Like Father, Like Son

Xie Yunjin was still thinking about it when the Youngest Child ran happily from behind Lu Jiao towards the triplets and said excitedly,

"Big brother, Second brother, Third Brother, Mother bought not only candy for us, but also red bean cake."

The triplets were taken aback when they turned around and looked at the small table, only to find that there were really red bean cakes on it.

The three little boys' eyes lit up, and they quickly turned around to face Xie Yunjin, who was lying on the bed. Xie Yunjin said gently, "Go and eat."

The eldest child quickly dashed to the small table, took a piece of red bean cake, and ran back to the bed and said, "Daddy, eat it."

Daddy will be happy when he eats the red bean cake.

"Daddy won't eat it," Xie Yunjin said, shaking his head. "You can eat it."

At this time, Lu Jiao had just reached the east bedroom. Upon hearing their conversation, she spoke up, "You can try a piece. I have bought enough. You, too, second brother, should try it."

As soon as Lu Jiao said that, Xie Erzhu stood up. This red bean cake is so valuable. How can he eat it? It's better to let the Third Brother eat it to nourish his body.

"I, I'm going back to eat."

However, Lu Jiao stopped him, "Second brother, please stay here for dinner, but there is only white rice porridge and red bean cake. I didn't have time to prepare any side dishes. I haven't dealt with the meat from the pig slaughtered earlier in the morning yet. "

Regardless of the fact that she has space, if she doesn't do something with them today, Xie Yunjin will probably be suspicious. After all, in the summer, how can she prevent the wild boar meat from getting spoiled?

Lu Jiao looked at Xie Erzhu after thinking and said, "Please help me feed Yunjin first. Second brother, you also have a meal after Yunjin has finished eating."

After Lu Jiao finished speaking, she went out of the room. She was really anxious to deal with the remaining pig offal. It's already so late. First, she'll marinate some of them and then think about the rest.

In the room, Xie Yunjin, who was sitting on the bed, first gazed at her leaving back, and then he turned his attention to the small table. On the small table, there were six bowls of porridge, it was clear that one of them was for Xie Erzhu.

Xie Yunjin said, "Second brother, you should eat first."

How could Xie Erzhu possibly be willing to eat first, so he immediately brought a bowl of porridge to Xie Yunjin.

In the room, the four little ones also sat down around the small table and happily ate dinner. While eating, the Youngest Child said with a smile.

"Mother is so good. She not only bought candies for us, but also red bean cakes."

The little boy's good-looking peach blossom eyes turned into a crescent moon as he smiled, and his cute little appearance made people's hearts feel soft when they saw it.

When the triplets heard what he said, they were furious. Hmph, he sounds like Mother is good to him only. Hmph, isn't she good to all of them?

Lu Jiao set up firewood in the kitchen, and put the wild boar meat that had been left earlier by the villagers into the pot, along with the seasonings that she had bought in town.

When the fire in the stove was burning, she took the time to sit down and eat dinner.

It's been a really tiring day.

Even though she was tired, she was quite happy, especially when she remembered the adorable appearance of the Youngest Child as he called her mother, which put her in a particularly good mood.

Just as Lu Jiao was thinking, from outside the kitchen, the Youngest Child's soft voice rang out, "Mother, have you eaten dinner yet?"

Yo, Lu Jiao is even happier now that she knows that he cares about her.

"Have you eaten? Have you eaten?"

The Youngest Child fumbled and came over. The oil lamp in the kitchen was not too bright. Lu Jiao was afraid that he would fall, so she hurried over and hugged him and sat on the stone behind the stove.

"Mother, this red bean cake, I'll give it to you," the Youngest Child said as he placed the red bean cake in his hand in front of Lu Jiao's mouth.

Lu Jiao's heart was overwhelmed with joy.

"You eat it yourself. Mother won't eat it."

"Mother, I have eaten it. This is what I left for you," the youngest child said with a smile.

"Well, it's delicious," Lu Jiao said as she took a bite.

The red bean cake was eaten one by one by the mother and son.

The second child and the third child were leaning against the kitchen door, peeking in. When they saw the actions of the Youngest Child, the two little guys muttered with dark faces, "Little sycophant."

"Will she like the Fourth Child and not us?"

When the Second Child heard what the Third Child said, he was in a bad mood and turned around and ran away, and the third child quickly followed.

In the kitchen, Lu Jiao naturally heard the two little guys outside, but she didn't care.

The smell of stewed pork quickly spread in the air. Fortunately, Xie Yunjin and the others lived in the westernmost part of the village, so few people smelled it. However, everyone from the second grandma next door could smell it, and in the house, all of them started to talk about it while sniffing.

[T/N: According to the author, Lu Jiao is actually red cooking.

Red cooking, also called Chinese stewing, red stewing, red braising, or flavor potting, is a slow braising Chinese cooking technique that imparts a reddish-brown coloration to the prepared food.]

"Where is this smell coming from? It has such a wonderful aroma."

"It's very fragrant. I've never smelled anything like it."

Xie Xiaobao took a sniff and said, "I think it is coming from something prepared by the third aunt next door. I'm going to take a look."

Xie Laifu was angry and wanted to scold his son, but Xie Xiaobao ran away in a hurry to the house next door, and asked Lu Jiao, who was sitting behind the stove, "Third Aunt, what are you cooking? It's delicious."

Lu Jiao has always liked Xie Xiaobao. When she saw him, she recalled that he was also protecting the quadruplets today, and her mood got even better.

"I'm just red cooking some pig offal. I'll give you a plate to try later."

"Okay."

As she stirred around in the pot, Xie Xiaobao kept on staring greedily, and Lu Jiao was pretty amused.

Because she was red cooking the pork, it didn't take too long, not to mention that it was getting late, and Lu Jiao didn't cook too much. So when it was almost red cooked, she fished out the pork.

When it was fished out, Lu Jiao first cut a piece of red cooked pig liver for Xie Xiaobao and fed it to his mouth.

"How is it? Is it spicy?"

"Spicy, how did you do this, Third Aunt? It's so delicious," Xie Xiaobao said immediately after eating.

When the youngest child saw it, he hastily tugged Lu Jiao's clothes and called, "Mother, I want to eat too, I want to eat too."

Lu Jiao cut a small piece of pork liver for him.

"Spicy, mother's craftsmanship is excellent," the Fourth Child commented as he ate it contentedly.

Outside the kitchen, when the Second Child and the Third Child both saw him, they couldn't think of anything else. They rushed in like small cannonballs, opening their mouths and saying, "Mother, I want it too. I want it too."

"Mother, ah."

The two small mouths opened like two little crows waiting to be fed, and Lu Jiao was stunned for a moment.

Because the two little boys just called her Mother, so in this way, the three little boys among the quadruplets have already called her mother, only the eldest child did not call her that.

Lu Jiao's mood is getting even more better, and she felt the exhaustion from a moment ago fade away completely.

She cut two small pieces of red cooked pork liver for her two sons to eat too.

Lu Jiao looked up after she finished feeding the second child and the third child to see the eldest child standing outside the door, but the little boy stubbornly pursed his lips, as if he did not care about it.

She found it funny, but she didn't want to embarrass him, so she waved him in.

"Eldest Child, you come here too, and I'll cut a piece for you to eat."

The eldest child hesitated for a moment, his small face full of seriousness, then walked in solemnly and opened his mouth.

His seriousness amused Lu Jiao to no end.

But, fearing that he would become angry if she teased him, Lu Jiao quickly cut a piece of pig liver and offered it to the eldest child, asking, "How is it? Is it delicious?"

After the eldest child tasted it, he commented unhurriedly, "It's okay."

When she saw him like this, Lu Jiao couldn't help but think of Xie Yunjin, who was lying on the bed, and she couldn't help but roll her eyes, indeed like father, like son.