Chapter 60

When Xiao Doubao’s older brothers were about to leave for school in the afternoon, he became confused. He grabbed Su Xiaoxiao’s hand, wanting to go out with the older brothers.

Xiao Fantuan and Xiao Zhuzi each carried a rice cake, and Su Xiaoxiao also brought one for Xiao Doubao.

Su Xiaoxiao lifted Xiao Doubao in her arms and said, “Xiao Doubao, be a good child and stay at home with Mom. Your older brothers will come back after school. Have you forgotten that Zhuzi used to go to school every day too? Now that Fantuan is growing up, he also has to go to school. When Xiao Doubao grows as tall as his brothers, then you can go to school. In the mornings, baby will accompany Mom to work.”

Xiao Doubao stood beside his older brothers and compared their heights, looking at Su Xiaoxiao with big, pitiful eyes, as if feeling a little aggrieved.

Su Xiaoxiao couldn’t help but smile. The little one was shy in the morning, and now he wanted to go back there again.

“Why doesn’t Xiao Doubao go to school with his brothers, and Mom will cook delicious food at home for you after class? “Su Xiaoxiao teased him.

Xiao Doubao shook his head like a rattle and said, “Mama, go, bro, don’t go.”

Su Xiaoxiao: “Then stay at home with Mom.”

Fantuan gently patted Xiao Doubao’s head and said, “Xiao Doubao, be a good boy. When we come back from school, we’ll take you to dig for earthworms.”

Xiao Doubao absentmindedly scratched his little hands, bidding farewell to his older brothers. If he had to choose only one, he would still prefer to stay with his Mommy.

Su Xiaoxiao handed the small blackboard to Xiao Doubao, and throughout the whole afternoon, she was working on the promotional materials. Su Xiaoxiao recalled the hygiene propaganda posters she had seen in her previous life and combined them with the current characteristics of the era. Soon, she designed a comprehensive plan.

With a burst of inspiration, Su Xiaoxiao decided to go all out. She swiftly designed the paper promotional plan, completing the task in one goes without any need for modifications. She thought it would be best to first get the opinion of the leaders and make adjustments based on their feedback.

Su Xiaoxiao looked up and realized that the sun was setting.

Xiao Doubao had been wandering around the yard, exploring countless places. Now he was squatting in front of the chicken coop, teasing the little hens with vegetable leaves in his hand.

For some unknown reason, Xiao Doubao seemed to have a special fondness for flowers. However, he didn’t show the same level of affection towards Zhou, Fen, Mian, and Fan.

Su Xiaoxiao picked up Xiao Doubao’s small blackboard and was surprised when she looked at it. The little one had painstakingly copied all the content from her posters. Although the handwriting was not neat and the strokes were crooked, making it was difficult to recognize what it was; the reason for this was that Xiao Doubao’s hands were small and lacked the strength to grip the pen firmly. However, the overall layout of the images was correct, and each element was placed in the right position.

While Su Xiaoxiao was deeply engrossed in designing the layout, she didn’t pay much attention to the little baby. However, Xiao Doubao was well-behaved throughout, not causing any disturbance. He quietly finished his drawing and then went to tease the hens by sprinkling water on them. He found his own entertainment and kept himself occupied.

How can there be such well-behaved, angelic babies in this world?

“Is Xiao Doubao hungry? Mommy will make you a cup of malted milk, okay?” A well-behaved baby like you deserves a reward.

Recently, Xiao Doubao has been drinking powdered milk. There isn’t an abundant supply of powdered milk, so the two older brothers alternate between powdered milk and malted milk.

Xiao Doubao bent his eyes and nodded, “Okay~”

Su Xiaoxiao prepared a small cup of malted milk for him. Regardless of how many times Su Xiaoxiao had said that he didn’t have to, Xiao Doubao still insisted on offering the cup to his mother for a sip before sitting obediently on his small stool and taking small sips.

Su Xiaoxiao leaned on her cheek and enjoyed watching the human cub sip on the malted milk.

Xiao Doubao has a fair complexion. When he was thin, he appeared slightly darker, but now that he has gained a little weight, his skin is clear and fair. With a pointed chin, big eyes, and delicate features, he looks beautiful, like a little girl. His skin is smooth and tender, and his large eyes have a clear contrast of black and white, resembling two black grapes embedded in crystal-clear creek water. He is the kind of beauty that makes you want to take him home and care for him with just one glance.
Su Xiaoxiao, such a beautiful human cub, has never been able to compete with him on short frequency in her previous life. Unfortunately, she doesn’t have a mobile phone these days. Otherwise, just by uploading daily videos of the little cub, she could attract a large number of mommy fans and soft fans.

Thinking that such a beautiful baby cub was raised by herself, Su Xiaoxiao felt a great sense of achievement and wished she could give him all the best things in the world.

After Xiao Doubao finished drinking, he smiled and handed the cup to his mother, and said:  “Delicious~”

Su Xiaoxiao’s motherly heart melted, and she kissed the cub’s face, and said:  “Baby is so amazing!”

“In the blink of an eye, it was time to prepare dinner. When Li Yufeng and Xiao Bao visited them, they had spent quite a bit of money during that period, so for now, they could only have some eggs for dinner.

Su Xiaoxiao found herself in a dilemma as she gazed at the only four eggs remaining in the house. Even one egg per person wouldn’t suffice. She lamented the challenges of being a resourceful wife without any rice to cook. Others who had traveled through time possessed systems, farms, and online shopping platforms, but why was she so unfortunate to have nothing? She could only wish for the era of material scarcity, where even if you had money, you couldn’t buy meat, to pass quickly.

Su Xiaoxiao estimated that it would take another two to three years before the black market in her area would have pork, beef, and mutton available. Being close to the military district, nobody dared set up unauthorized slaughterhouses or farms. At most, people would secretly sell their own raised chickens, ducks, and geese, as well as some small seafood like snails. Speaking of it, the autumn and winter seasons should be a time for nourishment, but her family hadn’t eaten beef or mutton yet. She had no idea when the meat processing plant would be able to supply them.

“Mom, Xiao Doubao, we’re back! “Just as Su Xiaoxiao was worried, the two big cubs came back, and Fantuan started shouting in the yard.

Su Xiaoxiao came out and took their backpacks. “How was school? Did you both adjust well?”

Xiao Fantuan shook his head and said, “The things the teacher taught were too easy. They weren’t as good as what Mom taught us. I feel so bored.”

Su Xiaoxiao understood that this was one of the struggles of an academic overachiever. Fantuan requires only half or even a third of the time that others need to learn the same thing. How can it not be boring?

Zhuzi also finds it quite amazing. He used to have little interest in studying. He was diligent, but not passionate. However, ever since Su Xiaoxiao taught him at home for a few days, he seemed to have been enlightened. It was as if he had been wandering aimlessly before, but now he has finally found the trick. Sometimes he can understand a subject just by reading a book or listening to the teacher’s brief explanation. Learning has become an effortless task for him, and with the company of Fantuan at school, he is genuinely eager to go to school now.

Zhuzi knows that Fantuan is smarter than himself. He doesn’t compare himself to Fantuan because, well, nobody is smarter than Fantuan. However, when he compares himself to other classmates, he realizes that he is actually intelligent too, just not as intelligent as Fantuan.

So he doesn’t have any psychological burden now; as Aunt Su said, he studies hard, strives for progress every day, goes to school happily, and comes home with joy.

He is now happy from the bottom of his heart.

“You focus on studying well in the first grade and lay a solid foundation. Be obedient and write your characters well, learn pinyin well, and understand the systematic process of learning. When the time comes, Mom will prepare a set of second-grade textbooks for you. Once you’ve mastered the lessons from first grade, if you still find it boring, you can start exploring the second-grade lessons. And if you don’t want to study second grade, you can move on to the third grade. However, that means you won’t be in the same class as Zhuzi anymore. Ultimately, it’s up to you to decide. If you still want to play with Zhuzi for one more year, you can go to second grade together. Mom supports you, but you need to think carefully. You shouldn’t regret your decision later. You have plenty of time, more than half a year, so think about it slowly. No rush, okay?”

Su Xiaoxiao was surprised that on Fantuan’s first day of school, he brought up this topic. Fantuan is not an ordinary child; he is still young, and the most important thing is to find a learning method that makes him feel comfortable and happy.

Fantuan nodded and said, “Mom, I understand. You’re the best mom in the world. I’m no longer a two- or three-year-old child. I’ll think it over carefully. Now I’m going to dig earthworms and feed Fan! Xiao Doubao, let’s go!”

Xiao Zhuzi had already prepared the tools, which consisted of containers crafted by Han Cheng using bamboo tubes to house earthworms. The containers were equipped with lids to prevent the worms from escaping. Additionally, they had small shovels made from seashells. The two older cubs, along with the younger cub, set off with their tools.

Su Xiaoxiao: “You can’t stay out for too long. The food won’t wait for us, and it won’t taste good if it gets cold.”

Fantuan said, “Mom, don’t worry, I won’t let the delicious food wait for me.”
Zhuzi also said, “Aunt Su, don’t worry, we’ll be back soon.”

Her little cubs had been to that place before, and it wasn’t too far away. However, Su Xiaoxiao couldn’t help but worry. She secretly followed them, keeping an eye on them until she saw them enter Dundun’s house before quietly returning home.

Raising a child for a hundred years, ninety-nine of them were filled with worries. ^[1]It’s a proverb, it means that raising a child involves a constant stream of worries and concerns that persist throughout the majority of their life.

The rice has been steamed, and there are only four eggs left. So, Su Xiaoxiao decided to make tomato-sautéed eggs.

She whisked the eggs thoroughly, added a generous amount of minced ginger and a tablespoon of vinegar, and mixed them well.

Su Xiaoxiao heated the oil in a pan, and when it was slightly hot, she poured in the egg mixture and gently stirred it. She cooked the eggs until they were fully cooked, and then removed them from the heat.

The tomatoes were not very big, so Su Xiaoxiao added a few more. She cut each tomato into four wedges and sautéed them with minced garlic. When they started to release some liquid, she added a small amount of salt and a slightly larger amount of sugar. After stirring everything together, she quickly added the cooked crab back into the pan and stirred until all the ingredients were well combined. Finally, the delicious tomato-sauteed eggs, with their vibrant colors, enticing aroma, and delightful taste, were ready to be served.

Now he can easily tell the flavors of dishes prepared by his own wife. It’s not an exaggeration to claim that if several individuals were to cook the same dish and present them before him, he could likely identify the one made by Su Xiaoxiao solely by its aroma.

When Han Cheng returned home, it was unusually quiet. He couldn’t find the children anywhere. As he approached the kitchen door, he asked his wife, “Are we having crab again today?”

Su Xiaoxiao smiled mysteriously and said, “Try to guess it.”

Han Cheng walked in and saw a large plate of tomato scrambled eggs. He lowered his head and smelled it, but was even more surprised: “Why do tomato scrambled eggs smell like crabs?”

Su Xiaoxiao took a spoon and gave him a bite to eat, “Tomato sauteed eggs; haven’t you tried it before?”

Han Cheng’s taste buds were awakened. The tangy aroma of aged vinegar combined with the flavor of ginger and scrambled eggs—wasn’t that the taste of crab with vinegar? This unique and delicious flavor captivated him. He asked, “Do we have enough rice for today?”

Su Xiaoxiao replied, “No worries, we have enough rice. The only drawback of this dish is probably that it costs too much rice.”

Han Cheng patted his wife’s head and said, “Xiaoxiao, you are really a talented chef. It’s a pity you won’t open a restaurant.”

Su Xiaoxiao nodded and said, “I think so too. I will definitely open a restaurant if I have the opportunity in the future, but I only provide recipes and let others cook. It’s really hard to cook so many meals.”

Han Cheng felt guilty and said, “If it’s too hard, it’s fine for us to eat in the cafeteria. Just tell me in advance so I can take it home.”

He used to spend most of his time eating in the cafeteria and rarely opened fire at home.

Su Xiaoxiao replied, “Cooking for our family is fine, but cooking for a crowd of guests would be too much for me. Let’s go and call the children back for dinner.”

Han Cheng hadn’t even left the house yet when the children returned just in time for the meal.

Fantuan’s voice is always the loudest: “Mom, we’re back. We’ve dug up a lot of big worms, unlike the small ones in our vegetable field. Oh, why does it smell so good? Mom didn’t buy crabs; why does it smell a bit like crabs?”

Su Xiaoxiao pinched Fantuan’s nose and said, “You have the most sensitive nose. This dish is called Tomato Sauteed Crab. Quickly wash your hands and let’s eat.”

Even though there was only one dish today, it filled the stomachs of the whole family, especially Xiao Doubao. He rarely enjoys a dish as much as this one. The last time he ate this much was when they had steamed meatloaf with salted eggs.

Fantuan, once again, declared, “I declare that today’s top 1 in the most delicious dish is Tomato Sauteed Crab!”

Thank you, everyone, and I hope you all had a great day~ (✿◡‿◡)