Chapter 5

Li Chen refused. “No need. “I’ll just cook something at home. It won’t take long.”

Of course, Li Chen knew that if he went to Chen Qiang’s house for a meal, it would save him a lot of trouble.

After all, even if he didn’t eat, the Three Baos still needed to eat.

However, Chen Qiang had his own family now, with both elders and children to take care of. 

Even if Chen Qiang himself didn’t mind, his wife might not feel the same. Once or twice was fine, but if it happened too often, it would inevitably lead to some complaints.

After all, times were hard for everyone.

As he spoke, he arrived at his doorstep. After saying a quick word to Chen Qiang, he pushed the door open and went inside.

Chen Qiang watched him enter before turning to leave. Before he did, he couldn’t help but take a deep breath, inhaling the delicious aroma lingering in the air.

His stomach growled, making him feel even hungrier.

It had been a long time since his family had eaten meat. When he had the chance, he would have to make a trip to town and buy a few ounces to enjoy.

——-

Shen Yiyi had only prepared three dishes, but she had made two whole pounds of cured meat, cooked together with potatoes, filling two large plates. Along with braised fish and egg seaweed soup, there were four dishes in total—more than enough to eat.

When she set the food on the table, Er Bao and Xiao Bao were practically drooling. 

Da Bao was more reserved, but he couldn’t stop glancing at the table either.

Xiao Bao, being the shortest, stood on tiptoe, pressing against the edge of the table with wide, eager eyes. He nudged his second brother’s hand and whispered: “Second Brother, it’s meat! It’s meat!”

“Mm-hmm.” Er Bao stared unblinkingly.

Shen Yiyi chuckled, lifting Xiao Bao onto the long bench while letting Da Bao and Er Bao sit on their own. Then, she grabbed some bowls to serve them rice.

Da Bao, worried that she might struggle to carry them all, called Er Bao over to help.

As they walked over, they saw an entire pot of steaming, fragrant white rice. 

Their Mom was scooping it into bowls—filling them to the brim.

Shen Yiyi noticed them and called them over, handing them their bowls one by one. “Be careful, it’s hot. Go ahead and eat first. If it’s not enough, come back for more.”

Da Bao and Er Bao blankly accepted the bowls, carrying the glistening, fragrant rice back to the main hall.  

Xiao Bao, however, didn’t notice his two brothers’ dazed expressions. He was still young and didn’t think too much about such things. 

Seeing that both his brothers had returned with bowls of rice, the enticing aroma made his mouth water. 

Unable to resist, he struggled to climb down, wanting to go to the kitchen to get his own bowl.  

The next second, he saw their Mom coming back with a bowl of rice in her hands.  

“Why did you get down?” Shen Yiyi placed the bowl in front of him, then lifted Xiao Bao back onto the bench.

“This is for you. I brought it over.”  

“Mom, is this really for us to eat?” Er Bao couldn’t hold back his question any longer.  

He had heard that this kind of white rice was considered fine grain—expensive, incredibly expensive. Even if one had money, it wasn’t always available for purchase.  

Their Dad had bought it before, but since it required ration tickets, he couldn’t get much. They usually had to mix it with coarse grains, and it had never smelled this fragrant.  

“Of course.” Shen Yiyi said softly. “As long as you like it, I’ll cook it for you every day.”  

“Mom—”

Er Bao suddenly burst into tears and threw himself into her arms. “You’re so good to us.”  

Xiao Bao saw his second brother crying. Although he didn’t quite understand why, he started crying too. He reached out for a hug, sobbing: “Waa—waa—”  

Shen Yiyi quickly embraced them both, amd comforted them.

When she noticed Da Bao’s eyes brimming with tears, she immediately called him over as well.  

Da Bao stepped forward, tilting his head up to look at her, his eyes shimmering with unshed tears. “Mom, can you always be like this? Don’t go back to how you used to be.”  

Shen Yiyi’s heart clenched painfully. She pulled all three of them into her arms. “Alright, I’ll always be like this. I won’t change back.”  

As soon as she spoke, the children cried even harder.  

It took a long time for Shen Yiyi to soothe them, finally getting them to sit down and eat.  

Still sniffling, the Three Baos asked: “Mom, why aren’t you eating?”  

Shen Yiyi placed some food on Xiao Bao’s plate and casually said: “I’m waiting for your Dad.”  

The moment Da Bao heard this, he immediately put down his chopsticks. “Then I’ll wait for Dad too.”  

Er Bao hesitated, glancing longingly at the dishes on the table. But after a moment, he also put down his chopsticks. “I’ll wait for Dad too.”  

Xiao Bao had already stuffed his cheeks full, looking like a little hamster. When he heard his brothers’ words, he tilted his head up, gazing at Shen Yiyi with a pitiful expression.

He wanted to wait for Dad too.

Shen Yiyi was once again melted by her little son’s adorableness.

She reached out to wipe away the tear clinging to his eyelashes. “Xiao Bao is still a little child. Little children need to eat until they’re full. That way, when Dad comes back, he’ll be happy to see you well-fed.”  

After saying this, she was about to persuade Da Bao and Er Bao to start eating when a creaking sound suddenly came from the door.  

Shen Yiyi froze for a moment, then quickly turned her head.

Her gaze collided with the man who had just stepped inside.  

In an instant, memories of their past life together replayed in her mind like a movie, each moment flashing by until it settled on the final scene—when he had driven straight toward Lin Jiadong with a determined and ruthless expression.  

Shen Yiyi’s eyes gradually reddened.  

“Dad!”  

“Dad!”  

Da Bao and Er Bao were overjoyed.

They jumped off the bench and rushed toward him. “Dad, you’re back! Mom made something delicious. Come eat!”  

“Dada~” Xiao Bao also saw his Dad and hurriedly waved his little hands.  

Li Chen absentmindedly ruffled Da Bao and Er Bao’s heads, but his gaze remained fixed on Shen Yiyi.

Seeing her reddened eyes, his face darkened. He strode forward in large steps and asked in a deep voice: “Who bullied you? I’ll go teach them a lesson!”  

Only then did Shen Yiyi realize that she had started crying again.

Today, her tears truly seemed worthless.  

She quickly wiped her eyes. “No one bullied me. I just feel… really happy to see you.”  

“……” Li Chen’s frown deepened, and his gaze toward her became more cautious.  

Shen Yiyi had originally wanted to throw herself into his arms and cry her heart out, but upon noticing his expression, she suddenly snapped back to reality.  

Li Chen was not like the Three Baos.  

Since the day she married him, she had never treated him kindly.

If her attitude changed so drastically all of a sudden, it was only natural that he would be suspicious of her intentions.  

But that didn’t matter.  

She had come back precisely to make amends—to make it up to him and their three children, to live a good life together as a family.  

She had already owed the four of them too much. She didn’t want to waste time taking things slowly.  

If her facade collapsed, then so be it.

In the end, she wasn’t some kind of monster—she was still herself.

This lifetime, they still had so much time ahead of them. As long as she treated him with sincerity, one day, he would come to believe in her true heart.  

With that thought, she stepped forward. “You must be hungry. I’ll go get you some rice.”

Li Chen scrutinized her retreating figure. It wasn’t until he processed what she had said—that she was getting him a bowl of rice—that Er Bao tugged at him.  

“Dad, sit down and eat. There’s meat.”  

Only then did Li Chen notice the three dishes and one soup on the table, as well as his three clean and tidy sons, each with a bowl full of white rice in front of them.  

“Brother Chen, hurry and sit down for dinner.” Shen Yiyi walked in with two bowls of rice, smiling brightly.  

Li Chen turned to look at her, his face filled with disbelief.  

What… what did she just call him?  

Shen Yiyi acted as if nothing was out of the ordinary. She placed the extra bowl in front of him and urged him to sit. “Brother Chen, sit down.”  

Li Chen was still in a daze, but Er Bao had already run out of patience. He tugged at Li Chen’s sleeve. “Dad, hurry up and sit down! I want to eat!”  

Following Er Bao’s pull, Li Chen sat down, but he couldn’t help glancing at the woman beside him.  

Shen Yiyi caught his gaze and flashed him a wide, cheerful smile.  

Li Chen’s frown deepened. Something was definitely off—when things seemed too good to be true, there was always a catch.  

Shen Yiyi picked up a piece of cured meat and placed it in his bowl. “Brother Chen, this is really delicious—savory and fragrant.”  

“Mom, I want some too!” Xiao Bao raised his bowl eagerly.  

“Me too!” Er Bao chimed in right after.  

“There’s plenty for everyone.” Shen Yiyi said with a smile as she placed pieces of meat into the Three Baos’ bowls.  

“Mom, you eat too.” Da Bao said as he placed a piece of cured meat into Shen Yiyi’s bowl.  

“Thank you, Da Bao.” Shen Yiyi patted his head and ate the piece he had given her.  

Seeing this, Er Bao also picked up a piece for her. Xiao Bao, however, couldn’t reach it, which frustrated him to the point of tears.

He turned to his Dad, whining: “Dad, lift me up! I want to give Mom some meat too!”  

Li Chen, still feeling numb from the strange atmosphere, absentmindedly lifted Xiao Bao up. He watched as the little one carefully placed a piece of cured meat into Shen Yiyi’s bowl.  

Looking at the woman smiling so radiantly, Li Chen finally began to believe that he wasn’t seeing things.  

But why had she changed so drastically all of a sudden? Why was she treating him and the Three Baos so well?  

Could it be that she wanted a divorce again?  

Just as warmth had started creeping into his heart, it was instantly doused with cold water.

A shadow flickered across his eyes.  

Divorce? Over his dead body.  

She could forget about it.

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T/N: our ML is too sassy T___T

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