Chapter 30

Li Chen, upon hearing this, set the rice to steam and then went to his private plot to cut a cabbage and pull up a white radish.  

He did not want Shen Yiyi to do the cooking, but he had no choice. He did not know how to make the braised pig trotters she mentioned, and he was also afraid that his cooking would not suit her taste. In the end, he had to return the role of head chef to her and simply held Xiao Bao while helping to stoke the fire.  

Shen Yiyi, feeling triumphant, began showcasing her cooking skills. She first blanched the large pork bones and pig trotters to remove any gamey smell.  

Since she had bought two pig trotters, she divided them into two portions after blanching—one was set aside for tomorrow’s meal. The other portion, along with the large bones, was pan-fried until golden brown before being removed from the pan. Then, she added rock sugar, allowing it to melt before stirring everything together so that the ingredients were evenly coated in the caramelized sugar. Afterward, she added soy sauce, salt, scallions, ginger, cinnamon, and other seasonings, poured in water, and let it simmer for an hour.  

As for the large pork bones, she placed them in another pot with star anise, red dates, and other ingredients, then added boiling water and let them simmer over low heat for more than half an hour before adding the radish. Once it was cooked through, it was ready to be served.  

The cabbage was simply stir-fried, but because the oil, salt, and heat were just right, the dish turned out to be incredibly appetizing.  

As soon as the meal was ready, Da Bao and Er Bao followed the scent back home. They clung to the door curtain, gazing inside with eager eyes. Xiao Bao, meanwhile, was drooling so much that he soaked a large patch of his Dad’s chest.  

It was time to eat!  

Shen Yiyi naturally did not forget to ask Er Bao to take a bowl of food to the elderly couple in the old house.  

Since every household was eating meat today, and because the wild boar meat had such a strong aroma that it masked the scent of Shen Yiyi’s braised pig trotters and bone soup, not many people took notice.  

Those who did notice merely smacked their lips twice and sighed in admiration, commenting on how lucky Old Li’s family was to have married Shen Yiyi, a precious gem from the city. They believed that with her around, the family would have a prosperous future.  

Over at the old house, thanks to the six able-bodied workers, they had received nearly seven pounds of wild boar meat. Everyone was overjoyed. Jiang Ailing, feeling satisfied, did not even need Da Hua to take over the kitchen—she decided to cook the meal herself.  

Li Tiezhu and Goudan stood at the kitchen door early, holding their bowls and staring eagerly inside.  

As soon as the meat was brought out, they couldn’t wait any longer and started eating before everyone had arrived. Jiang Ailing watched with a cheerful smile, making no attempt to stop them.  

When Mother Li returned from working on their private plot, she saw this scene. Though she was irritated, she held back her scolding.  

She thought that was the end of it, but when the second household sent Er Bao over with a portion of braised pig trotters, things took a turn. Li Tiezhu, who had just been eating the wild boar meat with great enjoyment, suddenly found it unappetizing compared to the fragrant braised pig trotters. The wild boar meat, which had seemed fine moments ago, now tasted gamy and tough. His eyes immediately turned toward his grandmother, full of longing.  

When his grandmother refused to give him any, he threw a tantrum, smashing a bowl in anger. In the chaos, the bowl struck Mother Li on the head, leaving a small lump.  

Mother Li had originally hidden a piece of pig trotter, intending to secretly give it to Li Tiezhu when no one was around. But now, she no longer felt the need. She was completely disheartened, realizing that her eldest grandson had been utterly spoiled by Jiang Ailing.  

Meanwhile, Shen Yiyi remained completely unaware of the commotion caused by her gift of pig trotters to the old house. Her own family of five was enjoying their meal in complete satisfaction.  

After dinner, Li Chen once again took charge of washing the dishes. Shen Yiyi was already used to this and did not bother competing with him for the task. Instead, she took the Three Baos for a walk in the courtyard.  

Entertainment in this era was truly limited. With no electricity, the moment darkness fell, people rarely ventured outside. After dinner, there was no need for a bath—just a quick soak of the feet before heading to bed.  

The Three Baos had done the same in the past. If they got unbearably dirty, they would simply take a basin of cold water and pour it over themselves from head to toe, calling it a bath.  

Now, of course, Shen Yiyi would not allow that. Once she felt they had digested their food enough, she called them over to start their proper bath.  

Li Chen, hearing this, instinctively took out their large wooden bathtub, filled it with hot water, carried it to the courtyard, and mixed in some cool water, allowing the Three Baos to bathe themselves.  

They had bathed on their own the previous night as well, but they had not cleaned themselves properly. Shen Yiyi suspected they were merely playing with water.  

When she offered to help them bathe, Da Bao and Er Bao firmly refused, clutching themselves shyly and not allowing their Mom to come near.  

Shen Yiyi: “……”  

She returned to the room and retrieved a bar of soap from her personal storage space before coming back outside.  

Just as Da Bao and Er Bao had relaxed after seeing their Mom leave, they started splashing each other in a playful water fight. But when they saw her come out again, they immediately hugged each other in embarrassment, their little faces flushing red.  

“Mom, why are you back?” Er Bao asked shyly.  

Shen Yiyi placed the soap on the small wooden stool beside them, turned around, and walked away. “I bought this soap in town today. If you use it, you’ll be much cleaner, and you’ll smell nice too~”  

“Mom, we’re men! We don’t need to smell nice!” Er Bao immediately retorted, his tone solemn. “Girls are the ones who need to smell nice. So, Mom, you should keep the soap for yourself.”  

Men…  

Shen Yiyi paused mid-step, both amused and exasperated. She couldn’t help but ask: “Who told you that you’re men?”  

“Dad did!” Er Bao answered righteously, without hesitation, throwing his Dad under the bus without a second thought.  

At that moment, Li Chen walked out of the kitchen, carrying half a bucket of hot water—he had prepared it for her. Seeing her helpless expression, he looked puzzled. “What’s wrong?”  

Shen Yiyi stepped forward to take the hot water from him. “I can carry this. The Three Baos didn’t wash properly. You should help scrub them; they won’t let me do it.”  

Li Chen shifted the bucket out of her reach and turned his gaze toward the little troublemaker, Er Bao, his expression dangerous. “Er Bao, are you bullying your Mom?”  

“I didn’t!” Er Bao shouted. “It was Dad who said that men shouldn’t casually let women see their bodies, and that we don’t need to smell nice!”  

“It’s embarrassing~” Xiao Bao chimed in at just the right moment.  

Li Chen: “……”  

He cleared his throat and said to Shen Yiyi: “I’ll take your water to the bathing room first, then come back to scrub them.”  

Seeing his Dad carrying the water for his Mom, Er Bao shouted: “Dad, take the soap in for Mom too!”  

“Mom already has her own!” Shen Yiyi called back. Her second son was just too mischievous—if she didn’t throw out a little threat, she wouldn’t be able to keep him in check. “Mom likes little ones who smell nice. If any little one isn’t clean or doesn’t smell good, then Mom won’t sleep with him tonight.”  

Er Bao immediately shut his mouth.  

While Shen Yiyi was bathing inside, Li Chen was outside scrubbing the Three Baos. Through the walls, she could still vaguely hear their lively voices—  

“Dad, you haven’t put the nice smell on me yet!”  

“Dad, more of the nice smell! A little more!”  

“Dad, you haven’t washed my feet yet! And my hair too…”  

“Dad—”  

“Shut up!” Brother Chen finally lost his patience and shouted.  

Hearing that, Shen Yiyi couldn’t help but curl her lips into a smile.  

After finishing her bath, she returned to the room, only to find the Three Baos standing neatly in a row at the door. The moment they saw her, they excitedly ran toward her.  

“Mom, we’re all clean now!”  

“Mom, smell me! Do I smell nice?”  

“Mom, does this mean we can sleep with you tonight?”  

“Yes, yes, yes!” Shen Yiyi answered, feeling both sweetly amused and helpless. She ushered them inside, and once they climbed onto the heated brick bed, they immediately started playing around.  

Meanwhile, Li Chen had fetched water and was about to take his own bath. Hearing the joyful laughter coming from inside the room, his gaze landed on the pale yellow bar of soap.  

For some reason, as if under a spell, he picked it up and took it into the bathing room with him.  

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T/N: Li Chen is so cute~

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