“Mom, did you buy water buckets? If not, I can go fetch some from the village!”
“Don’t worry your little head about it, or you’ll never grow tall. Mom has it under control.”
Xia Wanyue couldn’t help herself and pinched Li Wenyan’s cheek, twisting his serious little face into a silly expression.
“Mom~!”
Li Wenyan let out a helpless shout.
“Alright, alright, I get it! Be good and stay here while I go.”
Embarrassed, Xia Wanyue withdrew her hand and stepped out.
She grabbed two buckets from the kitchen and found a yoke in the storage room.
Balancing it on her shoulders, she walked to a secluded spot, entered her space, filled the buckets, and then carried them back.
The village water was muddy and rationed—half a bucket per household each day. It was so dirty that it had to sit for hours before it could be used properly. Xia Wanyue, of course, had no intention of using that.
Back in the kitchen, she placed the water in a corner, started a fire, and began cooking. First, she steamed the rice. Then she took out the pork belly, cutting half of it for braised pork.
Today, she had only bought meat—no greens. With the drought, nothing could be grown, and the market offered not a single leafy vegetable.
Xia Wanyue immediately took a small cabbage from her space, sliced it up, and cooked it together with the remaining pork belly and vermicelli. Then she grabbed a handful of green vegetables and made garlic stir-fry.
Of course, all of these came from her space. She had also smuggled in some seasonings, quickly putting the bottles away to avoid being noticed.
Worried that the aroma might draw unwanted attention, she shut all the doors and windows tightly. Xia Wanyue wasn’t a fan of trouble—she just wanted peace and quiet.
Once the dishes were ready, she scooped the rice into the serving bowls, washed the pot, filled it with water, and put a piece of firewood in the stove to heat water slowly.
“Kids, time to eat!”
She opened the kitchen door and called out.
The two older children carried their little brother and came in.
“Mom, it smells so good!”
They felt like the luckiest children in the world. Never in their lives had they imagined such a life: sweet cakes, chicken soup, new clothes, and now meat cooked by their own mother. If this were a dream, they never wanted to wake up.
“Wash your hands first, then eat.”
Xia Wanyue took the little one in her arms and sent the two older kids to the wooden basin.
Li Wenyan held his sister’s hand, washing together with her.
Once clean, they brought the table over and carried the dishes from the stove, arranging bowls and chopsticks neatly.
Sitting properly on their stools, they waited for their mother to serve them.
After a while, the little one was full. Xia Wanyue cut a piece of oilcloth from today’s purchase and lined the basket, placing the baby inside.
She stood up, lifted the steaming rice bucket, and filled each of their bowls.
The rice was snow-white, glossy, and fragrant. Li Zhaxia’s mouth watered uncontrollably.
“Little sister, your drool’s dripping!”
Li Wenyan laughed, pointing at his sister’s corner of the mouth.
Li Zhaxia looked up, realized, sucked it back in, and wiped it with her sleeve.
Her little sequence of movements made the two boys burst into laughter. Li Zhaxia pouted.
“Brother, you always bully me! And you—you’re drooling too!”
Li Wenyan froze for a moment, embarrassed. He awkwardly wiped his mouth, giving a sheepish grin.
“Hehe… it smells too good!”
The three of them laughed together. Xia Wanyue waved them over.
“Come on, eat!”
She served two pieces of braised pork each.
The kids bit into the tender, slightly sweet meat. It felt as if it melted with each chew, the aroma clinging to their mouths. Even swallowing didn’t diminish the lingering scent—so good it made their mouths water even more.
For the rest of the meal, no one spoke.
Each focused on eating, finishing three dishes with a bowl of rice each. The kids were so full they ended up slumping over the table.
“Rest a while, then go for a walk in the yard to digest. Otherwise, your tummies might hurt.”
Xia Wanyue placed the little one in the yard where the older two could watch him.
She returned to the kitchen, cleaned up, and scooped warm water into the wooden basin to bathe all three children.
“Mom, can I wash myself?”
“Can you do a proper job? Make sure you scrub all the dirty spots.”
Calling Li Wenyan over, he stubbornly refused to let Xia Wanyue help, citing modesty. He grabbed her hand and pulled her out of the kitchen, closed the door behind them, and washed himself.
Xia Wanyue watched the closed kitchen door and chuckled. She wasn’t eager to wash them, but the kids hadn’t bathed in who knows how long. Their bodies carried a sour, pungent smell, which had crept into her nose the night before when they had all slept together.
She had decided last night that no matter what, today the children would be thoroughly clean.
By the time she finished, night had fallen. In this era, there were no phones, no computers, not even lamps—every household rested early.
Xia Wanyue and the children cleaned up and laid down to sleep.
The next morning, Xia Wanyue woke up to bright sunlight.
Sitting up, she noticed the children were nowhere nearby.
Dressing quickly, she went outside to see the two older ones playing in the yard, the youngest still in his basket. They paused when they saw her.
“Mom, you’re awake!”
“Mom, Wenyan and I cooked this morning in the kitchen. We kept it warm in the pot. Are you hungry? I’ll bring it to you.”
Xia Wanyue stretched lazily at the door, waving her hand.
“No need. Mom will get it herself. You two can handle breakfast. Excellent job!”
“Mom, don’t you remember? At Old Li’s house, we used to help you cook all the time. We already know how.”
“Yes! You can rest. Wenyan and I can handle the chores!”
“We can do so many things—we can feed the chickens, gather pig fodder, sweep the floor, cook, light the fire, wash dishes, and laundry. We can help you!”
The two children proudly listed their skills, their chests swelling with a little pride at being useful to Mom.
After a round of flattery from Xia Wanyue, she finally headed to the kitchen.