"Xiao Ping, didn't Liu Feng say that there are a lot of ribs at home? Why didn't I see them?" He's mother put on an apron, walked out of the kitchen, and shouted into the room.

"The ribs should be in the third small tank under the eaves. It is covered with snow. You should be able to see it after you clear the snow." He Xiaoping's angry voice came from the house.

Mother He walked under the eaves, opened the lid of the third small vat, scraped away the snow on top, and found ribs inside.

"found it!"

The ribs were all cut into small sections of about two centimeters. Mother He took a plate, removed two yams, peeled them and cut them into small sections. First, fry the ribs until they were browned on both sides, then add water and appropriate seasonings. After the water boiled

Add the yam and simmer over low heat for half an hour.

He's mother's cooking skills are much better than He Xiaoping's.

The big kang in the east chamber was covered with two layers of quilts, which were very soft. For He Xiaoping's confinement, Wang Zhong had put a lot of effort into setting up the big kang in the east chamber in advance in the summer.

He Xiaoping sat against the wall, with a blanket covering her legs and a floral scarf on her head. Xiao Bean Bao had eaten enough and fell asleep. Xiao Xin sat on the kang, staring at the TV opposite the big kang.

The sound of the TV was not loud, and the TV was playing Journey to the West, which had just been released last year. Xiaoxin, who was only three years old, was very fascinated by it.

"time to eat!"

Mother He was carrying a tray. On the tray was a large plate of ribs stewed with yam, a bowl of steamed eggs, a stir-fried cabbage, and white flour steamed buns as the staple food.

As soon as He's mother came in, Xiaoxin's eyes immediately moved away from the TV, staring straight at the tray in He's hand, or rather staring at the large plate of stewed pork ribs with an alluring aroma.

Yam.

Although the conditions of the He family are good, they cannot guarantee that they will eat meat every meal.

But since I called Wang Zhong's house, I had three meals a day. Even breakfast, the sauce used to make fried noodles was fried with pork belly, and the steamed buns were basically filled with meat, including beef, sheep, and pork. If Wang Zhong came back from morning training,

The fillings of the sesame-burning cakes brought back from outside are either mutton or beef, and basically not vegetarian.

It's only been more than a week since Xiaoxin's arrival, and Xiaoxin's fair and tender face has swelled up at a speed visible to the naked eye.

"Do you want to leave some for Liu Feng?" Mother He put the food on the kang table, and suddenly remembered Wang Zhong who had left early in the morning, and couldn't help but ask.

"No need, Mom!" He Xiaoping said with a smile: "He is going to a restaurant, not somewhere else. He can miss a lunch in the restaurant!"

The New Year is approaching, people's lives are getting better and better, and the restaurant business is also rising and becoming more and more popular. During this period, He Xiaoping is going to have a baby and be in confinement, so naturally she has no time to manage the restaurant, but she can't just leave it alone.

, naturally only Wang Zhong can go.

Mother He slapped her forehead and suddenly said: "Yes, yes, yes! Look at my mind, what am I thinking about!"

"You really opened that 'Good Luck Restaurant'?" He's mother still couldn't believe that such a big restaurant, one of the best in Yanjing, was opened by He Xiaoping.

"Mom! How many times have you asked me?" He Xiaoping said angrily.

Mother He smiled coquettishly: "I can't believe it!"

"Okay, okay! Let's eat first. Look at Xiaoxin's greed." He Xiaoping looked at the big pot of ribs and yam stewed on the table, and kept swallowing.

, a smile appeared on his face unconsciously.

He's mother looked at Xiao Xin and cursed in a low voice: "A starving ghost is reincarnated! His eyes were straight when he saw the delicious food." But there was a smile on her face, and she didn't mean to blame her at all.

He Xiaoping quickly took Kuaizi and put two pieces of ribs into Xiaoxin's bowl, and warned softly: "It's just out of the pot, it's still very hot, don't eat it in a hurry, blow it on, let it dry, and wait until it cools down before eating."

"Thank you, second sister!" Xiaoxin said obediently.

The little girl was only three years old and didn't know how to use kuaizi yet. She raised her hand and carefully touched the ribs in the bowl. She immediately retracted her hand because it was burnt, but she didn't shout that it was hot at all. She still stared at it and puffed her mouth.

He blew on the ribs.

That look is so cute.

Mother He took a white flour steamed bun with her hands, scooped out a bowl of soup, and put it in front of the little girl, "Eat some steamed buns first, it will be very hot when it is hot, wait for it to cool down before drinking."

It was New Year's Eve in a blink of an eye, and He Xiaoping was in the double month. There was still more than a month until the end of the month, and Wang Zhong Hospital had already been on holiday.

The restaurant is also closed, and we have three days off for the Chinese New Year holiday, from the evening of the 28th to work on the morning of the second and third day of the Lunar New Year.

Wang Zhong was in the study. He's mother had just boiled a pot of hot water, walked outside the study, and knocked on the door.

"Come in!" Wang Zhong's voice came from the study.

"Liu Feng, I just boiled a pot of hot water. I think the hot water in the study has been there for a day, so it's time to change it." Mother He walked in, put down the table in the corner, picked up the thermos bottle in the tray and shook it.

Shit, there's only a little bit left in it.

Wang Zhong stood up quickly: "Mother-in-law, how can I trouble you about this matter? I can do it myself! Stop being so busy and just watch TV with Xiaoping and Xiaoxin!"

"It's okay, it's okay, I'm just along for the ride!" He's mother smiled and walked out.

Wang Zhong shook his head helplessly and sat back on the chair.

He Xiaoping's mother is like this. She can't sit still no matter what, always looking for something to do. When she has nothing to do, she cleans the house, from the main house to the side room, tidying up inside and outside.

After a while, He's mother came back with a thermos bottle that was already filled with water.

Seeing Mother He's expression of hesitation, Wang Zhong took the initiative and asked: "Mother-in-law, do you have anything to tell me?"

Mother He forced a smile, her eyes evasive: "Liu Feng! I do have something I want to discuss with you."

"Then let's go out and sit down and talk!" Wang Zhong looked at He's mother with a smile and said.

"No, no, no, it's just a matter of a few words!" Mother He waved her hands repeatedly, telling Wang Zhong not to get up, just sit down.

Wang Zhong smiled and said: "Then tell me, what's the matter?"

"I want to take Xiaoxin back tonight. After all, it's New Year's Eve. You see..." Mother He asked a little uneasily.

Wang Zhong smiled and said: "Isn't it up to you? If you really want to go back, I will send you and Xiaoxin back later!"

"I told Xiaoping, but she wants me to stay here and spend New Year's Eve with you!" Mother He said.

This is the reason why He's mother came to Wang Zhong.

Wang Zhong suddenly realized: "Do you want me to persuade Xiaoping?"

He's mother immediately nodded her head: "Xiaoping is quite stubborn. She hasn't given birth yet, so she can't get excited. I'm worried..."

"I understand!" Wang Zhong said with a smile: "Don't worry, Xiaoping is no better than before, and her psychology is not as fragile as you think. Let's go talk to her together!"

Before Mother He said anything, Wang Zhong suddenly changed his tone: "But there is something I think I should tell you in advance!"

Mother He's expression also changed, she frowned and looked at Wang Zhong doubtfully.

"What's going on?"

"Come on, let's sit outside and talk slowly!" Wang Zhong led He's mother with his hand and walked to the side hall outside. Wang Zhong poured a cup of hot water for He's mother.

Then he said: "You are Xiaoping's mother. Logically speaking, you are the elder. There are some things I shouldn't say, but Xiaoping is your biological daughter. I am Xiaoping's husband. Some of the things I said may be a little offensive, but after thinking about it,

If I want to go, I think I should talk to you."

He's mother vaguely felt something was wrong, but she wanted to know even more what Wang Zhong wanted to say and why he suddenly said this. Dang even couldn't wait to say: "Since it's for Xiaoping's good, then there's nothing that can't be said."

Seeing He's mother's attitude and listening to her tone, Wang Zhong felt a lot less worried.

"Xiaoping is a person who has been more sensitive and fragile than ordinary people since she was a child. Is this the reason? In the final analysis, there are two reasons. The first one is because of Xiaoping's biological father, but now that he is gone, we will not

Said him.

The second point is that you and Xiaoping’s stepfather re-established this family!”

Mother He's eyes flickered and her face looked unhappy. It was obvious that Wang Zhong's words had touched a painful spot in her heart.

But thinking of He Xiaoping, He's mother held back her grief and dissatisfaction, looked at Wang Zhong, with a hint of strength in her expression, and said with gritted teeth: "You continue to talk!"

Wang Zhongdao: "You and I both know how Xiaoping's stepfather treats Xiaoping, but it is because of Xiaoping's stepfather's strength that Xiaoping can grow so big, study, dance, and join the art troupe.

, although he does not love Xiaoping very much, as a stepfather, he has done enough, and Xiaoping has always been grateful to him.

To be honest, I admire him a lot, but if it were me, I might not be able to do as well as he does to someone else’s daughter.”

"But He Xiaojun and He Xiaoru have been hostile to you and Xiaoping since they were children. You know why. This matter cannot be said to be right or wrong, but the harm to Xiaoping is real."

Mother He nodded, with a bit of sadness in her eyebrows: "I know that Xiaojun, Xiaoru, and Xiaofang have not liked Xiaoping since they were young, and they often bullied her. Every time Xiaoping came to tell her

I, I asked Xiaoping to endure it and told her that we were living under someone else’s roof..."

As she spoke, Mother He's eyes filled with tears, and her face showed sadness.

"Then do you know why Xiaoping works so hard to practice dancing and why she wants to join the art troupe?"

Mother He shook her head, but her tears couldn't stop and kept falling.

"Because she wanted to escape from that family, she thought that no one would bully her in the art troupe."

Wang Zhong sighed as he spoke, his face full of regret: "But her thoughts were too beautiful, and the reality is too cruel."

"She thought the art troupe was what she dreamed of, a harmonious and beautiful paradise, but in reality it was just stepping from one hell to another."

"When she was in the art troupe, she was disliked because she sweated more than ordinary people. No one was willing to partner with her. Everyone disliked her, isolated her, and bullied her."

"Do you know how lonely and painful she was at that time?"

The more Wang Zhong said, the harder He's mother cried. She couldn't help but raise her hands to cover her face.

Wang Zhong sighed again and continued: "Later, she went to the field hospital and finally got rid of the uncomfortable place in the art troupe. Then, after the war ended, we returned to Yanjing and got married, until today."

"Xiaoping has suffered too many injuries and experienced too much pain in her life. Every time she goes back to that home, she feels uncomfortable, but she still grits her teeth and goes back because you are there." At this point,
To be continued...