Zhou Zehan immediately cheered, "Mom, are we having dumplings tomorrow?"
"I love dumplings! Brother, do you like them too?"
Zhou Zedong shot his younger brother an exasperated glance.
As if he’d ever had dumplings before.
Noticing Si Nian looking over, Zhou Zedong straightened up and said, "Mom, I like them too."
The sound of the front door creaked open, followed by steady footsteps entering from outside.
When Zhou Yueshen stepped in, he brought a gust of chilly air with him.
The countryside nights had grown bitterly cold.
Si Nian was surprised. With the holiday approaching, the pig farm had been exceptionally busy lately.
Zhou Yueshen had been coming home much later than usual.
Today was a rare early return.
She turned to say something when Zhou Zehan dashed over excitedly, grabbing Zhou Yueshen’s large hand and swinging it. "Dad! Dad! We’re having dumplings tomorrow! I’m gonna eat ten big ones!"
Si Nian smiled. "Zehan said tomorrow is New Year’s Day, so I thought we could make some dumplings. What do you think?"
Though Zhou Yueshen carried the cold on him, his sharp features softened noticeably. His deep voice rumbled, "Good."
Everything Si Nian made was delicious—dumplings would be no exception.
Zhou Zehan scampered back, pressing his little face against Si Nian’s arm and looking up with pleading eyes. "Mom, can we also have tangyuan? The round, sweet ones?"
Si Nian chuckled. "Of course. I’ll make whatever you want."
The boy beamed. "You’re the best, Mom! Thank you!"
Zhou Yueshen walked over and picked up Yaoyao, who had been playing with her teddy bear, then settled beside Si Nian.
"I’ll be back by ten tomorrow morning," he said.
Si Nian blinked. "No work?"
"New Year’s holiday. After deliveries, we’re closing. I came back to tell you—I still need to head out again soon."
With the holiday rush, everyone was working overtime since Zhou Yueshen had promised them time off. He’d only slipped home briefly.
Si Nian frowned slightly. "How long will you be?"
"Not long. Go to bed first."
She studied him for a moment before nodding.
The two boys vibrated with excitement. "Dad, are you spending the holiday with us? Will you help make dumplings?"
Zhou Yueshen gave a slight nod. "Yes."
"Yay~ Dumplings with Dad!"
Si Nian stood to prepare dinner for Zhou Yueshen.
Zhou Zedong eyed his overenthusiastic brother. "Finish your homework and go to sleep."
After a pause, he added, "We’re low on firewood. Let’s gather some early tomorrow to help Mom cook the dumplings."
Zhou Zehan, suddenly energized, flipped open his workbook and started scribbling.
His teacher had assigned a New Year’s essay—something he’d struggled with until now. Inspiration struck, and his pen flew across the page.
Title: Making Dumplings with Mom and Dad (Sneak Preview)
Content: Mom says tomorrow’s New Year’s Day, so we’re having dumplings! Dad came home from slaughtering pigs and said he’ll join us. I think he’s bluffing—no way he knows how to make dumplings. But me? Mom says I’m smart. I’ll learn in one glance! My dumplings will be the biggest and prettiest. Oh, and I’m eating TEN dumplings AND ten tangyuan! Ahhh~ I’m so happy...
He grinned ear to ear as he wrote, his gleeful expression making Zhou Zedong glance over repeatedly from his calligraphy practice.
What are you thinking about that’s making you so happy?
He shook his head and continued practicing his handwriting.
Si Nian had bought quite a few calligraphy books, all featuring styles he had never seen before.
Zhou Zedong was fascinated and made sure to practice for at least an hour every day after finishing his homework.
After some time, he noticed his handwriting was improving significantly.
Mom is amazing—she actually bought so many useful things for them...
...
In the kitchen,
Si Nian was reheating a meal for Zhou Yueshen.
She always cooked extra portions, storing them separately,
just so Zhou Yueshen could have a warm meal when he returned late at night.
After dinner, the embers in the stove still glowed, retaining heat for a while.
As she stirred the food in the pan, the man walked in, his tall frame casting a shadow over her like a looming mountain.
Si Nian turned to glance at him, their proximity making her heartbeat quicken. She sped up her movements.
The chill around Zhou Yueshen had faded, replaced by a faint, crisp aura.
"Why did you come in? Are you hungry?"
"It’ll be ready soon."
Zhou Yueshen lowered his gaze to look at her,
his dark eyes deep as ink,
as if they could pull her in.
Si Nian’s lashes fluttered slightly as she hesitated over what to say. Then Zhou Yueshen reached out.
His voice was deep: "Let me handle it. It’s late—you should rest."
Si Nian didn’t hand it over. "Go get some soup to warm your stomach first. It’s over there. I’ll be done here soon."
Zhou Yueshen glanced to the side, then walked over, pulling a large bowl from the cupboard. When he lifted the lid, steam rose from the soup.
She always made sure to prepare soup with meals—it was good for health.
Over the years, Zhou Yueshen’s irregular eating habits due to work had taken a toll on his stomach. Though he had an iron constitution, discomfort still crept in occasionally.
But lately, his stomach seemed to be healing, no longer troubled.
Zhou Yueshen didn’t leave. Instead, he ate his dinner right there in the kitchen.
The Zhou family’s kitchen was spacious, so Si Nian had set up a small table.
When there were many guests, some would eat in the kitchen too.
It was also convenient for storing things.
After Zhou Yueshen finished, she cleared the dishes and saw him off.
Outside, the night was pitch black, the cold wind biting.
Si Nian, dressed in thin loungewear, shivered as the wind raised goosebumps on her arms.
Zhou Yueshen looked at her, his expression softening. "Go to sleep."
Si Nian blinked, then nodded.
"Come back early."
Zhou Yueshen gave a slight nod in agreement.
For a moment, they stood in silence, gazing at each other.
The children had already gone to bed, and even Da Huang had settled down. The only sounds were the wind and their quiet breaths.
After a long pause, Zhou Yueshen stepped forward, his tall frame leaning down. His large hand cradled the back of Si Nian’s neck as he pressed a light kiss to her temple.
"Goodnight."
Si Nian’s lashes trembled. "Goodnight."
...
At the farm,
the squealing of pigs didn’t stop until one in the morning.
There weren’t many households around the farm—when Zhou Yueshen had leased the land, it was mostly empty fields, sparsely populated.
So even late-night slaughtering didn’t disturb anyone’s sleep.
After finishing up tonight, Zhou Yueshen and Lin Feng still had to drive overnight to deliver the goods to the city.
Night driving wasn’t safe, and Lin Feng couldn’t handle it alone, so Zhou Yueshen always went with him.
That way, they could take turns if fatigue set in.
At two in the morning, Yu Dong walked into Zhou Yueshen’s office, yawning.
Zhou Yueshen was sitting at the desk filling out a form when Yu Dong walked in and called out, "Boss."
Without looking up, Zhou Yueshen tidied the items on the desk before responding, "What is it?"
Yu Zhou immediately grinned. "We’ve got a day off tomorrow, right? I rounded up a few of the guys for a night out in the city. You in?"
Zhou Yueshen stood up, fastened the form with a stapler, and set it aside. "No time."
Yu Dong clicked his tongue in disapproval.
"It’s been ages since we all hung out. The guys are itching to grab some drinks together. We finally get a day off, and you’re bailing? What kind of brother does that?"
