The ox cart slowly rolled into Kuzhu Village and came to a gentle stop in front of the Chen family’s house.

Before the people on the cart could jump down, the door to the kitchen opened, revealing the village head, followed by Dad Chen. The two were chatting.

“I thought Dad knew we were back, and I was wondering when his hearing got so sharp,” Chen Yuanqiu joked with a grin. “We didn’t make much noise, and it was just a coincidence.” He greeted the village head.

The village head laughed heartily, “It seems like you’re back a bit early today. With the snow, business should be even better, right?”

“We made less food than a few days ago, so things are selling faster.”

In the kitchen, perhaps hearing Chen Yuping’s voice, the sleepy Cao ger instantly perked up, wiggling his chubby arms and calling out “Daddy!” in a clear, sweet tone.

“Cao ger misses you, hurry inside,” Father Chen said, not letting his third son carry any things from the cart.

Chen Yuanqiu, with both hands full, reached the door and pushed it open with his leg. “Third brother, come in quickly! Cao ger is stretching his neck waiting for you.” He laughed heartily. “Cao ger looks really funny!”

As soon as Chen Yuping stepped into the kitchen, Cao ger’s big round eyes lit up. “Daddy!”

“My good boy.” Seeing his precious son’s excitement, Chen Yuping rushed to the hearth, opened his arms, and pulled him into a warm hug, rubbing his little face, which was soft and plump. “Good boy.”

“It’s cold, and Qiaoniu didn’t come over, so he has no company.” Father Chen, feeling bored by the hearth, stood up to check on the ox.

Dad Chen casually asked, “Have you eaten lunch?”

“Not yet,” Chen Yuanqiu quickly replied.

“What does Yuanjiu want to eat?”

Chen Yuanqiu glanced at Cui Yuanjiu behind him, then at his dad, feeling a bit confused. Shouldn’t he be asking him?

“I’m fine with anything,” Cui Yuanjiu smiled, looking softly at Chen Yuping, who was playing with Cao ger. “What does Ping ger want to eat?”

“Nothing too complicated, we still have some braised meat. How about some noodles with sauce?”

Chen Yuanqiu nodded enthusiastically. “Sounds good! Dad, give me more noodles.”

“Such a glutton,” Dad Chen chuckled as he rolled up his sleeves to knead the dough.

The shops in town weren’t affected by the snow, but their little stall was. Most people were huddled by their fires at home, and there were hardly any figures on the village paths.

Only Fu ger, the family’s darling, wanted to eat roujiamo, so the village head had to go out to buy some.

“Luckily, we didn’t leave much at the stall, so we didn’t sell much this morning. Let’s see how the afternoon goes. If we can’t sell everything, we can just make do with dinner as Dad suggested. How about a hot pot? It’s the coziest in winter, and we should invite Big Brother and Second Brother since it’s been a while since we ate together.”

“Fish hot pot?” Cui Yuanjiu thought about the taste and felt a bit hungry.

Dad Chen replied, “We still have two big bones to make soup tonight. Your third uncle specifically left some meat on them, knowing you love it.”

“Let’s kill a chicken and use those bones for broth, and we can blanch fish slices to eat.” Then Chen Yuping remembered, “But we don’t have any fish at home, do we?”

Father Chen added, “That’s simple. I’ll go to the village and buy a couple.”

“Perfect. You can stop by Chun ger’s house and tell him not to prepare dinner.” After a pause, he added, “Better take the ox cart, it’s too cold for the kids.”

“Sure, I’ll take the ox cart.”

After slurping the last bit of soup, Chen Yuanqiu put down his bowl and cheerfully stood up. “I’ll go to Second Brother’s house.”

He jumped three feet high, muttering excitedly about having hot pot, grinning from ear to ear.

“Such a wild one,” Father Chen shook his head, then turned his gaze to Cui Yuanjiu, feeling increasingly pleased. If his youngest son had half of Yuanjiu’s composure, he would be smiling in his dreams. “Are you full?” he asked kindly.

Cui Yuanjiu collected Chen Yuanqiu’s dishes and set them on the stove. “I’m very full, Second Uncle’s noodles were really delicious.”

“Second Brother, Second Sister-in-law.”

Liu Guixiang smiled as she spoke. “Yuanqiu is back early today, you just got back?”

“Been back for a while, just finished lunch. Second Sister-in-law, Dad said not to prepare dinner. We’re all having dinner at the old house tonight, and Third Brother is planning a hot pot.”

“A hot pot?” Liu Guixiang’s face lit up with joy. “Great!”

Father Chen held An ger, Zhang Zhiwei carried Dazhuang, and Chen Yuchun had two fishes in hand.

They had just entered when Chen Yuandong and his wife arrived with Qiaoniu, bringing another fish and some pork belly.

The happiest was Cao ger, who suddenly had three little friends to play with. The four children all huddled together on the bamboo couch, giggling and playing.

The bamboo couch in winter was covered with thick quilts, warm and cozy.

Seeing it was almost time, Chen Yuping began preparing the broth, while Cui Yuanjiu skillfully sliced the fish and meat. Liu Guixiang and Chen Yuchun were busy washing and cutting vegetables.

With nothing much to do, Chen Yuanqiu moved a small stool, sitting beside the bamboo couch, watching the kids play, thoroughly entertained.

As for the others, they weren’t idle either, peeling corn or mending baskets—there were always little chores in a rural household.

Once the snow stopped, business picked up, with people gradually coming to buy food.

The aroma of the simmering broth wafted through the air.

“What’s for dinner? It smells delicious, is it chicken soup?”

Dad Chen chuckled, radiating warmth. “We’re having hot pot.”

“Ping ger’s cooking is excellent, tonight’s hot pot is sure to be delicious.” A villager praised him, giving a thumbs up. “I reckon it’s even better than the hot pot at Shen’s restaurant, you all are in for a treat!” His words were filled with envy.

Such small talk was common, nearly everyone who came to buy food would say a few words, all envious of the Chen family’s hot pot dinner.

Eating hot pot in winter, gathered around the warm stove, with laughter and food, just the thought made one feel cozy and satisfied!

As evening approached, the sky darkened, and little snowflakes began to drift down again, with the cold wind growing fiercer.

“Looks like no one else will come to buy food, let’s tidy up and start the hot pot.”

They hadn’t prepared much food at the stall today, but the sales were decent. Whatever little was left would be just enough to satisfy the family’s cravings, even though they sold it every day—they couldn’t eat it every day.

With many people, they set up two pots.

One pot is spicy and fragrant, while the other is mildly spicy. Each person can mix their own sauce with garlic, scallions, sesame oil, pepper oil, peanut sauce, chili powder, vinegar, soybean paste, shrimp paste, fermented tofu, and more. With so many seasonings, you can adjust according to your taste. After mixing, pour in the broth, stir it, and taste. The flavor is amazing! Quickly grab a thin slice of fish to cook, dip it in the sauce, and pop it into your mouth—delicious! So satisfying!

“Hurry up and sit down. You’ve been eating all day, how come you’re still so greedy?” Dad Chen really can’t figure it out, he just realized that his youngest is a complete foodie.

“I want to eat the spicy hot pot,” Chen Yuanqiu said as he squeezed next to his third brother. “This pot is powerful!”

An ger and Qiaoniu have not been very well-behaved lately. When it’s meal time, they demand to be held by the adults. They’re starting to teeth and already know to grab food from the table.

Chen Yuchun and Liu Guixiang expertly balance holding the children in one arm and eating with the other.

Only Cao ger is left alone on the bamboo bed. He actually wants to eat, but he’s very well-behaved. This child is exceptionally good, he doesn’t cause trouble, and just gazes longingly. Occasionally, he drools a bit, and when he meets an adult’s gaze, he smiles broadly, making hearts melt.

“I’ll go pick up Cao ger,” Cui Yuanjiu said, feeling sorry for him.

Chen Yuping also felt for his precious son. “I’ll go. I can carry him.”

As soon as he reached the bamboo bed, Cao ger skillfully climbed to the edge and stretched out his little arms, giggling as he lunged into Chen Yuping’s embrace, sweetly calling, “Daddy!”

“Good boy. You need to behave a bit, you can’t reach for the bowls and chopsticks, and you can’t wiggle too much. If I can’t hold you, we’ll both fall and make a scene,” Chen Yuping chattered on, regardless of whether Cao ger understood.

Dad Chen was still uneasy: “Let me hold him, I have experience.”

“I have experience too,” Father Chen chimed in.

“It’s fine, it’s fine,” Chen Yuping said with a smile, refusing. “We need to trust our Cao ger, right, Cao ger?” He bent down to nuzzle his forehead.

Cao ger laughed heartily, his smile radiant.

Cui Yuanjiu asked, “What do you want to eat?” After cooking two pieces of fish, he placed them in Chen Yuping’s sauce bowl and, seeing him holding Cao ger with one hand, teasingly whispered, “Do you want me to feed you?” His eyes twinkled with mischief.

Chen Yuping rolled his eyes and deftly grabbed some fish from the sauce bowl and popped it into his mouth. The fish was tender, melting in his mouth and incredibly flavorful. “Cook some more fish.”

“Cook some potato slices.”

“Add some cilantro too.”

“Let’s have some pork belly.”

“Don’t forget the radish, I almost left that out.”

“Should I cook a bit of everything for you to taste?” Cui Yuanjiu joked.

Chen Yuping nodded, “Sounds good.”

“Yuanjiu, don’t just take care of Ping ger, you should eat too.”

Cui Yuanjiu smiled at Dad Chen, “Uncle, I’m eating.”

“Hmph!” Father Chen snorted, casting a sideways glance at his eldest son-in-law, his expression dark enough to squeeze juice out of.

Chen Yuchun’s face stiffened slightly. He nudged his husband, who was focused on eating, and understood that Father Chen was angry for him. Looking around the table, his second sister-in-law was holding Qiaoniu, while his second brother occasionally cooked for her and asked if she was tired or needed him to hold Qiaoniu. Meanwhile, his third brother had Cui Yuanjiu completely focused on him, and he hardly got to eat. Even the little bit of free time he had was spent playing with Cao ger, making it look like a family of three.

Dad Chen didn’t want to spoil the mood, thinking that since his eldest son hadn’t said anything, he wouldn’t concern himself either. His eldest had a strong sense of pride, and with the whole family gathered, it would be awkward if things got out of hand, so he preferred to pretend not to notice.

Unfortunately, his husband couldn’t hold back, and since he spoke up, he couldn’t continue to pretend he didn’t see. “I say, Zhiwei, did you not eat enough at lunch or what?”

“Dad,” Zhang Zhiwei, who had been singled out finally lifted his head and glanced at Dad Chen, chuckling innocently, “Ping ger’s cooking is really good.”

“Are you enjoying it?”

Faced with Dad Chen’s kind expression, Zhang Zhiwei’s smile grew wider as he nodded vigorously, looking rather silly.

“Zhiwei, cook two pieces of fish for Dazhuang,” Chen Yuchun said coldly.

“Okay.” Zhang Zhiwei picked up a full chopstick of fish and placed it in the mildly spicy soup pot. It cooked quickly.

The fish had to be tender, so he cleverly used a spoon to scoop the fish into his bowl, pouring most of it in, while the rest went into his elder son’s bowl, where the fish broke apart a bit. “Eat up,” he smiled at his older son and happily dug in.

Chen Yuping was blinded by his amazing operation. He really thought that his elder brother-in-law was amazing. He didn’t know whether he really didn’t understand or was pretending to be stupid. His skills were amazing!

“Wife, do you want some fish?”

Liu Guixiang glanced at her husband, knowing her bowl still had fish: “I love eating it too. Yuandong, cook me a couple of pieces and some mushrooms while you’re at it.”

“My bowl is almost full, you can eat. If I want anything, I’ll let you know later,” Chen Yuping said, his voice neither too loud nor too soft.

Cui Yuanjiu nodded, “Sure, just shout if you want something.” He then picked up a soft cloth and wiped Cao ger’s mouth, “You’re drooling again. Look how he’s staring at your bowl.”

“After the New Year, we’ll close the shop in town and put away the home stall. I’ll make some baby food that the little ones can eat every day, and then An ger and Qiaoniu will come over to indulge a bit,” Chen Yuping said. Although he didn’t know much about baby food, he understood the basics: it shouldn’t contain salt or oil, and they needed to eat pure food flavors and it should be made into easy-to-digest porridge or puree. It wasn’t too difficult but wasn’t too easy either.

Chen Yuchun forced a smile: “Ping ger thinks ahead.” He lowered his eyes and cooked some radishes and potatoes. Those were close at hand, so he had to eat those. As for fish and meat, saying he didn’t want them would be a lie.

“I say, big brother-in-law, everyone else is holding kids yet second sister-in-law and third brother are getting help cooking. Why are you just focused on eating? You’re not cooking for big brother. Let’s switch places, I’ll take care of big brother,” Chen Yuanqiu, who was happily eating and ignoring the surrounding matters, finally woke up and spoke without reservation.

“Big brother, let me cook for you. Just tell me what you want, my cooking skills aren’t too bad,” he chuckled and stood up.

The awkward situation was resolved, and the warmth and harmony of the family felt almost like a joke.

Chen Yuchun’s eyes brimmed with tears, but his heart felt warm. His youngest brother gave him plenty of face, and as for Zhang Zhiwei, he could take care of himself. “I actually want quite a lot, so little brother will have to work hard later.” With his family giving him face, he had to keep his spirits up.

“What’s the big deal? You’re my big brother, whether cooking or carrying you home later, I wouldn’t say a word. I remember clearly how you took care of me when I was young,” Chen Yuanqiu joked. “We should cherish our blessings, right? Hahaha.”

Dad Chen joined in, “That’s true, youngest was raised entirely by Chun ger. At that time, Ping ger was still young and weak. Your father and I were limited in energy, trying to manage both the inside and outside of the house while taking care of Ping ger. We simply didn’t have the energy for the other children. Yuandong and Yuanqiu were lucky to have Chun ger around. Yuandong was okay, he was a bit older and a sensible child.”

Somehow the conversation shifted to past trivial matters.

Ultimately, Chen Yuanqiu didn’t get to serve his big brother, no matter how silly Zhang Zhiwei was, his words were so clear that he couldn’t just focus on eating.

Next, he seriously helped Chun ger with the cooking and didn’t forget about Dazhuang. After taking care of the older one, he moved on to the younger one, and he didn’t eat much himself, though he had enough earlier.

In winter, eating hot pot meant there was no worry about the food getting cold.

The dinner lasted over an hour, filled with laughter and chatter, and they even drank a little wine, making the atmosphere very pleasant.

Except for the usually quiet Zhang Zhiwei, who tended to say little.

“I’ll take big brother back,” Chen Yuandong said, adding, “I only had a little bit of wine.”

Father Chen, feeling a bit tipsy, said, “Go on, go on.”

Liu Guixiang and Dad Chen began cleaning the stove, while Cui Yuanjiu looked after the two kids. Chen Yuping, lazily leaning against the wall, had also had a bit to drink.

Chen Yuanqiu, that silly boy, had already passed out.

Perhaps to reward his cleverness today, when he shouted for wine, Father Chen and Dad Chen didn’t say much, even laughing a bit in a somewhat indulgent manner. This kid was climbing the ranks, and it was a rare opportunity. He drank and ended up a bit too drunk.

“… If I don’t call him out on it, he’ll just act like nothing happened. I told Chun ger before, this guy is all surface level.” Dad Chen was worried about his eldest son and had to consider his face, so he could only find opportunities to talk to his son-in-law privately about many things.

But Zhang Zhiwei did well at that moment, nodding as if to say he was wrong and would change. He looked like a wronged child, making it seem as if he was being bullied, which was even more frustrating. Tomorrow he’d likely still be the same, with no change in sight. Criticizing him felt inadequate, compared to others in the village, he had his strengths and weaknesses, yet he lacked attentiveness.

Father Chen furrowed his brow, feeling unhappy: “Why talk about him? It ruins the mood.”

“I think that the root of this matter lies with eldest brother. He has to stand up on his own. No matter how much we say, it’s actually useless.” Chen Yuping could see that my eldest brother’s husband was a powerful character. It’s not that he was very powerful. On the contrary, he was actually quite honest. It was not difficult to suppress him. The main thing was that he was thick-skinned. Some people were thick-skinned on the surface, smiling and nonchalant, and they were easier to deal with. The most feared were people like eldest brother’s husband. When you talk about him, he wouldn’t say anything, but just listen and endure it silently. It went in one ear and out the other. If he met a soft-hearted person, he would be very angry, because eldest brother’s husband was not particularly bad. He still had his merits.

“You’re right,” Dad Chen sighed deeply as he opened his mouth, “Your big brother… it’s a shame his temperament is such. It’s all our fault for not taking care of him back then, leading to this kind of personality.”

He was awkward and looked ill-tempered when he spoke, but he was easy to soften, sharp-tongued yet soft-hearted, with a strong sense of pride. He wanted everything to be just right, but unfortunately, he hadn’t chosen the right partner, making his life unfulfilling. He wanted to strive but couldn’t, and didn’t want to trouble the Chen family, keeping everything bottled up. Sigh!

“If he found the right partner, even in hard times, a couple can work together and manage well. They could be full and warm, and while they might not be rich, they’d have peace and joy. Chun ger is a very understanding child, I’ve never heard him complain. I just want to find him a considerate person…” Dad Chen suddenly lost interest in speaking. “Life is unpredictable.”

Married, with children—what else could be done? If Zhang Zhiwei were a bit worse, Chun ger would be justified in leaving him, and they could go their separate ways.

What a pity.