Chapter 137: Chapter 136: Second Cousin-in-law Pays a Visit

Ling Chengyan didn’t mind, she rolled up the sleeves for the two kids, washed their hands, and let them join in.

If they couldn’t roll the dough or wrap dumplings, it didn’t matter. They could press the dumpling portions, and they could also place the wrapped dumplings on the cover mat… After they worked enough, she gave each of the little ones a small piece of dough and a bit of brown sugar, letting them make sugar dumplings.

Whether the wrapped dumplings were good or whether they leaked didn’t matter. The key was that the children participated, and there was a sense of recognition, making them very happy.

Wang Liansheng went to the post office after work that day, he returned home a little late, and the dumplings were almost done.

“Oh, what good day is it today, making dumplings!” Wang Liansheng also remembered it was the day Xiaoyu and Xiao Xing got their final exam scores, but pretended not to know.

Xiao Xing had already recovered from the initial unhappiness, and said loudly, “Mom said my and auntie’s exam scores weren’t bad, we worked hard, and specially made dumplings as a reward for us.”

Wang Liansheng took the report cards of his daughter and Xiaoyu, as well as Xiao Xing’s test paper, and after checking them carefully, he praised them just like his wife did.

However, he secretly planned in his heart to give his daughter a warning so that she wouldn’t make careless mistakes again in the future.

Speaking of which, Ling Chengyan’s education for the children leaned more towards character and habits, such as keeping promises, independence, and good time management; while Wang Liansheng emphasized grades, knowing firsthand from his efforts to get into the teacher training school that knowledge is really important, and that knowledge can truly change destiny.

The dumplings were stuffed with cabbage and pork, the most common filling for dumplings in the Northern winter, which had been proven through many people’s many years to be the most popular and delicious.

After wrapping dumplings, Wang Liansheng took the initiative to go to the kitchen to cook them.

Xiaoyu led Xiao Xing to clean up the chopping board and various tools, tidied the table, and reset the dishes.

Ling Chengyan took Little Shi Tou to peel garlic.

In the north, dumplings are eaten with garlic paste, some people like the garlic paste with vinegar, some simply dip in vinegar, personal preferences vary.

Ling Chengyan also liked garlic paste, but usually didn’t eat it at lunchtime. At home in the evening, it didn’t matter, everyone would eat it, and those who didn’t get smoked, so it was better for everyone to smell together.

Xiao Xing had already recovered from the blow of poor exam results and volunteered to mash the garlic paste.

These little things Ling Chengyan didn’t concern herself with, instead it was Xiaoyu who taught hand-in-hand: “Aim well, smash hard, don’t use little force to mash slowly, you’re too gentle, the garlic will be mashed into mush, then it won’t taste good.”

Xiao Xing held the garlic pestle, eyebrows furrowed, exerting force to smash, with her first unskilled attempt, quite a few garlic cloves were smashed flying. Xiaoyu went to pick them up, and Shi Tou, watching the fun, also laughed and helped pick them up, rinsed them in water and mashed them again.

The finished product was just okay, considering it was the first time, with more than half of the garlic cloves returning to the pot, it was edible and that’s good enough.

Both Ling Chengyan and Wang Liansheng praised her, Xiao Xing proudly straightened her little body: “From now on, the garlic at our house will be left to me.”

Ling Chengyan agreed immediately: “Sure.”

Wang Liansheng looked at his wife and daughter, a smile passed in his eyes.

At night, after Ling Chengyan finished washing her feet, Wang Liansheng took the water out to throw away, washed his own feet, then went to bed.

Because a child’s bed was added to the outside of the bed, he could only climb into bed from the foot of the bed.

Ling Chengyan, with one hand on her son, was lying slightly on her side and had already fallen asleep, still lying on the outside, and as Wang Liansheng climbed in from the foot of the bed, he suddenly thought of a book of Secrets of the Qing Palace he occasionally read, which said concubines had to climb into bed from the foot. His body stiffened suddenly, then shook his head, revealing a grin.

Since he returned home, it had been more than half a year, he hadn’t even fought to get back the right to sleep in the same bed.

Ling Chengyan had recovered well from her injuries and resumed driving, although generally no long trips at year-end, taking care of her injury, they only arranged short trips nearby for her.

She might not be home at noon, but dinner was always at home.

On this day, she made a trip to Lin City and returned early after lunch.

Once parked, Wu Qingyun came over to tell her that people from the hometown had arrived, they came in the morning.

Ling Chengyan nodded and asked, “Did anyone come from your family?”

Seeing Wu Qingyun’s uncontrollable smile, she guessed it.

Indeed, Wu Qingyun’s grin widened: “My dad came, I arranged for him to stay at the guest house. After all, it’s rare to visit, I want to show him around, have him stay overnight before returning.”

The New Year was approaching, and many relatives came to visit. Those who were far away couldn’t make it but sent things for the children, various food, necessities, clothes, and more.

Zhang Wanxiang also came over, but seemed rather listless, his family didn’t send anyone, just asked Wu Qingyun’s father to bring some food, and a pair of cotton gloves his mother made for him.

The team handled eating and dressing, providing everything from inside out, the family was poor but couldn’t afford anything, and truly didn’t need it.

After delivering the letters, they handed over two cloth bags, one with fried peanuts and baked sweet potato chips; the other with dates.

Seeing Ling Chengyan receive the bags, Zhang Wanxiang cheered up a bit and smiled: “The dates are from the tree at my house, don’t look at the small size, they’re really sweet.”

Ling Chengyan smiled, pinched one into her mouth, smiled and nodded: “They’re really sweet, and the pits are small too.”

When she got home, it turned out to be her second cousin and second cousin’s wife bringing the youngest Hong Liang along, having not seen each other for a while, Hong Liang had grown taller, reaching the second cousin’s wife’s chest.

Ling Chengyan was pleasantly surprised: “I didn’t expect Second Cousin’s Wife to come.”

Zheng Xiaotian was originally sitting and tidying up the little chicken she brought, upon hearing this, she stood up, Ling Chengyan noticed her obviously stouter waist: “How many months is it?” Ling Chengyan asked.

“Four months.” Zheng Xiaotian smiled, with a hint of bitterness.

Ling Chengyan, being so perceptive, immediately noticed the anomaly in Second Cousin’s Wife, her mind turned slightly, and understood the reason. This year they were implementing the policy of one couple, one child. Second Cousin’s Wife had already given birth to two sons, and the baby in her belly was her third.

“You haven’t returned for the past half a year, recently went south again, the family all worried about you, Hongling is discussing her marriage these days, Sister-in-law couldn’t come, or she would have come too.”

“Is Hongling discussing marriage? Which family are they discussing?” Ling Chengyan smoothly followed Zheng Xiaotian’s change of topic.

“From the commune, speaking of it, you know them, it’s the nephew of Xu Dong, the captain of the commune’s defense team.”

Recently, grassroots militia were transformed into the defense team, Wu Xiangyang was transferred to the county midyear, and Xu Dong naturally became the head of the defense team.

Ling Chengyan entered and greeted Second Cousin before returning to sit with Second Cousin’s Wife and tidying up the little chicken, chatting about family matters.

Second Cousin’s Wife said, a new policy was launched in the commune, planning to distribute production to households, “… after the New Year, it will start, first allocate land, then production tools, based on population.”

Ling Chengyan’s gaze drifted downward again, sweeping over Second Cousin’s Wife’s waist and abdomen with a smile and nod.

After chatting for quite a while, Second Cousin’s Wife never mentioned the pregnancy, instead the topic seemed to deliberately avoid it, so Ling Chengyan didn’t ask further.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep