Joyful Motherhood in a Rural Family

“It’s alright! I’ve recovered too. Besides, it’s much warmer in this room than outside.”

Liu Sisi laughed sincerely, her heart filled with joy.

When the first batch of rice cakes was ready, Di Yelei filled a large bowl with them and let everyone help themselves.

The rice cakes had a subtle sourness and sweetness, which made them both delicious and filling. Made from rice, they were perfect for the children as they wouldn’t cause indigestion, even Da Mao had a few.

Everyone chatted and laughed, and once the slab oil was ready, they scooped out the oil residue and began to fry crispy strips. Crispy strips were made by wrapping fatty meat with sweet potato flour and then frying them in an oil pan until golden brown.

Following that were the crispy meats, made by frying lean meat coated with sweet potato flour. Then came the fried balls, made mostly from vegetables and small fish. The small fish were covered in a thin layer of cornstarch and then fried. Finally, they made sticky rice balls and deep-fried cakes…

After steaming the dishes three consecutive times in the steaming basket, Di Yelei handed the task of frying the balls to Liu Zhi’er and began to kill the chickens and rabbits with boiled water.

Being accustomed to these tasks, Di Yelei quickly slaughtered five chickens and three rabbits, stuffing their insides with various homemade seasonings, and placing them in the steaming basket to steam the dry chicken and rabbit dishes. He also prepared the front and hind legs of the pig, pig head, pig tail, pig tongue, pig heart, pig stomach, and pig liver, placing them in the steaming basket according to custom.

Once everything was cooking, things quieted down.

“Today we’ve prepared all the food, so anything we want to eat later can be heated up directly from the pot—it’s so convenient!”

Di Yelei said with a smile on his face.

“Absolutely, with so much food and all that meat, we wouldn’t be able to finish it all by the Lantern Festival,” Liu Sisi said, glancing at him slyly.

“Hehehe! It’s better to have more and set some aside. In the past few years, there hasn’t been enough food at home and every New Year’s Eve has been tight. Now everything is better, we have lots of food, so of course, we will have a lavish New Year’s Eve dinner!”

Di Yelei laughed heartily.

Since the dishes in the pot were large and required steaming for at least six hours to be fully cooked, they steamed them overnight. Di Yelei naturally took on the responsibility of tending the fire.

By the time Liu Zhi’er started frying the fish, the smell made Liu Sisi nauseous, and she ended up washing up and going to bed.

As the family laughed and chatted, the night passed by unknowingly.

When Liu Sisi woke up, Di Yelei was still asleep, hugging her tightly. She gently crawled out of bed and saw Liu Zhi’er combing her wet hair.

“Little Sister, you’re awake. I’ve heated water in the pot and already washed YingEr clean. Do you want to wash up too?”

Liu Zhi’er, freshly bathed, exuded a gentle aura, leaving Liu Sisi mesmerized.

She suddenly realized that her Second Sister was not even 20 years old yet. In her previous life, she would have been a young girl like a budding flower—yet now, she dressed and acted like an old woman.

Perhaps it was because she had been staring at her for so long without speaking that Liu Zhi’er looked at her curiously and, with a confused expression, fixed her hair behind her head.

“What’s wrong? Did I not clean myself properly?”

Liu Zhi’er quickly checked herself.

“No, it’s just that I just realized how beautiful, pure, and gentle my Second Sister is. It’s beyond my ability to describe…”

Liu Sisi’s words seemed like a dream, causing Liu Zhi’er’s face to turn bright red!

This blush added a touch of rouge to her face, making her look all the more delightful!

“You…how dare you, making fun of your Second Sister. Watch me tear your mouth apart…”

Liu Zhi’er teased and pretended to pounce on her.

Liu Sisi instinctively dodged, and the sisters laughed and played together: “Ouch! Don’t treat me like this. I’m most ticklish…”

“Mom! Second Aunt!”

Di Xuan peeked out from the bathroom and saw the two laughing, unsure of what was happening.

“Alright, alright, stop playing…”

After the sisters had enough fun, they stopped. Liu Sisi leaned against the wall, wiping the tears from her laughter.

“I saw you two washing your hair and taking a bath, so I thought I might as well do the same.”

Although she had washed not even two or three days ago, with the end of the year approaching, she ought to take a good bath.

As Liu Sisi went in to bathe, Liu Zhi’er tidied her hair and put on her thick clothes.

These were new clothes, bought by Liu Sisi, a water-red Zhijin long skirt embroidered with white lotus flowers at the hem. The slender waist was held by a green Zhijin waistband. Though the water-red color was pleasant to the eye, Liu Zhi’er hesitated, wondering whether she, an old woman, was worthy of such tender colors.

She was lost in thought when she suddenly heard a commotion at the main entrance, followed by the barking of Ah-Huang and Ah-Hua.

“Ah-Huang, Ah-Hua, stop barking! What’s going on today? Why are you barking so loudly?”

As Liu Zhi’er spoke, she drove away the two dogs and then opened the courtyard door. But then her smile turned to horror, and she let out a scream.

The scream startled Liu Sisi, who was taking a bath, and Di Ye Lei, who was asleep.

Almost instantly, he hurried out of bed, not even bothering to put on his clothes properly. He scrambled to put on his shoes and rushed out the door.

“What happened? What happened? Did something happen to Sisi?”

With his waistband still in hand, he charged over to the courtyard door. Looking up, he saw someone who shouldn’t have been there – Dong Chang!

At that moment, Dong Chang was trying to drag Liu Zhi’er out of the door while she wailed nonstop.

“Let her go! Let her go, Dong Chang, you bastard, you son of a bitch! Let go of Da Mao! Let her go!”

It was at this moment that Di Ye Lei finally saw what the two were fighting over – Da Mao, who was between them!

Di Ye Lei was furious! He strode forward and lifted Dong Chang off the ground with one hand!

“Dong Chang! What do you think you’re doing? You better let Da Mao go, or else don’t blame me for being rude!”

“Let go, Di, don’t think I’m afraid of you. I’m telling you, I, Dong Chang, am not afraid of you! Heh, heh, heh… What have I got to lose now? If you dare, just hit me! Aim at my chest! Let’s see who’s afraid of who!”

Dong Chang was determined! He didn’t back down but instead pressed forward!

As the saying goes, a barefooted person is not afraid of someone wearing shoes!

Dong Chang was like a dead pig not afraid of being scalded by boiling water, acting like a hooligan in front of Di Ye Lei!

“It hurts! It hurts so much! Boo hoo…”

Da Mao kept crying; even the little fellow who was usually quiet and well-behaved was constantly sobbing today.