Si Nian blinked her eyes, thinking she must be seeing things.
When she finally focused, she froze.
It was the same dress she had bought yesterday.
Though the color was different, the style was identical.
How could this be...
Si Nian hurried downstairs, but the house was empty, the lights turned off.
At this hour, Zhou Yueshen must have gone back to the pig farm to work.
If not for the clothes hanging outside, she would have thought he hadn’t come home at all.
But that didn’t make sense—if he had returned, she should have noticed something.
She was a light sleeper, and usually, she could sense when Zhou Yueshen came back, even if just faintly.
Today, she hadn’t felt a thing, which meant he must have come home but hadn’t gone to bed?
Yesterday, he had only been back briefly before rushing off to the farm again. Even if he had to go to the city, he’d probably wait until after finishing his work in the evening.
So, after all that, he had gone out of his way to make a trip to the city—just to replace this dress for her?
Si Nian stood there, stunned.
She had lived many years, and with her transmigration, it felt like two lifetimes.
Yet never had someone cherished her so deeply, going sleepless all night just to buy her a dress.
If this were happening to someone else in the future, she would have scoffed and called them a lovesick fool.
She used to despise people who were blindly in love.
But now that she was the one being doted on like this...
...
Zhou Yueshen wasn’t much of a talker, nor was he expressive. But when it came to actions, he gave his all.
You could say he was foolish—staying up all night to travel to the city just for a nightgown.
Or you could say he was brilliant—after all, he was capable and made good money.
Si Nian admitted she had never fully committed to the relationship, always keeping her emotions in check.
But now, with him going this far, it was hard not to be moved.
Perhaps love always comes with a sense of indebtedness, because right now, her heart was filled with guilt.
She couldn’t let him be the only one putting in effort.
These past few days, Zhou Yueshen had been running around with her, exhausted enough as it was.
And now, another sleepless night.
No matter how strong he was, he was already thirty.
If this kept up, he’d collapse sooner or later.
No—she had to cook him something nourishing.
Luckily, she still had some dried goji berries and yam from her last shopping trip. Si Nian, now wide awake, hurried to the kitchen to dig out the stored ingredients.
If she started simmering it on low heat in the morning, it would be ready by noon.
She rinsed some soybeans and cleaned an old smoked pig trotter she had saved.
Though not as tender as fresh ones, the cured meat had a firmer texture and richer flavor, something men especially loved.
Country folks had a particular fondness for cured meats too.
Whether stir-fried or stewed, the aroma was irresistible.
Si Nian decided on a soybean and pig trotter stew.
Of course, cleaning it was a hassle.
Since it had been salted, it needed thorough rinsing.
Otherwise, the broth would turn out too salty.
First, she charred the skin over a flame, then soaked it in hot water to scrub.
After scraping off the blackened bits, she struggled to chop the trotter in half.
It wasn’t that she didn’t want smaller pieces—she just lacked the strength.
Splitting it into two was already a feat, thanks to the hefty cleaver she kept at home.
Once cleaned, she blanched it with ginger, scallions, and garlic to remove any gaminess, then set it to stew.
The cured meat already had enough salt, so no extra seasoning was needed.
Just slow-cooking it would bring out all the richness.
Si Nian covered the pot and headed upstairs.
She peeked into the children’s room.
Lately, Yaoyao had been sleeping with her brothers.
Pushing the door open quietly, she saw the little girl was already awake.
Zhou Zedong and Zhou Zehan had no school today and were still fast asleep.
Zhou Zehan, despite his young age, snored like thunder.
The sound hit her the moment she stepped inside.
Si Nian stifled a laugh, glancing at Zhou Zedong on the other small bed.
The older boy slept soundlessly, with Yaoyao curled up beside him.
The little one was probably hungry, clutching her empty milk bottle and sucking on it desperately.
Her soft hair was a mess, sticking to her damp face.
The child sweated easily in her sleep, waking up with hair damp every morning.
But skipping the blanket wasn’t an option—she’d catch a chill.
Still, she hadn’t disturbed her brothers, sitting quietly by herself.
The moment she spotted Si Nian, she perked up, holding out the empty bottle with pleading eyes. "Mama~ empty."
Si Nian hurried over, patting her head. "Alright, Mama will get you something yummy."
She lifted the little girl gently, careful not to wake the boys. They deserved their weekend lie-in.
Since the kids were home, Si Nian had already prepared congee and boiled eggs.
She also mixed a fresh bottle of milk for Yaoyao.
Just as they were settling down for breakfast, someone knocked at the door.
Si Nian stepped outside to find Shitou standing there eagerly.
The boy had clearly just woken up—his hair was tousled, sleep still crusted in the corners of his eyes.
His clothes hung loosely on his frame, straw sandals revealing half his feet.
The moment he saw Si Nian, his face lit up. "Auntie, you’re back!"
He had caught the delicious scent while brushing his teeth and knew right away—only Auntie Si Nian could make food smell this good. Without a second thought, he’d dashed over.
Si Nian smiled, opening the gate. "Come in, Shitou. Have you eaten breakfast yet?"
Shitou nodded earnestly. "Yes, Auntie."
Then he added, "But I’m still hungry."
Si Nian chuckled, ruffling his hair. "Alright, come inside. I’ll fix you something."
She led him in, where Yaoyao sat on a small stool, sipping her congee.
Shitou immediately bounded over. "Yaoyao, look what I brought you!"
He dug into his pocket and proudly produced a handful of wild berries.
...
Zhou Zedong and Zhou Zehan woke to the mouthwatering smell of stewed meat.
They were early risers, even on weekends, rarely lazing in bed.
But as they came downstairs, they spotted Shitou crouched in front of their little sister, offering her those grubby-looking berries.
Normally, they wouldn’t have minded.
They’d even think Shitou was being nice—sharing his finds with Yaoyao.
He was one of the few kids they actually liked.
But after yesterday’s incident, Zhou Zehan rushed down. "No! Yaoyao can’t eat that. She’ll get worms in her tummy!"
Shitou flinched. "Worms? Why?"
He held out the berries defensively. "They’re just wild fruit, Second Brother. You’ve eaten them before—no worms!"
Zhou Zehan gave him a knowing look. "Mama said we can’t eat random stuff from outside or skip washing hands. If you’re not clean, you get worms—like the ones you had before."
He nodded solemnly. "You’re not clean, Shitou. You definitely have worms in you."
Shitou was always covered in dirt.
He never liked washing his hands, and his nose was perpetually runny.
Well, maybe not all the time, just occasionally.
Now that he was older, he didn’t droop snot as much.
As soon as Zhou Zehan finished speaking, Shitou was instantly terrified. He still remembered the time his stomach was infested with long, disgusting worms. It had been awful—his belly ached, and he couldn’t eat.
It wasn’t until he took medicine that he finally got better.
Hearing Zhou Zehan say that he definitely had worms in his stomach again, Shitou was so scared he burst into tears, wailing, "Ah, I have worms? There are worms in my belly again! Second Brother, am I gonna die? Waaah!"
Hearing the commotion, Si Nian hurried out of the kitchen and saw Shitou wiping his tears, looking utterly miserable and frightened. "What’s going on? Why is Shitou crying?"
Zhou Zehan quickly ran up to Si Nian and explained, "Mom, I didn’t bully Shitou! It’s just that he’s not clean, so he definitely has worms in his stomach. I told him, and he got scared and cried."
Then, with a hint of uncertainty, he asked, "Mom… I don’t have worms in my belly, right?"
He didn’t want to die yet. He hadn’t even grown up—he still needed to earn money for Mom and Yaoyao!
Si Nian couldn’t help but laugh at his dramatics. "Silly child, not everyone gets worms. But if you stay clean and practice good hygiene, you won’t get them in the future."
"Shitou, stop crying. Your second brother was just scaring you."
Shitou looked at her with teary eyes. "Auntie, I really don’t have worms in my belly?"
Si Nian stared at his grubby little face and hesitated.
Kids in the countryside often had this problem, especially at Shitou’s age.
Zhou Zedong and Zhou Zehan were usually pretty clean, so they probably didn’t have this issue.
But Shitou…
She coughed awkwardly and reassured him, "Even if you do, it’s nothing to worry about. There’s medicine now—just take it and you’ll be fine. Just remember to stay clean and practice good hygiene from now on, and they won’t come back."
Shitou trusted her completely and immediately vowed to keep himself clean from then on.
…
By the time the braised pork trotters were ready, it was already noon.
The kids had long since gone out to play. Since it was a rare day off, Si Nian had let the two brothers take Yaoyao out.
Shitou, terrified of having worms, ran home and demanded a bath the moment he got back.
His grandmother was shocked.
Since when was her grandson so obsessed with cleanliness?
Normally, he was like a little mud monkey—yet today, he actually wanted to bathe?
…
Si Nian cut the pork trotters into pieces and packed them up to bring to Zhou Yueshen.
She also prepared a simple dipping sauce with a bit of chili.
Si Nian loved spicy food, even though she couldn’t handle it well. Still, she always made sure to add a little heat to her meals.
That’s why she had made the dipping sauce.
She hadn’t eaten lunch yet either, so she packed extra, planning to share the meal with him.
Eating alone was just too pitiful.
After setting aside a few bones for Da Huang, she grabbed her keys, picked up the lunchbox, and headed out.
The walk to the pig farm took less than ten minutes.
Soon, Si Nian stepped inside.
The workers were sitting on the ground, eating their lunches.
It was break time.
She didn’t see Zhou Yueshen.
When they noticed her, they greeted her warmly. "Sis, here to bring the boss his meal?"
"Wow, so much today! Boss is in for a treat."
Si Nian was familiar with them by now and smiled. "Where is he?"
"He’s resting in the office. Oh, and the kids came by earlier too. They’re probably still there—go check."
Raising an eyebrow, Si Nian made her way to Zhou Yueshen’s office.
Before she even reached the door, she could hear Zhou Zehan animatedly recounting the story of Shitou’s worm scare.
"Mom said kids who aren’t clean get worms in their bellies!"
"Dad, it’s so scary!"
"But Mom said you can take medicine and get better. Shitou has to take medicine now."
"Then the worms will come out—and they’re super long! Shitou had them before, and his belly hurt really bad. Dad, I’m gonna wash my hands before eating from now on. You should too! You gotta stay clean, or you’ll get worms, and then your belly will hurt!"
Yaoyao sat on the small bed nearby, not really understanding what her brother was saying.
But seeing how serious he was, she nodded along with a solemn expression.
Zhou Yueshen sat at his desk, listening attentively as his sons took turns explaining.
He had a pretty good idea of what had happened.
Stomach worms weren’t unusual for country kids—nothing to make a fuss about.
Even if people knew, they didn’t pay much attention. A pill would fix it, after all.
Kids would still play in the dirt, and worms would still happen.
But their own children were a bit better off. The two boys had never had this problem, even when they were younger.
Now that they were older—and influenced by Si Nian—they were even more hygiene-conscious.
No way they’d get worms now.
With a slight nod, he replied in a gentle voice, "Dad understands."
Just then, there was a knock at the door.
Si Nian walked in carrying the lunchbox, looking both amused and exasperated.
"Mom! You’re here!" Zhou Zehan immediately perked up.
Earlier that morning, Si Nian had told the boys to go out and play. But since they didn’t have many friends in the village and nowhere interesting to go, they didn’t want to go home—afraid she’d ask why they were back so soon.
So, they ended up at the pig farm to see the piglets.
After spending the morning with their dad, they’d just settled in the office to rest when Zhou Zehan couldn’t resist bringing up Shitou’s worm crisis.
Zhou Yueshen stood when he saw her and stepped forward.
He took the lunchbox from her hands—it was heavy, packed with plenty of food.
His dark eyes met hers. "You’re here."
Si Nian flushed slightly under his gaze, suddenly remembering the incident with her skirt that morning.
But with the kids around, she couldn’t bring it up.
So she just nodded softly. "Mm. I made braised pork trotters and stir-fried a couple of dishes. You must be hungry."
Zhou Yueshen gave a small nod. "You went through a lot of trouble."
Si Nian studied him, noting that he looked as composed and energetic as ever. She couldn’t help but marvel.
Back when she used to work, if she stayed up past 2 a.m., she’d wake up looking like a zombie—pale and drained.
But this man? He came and went at all hours, barely slept, and yet—not even a hint of dark circles.
Life really wasn’t fair.
She used to think it was ridiculous how novel protagonists—those so-called "tycoons with insomnia"—could look inhumanly handsome despite never sleeping.
Now, she believed it.
"Mom, I wanna eat too." Before she could dwell on it further, Zhou Zehan tugged at her sleeve.
He stared up at her with hopeful eyes.
Si Nian had packed plenty, intending to eat with Zhou Yueshen.
But she hadn’t expected the kids to be here too.
—Let’s get some support for love’s sake!
