When Lin Zhi got home, she let the twins play by themselves and started sorting through the meat and big bones she had brought back.
She first used the big bones to make soup.
Once the aroma came out, she added the rice.
To make it tastier, she cut the pork into thin strips and marinated it for a while.
Little He Ze couldn’t sit still. He went to the backyard to touch the bedding and whined about bringing it back inside.
Little He Run didn’t want to move. He grabbed a small stool and sat by the kitchen door, leaning against the frame, staring at Lin Zhi cooking.
Having someone watch her so intently made Lin Zhi feel strange, like there were bugs crawling all over her.
She glanced at He Run. He stayed firmly seated, showing no intention of leaving.
Lin Zhi set down what she was holding, squatted in front of him, and pinched his little face, inspecting it up and down. She asked, “Why aren’t you talking?”
The doctor had checked—his throat and tongue were fine. So why wouldn’t he speak?
Lin Zhi thought carefully. He used to cry and wail when he was younger, so his throat wasn’t the problem.
When did he stop speaking? Lin Zhi tried to remember, but she just couldn’t.
The original Lin Zhi hadn’t cared about these two kids at all. He Run not talking had even felt peaceful.
As for He Ting, Lin Zhi didn’t know whether He Run was still talking before he left for missions. If he already wasn’t, then it was the father’s fault.
He Run blinked his large, moist eyes and gave Lin Zhi a shy little smile—but didn’t speak.
Kids gain weight fast. Even after only a few meals, his little face was starting to fill out.
Usually he and He Ze didn’t smile much. Seeing him suddenly like this was quite cute.
Lin Zhi rubbed his face, making it a bit rosy, then let him go.
She couldn’t help but marvel at how well-behaved he was—not struggling or resisting while she massaged him.
“All right, go play with your brother. I’ll call you when the meal’s ready. Tonight we’re having lean pork porridge.”
He Run had seen her cutting meat, but he didn’t understand. Why was the meat she bought so big, and now it was only half the size of a palm?
Lin Zhi didn’t realize he had noticed her secretly hiding some meat. She gave He Run two candies, lifted him from the stool, patted his head, and gestured for him to go find his brother.
Hearing He Ze calling from the backyard, He Run hesitated but then ran off.
He Ze had given up trying to drag the bedding inside and was now pouting, digging for worms.
The chickens hadn’t eaten all day. If they weren’t fed soon, they’d starve.
Maybe because of the new environment, they hadn’t laid eggs today.
The twins dug up a bunch of worms and fed the chickens, then watched them attentively.
“Little brother, when will they lay eggs?” He was hoping to save the eggs to sell.
An egg cost four or five fen each. He could exchange one for five fruit candies. If there was an egg every day, he could get five candies every two days—more than Lin Weibing!
Once the porridge was ready, Lin Zhi stir-fried some greens with plenty of oil. Even the plain vegetable smelled delicious. She tasted it and didn’t know if it was because of the firewood stove, but it was way better than before she traveled here.
Calling the twins back for the meal, she saw them sit at the table without washing hands. Lin Zhi quickly picked them up.
“Wash your hands properly with soap before eating. If you don’t, you don’t eat.”
He Ze stretched out his little dirty hands, reluctant. “I’ve been dirtier than this before.”
“Before is before, now is now. Back then you didn’t even have meals. Do you want to go without now too?”
He Ze didn’t hesitate. He dunked He Run’s hands into the basin with his own. “Hurry! Wash! She’s trying to find an excuse not to feed us again.”
Lin Zhi: …Is that what he meant?
The lean pork porridge and oil-rich stir-fry filled the twins up. If Lin Zhi hadn’t warned them that eating more would make them lose dessert, they wouldn’t have stopped.
After cleaning up the dishes, she made them take a bath.
He Ze protested, “We just bathed yesterday!”
Even though they’d dug for worms, they weren’t dirty at all.
Lin Zhi knew there was no running water in the barracks. People had to carry water themselves, so even in summer, few bathed every day.
Being from a southern city in her previous life, Lin Zhi couldn’t stand going days without bathing.
“Yesterday you ate. Today you still don’t want to eat?” She ignored his complaints and enforced her will.
She stripped them, threw them into the basin to scrub each other, and went to get their clothes.
Luckily, she had made two sets of clothing for them. Otherwise, they would have had nothing to wear.
When she went to get their shoes, she realized it was time to change them too. She scratched her head, wanting to cry.
She didn’t know how to make shoes, and buying them was impossible—no money, no tickets. Too difficult.
After putting on their shoes, Lin Zhi still worried about how to make proper footwear.
Seeing her frown so deeply, the twins exchanged a glance and slowly moved closer.
“What are you thinking about?”
“Thinking about getting you new shoes,” Lin Zhi replied instinctively. Then, catching herself, she looked at the twins and sighed. “Raising kids is so hard!”
Providing food and drink wasn’t enough. She had to prepare clothes, pants, shoes—she really had taken on a tough mess.
Back in her old life, she had donated to disaster areas. While not a huge merit, she hadn’t expected to inherit such a messy situation.
She had been happy thinking she had gotten two kids for free—but that happiness was clearly premature.
“You’re going to buy us new shoes?” Little He Ze’s eyes lit up when he saw his toes peeking out of worn shoes.
Lin Zhi gave him a white look. “You think so? Where would we get the money?”
He Ze’s joyful expression fell. He opened his mouth in shock. “Dad gave you fifty yuan? You spent it all?”
“Half the month’s only passed…” he counted on his fingers. “It’s only halfway through the month, and you spent it all. How will we survive the rest of the month?”
Lin Zhi gritted her teeth. “You’re already thinking about that at your age? Don’t worry—you won’t go hungry. Just keep your focus on filling your stomach.”
Even so, knowing the house was low on money, He Ze still couldn’t rest. He scratched his head and hesitated.
“Maybe we should eat coarse grains instead. Skip the eggs and save them to trade for coarse grains.”