Si Nian chuckled and handed a few wheat cakes to Xiao Lao Er, saying, "You and your sister just ate a lot of noodles. Don't eat too much or you'll feel uncomfortable."

Xiao Lao Er nodded eagerly. Then, noticing the mung bean cakes, he quickly added, "Mom, my sister said she wants more mung bean cakes."

Si Nian looked at Yaoyao, who was rubbing her eyes with an innocent and confused expression, and smiled. "Alright, there are some more in the kitchen. You can get a bit more, but don't eat too much."

It wasn't that Si Nian didn't want them to eat; she had noticed that Xiao Lao Er, likely having experienced hunger before, tended to eat until he was overly full. Initially, she didn't pay much attention, but after seeing his belly swell alarmingly after meals, she started giving him just enough to be comfortably full. She allowed him to try snacks but in moderation.

Given the lively atmosphere, she figured a little extra wouldn't hurt. Xiao Lao Er dashed to the kitchen and saw the mung bean cakes on the bamboo tray covered with gauze. He immediately recognized the ones he had made because they were crooked and misshapen, unlike the neatly shaped ones his mom made.

He put Yaoyao down and carefully placed the mung bean cakes he made on a plate. He didn't want the other kids to eat them since they were meant for his parents, brother, and sister. Protecting his food, he carried the plate of wheat cakes and mung bean cakes back to his older brother, Xiao Lao Da, under the envious eyes of the other children. Being near his brother felt safe and peaceful, as no one dared to disturb them there.

Xiao Lao Da, engrossed in his homework, often wore a serious expression on his face, with deep furrows on his brow, exuding an aura reminiscent of Zhou Yueshen. None of the parents dared to disturb him, and the other children were afraid to approach, keeping their distance. Thus, Xiao Lao Da found himself in a world of quietness.

Carrying his food to the table, Xiao Lao Er approached his brother and said, "Brother, these are the little rabbits I made. Have some."

His brother glanced at him, furrowing his brows. "I don't feel like eating right now," he replied.

Xiao Lao Er immediately felt a sense of crisis, his eyelids twitching nervously. Was his brother onto the secret of him sneaking sweets for him?

"You eat it yourself," Zhou Zedong added.

Feeling even more uneasy, Zhou Zehan blinked rapidly. "Then, then I won't eat either. I'll give it to sister," he said, grabbing a little rabbit and handing it to his innocent-looking sister, while he himself ate the wheat cakes. As he took a bite, the aroma of eggs and lean meat filled his mouth, so delicious that he nearly swallowed his tongue.

Meanwhile, at the pig farm, someone hurriedly entered Zhou Yueshen's office. Zhou Yueshen sat behind his desk, holding a black pen in his hand, his wrist exposed, his muscular arm defined as he smoothly brushed the pen across the paper. Without looking up, he spoke in a low, commanding voice, "What's the matter?"

"Boss, Liu's daughter is looking for you. She says it's urgent."

Zhou Yueshen frowned, a hint of impatience flashing in his cold gaze. "Tell her I'm busy," he replied curtly.

However, before he could finish speaking, someone walked in. It was Liu Guifang, who had previously brought him food. She was Liu Aunt's daughter.

If we talk about Liu Guifang, she had been having a tough time recently. Initially, when Liu Aunt worked at Zhou's house, life for Liu Guifang was quite good. With occasional visits to deliver food, everyone wondered if Liu Guifang had feelings for Boss Zhou. There was even speculation that they might end up together. Liu Guifang wasn't ugly, but she wasn't particularly pretty either. In the village, she was considered decent enough. However, after she married someone from the town, she had always had high expectations and low achievements. Although later on, her husband's untimely demise was quite inauspicious, Zhou Yueshen still had three kids, making them seem like a good match. But Liu Guifang always felt that, no matter how much money Zhou Yueshen made, he was still a rural pig farmer and couldn't compare to the people in town.

In this day and age, businesspeople naturally didn't have the same prestige as those with secure government jobs in town. So, she had always been hesitant. Little did she know that this hesitation would lead to regrets. After her mother was arrested, there was no one left in the family to work. As a woman, she wasn't favored by the older generation, and being a widow only made things worse. Now, all the chores in the household fell on her shoulders. Liu Guifang's life became unbearably hard, but she couldn't do anything about it.

She regretted it more and more. Why didn't she agree when her mother suggested she become a stepmother to those three little brats? Liu Guifang had been to Zhou's house before, and those kids, one weirder than the next, didn't seem lively or cute like other village children. She just couldn't warm up to them. Besides, they weren't her own, and Zhou Yueshen didn't even want kids. In this day and age, a woman without a child would be criticized for a lifetime. Liu Guifang didn't think she was foolish or had fallen to such a low point. However, after her mother got into trouble, she found herself with a mom in jail, even more unwelcome. She couldn't even attract any suitors, and the old men in the village looked down on her! Especially when Zhou Yueshen showed up at Lin's house with over eight thousand yuan, half a pig, and a carload of betrothal gifts, she realized what she had missed. She regretted it deeply. Her family also seized on this opportunity to berate her, saying she had lost a good catch like Zhou Yueshen. Now, she deserved to be snatched away. Liu Guifang couldn't lift her head at home and even thought of dying. But soon, another thought occurred to her. If Zhou Yueshen was willing to spend so much money on a woman he had never met, she had known him for over a decade. Perhaps, if she offered at a lower price, he might be interested. After all, in these times, no one wanted to spend so much to find a wife. She thought,

It must be that woman making outrageous demands. I mean, Lin Sisi was only asking for three thousand, so why does this Si Nian think she can get eight thousand eight? So, with high hopes, she hurriedly went to his door. Seeing Zhou Yueshen working earnestly in his office, they say a man who takes his work seriously is the most charming. Before, she had looked down on him, but now, seeing him as her lifeline, she suddenly found him incredibly attractive. She was quite shy now, gazing at Zhou Yueshen. "Zhou ge, I have something important to tell you," Liu Guifang said as she noticed Zhou Yueshen furrowing his brows. The livestock farm was usually open because villagers came to buy meat, so it was easy for Liu Guifang to walk in. Someone had seen her coming to find Zhou Yueshen and had rushed to inform him. But who would have thought she'd come in person? The onlookers felt awkward, thinking Liu Guifang had no shame. They were a bunch of men at the livestock farm, and apart from the aunties who came to buy meat, women rarely dared to come here, fearing it might lead to gossip.