Little Second Son grew anxious seeing his mother only praise his older brother and not him. He immediately tugged at Si Nian's sleeve and said, "Mom, I’ll go ask the teacher for a little red flower tomorrow too."
Si Nian looked at his damp clothes and his runny nose, amused as she pinched his cheek. "Alright, but first go take a bath and change. I bought some nice-smelling soap for you."
Her tone didn’t cheer him up. Instead, his little brows furrowed even deeper.
He glanced at his spotless older brother, then back at himself.
His small shoulders slumped.
Zhou Zehan knew deep down that his brother got the little red flower because he was the top student in class.
The teacher would often ask him why his brother was so smart while he struggled so much.
Before, Zhou Zehan hadn’t cared—wasn’t it enough that his brother was amazing?
But now, seeing his brother shining so brightly, he couldn’t help but feel a surge of envy.
Smart, capable kids were loved by teachers—and by mothers too.
He kept stealing glances at Si Nian, and when he saw her smiling warmly at him, he clenched his little fists and vowed to study hard like his brother and earn a little red flower too.
When he gave it to his mom, she’d definitely like him more.
Having painted this grand future for himself, his sadness vanished as quickly as it came. Soon, he was distracted by the fragrant soap Si Nian had bought and ran off to bathe.
Shitou was just as grubby, so the two little boys heated water themselves and sat in a basin, scrubbing each other. Before long, the water turned murky.
Zhou Zedong, sweating as he carried hot water for his younger brothers, didn’t even take off his jacket despite the effort.
Si Nian stepped into the kitchen and spotted the pig intestines and other ingredients on the counter—likely delivered by Yu Dong earlier that day.
Perfect timing, since she had just bought a variety of braising spices during her trip to town.
Today, she’d braise everything and later share some with Aunt Zhang and the rest of the family.
Fortunately, the ingredients had already been cleaned thoroughly, so Si Nian only needed to rinse them a few times.
She washed the spices, wrapped them in cheesecloth to make a seasoning pouch, and set it aside.
Next, she marinated the cleaned intestines, pork kidneys, and trotters with salt, wine, and ginger.
Then came the braising broth—bringing it to a boil before reducing to a simmer for thirty minutes, then adding soy sauce, dark soy sauce, salt, and MSG for flavor.
Finally, she fished out the ginger and scallions before adding the intestines and trotters.
A rich, mouthwatering aroma soon filled every corner of the house.
Before long, the entire Zhou household was enveloped in the irresistible scent.
The two boys, still playing with water outside, were drooling. They hurriedly finished bathing, barely drying off before dashing to the kitchen in their underwear.
That smell—they recognized it instantly. It was the same braised meat Si Nian had made before.
They remembered it well.
Little Zhou Zehan had even gnawed on half a pig’s trotter last time—so tender, so flavorful.
Just as Si Nian covered the pot, the two little rascals appeared at the kitchen door, their big round eyes fixed on her.
Still shirtless.
Si Nian glanced at Zhou Zehan. He had filled out a bit, but he was still a challenge to nourish. Given his naturally tall frame, he was growing fast—his height had shot up, but his ribs were still faintly visible.
He definitely needed more meat in his diet.
Zhou Zedong had also caught the delicious scent, but his self-control was stronger. Unlike the other two, he calmly went to put shoes on their newly awakened little sister, Yaoyao, and carried her downstairs for dinner.
Then, he started teaching her to talk.
"Yaoyao, say 'brother.'"
"Gee-gee~"
Hearing this, the two boys lingering by the kitchen were instantly distracted. Seeing their eldest brother coaxing Yaoyao to call him, they panicked and rushed over, forgetting all about food.
Their little sister could already say "Mom" and "woof-woof," but she still hadn’t said "brother"!
No way—she had to say their names next!
"Yaoyao, I’m Second Brother! Say it—'Second Brother!'"
"Yaoyao, I’m Shitou-gege..."
The lively chatter of the children filled the living room.
Si Nian stood in the kitchen, glancing back at them.
Suddenly, she remembered her first days in the Zhou household.
How things had changed.
Zhou Yueshen came home earlier than usual today.
Yu Dong trailed behind him. He had delivered the pig intestines earlier and knew Si Nian would be cooking something delicious.
So he shamelessly invited himself over.
The moment they reached the door, the rich aroma hit them.
Yu Dong’s heart leaped—just as he’d hoped!
"Boss, I’ve logged tomorrow’s shipment list. Some places are pretty far, so Brother Lin and I will handle those."
"Oh, and I dropped off the morning delivery. There’s no way you’ll finish all that—let me help."
Zhou Yueshen paused, his hand on the door. Then he stepped inside, turned, and said coolly, "Finished?"
Yu Dong: "Huh? Yeah."
Zhou Yueshen shut the door with a firm thud. "Then go home."
Yu Dong: "..."
Since Si Nian had braised meat, she didn’t cook many additional dishes. Instead, she rinsed some pickled cabbage from the jar, chopped it, and boiled it with red beans.
Then she roasted a few green peppers and tossed them with cucumber for a cold salad.
Just as she carried the dishes out, she saw Zhou Yueshen’s tall figure striding through the gate.
"You’re back." Si Nian had her hair tied in a messy bun—even the simplest hairstyle looked stunning on her.
"Mn." Zhou Yueshen’s deep voice rumbled as his gaze lingered on her.
"Wash up for dinner."
She tossed the words over her shoulder and returned to the kitchen.
The man followed, washing his hands.
Si Nian was ladling soup nearby, her delicate profile glowing in the kitchen light.
Zhou Yueshen dried his hands, stepped closer, and murmured, "Let me."
She handed him the ladle without protest, then passed him a large plate of sliced braised meat. "Take this out too."
Zhou Yueshen glanced at it, then took the plate with a quiet acknowledgment.
Si Nian lifted the lid of the rice pot, and a cloud of fragrant steam billowed out.
She scooped out the fluffy rice, revealing a thick, golden crust at the bottom—crispy, savory, a childhood snack she’d always loved.
She scraped it onto a plate and carried it out.
The children were already lining up with their bowls, waiting for rice.
"Mom, let me help!" Zhou Zehan grabbed the scoop, eagerly packing rice into each bowl.
He pressed down each scoop firmly before handing the first heaping bowl to Si Nian.
She stared at the mountain of rice and laughed helplessly.
"Give it to Dad first. I can’t eat this much."
Zhou Zehan glanced at his father, who was holding Yaoyao, and reluctantly passed it over. "Dad, here."
Zhou Yueshen took it without comment.
Though he had raised these children for years, they had never been particularly close.
Now, after just a few months with Si Nian, she had effortlessly surpassed him in their hearts.
But she deserved it.
Zhou Yueshen didn’t mind. In fact, he thought this was just fine.
After serving everyone else their portions, Zhou Zehan finally scooped rice for himself, then eagerly plopped down beside Si Nian.
His enthusiasm even drew a curious glance from Shitou.
