Yang Shuzi said, “I like Ning girl’s personality, but I also know she’s formidable.

She’s easy to get along with, but she’s strong-willed too.

If she wasn’t strong-willed, could she live so comfortably?

Let’s be blunt, look how well she manages Lin Guodong, the company commander—that takes skill.”

“You…” Yang Shuzi had something else to say, but she glanced at her son eating quietly and thought better of it.

If it were her daughter, she would certainly hope she could manage her husband.

But Zhao Huan was her daughter-in-law, and she didn’t like the idea of her son being easily influenced by his wife.

However, she also hoped her son would be well-behaved and wouldn’t cause trouble with his wife.

People are just that complicated.

Ning Shu was unaware of how Yang Shuzi saw her.

She returned home with the IOU and handed it to Wang Yuhong, who was waiting. “Comrade, take a look. The witness is Mrs. Yang, the deputy company commander next door. Mrs. Yang is fair and impartial, so you can rest assured.”

Wang Yuhong didn’t know what to say anymore.

Normally adept at handling both her natal and marital families, today she encountered a tough situation.

But she had to maintain a polite smile and complimented, “Sister-in-law is very considerate.”

She planned to repay the money tomorrow; she didn’t want to owe anything for the buckets and tubs.

In the future, she’d steer clear of this family.

Those who she could benefit from, she’d befriend; those she couldn’t, she’d avoid.

That was Wang Yuhong’s way of survival.

She wrote her name in the debtor’s column and handed the IOU back to Ning Shu.

Ning Shu and Lin Guodong then delivered the buckets and tubs next door.

As they left, they could see Wang Yuhong’s uneasy expression, but they carried their own buckets and cleaning cloth back home.

Ning Shu noticed the cleaning cloth was impeccably washed, but she was sure Wang Yuhong didn’t do it—most likely, it was done by the Tu family, who helped Wang Yuhong with the cleaning today.

Back home, they found the bowls of their three children filled with food again.

Ning Shu couldn’t help but say, “Don’t eat too much at night. It’s not easy to digest, and it’s uncomfortable when your stomach is too full.”

Yi Bao and San Bao obediently nodded.

Erbao, who was naturally rebellious, chimed in, “Dad eats even more at night, every day, and he never seems uncomfortable.”

Er Bao felt that in his mother’s heart, she favored Dad a little more than them.

Every dinner, if they ate a little more, Mom would say not to eat too much.

But when Dad ate more, Mom would ask if he had enough to eat.

The differential treatment was quite obvious.

With this realization, Er Bao couldn’t help but ask sourly, “Mom, do you like Dad more or do you like us more?”

Lin Guodong hadn’t expected to be caught in this crossfire.

However, understanding Er Bao’s words, he paused in his eating and stared directly at Ning Shu with anticipation.

Not only Lin Guodong, but Yi Bao and San Bao also looked at their mother, curious to hear her answer.

They wanted to know who their mother favored more.

The three children always wanted to be their mother’s favorite, even more than Dad.

Now that Er Bao asked, they didn’t want to miss out.

Ning Shu was taken aback by Er Bao’s unexpected question.

She pondered, “Er Bao, what kind of question is this to ask at the dinner table? It’s like asking if I should save you or your dad first if you both fell into the water.”

Facing the intense scrutiny of her husband and children, Ning Shu nodded and said with a smile, “Of course, I love Yi Bao, Er Bao, and San Bao the most. You are my most beloved people in this world.”

After Ning Shu’s words, the three children smiled sweetly, then all looked at their father in unison, their eyes seeming to pity him.

Lin Guodong’s forehead felt like it was accumulating black lines.

He appeared serious on the surface, but deep down, he had his own thoughts.

Seeing the way his children looked at him, he couldn’t be bothered to compete with them.

Children were easily deceived—did they not realize their mother’s words were meant to comfort them?

Lin Guodong naturally knew Ning Shu doted on their three children.

However, he felt that she loved him first, and that’s why they had three children.

Thinking back…

The past was in the past, but what remained in Lin Guodong’s heart was proof of her affection towards him, which was why things were the way they were now.

Over the years, the three kids were obedient and smart, his wife managed both household and external matters, he handled work, meals, and chores, leading a simple yet happy life.

With a calm heart, his sharp edges softened, and he became more settled.

In the eyes of some, he was the best man in the residential compound.

Looking across the compound, thanks to their three children setting an example, the kids had changed, but not the men.

Lin Guodong remained the sole person doing household chores every day.

Thus, in everyone’s view, calling him the best man in the residential compound was a compliment, though some might call it being under the thumb of his wife.

But Lin Guodong didn’t care what others said. He knew best whether life was good or bad.

Suddenly, Erbao had an idea, “Mom, if you love us more than Dad, why don’t you control him when he eats so much? If we eat a lot, you want us to enjoy it more, right?”

Ning Shu: “…”

Lin Guodong: “…”

Yibao: “…”

Sanbao: “…”

Ning Shu was helpless.

Did Lin Erbao naturally lack understanding? “Your dad eats a lot because he has a big stomach, so it doesn’t bother him. But you guys have small stomachs, and eating too much would make you uncomfortable. Also, your dad needs energy for his work, so he eats more.”

“Oh,” Lin Erbao understood, “Mom, does the food go into the stomach after we eat it?”

Although he didn’t know why Erbao asked this question, Ning Shu carefully replied, “Yes, anything you eat will go into your stomach.”

“Then, Mom, what does a stomach look like? Is it like a barrel?” Erbao asked again.

Ning Shu pondered for a moment.

She didn’t remember what a stomach looked like from her studies. “You can ask your teacher about that when you start elementary school.”

Erbao nodded and added, “Mom, I think a stomach must look like a barrel.”

Ning Shu raised an eyebrow, “Why?”

Erbao burst into laughter, “Because people who eat a lot are called ‘rice barrels’. Food goes into the stomach, so the stomach must be for holding food. Isn’t that what a barrel does? Haha… Dad is a ‘rice barrel’.”

Without another word, Lin Guodong tapped Erbao’s forehead with a chopstick, “Tomorrow, you’ll wake up with me and run 1000 meters.”

Erbao protested, “But aren’t we supposed to start exercising when we go to elementary school?”

“Yes, but this time it’s a punishment for your big mouth. It’s just you, not Yibao and Sanbao,” Lin Guodong replied firmly.

With that, Erbao widened his eyes in dismay and looked at his mother pleadingly, “Mom…”

Ning Shu wouldn’t interfere with how Lin Guodong disciplined their son, but she still had to uphold his authority as the head of the household.

In short, Lin Erbao brought this upon himself.

Summer made people sweat easily, so most people took their time bathing.

They started bathing just before bedtime. After a walk to aid digestion post-meal and before bathing for sleep, Ning Shu gave the three children a task. “Yibao, Erbao, Sanbao, I have a task for you.”

“What task, Mom?” Yibao asked eagerly, taking the task from Mom seriously.

Erbao and Sanbao listened curiously, and even Lin Guodong, who brought out hot water for cooling off, was no exception.

Ning Shu explained, “The sugarcane has been buried in the ground waiting to sprout. When it sprouts, I want you to plant it. You’ll need to write an observation diary: how many sections were buried today, when they started sprouting, and include the weather and date.”

“But Mom, we don’t know how to write yet,” Erbao pointed out.

Yibao asked, “Can we write using pinyin?”

Though they couldn’t write, Ning Shu had taught them pinyin, so they could spell.

“Yes, use pinyin for words you don’t know, and use circles for those. You can ask your dad or me later,” she replied.

“Can we start writing today, Mom?” Erbao asked.

“Yes, after you bathe, bring a new, unused notebook. Do we have any left?” She had bought several study materials at once.

“Yes, we have,” Yibao confirmed.

“Then let’s hurry up and bathe,” Erbao said.

Yibao and Erbao fetched the hot water and Sanbao got everyone’s bathing supplies.

Writing the diary might not interest them, but observing the sugarcane did.

This wasn’t something they could skip.

After bathing and washing their clothes, the three children happily returned to their room to write the sugarcane diary.

Yibao took out a new notebook.

Among the three, Yibao wrote the best, while Erbao and Sanbao’s handwriting was like chicken scratch, so Yibao handled the diary.

They know simple pinyin, but “guan” involves more letters and is quite complex, so they can’t handle it.