Grandpa Jiang looked at Aunt Li and said, “You should ask Aunt Li. She bought the vegetables.”

Aunt Li was usually very quiet.

Chuxia only ever saw her working, whether mopping, sweeping, or washing clothes.

Unless directly asked, she rarely spoke.

Aunt Li, hearing her name, looked up at Chuxia, a bit shy. “It was from the locust tree at the door. Many people picked them yesterday.”

“Is that tree also unclaimed?”

Grandpa Jiang nodded. “It was probably planted with the house, but we don’t know how long ago.”

Chuxia asked Aunt Li if she could pick locust flowers and received a positive response.

Excited, Chuxia planned to pick the flowers after lunch and borrowed some tools from Aunt Li.

Zhang Lu, who had been listening intently since Chuxia started talking, couldn’t sit still.

She had been eager to join the fun of picking locust flowers.

“Auntie, take me with you! I want to help pick flowers too!”

“I want to go too!” Jiang Weixian, who always loved following his sister, wanted to join in on everything she did.

Cen Huai’an put down his bowl and looked at Chu Xia with eager eyes. “Mommy, I want to pick flowers too.”

With plenty of time before Sun Feng arrived in the afternoon, and since using sickles and bamboo poles was relatively safe, Chu Xia agreed.

The kids would just help collect the flowers from the ground.

After lunch, the three kids, not wanting to nap, were buzzing with excitement about going to pick flowers immediately.

Chu Xia knew that skipping nap time would leave them lacking energy in the afternoon, especially since Cen Huai’an and the others had martial arts practice.

She insisted, “You need to take a half-hour nap first. I’ll wake you up to go pick flowers, or I won’t take you at all.”

The three children quickly lay down and closed their eyes.

Grandpa Jiang, watching with a kind smile, said, “It’s so lively when you’re all here.”

Usually, it was just him and Aunt Li at home.

Aunt Li wasn’t much of a talker, so with such a large yard, the place felt quite empty.

Chu Xia laughed and said, “If I brought An’an here every day, you’d probably find it noisy.”

Grandpa Jiang took a leisurely sip of tea and said, “You can bring him every day. I’ll see if it’s noisy.”

Chu Xia enjoyed the tea, noting how good the leaves were at Grandpa Jiang’s house.

She said, “I almost fell for your trick. I would love to bring him every day, but An’an needs to go to school.”

Recognizing Grandpa Jiang’s expertise in literature, Chu Xia asked him to clarify a few words she found confusing.

True to his scholarly reputation, Grandpa Jiang explained them clearly, making it easy for Chu Xia to understand and remember.

Noticing that Grandpa Jiang seemed a bit tired, Chu Xia decided not to press him further and suggested he take a rest.

When the half-hour was up, Chu Xia woke the kids.

The tools for picking flowers from the previous day were still around.

With the sickle tied to the bamboo pole, they were ready to go.

Aunt Li, having no other chores, joined them.

Picking the flowers from the locust tree required some skill.

If done too lightly, the flowers wouldn’t come off; if too heavy-handed, the flowers might be stripped off with the branches.

Chu Xia was familiar with the process from her previous life, but she struggled a bit this time.

Her strength was insufficient, and her attempts were unsuccessful.

Zhang Lu, eager to help, ran over and said, “Aunt Chu, let me climb up and pick them. I’ll be quick.”

“No!” Chu Xia threw the bamboo pole down and pulled Zhang Lu back by her collar. “You stay here and watch.”

The locust tree was tall and thick, and it was too dangerous for an eight-year-old to climb and pick flowers.

“I’ll be fine! Just let me rest a bit and I can definitely get them down,” Zhang Lu insisted.

Before Chu Xia could respond, she heard a faint “crack” sound.

A branch covered in flowers fell right in front of her.

Blinking in surprise, she turned to see Aunt Li, who had been picking flowers for them.

Aunt Li gave her a plain, reassuring smile. “I’ll handle the picking. You can focus on collecting.”

“Let’s pick locust flowers!” Jiang Weixian, oblivious to who did the picking, was just excited to gather flowers.

Zhang Lu quickly joined in. “I want to pick too. Save some for me!”

Chu Xia, now focusing on the task at hand, warned, “Be careful. There are thorns up there!”

Cen Huai’an, standing beside Chu Xia, shook her hand gently and said, “Mommy, the teacher says everyone has their own strengths. You’re good at learning.”

His words were meant to comfort her, suggesting that it was okay if she wasn’t skilled at picking locust flowers; she was just not as practiced in this area.

Chu Xia was not overly concerned, but Cen Huai’an’s words warmed her heart.

She patted his head and said, “I don’t mind. Who picks the flowers doesn’t matter. We just need to enjoy them. Let’s go pick some flowers.”

She guided Cen Huai’an to a spot and taught him how to pick the flowers properly.

Some tender flowers could be eaten directly without plucking.

“Don’t pick the stems. They don’t taste good.”

Zhang Lu and Jiang Weixian had been randomly picking flowers without knowing which parts were good to eat.

But after Chu Xia’s advice, they started picking more carefully.

Children are often inconsistent.

Despite understanding, Jiang Weixian quickly became distracted and started playing with the flowers, hitting Zhang Lu, putting them on his head, and poking Cen Huai’an.

Cen Huai’an ignored him, wanting to be the best helper for his mother and focusing on helping her instead of playing.

However, Zhang Lu, annoyed by Jiang Weixian’s antics, began to retaliate in the same way. “Jiang Weixian! Stop right now!”

“No, no! Come catch me!” He taunted, waving the flowers at Zhang Lu, who immediately got up and chased him.

They began running around Chu Xia and Cen Huai’an in circles.

Jiang Weixian, being less agile, couldn’t keep up with Zhang Lu, who was used to running and was quickly caught.

Zhang Lu pinned him down and used the flowers to tickle his face, making him laugh uncontrollably. “Are your hands still naughty? Still mischievous?”

Jiang Weixian, unable to break free, laughed, “Sister, let me go! I’m sorry!”

As soon as Zhang Lu let him go, Jiang Weixian threw flowers at Zhang Lu and ran away again. “Sister, come chase me!”

And so, the two children continued their playful chase, while Cen Huai’an dutifully stayed by Chu Xia’s side, assisting with the flower picking.

“Mommy,” Cen Huai’an said.

“Hmm?” Chu Xia looked up at him.

Cen Huai’an placed a bunch of locust flowers into the basket and asked, “Am I the most obedient?”

“Yes,” Chu Xia said with a smile, patting his head. “Not only are you the most obedient, but you’re also the most important in Mommy’s heart.”

Cen Huai’an’s heart bloomed with happiness, his lips curving up into a smile that he couldn’t suppress.

Zhang Lu had captured Jiang Weixian again, and the two were laughing and playing.

Zhang Lu was careful not to be too rough with her younger cousin, knowing he was prone to tears if hurt.

Chu Xia invited Cen Huai’an to join the play. “Come play with them,” she said.

Cen Huai’an shook his head. “I want to help Mommy.”

Seeing his determination, Chu Xia gently took the locust flowers from his hands. “You’re my child. No one can take your place in my heart, no matter what.”

Before Cen Huai’an could respond, Chu Xia raised her voice, “Lu Lu, take An’an and join the others in playing.”

Zhang Lu immediately ran over, remembering they were there to pick locust flowers.

Ignoring Jiang Weixian, she grabbed a branch and said, “Aunt Chu, I’m not playing anymore. I’ll help you pick the flowers.”

She then turned to Jiang Weixian and said sternly, “If you keep messing around, I won’t play with you anymore!”

Jiang Weixian obediently squatted down and joined the flower picking.

The afternoon sunlight filtered through the tall locust tree branches, casting fragmented patterns of light on everyone’s heads and clothes.

Zhang Lu’s cheerful voice, mingled with Jiang Weixian’s occasional calls of “Sister” and “Brother” and Cen Huai’an’s youthful responses, created a lively atmosphere.

Seeing that they had gathered enough flowers, Chu Xia turned to Aunt Li and said, “Aunt Li, we don’t need to pick more. There’s more than enough for us.”

Aunt Li stopped her work and came over to join them in picking flowers.

As the flowers were gathered in the basket, Chu Xia pulled out some locust leaves and smiled at the children. “Would you like to see how to make a basket out of these leaves?”

Zhang Lu’s eyes widened with curiosity as she eagerly nodded. “Yes! Aunt Chu, how do you make it?”

Jiang Weixian nodded along, his face full of anticipation.

Cen Huai’an looked at the leaves in Chu Xia’s hand, trying to figure out how they could be used to make a basket.

Chu Xia raised an eyebrow and pointed at the leaves in her hand. “Watch closely.”

She swiftly removed the leaves from their stems and began weaving them together.

In no time, a small, basket-like structure appeared in front of the children.

Chu Xia finished with a little flourish, holding up the basket by its handle and gently swaying it.

The children’s eyes followed the motion with fascination.

“Aunt Chu, you’re amazing!” Zhang Lu exclaimed.

Cen Huai’an looked up at Chu Xia with pride in his eyes. “This is my mom!”

Chu Xia laughed at their adoring looks. “It’s not that difficult. It’s more about practice than skill. You can learn it in no time.”

It wasn’t as complicated as weaving baskets from vines, just a matter of crossing and layering the leaves.

Zhang Lu immediately wanted to learn, and Jiang Weixian quickly raised his hand as well.

Cen Huai’an called out, “Mommy.”

Chu Xia sat on a stone at the entrance and taught the three children how to weave.

Zhang Lu and Jiang Weixian quickly gathered a bunch of leaves to try it themselves.

Cen Huai’an was not as hasty but still collected a good number of leaves.

Chu Xia used the leaves he gathered to continue weaving casually.

Soon, Chu Xia fashioned a small flower crown from the leaves and placed it on Cen Huai’an’s head.

Cen Huai’an, focused on making his own basket, felt something on his head and reached up to find the flower crown. He looked at Chu Xia with wide eyes. “Mommy?”

“Wear it. It looks good on you,” Chu Xia said, tilting her head and smiling.

The more she looked at his face, the cuter he seemed.

Zhang Lu saw the flower crown and her eyes lit up. She hugged Chu Xia’s arm and said, “Aunt Chu, teach me how to make that too.”

“Sure,” Chu Xia agreed.

She spent time teaching the children how to make flower crowns from leaves, while Aunt Li sat nearby, watching and smiling, with a handful of locust leaves like Zhang Lu.

As they were busy, Sun Feng arrived, signaling that it was time for the children’s martial arts practice.

Zhang Lu’s face showed clear excitement, Cen Huai’an’s eyes sparkled with anticipation, but Jiang Weixian looked a bit nervous.