the food at the state-owned restaurant.”

“The twins are so lucky. Their mom is so good to be able to make so much delicious food.”

“When it’s my birthday, I want my mom to make lots of delicious food too and invite you all to eat.”

“Really? Then you must invite us when it’s your birthday.”

Ning Shu set up tables and chairs borrowed from the canteen in the kitchen.

It was mealtime, and she had already placed the cooked dishes on the table.

When the children returned, they saw them.

Hearing their voices,

Ning Shu walked out of the kitchen and smiled at the children.

“Hello, little guests. Today is the birthday of our Yi Bao and Er Bao. Welcome to celebrate their birthday with them. Are you hungry? Wash your hands first, and then you can eat.”

[Barking sounds]

Da Mao and Tie Dan carried enamel bowls to remind the Ning Shu that they were already in line and to come and feed them.

Seeing this, Ning Shu said to them, “Yes, yes, and also Da Mao and Tie Dan, you also have to celebrate the birthday with Yi Bao and Er Bao.”

“Auntie, is all this food for us to eat?” He Jiaxing’s personality was more outgoing.

When he saw so many fragrant dishes on the table in the yard, he couldn’t help but ask.

Upon hearing his question, the other children also looked at Ning Shu.

“Auntie, can we really eat all this?” Another child asked.

Ning Shu kindly said, “Yes, you can go wash your hands. Once you’ve washed, you can eat. It’s all for you to eat.”

There was a bucket under the eaves of their house with a dipper inside.

Everyone got water from here to wash their hands.

“Come on, wash your hands and then eat.” Er Bao urged everyone, as he was already fetching water.

“Coming, coming…”

Hearing Ning Shu say that all the dishes on this table were for them, the children were eager to wash their hands.

They threw their little school bags directly on the cement ground and then rushed to wash their hands one by one.

“Twins, I’ll wash my hands first.”

“I haven’t washed yet, twins.”

“Twins, give me some water.”

The table was already set, and Ning Shu took down the opened sodas and poured a full bowl for each person.

The sodas were bought from the state-owned restaurant.

Since the appearance of sodas on the app, there hadn’t been any more available.

“Wow, there’s soda to drink too.”

“Twins, your mom is really nice.”

Er Bao: “My mom is the best mom in the residential area.”

Yi Bao: “Yeah, my mom is the best.”

She used to be the best mom in the entire brigade, and now she’s the best mom in the residential area.

Er Bao’s descriptions were always at the forefront.

After washing their hands, the children found their seats one by one.

They smelled the aroma of the dishes, looked at the golden soda, and swallowed their saliva.

One child asked uncertainly, “Twins, is this really for us to eat? Can we also drink the soda?”

Yi Bao nodded, “Let’s eat, and you can drink the soda.”

Er Bao proudly said, “You can eat. Last year, for San Bao’s birthday, my mom also prepared food and soda, and we all ate together.”

Upon hearing his words, Ning Shu thought about whether she had prepared soda or coconut juice for San Bao’s birthday last year?

She couldn’t remember. “Please, enjoy your meal. Eat slowly and don’t choke. You don’t need to be polite; everything on the table is for you to eat.”

These children were usually spoiled at home, and some of them were mischievous, but today, they were surprisingly well-behaved at someone else’s house.

It wasn’t that they had become obedient; it was just that their parents weren’t around, so they didn’t dare misbehave.

However, after hearing Er Bao and Ning Shu’s confirmation, they didn’t hold back anymore and immediately picked up their chopsticks to eat.

The children loved meat the most.

After taking a sip of soda, they aimed their chopsticks at the meat right away.

Soon, praises could be heard in the courtyard, and they didn’t stop.

“Wow, this meat is so delicious.”

“These strips of meat [chicken fillets] are even better.”

“These are also strips [French fries], not meat, but still delicious.”

“And this cake [sweet potato cake] is delicious too.”

“I wish I could eat these dishes every day.”

Er Bao: “The dishes my mom makes are delicious every day.”

He Jiaxing: “Your mom is really good. I wish my mom could cook such delicious dishes.”

Er Bao: “That’s impossible. My mom’s food is the best, and no one else can make it.”

Ning Shu was pleased to hear their compliments.

If everyone praised her cooking like this, she would be willing to cook more often.

Of course, Er Bao’s boasting didn’t need to be taken too seriously, but no matter how thick-skinned she was, she couldn’t stop Er Bao from boasting.

The children’s meals were very rich, and even Da Mao and Tie Dan had good food in their enamel bowls, filled with boiled chicken, cabbage, and rice.

Perhaps they hadn’t eaten meat at home for a while, as they were eating without lifting their heads.

Normally, when the Lins had meals, they would wait for Lin Guodong to eat together.

But today, with guests at home for Yi Bao and Er Bao’s birthday, Ning Shu let them start without him.

So when Lin Guodong came back, he saw a courtyard full of children eating, making a lot of noise, very lively.

“We’re eating inside.” Ning Shu hadn’t eaten yet, waiting to eat together in the dining room.

“Okay.” Lin Guodong replied.

The couple’s meal was simple: braised chicken, cabbage soup, scrambled eggs with mushrooms, and radish spare rib soup. Of course, there was also soda.

After washing his hands, Lin Guodong went in and saw the soda already poured. He picked up a bowl and drank it all in one gulp, feeling thirsty.

Seeing this, Ning Shu said, “There’s rice and birthday buns. Decide what you want to eat.”

“Birthday buns?” Lin Guodong was curious.

Ning Shu said, “Go have a look, and you’ll see.”

Lin Guodong went to the kitchen and saw a steamer on the table still emitting steam. He opened it and saw green and red buns with various patterns inside.

There were five-pointed stars and circles, decorated with sesame seeds like eyes. Lin Guodong curiously picked one up and took a bite. It had a sweet bean paste filling. He scooped some rice and then took two more buns. Back in the dining room, Lin Guodong said, “These are quite interesting.” His wife was quite creative.

Ning Shu explained, “The green ones have added spinach juice, and the red ones have added eggplant juice.” She had mashed the eggplant skin to make the juice, so it had a purplish-red color.

Lin Guodong hadn’t expected this trick. “Only you could think of this.” People from the city have more experience, which leads to such creativity.

“Niang…” Yi Bao called from the doorway. “Niang, we’ve finished the soda and are ready to eat.”

For the children, drinking soda was like adults having a little wine, sipping it slowly.

“I’ll bring you the birthday buns.” Ning Shu stood up. “Go sit down, and I’ll bring them out.”

“Okay.” Yi Bao returned to his seat obediently.

Ning Shu brought out the steamer directly.

Ning Shu placed the birthday buns on stools outside. “Children, come and see what you’d like to eat. These are birthday buns with sweet bean paste inside.” She prepared three steamers of birthday buns, placing each on a stool for the children to easily take. She borrowed these steamers from the Moon Bay Production Brigade.

She often went to buy vegetables and eggs, and the villagers were quite friendly towards her.

The children looked over curiously and saw that the buns in the steamers were green and red. They had never seen such buns before and found them very strange. They jumped off the stools one by one to take a look.

Thinking that red looked better than green, they all chose the red ones. After taking a bun, they bit into it directly. Their eyes widened, and they exclaimed, “It’s delicious.”

During this era, buns were mostly filled with meat or vegetables. Sweet bean paste buns were rarely seen, so they had never tasted red bean paste before. It was their first time trying it, and they found it very delicious.

“The red ones and the green ones taste the same, just the colors are different. Take your time to eat. After you finish, you can each take two home,” Ning Shu said. This was like a souvenir for them.

Of course, she was being polite mainly because she hoped the three children and the other kids would have a good time. The children were very simple-minded. They liked to play with children whose mothers they thought were good.

“Thank you, Auntie.”

“Auntie, you’re so nice.”

“Auntie, when is your birthday? Can we come to eat again?” He Jiaxing asked.

Ning Shu: “… ” She was stunned. What kind of child was this? He was already thinking about her birthday.

Lin Guodong heard the child’s words in the dining room and couldn’t help but chuckle softly.

“Auntie, I’ll come to eat on your birthday, and my mom will prepare red envelopes. For the twins’ birthday, my mom has also prepared red envelopes,” He Jiaxing added. Although he was talking, it didn’t stop him from eating the birthday bun. This child was really interesting.

Yi Bao and Er Bao heard this and nodded, “Mom, He Jiaxing gave us two red envelopes each. Yang Wenjie gave us two erasers, Cheng Yingyong gave us two pencils, and other children gave us candy, biscuits…”

Ning Shu didn’t know that the children had also given gifts. “Thank you all so much.” They were such lovely children. “You guys eat first, I’ll go eat too.”

He Jiaxing blinked, feeling a bit dazed. Would Auntie invite him to eat on her birthday?

After the children finished lunch, Ning Shu didn’t let Yi Bao and Er Bao clean up today.

They were the birthday stars and could take a day off.

“Yi Bao, Er Bao…” Ning Shu returned to her room and brought out a basket.