When Jiang Huan came over carrying a basin of rice, he saw this scene. A warmth rose in his heart—he hadn’t seen his two sons this happy in a long time.
If money could keep her here, then he would keep giving it to her.
Jiang Huan served half a bowl of rice and a bowl of radish soup for Dabao and Xiaobao each, then served the same for Xu Anyan. Only after that did he serve himself.
“Was this also taught by your grandmother?” Jiang Huan asked in confusion.
The fish he had eaten before was either braised, deep-fried, or roasted—and always served whole. He had never seen it prepared like this.
Xu Anyan looked puzzled. “You’ve never eaten it like this?”
Jiang Huan shook his head. “Never.”
Dabao and Xiaobao also shook their heads. “Mom, we usually eat the whole fish.”
Hearing their answers, a thought flashed through Xu Anyan’s mind, and she almost laughed out loud.
“You’re alright?” Jiang Huan asked when he noticed her changing expressions.
“I’m fine. Eat, eat,” she quickly said.
She then picked out two pieces of fish, carefully checking for bones before placing one in each child’s bowl.
Even though she had removed the bones, she still didn’t dare be careless.
Just as she was about to continue, Jiang Huan said, “Eat first. I’ll pick them out.”
“Alright then.”
He volunteered, and she didn’t insist.
The meal was peaceful and harmonious.
After eating, the dishwashing duty naturally fell to Jiang Huan again.
She had to admit—although this man was quiet and always stern, he was surprisingly considerate.
Just as she was preparing to make sugar snowballs again, Jiang Huan came in.
“Do you need something?” she asked.
“I’ll help you. The boys asked me to—they’re afraid you’ll be tired,” he said.
“Alright. I’ll teach you, you stir-fry.”
Jiang Huan nodded.
When the sugar and water melted and began to bubble, forming threads, Xu Anyan immediately instructed him to pour the hawthorn into the pot.
Standing aside, she finally relaxed a little, directing him to stir until the hawthorns were fully coated in sugar frost.
“Are you tired?” she asked.
She swore she wasn’t really concerned—she was just curious about his strength.
Recently she had been making sugar snowballs every day and felt her left arm had become stronger than her right. She even thought she was starting to see muscle definition.
Jiang Huan misunderstood completely. He thought she was caring about him. His ears turned slightly red, though his face remained calm.
“It’s fine. Not very tiring. When I’m off duty in the future, I can help you stir-fry.”
“Alright, I’ll count on you.”
After Jiang Huan left, she packed the sugar snowballs, washed the pots, and cleaned the kitchen.
When she came out, the courtyard was quiet.
Where did Jiang Huan take the children?
She frowned slightly, then suddenly remembered the six taels of silver in her pocket and hurried into the main room.
From the cabinet, she took out her money box—the same one the original owner used for jewelry. Inside were now only a pair of silver bracelets and four silver hairpins.
There was also a ledger and two small pouches: one with copper coins, one with silver. With today’s earnings added, she now had nine taels of broken silver and three hundred wen.
Everyday expenses were kept separate and not recorded.
She updated the ledger carefully.
Watching her savings slowly increase, she felt a quiet joy—she was one step closer to her goal.
She wondered how much Jiang Huan actually had. When he was still a constable, he earned about five taels a month, gave her two taels, paid two taels for housing, plus daily expenses—did he even have anything left?
Now that he was officially employed, his salary must have increased.
Just as she locked the cabinet, there was a knock at the door.
She quickly went out and opened it, only to see Zheng Yu standing there with a small bowl of vegetable dumplings.
The moment she saw them, she knew what they were—the original owner also knew how to make them, and the recipe came easily to mind.
“Little sister Xu, I made some vegetable dumplings and brought you a few. They’re still hot,” Zheng Yu said first.
Xu Anyan accepted them without hesitation. “Sister Zheng’s cooking must be amazing. I can still smell them.”
“Alright, eat them while they’re hot. I’ll head back now.”
“Come in and sit for a while, we can chat.”
“No, I still have embroidery to finish. The deadline is tight. I’ll go now.”
“Alright, come over when you’re free.”
“Sure, sure.”
And with that, Zheng Yu left.
Xu Anyan knew Zheng Yu’s child would start private school next spring, so the whole family was working hard to earn money. Education was expensive—tuition, books, gifts for teachers during festivals.
And she had two children to raise.
The expenses would only be greater.
She sighed.
When would she ever achieve her life goals?
She lay down on the kang and fell asleep.
“Mom… wake up.”
“Mom…”
She was awakened by Dabao and Xiaobao’s voices.
Opening her eyes slowly, she saw both boys leaning over her from either side.
“Mom, you’re awake,” Dabao said.
“Mom, get up quickly,” Xiaobao added.
She groaned inwardly.
With two heads pressed so close to her ears, how could she not wake up?
“You two move aside. With all three heads crowded together, how am I supposed to get up?”
They immediately moved away.
After sitting up, she asked, “Where did you go just now?”
“We went out with Dad,” Dabao said.
“We bought you new clothes,” Xiaobao added.
She froze.
What?
A surprise after waking up?
Before she could process it, Jiang Huan walked in holding a small bundle and placed it in front of her.
“This is for you. Try it on. If it doesn’t fit, I’ll exchange it,” he said.
“…”
She was speechless.
What was going on?
Why was everything happening one after another?
“Why did you suddenly buy me clothes?” she asked.
In her memory, Jiang Huan rarely bought her clothes—he usually just gave her money.
Xiaobao answered first, “We told Dad to buy them.”
Dabao added, “Mom bought us new clothes, but Mom didn’t have any.”
Her heart softened.
She had never expected to have children of her own.
Somehow she had ended up here, with two sons.
They noticed she worked hard making sugar snowballs, so they had Jiang Huan help her. They noticed she didn’t buy clothes for herself, so they had him buy them.
They remembered everything.
Though they were not related by her original identity, she now inhabited this body—and thus shared their blood ties.
Now she had a new family. Two thoughtful little boys.
She was no longer alone.
Her eyes reddened, and she barely held back her tears.
“Mom, why are your eyes red?” Xiaobao asked.
“Is Mom’s eye hurting?” Dabao added.
Xiaobao immediately leaned in, puckering his lips to “blow it better,” and Dabao followed right after.
She almost broke down again—this time from frustration.
These two kids were definitely here to mess with her.
Jiang Huan couldn’t help but laugh at the scene. He had never noticed before how clueless his sons could be.
Seeing this, she shot him a glare.
He coughed lightly. “Come here. Dad will help you put on shoes. Let Mom try on the clothes.”
The two boys immediately crawled over obediently and sat at the edge of the kang, waiting for him to help them with their shoes.