The first day of the Lunar New Year was lively with children paying New Year’s visits, and there were a few more people than usual at other times.

Since there was no work on the first day, everyone came out to chat.

But by the second day, the atmosphere in the village changed.

People were coming and going in groups, some bringing their husbands and children to their maternal homes, while others were taking their husbands and children back to their own homes.

Familiar faces mingled with strangers, and the air was filled with greetings and conversations.

However, none of this concerned Ning Shu’s family.

They didn’t visit relatives, nor did any relatives come to their house.

On the third day, Ning Shu got up particularly early.

It was the first time in the five years since she married Lin Guodong that she prepared a meal at home, so the dishes were also very abundant.

Early in the morning, the whole family mobilized.

Ning Shu went to town by herself to make arrangements, while Lin Guodong took the two boys to wash up.

Because they had to prepare two tables, there weren’t enough tables, chairs, or even dishes and chopsticks at home.

Lin Guodong went to the old house to fetch them.

When he returned, many children followed him.

Each child carried a chair and dishes while Lin Guodong carried a table. It was quite lively.

After the children arrived, they stayed. Lin Guodong brought out straw mats and low tables, and Ning Shu put out the snacks she had prepared, including melon seeds, apples, milk candies, and fried sweet potatoes…

There was more food than usual, and it was richer than usual, allowing the children to eat to their heart’s content.

Basking in the sun and eating snacks, the children were all very happy.

When Ning Shu returned, she brought back three dishes: spare ribs, pickled radish with preserved plums, and meat buns.

These things were naturally bought in advance by Ning Shu, but today they were just brought out for the occasion.

All inconspicuous items.

For lunch, Ning Shu prepared ten dishes, making it a perfect ten.

These included shredded potato with vinegar, stir-fried asparagus with garlic, spinach salad, scrambled eggs with spring onions, salted eggs, tofu and vegetable soup, braised fish, steamed marinated meat, along with spare ribs stewed with potatoes and pickled radish with preserved plums.

The two tables were full, and the children’s table wasn’t short on dishes either.

Though the children were small, they could eat.

Alcohol was also prepared, purchased from the Qin family on New Year’s Eve when Lin’s mother changed wines.

With ten dishes, plus a plate of meat buns on each table, these dishes were suitable not only for the Lunar New Year but also for banquets or to entertain distinguished guests at home.

During the meal, even Zhang Qinfang, who usually spoke without restraint, remained silent and focused solely on eating. However, after finishing her meal, Zhang Qinfang didn’t help with the cleanup.

She remembered Ning Shu’s words on New Year’s Eve: each household should tidy up its own mess.

So, as soon as she finished eating and worried that she might be asked to clean up, she quickly left.

If Ning Shu had known she left so quickly out of concern she’d be asked to clean up, she would have said, “You’re overthinking it.”

Lin’s mother and Qian Aifen ended up cleaning up together, despite Ning Shu’s refusal.

They insisted on helping, so Ning Shu didn’t argue.

However, this meal was different from the New Year’s Eve dinner.

This time, they were the hosts, and there was no need to bring dishes from the old house.

On New Year’s Eve, they had brought dishes with them.

After this meal on the third day, Ning Shu felt her Lunar New Year duties were complete.

However, she didn’t expect that on the morning of the fourth day, Zhang Hui and his wife would arrive with their two daughters.

That morning, Ning Shu and Lin Guodong were cutting sugarcane. Ning Shu planned to cut the sugarcane into sections and plant them in the soil to grow shoots. Suddenly, they heard children’s voices at the door, “Aunt Ning, we’re here.”

“Squad leader, sister-in-law, we’ve come to pay New Year’s respects.”

Ning Shu and Lin Guodong both turned around simultaneously, then stood up. Lin Guodong wiped his hands and said, “Zhang Hui, why are you here?”

It turned out that Zhang Hui and his wife, Yang Meixia, had brought their two daughters.

They came with gifts, which seemed quite generous.

Zhang Hui handed the gifts to Lin Guodong. “Squad leader, happy New Year. We’ve been wanting to visit for a while. Also, Mengjie said he’s planning a gathering on the eighth day of the Lunar New Year, at noon. Would it be convenient for you to join?”

Lin Guodong replied, “Yes, it would.”

Ning Shu also washed his hands and warmly greeted Yang Meixia, “You’re really rare guests. Come inside and have a seat.”

“What are you doing, sister-in-law? Why did you cut so much sugarcane?” Yang Meixia looked at the small sections of sugarcane in the yard and asked curiously.

Ning Shu replied, “These are for sugarcane seedlings. We’re waiting to plant them this year… These two children are so cute, they look a lot like you, Meixia.” Although Yang Meixia called her sister-in-law, she was much older than Ning Shu, so it was more appropriate for her to call Yang Meixia “elder sister.”

Each person called the other accordingly.

“What’s so special about being cute? All kids are like this.” Although Yang Meixia said so, she couldn’t hide the smile at the corners of her mouth.

It wasn’t just her boasting; her two daughters did indeed look good, and she didn’t hesitate to dress them up.

Although she wanted to have a son, she couldn’t give birth to one, so she doted on her daughters. “Lingling, Yuanyuan, say hello to Uncle and Auntie.”

Zhang Hui called Lin Guodong “squad leader” and Ning Shu “sister-in-law” out of respect for Lin Guodong.

However, based on age, Zhang Lingling and Zhang Yuanyuan should call Lin Guodong “uncle” and Ning Shu “auntie.”

“Hello, Uncle. Hello, Auntie. Happy New Year to you both.” The two little girls were quite enthusiastic, unlike most girls their age who were usually shy.

“Wishing you both a happy New Year too…” Ning Shu then turned to Lin Guodong and said, “You take everyone to sit in the study area, and I’ll go pour some tea.”

Lin Guodong nodded, and with Zhang Hui’s family of four, they entered the study area to entertain them.

Ning Shu went to the kitchen and brought in White Rabbit milk candies, melon seeds, and apples.

She also cut another piece of sugarcane. Considering that they brought gifts, and it was still the lunar new year, she needed to prepare red envelopes with money.

Fortunately, the 20 red envelopes she had prepared earlier were still available, but they contained 5 cents each, just for fun for the kids. However, this amount wasn’t enough as a New Year’s gift for Zhang Hui’s two daughters.

So, she put ten yuan in each red envelope instead.

In fact, the amount of lucky money given to guests is usually determined based on the value of the gifts they bring.

Ning Shu didn’t get a clear look at all the gifts Zhang Hui brought, but she did see a jar of something, which was probably malted milk or powdered milk.

With that, plus the tickets, it would amount to around 10 yuan. As for the other items, she wasn’t sure.

So, she gave Zhang Hui’s two daughters ten yuan each, totaling twenty yuan, which wouldn’t be considered stingy.

Carrying the red envelopes, Ning Shu went inside.

Lin Guodong and Zhang Hui were chatting, Yang Meixia was watching the children, and the children were playing with building blocks.

Ning Shu said, “Here, Lingling, Yuanyuan, your New Year lucky money.”

“Sister-in-law, you don’t need to be so polite,” Yang Meixia said. “We’re here to wish you a Happy New Year, but you don’t need to spend money on us. It’s really embarrassing.”

“This is not for you; it’s for my two nieces,” Ning Shu replied, tying the red envelopes containing lucky money around the necks of the two girls.

From a young age, Zhang Lingling and Zhang Yuanyuan had received lucky money from grandparents, parents, and other elders.

However, receiving lucky money packaged in red envelopes and tied with red yarn around their necks, as Ning Shu did, was a first for them.

They were pleasantly surprised and didn’t want to refuse.

“Thank you, auntie.”

“Auntie, this lucky money is so pretty.”

The two little girls touched the red envelopes around their necks and thanked Ning Shu happily.

Seeing that her daughters really liked it, Yang Meixia didn’t refuse. “Why haven’t I seen your three children?”

She also mentioned to her daughters that there were two twin brothers in the Lin family, which was still quite rare these days, and her daughters were curious to see them.

Ning Shu, upon hearing her mention the three kids, remembered what she had said before about telling the children about family relationships.

She quickly came up with an excuse, “They went to their grandmother’s house to play. Please sit down; I’ll go prepare lunch.”

“Never mind, never mind,” Zhang Hui hurriedly said, “Sister-in-law, don’t bother. We’ll leave right away.”

“How can that be? It’s rare for you to come. Have lunch before you leave.” Although Ning Shu didn’t like entertaining guests because it meant a lot of cooking and was tiring, she still had to maintain her politeness when guests visited.

“We’ll have another chance next time. We’re going to a wedding banquet at noon today, and it’s also at Rainbow Community, so we came to mention the gathering on the eighth. That’s why we need to leave now,” Zhang Hui quickly stood up, “So, Brother-in-law, Sister-in-law, we’ll take our leave.”

Seeing this, Lin Guodong didn’t hesitate, “Then we won’t keep you for lunch. On the eighth, bring your wife and children, and I’ll treat you. We’ll have a good meal then.”

Zhang Hui readily agreed, “That sounds good.”

Yang Meixia added, “Sister-in-law, we’ll see you again on the eighth for lunch. Lingling, Yuanyuan, say goodbye to Uncle and Auntie.”

Lingling and Yuanyuan said: “Goodbye, Uncle. Goodbye, Auntie!”

“Goodbye.”

Lin Guodong and Ning Shu escorted them to the gate of the courtyard.

They watched as the couple rode off on their bicycles with their children, then returned to their previous tasks.

“On the eighth, for lunch, can you come alone?” Ning Shu asked.

Lin Guodong, slicing the sugarcane, replied, “Don’t you want to go?” He knew from her question.

Having lived together for two months, Lin Guodong felt he understood her somewhat.

She didn’t like dealing with guests, but if she had to, she did it flawlessly.

“Well, I don’t want to. It’s tiring back and forth. Eating means constantly smiling and chatting, even more tiring,” Ning Shu explained.

Lin Guodong chuckled, “The term ‘smiling and chatting’ is used quite subtly.”

Ning Shu replied, “More or less. Wouldn’t it be embarrassing if we didn’t go?” After all, they were family, and she had to consider his feelings when making decisions.

“It’s okay,” Lin Guodong shrugged it off, “By then… just recover from your cold like you did on the first.”

The implication in his words… Ning Shu felt even if she didn’t have a genius-level IQ, she could still understand it. So, she chose not to respond.

Seeing her become taciturn, Lin Guodong didn’t continue teasing her.

If he really annoyed her, he’d be the one to suffer later, right?

After finishing cutting the sugarcane together, Ning Shu asked Lin Guodong to take the sugarcane to the backyard while she fetched a bundle of thatch from the utility room.

“What’s next?” Lin Guodong inquired.

“Dig a hole in this corner, not too deep, just enough to bury these sugarcane,” Ning Shu explained.

With Lin Guodong’s strength and the soft soil in the vegetable garden, they quickly dug the hole Ning Shu wanted. She laid half of the thatch in the hole, then placed the sugarcane pieces inside, covering them with the remaining thatch. Finally, she pressed the soil they had dug out on top of the thatch.

“Will the sugarcane sprout like this?” Lin Guodong asked.

“Yeah, just like potatoes or sweet potatoes. When they encounter warm and humid weather, they sprout quickly, right? After the sugarcane sprouts, I’ll plant them in the backyard. By the second half of this year, we can harvest these sugarcane.”

Lin Guodong chuckled, “…When the time comes, let my parents handle it. Even if you come back from the army and harvest the sugarcane, you won’t be able to take it all away.” Just one person couldn’t even carry a bundle of sugarcane, so what would she harvest when she returned?

Ning Shu replied, “….”

She grew sugarcane not just for consumption but also for selling through group purchases on the app.

Although the price wouldn’t be as high as those extra-long sugarcane from the future, it wouldn’t be much lower either.

Definitely worth around ten yuan per piece. “By the way, when you return to the army this time, bring back some sweet potatoes and rice, so we won’t have to worry about them getting infested with insects the next time we return home.”

“No problem,” this was a small matter for Lin Guodong. “You keep some food for yourself to eat, and I can take the rest with me.”

After Zhang Hui and Yang Meixia left Lin’s house with their two daughters, Yang Meixia curiously asked her eldest daughter, “Lingling, how much lucky money do you have in your red envelope?”

She was curious, but didn’t expect Ning Shu to give much.

“I haven’t looked yet. It’s tied with red yarn. If I open it, I won’t be able to tie it back,” Zhang Lingling said.

“Then don’t open it, or else you might lose it,” Yang Meixia didn’t ask further.

“Mom, I think Auntie’s study room at her house is very nice. Can we have a room like that in our house?”

“We only have two rooms in our house, and there’s no extra room for that,” Yang Meixia replied.

“We can split my room with Lingling,” Zhang Lingling suggested.

She really liked it and especially wanted to fill the bookshelf with things.

The little girl didn’t know it, but this was a sense of accomplishment.

Yang Meixia thought for a moment, “That could work, but your room isn’t very big. If we split it in half, the sleeping area will be small for both of you.”

“It’s okay, Mom. When you set up the study room, I’ll invite my classmates over to play. They’ll definitely envy me,” Zhang Lingling said.

“Okay, I’ll arrange it when we get back.”

In the blink of an eye, it was the eighth day of the lunar new year.

Ning Shu didn’t want to go to the county town, so the three children naturally stayed home.

Lin Guodong went alone.

But Lin Guodong didn’t have to make up excuses.

Ning Shu really did catch a “cold” just like on the first day of the lunar new year.

“Third daughter-in-law… Third daughter-in-law…” Ning Shu was still in bed, having slept poorly due to Lin Guodong’s disturbance yesterday.

Just as she was in the midst of a pleasant dream, she heard Lin’s mother’s voice.

Ning Shu abruptly opened her eyes, not yet answering, when she heard Yibao, who had already gotten up and was playing in the yard, speak up, “Grandma, my mom caught a cold and hasn’t recovered yet. She’s still sleeping. My dad said that when you’re sick, you should sleep more.”

Lin’s mother patted her forehead, “Oh, I forgot. I didn’t give your mom the dried ginger we talked about on the first day. No wonder she’s been sick for so long. I’ll go get the dried ginger and make ginger brown sugar tea for your mom… Oh, Yibao, do you have brown sugar at home?” If they didn’t have any, she’d bring some over.

“We have some,” Yibao knew this.

“Alright, Grandma will go get the dried ginger.” With that, Lin’s mother hurried off.

Ning Shu lay in bed, listening to the conversation between the grandmother and grandson clearly.

She didn’t even have time to speak up. Thinking that Lin’s mother would come over later, she had no choice but to get up immediately.

So when Yibao heard the sound of the door opening and saw his mom come out, he first looked at her face. Seeing it was pale and flushed, he felt relieved. “Mom, why did you get up? Dad said you caught a cold and haven’t recovered yet, so you should sleep more. Are you hungry? I’ll go get you some porridge. You can go back to sleep.”

Ning Shu replied through gritted teeth, “…Thank you, Yibao. Mom’s fine. I’ll eat on my own. You go play.” Unfortunately, Yibao didn’t catch on.

But Erbao noticed something odd in his mom’s voice, so he asked, “Mom, do you have a toothache?”

Ning Shu thought, I bet it’s your butt that’s aching.

Erbao continued, “I’ve heard Haowen say things like this when his teeth hurt. Haowen says he’s going to lose a tooth. Mom, are you going to lose a tooth too? Are you going to lose your upper or lower teeth? Can you show me?”

Ning Shu thought, Lin Erbao’s mouth is poisonous. What’s there to see about losing teeth? She should lose her damn teeth!

Yibao was also drawn into his younger brother’s curiosity and asked, “Mom, are you really going to lose your teeth? I heard from Haowen that if the upper teeth fall out, you should throw them onto the roof. If it’s the lower teeth, you should throw them under the bed. That way, the new teeth will grow in nice and straight.”

Ning Shu hadn’t expected that even Yibao, such a young child, would know so many old sayings.

Honestly, those were all silly things she did when she was young.

Thinking back on it now, she found it quite amusing.

Back then, she really wanted her teeth to grow in straight, so she threw every upper tooth onto the roof and every lower tooth under the bed.

One time, when a tooth fell out while she was at school, she hid it and only threw it away when she got back home.

Now, looking back, she wondered if her grandmother had swept away all her teeth hidden under the bed without her knowing.

But surprisingly, her teeth did grow in beautifully straight.

Her two rows of teeth were quite lovely.

“Mom?” Yibao called out again when his mom didn’t respond.

“I’m not losing my teeth. Adults don’t lose their teeth; only children do,” Ning Shu explained. “You guys continue playing. I’m going to wash up and have some food.”

“Okay.” Yi bao resumed playing with Erbao and Sanbao.

Ning Shu had just finished washing up and hadn’t eaten yet when Lin’s mother arrived. “Yibao, Grandma’s going to make ginger brown sugar tea for your mom,” she said as she headed to the kitchen.

“Grandma, Mom’s already up.” Yibao said

Lin’s mother had also reached the kitchen and upon seeing Ning Shu, she quickly said, “If you’re not feeling well, you should lie down. I’ll make you some ginger brown sugar tea.”

“I’ll make it myself later. I’m feeling much better now. I’ll eat first… But why are you here, Mom? Do you need something from me?” Ning Shu inquired.

“No, nothing at all. I just came to tell you that brigade leader has returned,” Lin’s mother’s tone softened. “Early this morning, the police went to the Jiang family again.”