Chapter 165: Niu Pi Tang Turns One

When Niu Pi Tang turned one, Lu Xiaotang had originally planned to come back, but due to a sudden task, he had to postpone his visit.

Niu Niu and Pi Pi were now able to take a few steps on their own and could call out to people. They could also say a few simple words, with “eat” being the most frequently uttered.

Xu Ning had already weaned the two boys, feeding them porridge, eggs, and softer steamed buns daily.

Tang Tang could also pull herself up against the railing and shuffle a few steps, though her speech wasn’t as fluent as her two older brothers.

Xu Ning felt very sorry for her and took care of her personally, day and night, while the two boys were entrusted to her mother and mother-in-law.

Xu An was busy tidying up the house, as Xu Yang was going to bring his new sister-in-law to visit in a couple of days.

He tidied up the room a bit to make it suitable for their guests, planning to stay at the male youth’s quarters that night.

“Xiao An, wait a moment before you continue cleaning. Come over and take a break. Here, have a cucumber,” Xu Ning said as she handed him a freshly washed cucumber.

He took it and smiled, saying, “Sister, I wonder how well I’ll get along with my sister-in-law. Will she find our place unsatisfactory?”

“Not at all. Brother mentioned in his letter that she is a reasonable person. If she truly found us unsatisfactory, she wouldn’t have come here,” Xu Ning reassured him. “According to what Brother wrote, he hasn’t told her that our parents are here, so be careful with your words when she arrives.”

What Xu Ning didn’t say was that if the sister-in-law turned out to be someone difficult and looked down on them, they would just maintain a polite distance for Xu Yang’s sake.

Now that everyone had their own families and didn’t share the same meals, it didn’t really matter if she found fault with them. As long as she treated Xu Yang well, that was what truly mattered.

The day before Xu Yang was set to arrive was a Sunday. Xu Ning decided to have Xu An stay at home to look after Niu Pi Tang while she went to the city to buy some meat.

As she pushed her bicycle out the door, Niu Niu and Pi Pi wobbled over to her.

Each of them hugged one of her legs, calling out, “Mama, go, go!”

Xu Ning looked down at the two little ones, amused yet helpless. She coaxed, “Niu Niu, Pi Pi, Mama is going to the city to buy meat for you. You two stay home and play with Uncle, okay?”

Xu An placed Tang Tang in the small crib and picked up the two boys, saying, “Sister, you should hurry! It’ll be hot soon.”

He then said to Niu Niu and Pi Pi, “Uncle will take you to get some cookies, okay? And you can have some steamed eggs too.”

As soon as the two little ones heard there would be food, they nodded eagerly.

Reluctantly glancing back at Xu Ning one last time, they clung to their uncle’s neck and went inside.

Xu Ning thought to herself, “This really is true: milk is the best nourishment!”

Meanwhile, Xu Yang, who was on the train, felt anxious as he glanced at Li Na, who was sleeping across from him. He planned to come clean to her once they got off the train.

During their courtship, Li Na only knew that his parents had been sent down to the countryside and that they had severed ties with him and his siblings, who were all working as an educated youth.

When Li Na had asked where his parents had been sent, he had only said they were in the rural areas of Northeast China, without mentioning any specific location.

He didn’t distrust Li Na; he just thought her mother could be a bit loose-lipped and feared it might cause trouble for his family.

When Li Na woke up, she saw Xu Yang sitting there lost in thought. She glanced at her watch and realized they still had a few hours before getting off the train.

She said, “What are you thinking about? Why aren’t you sleeping? We have plenty of time before we arrive. I’ll keep an eye on the luggage; you should take a quick rest.”

Xu Yang smiled and replied, “I’m fine; I’m not tired. You should sleep. I’ll wake you when we get there.”

Li Na asked, “Do you have something on your mind? You seem a bit distracted.”

Xu Yang said, “There’s something I haven’t told you. I’ll explain it once we get off the train. Just promise me you won’t be mad.”

Seeing the serious look on his face, Li Na said, “With that expression, it feels like this is a big deal.”

“It’s not convenient to talk about it here. I’ll tell you once we get off the train,” Xu Yang replied.

After they disembarked, Xu Yang found a secluded spot and shared that his parents were also in Yushu Village.

Li Na was taken aback and asked, “They’re all in the same village? Do the villagers know about it?”

“No one knows. They haven’t acknowledged each other publicly; it’s all kept discreet. I’m only telling you now. You’re not mad, are you?” Xu Yang asked cautiously.

Li Na shot him a glare and said, “What’s there to be mad about? This kind of thing shouldn’t be spoken of lightly.”

Xu Yang sighed in relief and said, “Then let’s hurry and catch a ride! We don’t want to miss the ox cart to Yushu Village.”

Li Na nodded, clearing her throat lightly as she added, “Don’t tell my mom about this. She doesn’t mean any harm, but she sometimes can’t control her mouth.”

Suppressing a laugh, Xu Yang nodded and led her toward the bus station.