Xu Wu felt Niannian’s bones, and seeing Ba’er slip from the stool and run towards him, he let her go.
Ba’er leaned on Xu Wu, his chubby arms wrapped around Xu Wu’s neck, and said to Niannian, "Uncle!"
Turns out the child was feeling jealous, upset that his uncle was playing with another child. Xu Wu turned his head, looked at Ba’er seriously, and said, "Uncle loves you the most!"
Ba’er’s eyes imdiately squinted, and he planted a loud kiss on Xu Wu’s cheek, then blinked and said, "Mommy is the baby!"
Xu Wu was stunned for a mont. Su Yan, catching on, couldn’t help but burst into laughter again. Seeing everyone looking over, she felt a bit embarrassed and went inside with her book.
Seeing everyone laughing, Ba’er proudly continued, "Mommy is the baby!"
His words were clear and loud. Li Xianglu, who was wrapping dumplings at the eastern tea table, heard everything and her face instantly turned red. She roared, "Qin Rongxuan!"
Ba’er, startled by his mom’s roar, got a bit confused, looked around, and wondered who Qin Rongxuan was and why he upset mom, so unbehaved.
Seeing Sister Su’s glance, Li Xianglu’s face blushed even deeper. She coughed and stood up to check on the mutton in the kitchen.
In her heart, she planned to speak with Qin Xi when he returned, to stop calling her "baby" in front of the children!
Dinner was lively due to Xu Wu’s visit. Knowing Li Xianglu wouldn’t let him go back alone, Niannian smartly ntioned wanting to go ho earlier.
Li Xianglu also felt it wasn’t nice to keep Niannian any longer, given that everyone had arrived. So, she packed thirty wrapped dumplings and the box of imported hard candy Xu Wu had given her ca with it, and asked Hu Zi to take Niannian ho.
After returning, Hu Zi shared with a smile that Zhu Hong felt very embarrassed and gave him a basket of peanuts. He didn’t want to take them at first, but seeing Niannian’s eager eyes, he decided to bring them back.
Su Yan smiled and said, "Hu Zi does a lot, don’t always give without expecting anything in return. It’s good to reciprocate so others won’t hesitate to accept your gifts."
Li Xianglu’s mutton soup was steaming with a rich aroma, as the lamb was especially tender and cooked quickly. While the dumplings were boiling, Li Xianglu served everyone a bowl of mutton soup and scooped the cooked at onto a large 40 cm flat plate, sprinkling a circle of onions on top, filling the room with the fragrance of the lamb.
At this mont, everyone was already seated at the dining table. The old man tore a small piece of lamb at for each of his great-grandchildren, placed it in their bowls, and said, "It’s hot, eat later!"
The two children, having been burned by hot food many tis before, were quite experienced. Eager to eat, they both puckered their little pink lips and began blowing strongly to cool it down.
Xu Wu’s eyes squinted with delight watching the adorable antics of the two, visibly overjoyed.
Da Li and Leng Qing brought over the first pot of dumplings, filled with chive and pork, plump and round. Just then, Qin Xi entered and saw the steaming hot dishes on the table, along with the loud calls of "Daddy" from the kids, which greatly lifted his spirits.
Feeling a bit chilly, he didn’t rush to hug the children; instead, he had a brief chat with Xu Wu first. Instead of asking about his work, he simply inquired whether Xu Wu’s journey here had been smooth and if the roads were good. Hearing this, Xu Wu felt a warm sense of comfort inside.
After the second pot of dumplings went into the water, Li Xianglu and Leng Qing were sent back to the dining room by Sister Su, who signaled that she could manage by herself now.
Li Xianglu and Leng Qing then returned to the dining table in the living room. About half the seats at the large round table were already occupied. Seeing Li Xianglu coming, Xu Wu quickly shifted aside to make room for her; however, Qin Xi quickly pressed Xu Wu back down and squeezed an extra stool next to himself for Li Xianglu.
Li Xianglu mumbled to herself inwardly, but her facial expression remained unchanged as she took her seat. By now, the twins were already on their fifth dumpling; since chives can be rough on the stomach, each could only have five, waiting for the radish dumplings in the second pot.
The grandfather wiped his mouth and exclaid, "Ah, these chive dumplings are really delicious."
Li Xianglu chuckled, "Indeed, after cutting this batch, we can have them again in twenty days. For the third batch, we can take it ho. If grandpa prefers, we could cover another shelter for our old partners who will surely appreciate it."
The grandfather, quite pleased with having activities to engage in, especially with everyone’s praise, eagerly agreed to cover another patch. By the ti they harvest everything to bring back, he worried they might not have enough for Old Xun, Old Man An, Fatty Pang, and the Lu Family.
Su Yan clearly understood Li Xianglu’s plans and couldn’t help but chuckle and shake her head.
Finally, after the New Year, Leng Qing’s factory was tidied up and ready for imdiate operation.
The factory was divided into two areas: one large section for producing chili sauce, and a smaller one for peanuts and sunflower seeds. The purchase of dry chili had begun, and they had already accumulated several tons. With varying quality, Li Xianglu suggested making all the chili into beef-flavored sauce, divided into mild and hot.
As for the peanuts and sunflower seeds, making them all into spiced flavor was the plan, but all these needed to wait until after the New Year. Although it wasn’t an optimal ti for purchasing, processing after the autumn harvest and beginning sales after November would have been ideal, catching a good price before the holiday rush.
Li Xianglu’s bank had started arranging for shifts by mid-January. Since Li Xianglu needed to return to the capital, she had to leave earlier, which had been agreed upon previously. She had conducted training sessions during her weekend breaks in exchange for returning before the New Year.
The bank manager was a local, so with a generous gesture, he allowed Li Xianglu to leave early; he would take over the shifts himself.
No one had any objections, not even Wang Yanan, who was usually quite critical. Li Xianglu had taught her a lot, making it hard for her to complain.
Qin Xi had to stay at the County Committee until the twenty-ninth of the lunar month, as they were organizing a large event to comfort the families of martyrs and old veterans. The county leaders were divided into four groups to visit the countryside and the county, spreading the governnt’s love.
The event was originally proposed by Qin Xi. A country without heroes is tragic, but a country that does not treat its heroes well is even more lantable. Not wanting the heroes to feel disheartened, he suggested allocating funds to provide so warmth to the local martyrs and old soldiers, ensuring they knew the nation was still looking out for them.
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