Chapter 25: Must They Rank Second in Their Little Brother’s Heart?

After settling the two little ones, Si Yueyue went outside to put away the items she had just used, then sat beside the children in the main room while preparing vegetables for dinner.

She thought to herself that since they had already eaten clay pot rice with preserved meat for lunch—a rather oily meal—it would be better to have something lighter for dinner.

So she decided to make clear broth noodles. The ingredients for this dish weren’t complicated, and there were some things she couldn’t take out openly, so she would make do with what they had at home.

While cooking lunch earlier, she had noticed some dried mushrooms in the house. She had already soaked them in water beforehand.

Now, she picked some leafy greens and green onions, planning to add them to the soup later.

Once the vegetables were washed, Si Yueyue poured out some flour and prepared to knead the dough.

Since the two children were still in the main room and kneading didn’t require watching the stove, she decided to bring her tools into the main room as well.

The two little ones, upon seeing their mother bring out several items, began banging on the table, making loud clattering noises.

They couldn’t help but peek around curiously, trying to find the source of the sound. But they were still too small and couldn’t see anything.

Si Yueyue looked at the two little guys and gently comforted them. The two little brothers then returned to playing with their toys.

Once the dough was kneaded and left to rest, Si Yueyue went back into the kitchen. She chopped the green onions, tore the mushrooms into small pieces, and prepared the rest of the ingredients before stepping out again.

“Wow… An An, Lele, what are you two doing?” she asked.

“Mm…”

“Are you stacking blocks?”

The children were playing with homemade building blocks. Si Yueyue knew that Lei Dashu could do carpentry work, so she had drawn up plans for the blocks and asked him to make them. The old man spent an entire winter crafting them all.

It was just in time. The kids had grown big enough to sit up steadily on their own, and whenever the adults were busy, they would give these blocks to the children to keep them occupied.

The blocks were made large, so there was no worry about the children swallowing them. Sometimes, even the older kids at home would take them out to play together.

Now that Si Yueyue needed to cook, she had naturally given the building blocks to the children again.

“Ah…”

An An handed a small wooden block to Si Yueyue. “Mwah… ah…”

“An An wants Mommy to place the block on top?” she asked.

“Mm… ah ah…”

“Alright, Mommy will give it a try.” Si Yueyue said, placing the small block on top of the tower.

Once it was stable, both children grinned widely at their mother.

“Ah… mwah…”

“Ah mah… ah…”

“Hehehe… Mommy will show you how to play—watch carefully!” Si Yueyue said while demonstrating, explaining each step as she did.

It didn’t matter if the children could understand her or not; if they couldn’t now, they would eventually. Besides, kids often remembered actions better than words.

As long as her hands moved precisely and cleanly, the children could understand by watching. If they didn’t understand after one try, they’d get it after two or three.

After playing with the children for a while, and once the dough had rested enough, Si Yueyue began rolling it out. When it was ready, she set it aside.

She kept an eye on the time, and as the sky began to darken slightly, knowing the others were about to return from work, she started boiling the noodles.

“An An, Lele, Grandma’s back!”

The two little brothers perked up their ears. Hearing a familiar voice, they chirped: “Ah… mm mm… nah!”

Zhang Guihua followed behind her mother-in-law. Hearing her shouting from the courtyard, she couldn’t help but chuckle and said to her husband,

“I was wondering what was so urgent that Mom had to rush back… Turns out it was to see her grandsons!”

Zhang Guihua joked without the slightest hint of jealousy over her mother-in-law’s affection toward the second son’s two boys. She herself adored those two tiger-headed little guys.

Lei Jun nodded in agreement. “Of course. Seeing the grandsons is top priority.”

“Hahaha… And didn’t you rush back from work too? Usually, you stroll home at a leisurely pace.”

“Hehe~ I was hurrying back to see my nephews too. Otherwise, the little guys might only remember their grandparents and not their Uncle—how could I let that happen?”

The group of older children behind them all nodded seriously. They had to rank first in their little brother’s heart… no wait, second! They must come second!

Zhang Guihua laughed as she looked at Lei Jun and the kids following behind. She quickly cleaned herself up and went into the main room.

She also went into the kitchen to help Si Yueyue.

“What delicious dish has Yueyue made this time?” Zhang Guihua asked as she stepped into the kitchen, sniffing the air and looking at Si Yueyue.

“Sister-in-law, I’m making clear broth noodles for tonight.” Si Yueyue replied.

“Oh? Even clear broth noodles can smell this fragrant? You really are amazing, Yueyue.”

“The meals you make are great too, Sister-in-law. I really like your braised chicken with potatoes.” Si Yueyue said sincerely.

“If Yueyue likes it, I’ll make it for you again when there’s a chance.” Zhang Guihua responded warmly.

“Hehe~ Thank you, Sister-in-law!”

“No need to be polite, we’re all family. Are the noodles ready to serve?” Zhang Guihua asked, noticing her sister-in-law’s movements.

“Yes, they’re done. I waited until everyone got home to cook the noodles—after a whole day of work, they should have something hot to eat.”

“Alright, I’ll help you get the bowls.” As she spoke, Zhang Guihua stepped up to grab the bowls and placed them on the stove.

Si Yueyue ladled the noodles into each bowl, then topped them with the prepared ingredients and seasonings. A bowl of steaming hot clear broth noodles was complete.

Zhang Guihua took a deep breath. “Mm… Your cooking skills really make me envious, Yueyue.”

“Hahaha… When we have time, I’ll teach you. That way I can rest while still getting to eat delicious food.”

“Deal! Once I learn, I’ll cook it for you every day.”

Si Yueyue smiled at Zhang Guihua but didn’t respond directly. Not everyone could be as generous with oil as she was.

“Alright, we can bring them out now. There’s still more in the pot—if anyone doesn’t get enough, they can come back for seconds.”

“Got it.”

As soon as the fragrant noodles were served, the children waiting by the dining table couldn’t help but swallow their saliva.

“Second Sister-in-law, how did you make these noodles? They’re so fragrant even without meat. Teach me next time?” Lei Yu said, looking at Si Yueyue.

Si Yueyue nodded. “Sure. Sister-in-law wants to learn too. When we have time, I’ll teach you both. These noodles are actually very simple to make.”

“Great! Once I learn, I’ll cook them for everyone at home.”

Once Zhang Guihua and her sister-in-law had brought out all the noodles, the rest of the family took their seats.

“It’s ready, let’s eat.” someone announced.

Grandma Zhao looked down at her bowl, then nodded in satisfaction. “Yueyue did a great job with these noodles.” At least she hadn’t wasted any meat or eggs this time.

Si Yueyue glanced at her mother-in-law and instantly understood what that look meant.

So, as long as the food didn’t include meat or eggs, it was considered well-made? In these times, eating something nice was practically a sin.

“Father, Mother, go ahead and eat. I’ll go get An An and Lele’s noodles.” Si Yueyue said, then turned and went into the kitchen.

A moment later, she came out carrying two small bowls—these were the real clear broth noodles, whereas the others still had a few drops of oil.

At that moment, Lei Jun couldn’t wait any longer and began tasting the noodles that floated with just a hint of oil.

Slurp—slurp—

The sound of slurping noodles filled the room. Then Lei Jun gave his sister-in-law a big thumbs-up. “These noodles are chewy!”

Lei Dashu nodded as he ate—just the right amount of chewiness. Tasty without being rubbery.

Grandma Zhao, while feeding her grandson dinner, glanced at the old man. Just seeing his expression, she knew he was more than satisfied.

…

At that moment, little Lele happily munched on his noodles while grabbing his own little feet, his tiny bottom bouncing as if he were about to dance on Grandma Zhao’s lap.

Zhang Guihua couldn’t help but chuckle at the sight. “Why is Lele so happy?”

“Ah… mm… tzz.”

Little Lele looked at his Aunt Zhang, pointed at everyone’s bowls, and then continued happily eating the noodles fed to him by Grandma Zhao.

Lei Jun paused his slurping and asked curiously: “What’s Lele laughing about?”

The others were just as confused.

Only his mother, Si Yueyue, instantly understood her youngest son’s intention when she saw his actions.

“Ahem… Lele must have noticed that the food in everyone’s bowls looks the same as his, so he’s happy.”

Everyone: Is that even a thing? Never try to guess a child’s thoughts.

Lei Yu still didn’t quite get it. He looked at his second sister-in-law and asked: “Why would that make him happy? What’s so good about everyone eating the same?”

Si Yueyue shook her head with a smile. “Usually, what we eat is different from what the two kids get. Lele always eats from his own bowl while watching us eat.”

“He couldn’t eat what we had—he could only watch. Now that he sees everyone’s bowls look just like his, of course he’s thrilled.”

“Hahahaha… So that’s it. He’s blaming us for usually eating separate meals.”