The younger brother, feeling left out because Mom only praised his older brother, became anxious and pulled Si Nian aside.

"Mommy, I want to ask the teacher for a red flower tomorrow too," he said urgently.

Seeing his slightly damp clothes and sniffly nose, Si Nian chuckled and pinched his cheek playfully. "Okay, first go take a bath and change your clothes. I bought you some nice-smelling soap."

Her tone didn't quite please the younger brother, and his little brow furrowed even deeper. He looked at his clean older brother and then at himself, his shoulders slumping.

Zhou Zehan also understood deep down that his older brother had the red flower because he was the best student in class. Teachers praised him, wondering why his brother couldn't be as good.

In the past, Zhou Zehan hadn't cared at all. Wasn't it good that his brother was so good? But now, looking at his brother shining brightly, he couldn't help but feel envy bubbling up inside him.

Smart and talented kids were not only liked by teachers but also by moms. He looked back at Si Nian, who was smiling at him, and couldn't help but clench his little fist, vowing to study hard and earn a red flower just like his brother.

When the time comes, if he gives the red flower to Mom, she will surely like him more. The little guy, who was quick to both hope and despair, soon became distracted by the scented bath soap Si Nian had bought, and happily took it outside to bathe.

Both Stone and the other little guy were dirty, so they sat in a basin together, heating water and bathing each other, quickly making the water very murky.

Zhou Zedong, sweating profusely, carried hot water for his two younger brothers, not even taking off his own jacket.

Meanwhile, Si Nian entered the kitchen and saw the good things like pig intestines on the countertop, realizing they were probably sent by Yu Dong today. She had bought quite a few ingredients for braised dishes in town this time.

Today was perfect for making braised dishes. She washed the ingredients thoroughly, prepared spices in cheesecloth bags, and cleaned the pig intestines, pig kidneys, and pig trotters with salt, wine, and ginger for a while.

Continuing with the recipe, bring the braising liquid to a boil over high heat, then reduce to low heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Add light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, salt, and monosodium glutamate (MSG) to season. Finally, remove the ginger and green onions from the pot, then add the cleaned pig intestines and pig trotters to simmer.

The rich aroma soon began to waft eagerly from every corner. Before long, the Zhou household was enveloped in its fragrance.

The two children playing and bathing at the doorstep couldn't resist the tantalizing smell, their mouths watering. They hurriedly sped up their bathing, not even bothering to dry themselves properly, and dashed towards the kitchen in their shorts.

The aroma was unmistakably the scent of the braised pork Si Nian had made before. It was so fragrant that they remembered it vividly. The younger one had even gnawed on half a pig trotter back then, savoring its deliciousness and chewiness.

Just as Si Nian had covered the pot, the two little ones appeared at the kitchen door, staring at her with wide eyes, their clothes still not on.

Si Nian glanced over at her younger son, who had gained quite a bit of weight. However, he was still a bit hard to raise. Coupled with his natural tendency to grow tall quickly, his height had indeed shot up, but he remained slim with visible ribs. It seemed he still needed to eat more meat.

On the other hand, Zhou Zedong, though he also smelled the delicious aroma, had strong endurance and was not like the other two. He calmly helped his little sister put on her shoes after she woke up, then carried her downstairs for the meal. He began teaching her to speak.

"Yao Yao, say 'gege'."

"Giggles~"

Hearing the sound, the two little ones who had been lingering near the kitchen were once again drawn over. Seeing their big brother teaching Yao Yao to call him 'gege', they became anxious. They couldn't allow Yao Yao to call out for 'mama', 'wang wang' (dog barking sound), but not 'gege'!

"No way, the next one to call must be one of them!"

"Yao Yao, I'm Erge (Second Brother), come, say it with me, Er~ Ge~"

"Yao Yao, I'm Shitou (Stone) Gege..."

The voices of the children arguing and playing erupted in the living room.

Si Nian stood in the kitchen, glancing back. Suddenly, memories of when she first came to the Zhou family flashed through her mind. She couldn't help but sigh.

Today, Zhou Yueshen came home early.

Yudong followed behind, knowing that today he had brought over pig intestines for the eldest household, figuring his sister-in-law must be planning something delicious. So he boldly tagged along.

As he dared to approach the door, he caught the scent of something delicious. His heart leaped with joy. Just as expected!

"Elder brother, I've already logged tomorrow's inventory. There are some places that are quite far, so I'll go with Lin ge to..."

"Oh, and I've brought everything from this morning. With so much, you definitely can't finish it all, so I'll help..."

Zhou Yueshen pushed the door open and paused, then walked in and stood still, his voice low and cold, "Are you done talking?"

Yudong: "Huh? Oh, yeah, I'm done."

Zhou Yueshen slammed the door shut with a sharp sound. His voice remained low and icy, "Then go back early."

Yudong: "..."

Si Nian had braised the meat, so she didn't cook too many dishes today. Instead, she washed a bit of sauerkraut from the jar, chopped it up, and cooked it with red beans. Then she stir-fried a few green peppers and cucumbers for a cold cucumber salad.

Just as she was carrying the dishes out, she saw Zhou Yueshen's tall figure entering the gate with steady steps.

"Back already?" Si Nian had her hair tied up in a bun. Even when cooking, a single strand of hair falling could affect her work, but even with such a simple hairstyle, she looked excessively beautiful.

"Mm." Zhou Yueshen stared at her, responding softly.

"Go wash up and let's eat," Si Nian tossed out casually before heading back into the kitchen.

The man followed suit, washing his hands and joining her. Si Nian was busy ladling soup by the side, her delicate profile highlighted.

Zhou Yueshen wiped his hands, approached, his voice low, "I'll do it."

Si Nian didn't hesitate, handing him the soup and then passing over a large plate of sliced braised meats. "Take this out while you're at it."

Zhou Yueshen glanced at it briefly, then withdrew his gaze, accepting quietly.

Si Nian lifted the lid off a large pot, releasing a burst of steam and a rich fragrance of rice. She scooped out the rice, revealing a thick layer of crispy rice at the bottom — a childhood favorite snack made by their family.

Using a spatula, Si Nian scraped it off and placed it in a dish, then carried it out.

The children held their bowls, patiently waiting for the rice.

"Mom, let me help you," Zhou Zehan eagerly grabbed a spoon and served rice for Si Nian, spoonful by spoonful, pressing it into the bowl until it was filled and promptly handed it to her first.

Si Nian looked at the large bowl of rice with a mixture of amusement and exasperation. "Give it to Dad first, I can't eat this much."

Little Er glanced at his father, who was holding his sister, and passed the bowl to him. "Dad, here you go."

Zhou Yueshen glanced at his son, said nothing, and took the bowl. Although he hadn't interacted much with the children, he had raised them for so many years. Now, his position in their hearts seemed to have been overshadowed by Si Nian, whom they had only known for a few months. But she deserved it.

Zhou Yueshen didn't mind this at all; in fact, he thought it was quite good. He served each of them rice one by one, and only then did Little Er serve himself, eagerly sitting down next to Si Nian, which made even Stone couldn't help but look at him more.