”My mother-in-law is nagging me again, saying that I am squandering her son’s hard-earned money. Aren’t the chickens and ducks raised by my elder sister-in-law and I together? I also help cut grass and fetch water for the pigs on weekdays, and I’m not lazy. She just doesn’t like me because I’m a bro…”

　　Xing Ge’er threw the melon seed shells into the stove and said, “What’s wrong with me? His son likes me as his brother.”

　　”Forget it. Let me tell you, it snowed in the middle of the night. When I woke up the next day, my sister-in-law said that it was a good thing I went there early yesterday. Otherwise, once the snow melted, it would have delayed us for more than ten days.”

　　Xing Ge’er and his sister-in-law couldn’t get along. He felt that his sister-in-law was too soft-hearted. She was always ordered around by her mother-in-law and never talked back. It was rare for him to hear his sister-in-law say something to help him, and he was quite happy.

　　”You exchanged it for maltose.” Li Zhouzhou said. Yuanyuan drank a mouthful of the soup of the sugar-water egg, which was from the big house stove and his grandmother. Xing Geer was angry with his mother-in-law and gave his eldest sister-in-law a few pieces of maltose, which could make a big pot of sweet water.

　　”How many dollars did you give?”

　　Xing Ge’er: …

　　”I couldn’t save face, and I also wanted to piss off my mother-in-law. I only gave four dollars to my eldest sister-in-law’s two children.” Xing Ge’er’s voice got smaller and smaller. “They’re not worth much.”

　　Li Zhouzhou knew it, so he put down the things in his hands, boiled the water on the stove, put a rag on the handles of the pot, picked it up and poured hot water into the large kettle on the table, half of it was enough.

　　Refill after finishing drinking, it is still hot.

　　It was still early, so they would cook the bone soup later. Li Zhouzhou took the hot water pot down and put it aside so that it would not block their feet. The fire in the stove was a little low, but it was no problem for them to keep warm and talk. It was enough to keep warm.

　　He picked up the kettle and poured a bowl of hot water for Xingge.

　　Xing Ge’er was eating melon seeds and talking, his mouth was dry. When he saw the hot water, he smiled and reached out to take the bowl. He took a look and said, “Isn’t it plain water? It tastes sweet.” He smelled it.

　　“Did you soak the dates?”

　　”I also put half a piece of maltose in it. My husband loves this.” Li Zhouzhou poured two bowls for the two of them, and carried the rest of the soup into the inner room with a pot for his husband.

　　Xing Ge’er held the bowl and murmured, wondering how come a grown man likes sweet things as much as a child. But he didn’t dare say that. He blew on the food, took a sip, and narrowed his eyes. It tasted so good.

　　Sweet red date flavored water.

　　The pot was brought down, and the steam was even stronger. Xing Ge’er was eating melon seeds and drinking sweet red date water. He felt warm sitting here. At first, he heard that it was a medicine stove and he had to avoid it, but now it was all gone.

　　”Zhou Zhou, your stove is really good.” Xing Ge’er said, and then added with a smile, “Your husband is so smart.”

　　Li Zhouzhou smiled and said, “Let’s find the clay craftsman Zhu from Shili Village. We spent 60 cents to make two stoves and two pots.” He didn’t say that the clay craftsman got 10 cents cheaper because he used his own materials first.

　　”What about the other one?” Xing Ge’er’s eyes lit up. “I paid for it, so I won’t take advantage of you for nothing.”

　　Li Zhouzhou shook his head, “No. My dad will get the other one the day after tomorrow and put it in the inner room when he comes back. It will keep my husband warm while he reads and writes.”

　　”Okay then.” When Xing Ge’er heard what Li Zhouzhou asked his husband to do, he knew he couldn’t get it.

　　The two chatted for a while. Xing Ge’er felt warm even without getting on the kang since it was his first time visiting someone’s home to chat. If he went to someone he didn’t know well, he would feel embarrassed even if they invited him to get on the kang.

　　Before he left, he saw Li Zhouzhou using the stove to boil corn bones.

　　”What a waste of firewood.”

　　”My husband said drinking this will nourish your body.” Li Zhouzhou thought that Xing Ge’er probably wouldn’t take it seriously, so he added, “Adding some red dates to the drink will help you have a baby.”

　　Xing Ge’er remembered this and said, “I was wondering why you bought so many bones last time, but you only said they were for nourishing the body. It turns out that you were doing this to help. You should nourish the body. I have been married for more than a year and my stomach has not moved. I have suffered so much.”

　　”But your family is not in a hurry, unlike me who has a mother-in-law above me.”

　　Li Zhouzhou sends Xing Ge’er out.

　　When Xing’er was twelve years old, his younger brother fell into the river while playing. It was just the end of winter and the spring was still cold. Xing’er jumped into the water to save his brother. After returning, they both caught a cold. Second Aunt favored her son, so she forced him to drink the medicine. The son drank the first dose, and then the second dose was decocted and fed to Xing’er.