Chapter 161: 1976

Since the heavy snow blocked the mountains, Xu An and Sun Hao no longer returned home every day; they came back once a week.

During the day, Xu Ning and Xu Mo played with the three kids, while Mother Xu and Aunt Lu came over at night to help take care of them.

By the end of the year, Xu An’s factory had a holiday, and the meat coupons that Lu Xiaotang had sent back in the last two months were still unused.

So Xu Ning asked Xu An to go to the city to buy some meat and deliver some to Grandpa Wang and Grandma Wang.

The New Year’s Eve dinner was prepared by Xu An and Xu Mo. Once the meal was ready, the three siblings gathered around the table to enjoy their feast. Meanwhile, Their parents along with Uncle Lu and Aunt Lu chose to keep Old Man Qi company in the cowshed

Before the meal, Xu Ning and Xu An each gave Xu Mo a red envelope containing fifty cents, which made the little guy incredibly happy.

He picked up a bowl of hot water and said to the two of them, “Sister, Second Brother, since it’s New Year’s today, I’ll raise this bowl of water in place of wine to toast you both. I’ll drink it all, and you two can drink as you like.”

After finishing, Xu Mo held a bowl of water and gulped it down in a few big swallows.

Before the two could stop him, they saw him finish the water in one go.

Xu An smiled and said, “You haven’t eaten yet. You downed a whole bowl of water; will you still have room for food later?”

Xu Mo casually replied, “What’s a little water? My stomach is big enough.”

Xu Ning also smiled as she served each of them a piece of meat and said, “Xiao An, Xiao Mo, this year, thanks to both of you helping me take care of the kids, I really appreciate it.”

Xu An hurriedly said, “Sister, what are you thanking us for? We’ve grown up alongside you since we were little. Helping you with them is the least we can do!”

Xu Mo added, “Sister, there’s no need to be so polite. As their uncle, it’s only right for us to help out, and the nephews and niece should show respect. Now, let’s eat!”

Xu Ning looked at the mischievous Xu Mo and smiled, “Alright, I won’t be polite with you anymore. When your nephews grow up, I’ll make sure they treat you well.”

Not long after the New Year, Xu Mo also started school. The triplets had become quite mobile, always wanting to be close to people.

Fortunately, last year Xu An had asked a carpenter from the village to help build a fence, which enclosed the three children on the kang, allowing them to play safely inside.

Xu Ning didn’t go to work anymore; she stayed at home to take care of the three children, tidying up the yard and reading books.

On Sundays, Xu An went to the fields to work for a day and earn some work points.

The kids were no longer satisfied with just milk powder; so they added some solid food to their diet.

Every morning, Xu Ning steamed a bowl of egg custard for them to eat, and in the afternoons, they would have some millet porridge or vegetable porridge.

When Xu Ning entered with the bowl, Niu Niu and Pi Pi immediately caught a whiff of the aroma and clung to the fence, eager to climb up.

Seeing her, they grinned widely, drool trickling down the corners of their mouths.

Sitting obediently nearby, Tang Tang watched Xu Ning’s bowl with her two dark, grape-like eyes, wanting to climb over as well, but she couldn’t keep up with her two older brothers.

Xu Ning placed the bowl on the kang cupboard, opened the fence gate, and sat down on the kang, arranging the three of them in a row to feed them one bite at a time.

The big bowl of egg custard was finished in no time. The two little boys licked their lips, still wanting more.

They protested with soft “ah ah” sounds.

She laughed as she wiped their mouths and showed them the empty bowl.

“There’s none left! How about I make you meat porridge for the afternoon?” she said.

The three little ones didn’t seem to understand; they just sat there grinning.

When Xu An returned, he was pulling a cart with a wooden bed surrounded by a fence on all sides.

This was a custom bed Xu Ning had ordered from the carpenter in the village, intending to place it in the yard when the weather warmed up so that Niu Pi Tang could play inside.

Xu Ning looked at the bed that had been brought over and said, “This bed is really well made; the carpenter’s skills are getting better and better.”

Xu An smiled and said, “Sister, let’s put this bed in my room for now, standing against the wall. We can take it out when the weather gets warmer.”

“Okay, let’s put it there then. Only your room has enough space; mine is already filled with the children’s things.”

Xu An said, “Sister, I spoke with Uncle Village Head today. Since you’re taking care of three children, it’s impossible for you to go to work.

I informed them that you won’t be available during the spring planting season, and he and several of the team leaders understand our situation and have all agreed. They said we shouldn’t let the soldiers on the front lines worry about things at home. You can stay home and care for the children, and your share of the grain will not be reduced when the time comes.”

Xu Ning smiled and replied, “Alright, I understand. With these three little ones, it really is impossible for me to work. I’m glad that the village head and the others can understand.”