The retired rough man dotes on his mother

As soon as the children got up in the morning, they went to feed Weiwu and Rouyuan, while Shen Zhensheng and Xiao Baoer made breakfast in the kitchen.

"Mom, let me make breakfast with you and Dad," Dabao went into the kitchen after finishing his morning reading.

"No need, son. Dad and I have already prepared the meal. You can help your brother and sister wash their hands, and then come over to serve the steamed buns and dumplings."

"Okay, I'll go now."

Dabao went out and poured warm water into the basin, then called his younger brothers and sisters to wash their hands.

"Manman, Tuantuan, come here, let brother wash your hands," Dabao shouted to his younger siblings.

"Okay, brother, here we come," Manman and Tuantuan came over.

"Brother, I want to wash myself," Manman didn't let her brother help her. She picked up the special soap for hand washing and started washing properly.

"Tuantuan, wash your hands like your sister," Dabao handed the soap to Tuantuan.

After washing their hands, the eldest and second child went to the kitchen to help, and the three younger ones sat on the stools waiting for dinner.

"Mom, I want to eat a steamed bun," Manman looked at his mother with his hands open after finishing the vegetable and shrimp cake.

"Okay, take whatever you want to eat, and remember to finish the millet porridge."

Manman agreed while taking the steamed dumpling and eating it, and blew on it herself, but it was actually not hot anymore, otherwise Xiao Baoer would not let her take it herself.

"Wife, after dinner I will go rent a bullock cart from the village. You can wait for me at home with the children. I will also check if there is anything missing."

The New Year is approaching and Xiao Baoer has not yet returned to her parents' home to give New Year gifts, so the two of them agreed last night to take the children back to her parents' home today to give New Year gifts.

"Okay, we brought a lot of stuff, so we shouldn't be missing anything."

Shen Zhensheng and Xiao Baoer took the children back to her parents' home. The Xiao family was preparing New Year's Eve meals at home.

"Mom, isn't my dad home?"

Xiao's mother said, "Your father's apprentice is from the next village. He met a girl a few days ago and is going to the girl's house today to discuss it. He came early in the morning and asked your father to go too."

"Dachengzi has reached the age to get engaged so quickly. This is too fast."

Xiao Baoer had met Xiao's father's apprentice when she went back to her mother's home before. He was a young man from the next village and looked to be only sixteen or seventeen years old.

"Dachengzi is the only son in the family. His mother is anxious for him to carry on the family line. She urged him to get married when he was just 17 years old."

"We get married early in the countryside. When Baoer and I met, I had been in the army for several years. Now we feel like an old married couple," Shen Zhensheng joked.

"Brother-in-law, you two are not an old married couple. You two act like you are in a honey pot all day long," the third sister-in-law also joked with Shen Zhensheng and Xiao Baoer.

"My father loves my mother the most, and then my brothers and me," Manman said while sitting on her grandmother's lap.

Manman's words made everyone laugh, but Shen Zhensheng and Xiao Baoer were still a little shy.

"You're such a clever girl, you know so much," Xiao Baoer nodded her full little nose.

"How are your three children doing in junior high school in town over the past six months? Are they adapting?" asked Xiao's mother.

"Grandma, we are fine. Erbao and I are learning the second grade knowledge with Sanbao. We are having a lot of fun," Dabao said when he heard grandma asking about the three of them.

"That's fine. My grandson is really capable. He can go to junior high school at the age of ten. Sanbao is only eight or nine years old."

At first, Xiao Baoer was afraid that the children would be unhappy, but gradually she discovered that her three sons were actually much more capable than she and Shen Zhensheng had imagined.

Although they are young, they are very comprehensive in handling things. Their neither humble nor arrogant attitude towards those who are jealous of them also makes Xiao Baoer very satisfied.

By the afternoon, Xiao's father had not returned yet. Seeing that the weather was getting colder, Xiao Baoer and Shen Zhensheng decided to take the children back home first. Anyway, they would come back to visit relatives in a few days.

"Mom, my sister's hairpin fell off," Sanbao picked up the hairpin from the quilt on the ox cart.

"Thank you, son. This is your sister's favorite hairpin. Dad bought it from Shanghai. She will make a fuss if you lose it," Xiao Baoer pinned another hairpin on Manman.

"My sister is so cute, and prettier than other sisters," Erbao pinched her little face which was white and rosy.

"Yes, our sister is the most beautiful," Sanbao nodded in agreement with his brother.

After returning home, Xiao Baoer asked the children to feed Weiwu and Rouyuan. The children had been worried that Weiwu and Rouyuan might be hungry all the way and now they couldn't wait to see them.

"Sanbao, feed Weiwu another banana. It likes bananas very much," Xiao Baoer came out of the house with a banana.

"Here I come, Mom," Sanbao stood up and ran to his mother, "Mom, I want to eat one too. I'll eat one by one."

"Okay, you're just a little greedy cat," Xiao Baoer handed him the banana.

Seeing that the children were having fun, Xiao Baoer ignored them. She went into the house and prepared New Year gifts for Shen's father and mother with Shen Zhensheng.

"Wife, mother told us yesterday not to send them anything anymore. We don't need anything at home."

"Giving gifts before the New Year is the custom here. It doesn't matter if it's too much or too little, as long as it expresses your heartfelt gratitude," Xiao Baoer has adapted to the local customs in recent years and has a better understanding of the customs of the village.

"Okay, see if what I got is enough. If not, we can get some other things."

The two of them packed up the New Year gifts in a hurry, and the children came in because they were hungry after playing outside.

"Mom, we are hungry and I want to drink milk," Tuantuan touched his flat belly and showed it to his mother.

"Okay, Mom will go make milk powder for you. It will be ready soon," Xiao Baoer made milk powder for the two younger ones, while Shen Zhensheng went to prepare pastries for them, as well as yogurt for the three brothers Dabao.

"Mom, after dinner can you listen to me play the piano? I think there's something I don't play well," Sanbao asked his mother.

"Of course you can, son. Play it for mom after dinner, and then we can discuss what went wrong with your playing."

After they finished drinking milk and eating cakes, the two of them took the things to Shen's father and mother's house. Shen Zhenjiang and Shen Laoer's families were also in Shen's father and mother's house, and they all gave them New Year gifts.

Although Shen Zhenjiang has not separated from his father and mother yet, he and Jiang Yuqing both feel that they should give their parents a lot of things and money every year, so he will prepare the money and gifts for his parents that Shen Laoer and Shen Zhensheng give to his parents.

"Xiangxiang, come and play," Manman was playing with toys in the yard and calling Xiangxiang to play with him.

"Here I come," Xiang Xiang ran out when he heard his sister's voice, and Shen Zhenjiang followed him.

"When will Dabao and the others start school? Will it be after the 15th?"

"Dad, we will stay at home after the 15th before going to town. The children don't go to school until after the 15th."

Now their family rarely lives in the village, so Shen's father and mother really want Dabao and his friends to stay in the village for a few more days.