The Fat Wife of the 1980s Awakens

Feeling Xiaobao's slight resistance and the tears in his eyes, Xu Xiufang compromised with a distressed heart.

"No problem, Mom will prepare a small rocking chair for you, and we can just enjoy the breeze in the yard, how about that?"

As she spoke, she glanced at Dabao and Erbao standing by the door frame and asked them to stay home to accompany their youngest brother.

Dabao and Erbao didn't want to leave their little brother alone. When they heard their mother's suggestion, Dabao frowned and pouted his lips, as if protesting silently: "We have our own things to do!"

Erbao nodded tacitly to show his agreement.

Facing the children's little emotions, Xu Xiufang did not force them, but gently set up the rocking chair, carefully placed Xiaobao on it, gently stroked his forehead with her fingers, and whispered softly: "Then mom will accompany you for a while."

As soon as the voice fell, Dabao was afraid that his mother would do something wrong to his younger brother, so he rushed forward and held Xiaobao's hand tightly, "Brother will play with you!"

Erbao was not willing to be left behind and grabbed Xiaobao's other hand, "I'll come too. We're not going anywhere. I'll just stay with you."

Seeing this, Xu Xiufang smiled and said nothing, pretending not to notice the subtle psychological changes of the children. She stood up and said, "Xiaobao, do you want to eat the braised pork made by your mother? If you want to eat it, your mother will make it right away."

Xiaobao's eyes suddenly lit up, full of anticipation.

When Dabao and Erbao heard the words 'braised pork', their Adam's apples rolled up and down and their eyes turned to Xu Xiufang.

Xu Xiufang couldn't help laughing. Children are children after all, and it is their nature to yearn for delicious food.

Especially in those days when material things were not abundant and people could only eat meat a few times a year, they had only been able to taste the aroma of meat a handful of times since they grew up.

"Okay, you guys stay here with your brother, and mom will go prepare lunch."

Her words were kind and she turned and walked into the kitchen.

Xu Xiufang gently untied the apron draped over the bamboo pole and slowly rolled up her sleeves with her fingers.

She walked towards the small vegetable patch in the corner of the backyard, bent down, and picked a few fresh and juicy cowpeas and a few plump purple eggplants.

Then she quietly approached the chicken coop, where the hens were pecking at their food leisurely, unaware of her arrival.

She gently opened the fence and groped her fingers in the straw. Soon, two eggs with the hen's body temperature were firmly held in her palms.

Back in the kitchen, the fire was lit, and soon two plates of delicious side dishes came out.

When she placed the blanched pork belly in a clean iron pan without adding a drop of oil, only the sound of the meat rubbing gently against the bottom of the pan could be heard.

Slowly, the fat in the meat was patiently stir-fried out, and the edges gradually turned a charming golden color.

Xu Xiufang couldn't help but feel a surge of emotion in her heart. Such a pure braised pork flavor seemed like a world away, as if she had only occasionally enjoyed it in the orphanage during her childhood.

Just as she was immersed in memories of the past, a burst of noise broke the silence.

She quickly added an appropriate amount of water to the pot, turned down the heat, and let the pork belly release its deep aroma during the slow cooking. Then she hurried to the gate of the courtyard, wanting to find out what was going on.

Outside the door, several children formed a circle, waving pebbles in their hands.

"The fat pig stole other people's food and gave birth to these three little guys."

"They won't grow up, and are destined to die young."

These words were like a cold wind, biting and helpless, making people feel tight in their hearts.

Without a moment's hesitation, she pushed open the old gate and rushed across the threshold like the wind, determined to find a child.

However, those clever little guys smelled the danger and fled in all directions, leaving only a few sporadic laughs.

Although the children's figures have disappeared at the end of the sight, their naughty behavior has not stopped. Occasionally, stones are thrown from the corner, accompanied by childish laughter and inexplicable challenges.

Xu Xiufang saw the daughter of her neighbor Aunt Zhang sticking out her chubby little butt and chasing after the older kids running in front of her.

When she turned her head and looked at the door of her house again, she saw two thin figures standing silently, their eyes flushed with grievance, their innocent eyes looking straight at her.

Xu Xiufang walked slowly towards Xiaobao who was lying in the rocking chair, her fingers gently brushed over the wrinkles of the sheets, and she straightened the corners of the quilt for him.

"Those unpleasant words made my babies sad."

"Don't be afraid, Mom will take care of it and won't let them bother us again."

These warm and resolute words, coming from the usually stern-faced mother, stunned the three children.

Especially Dabao and Erbao, their eyes were filled with confusion and surprise. They couldn't believe that their mother, who was usually strict with them, would stand up so gently to protect them at this moment.

Xu Xiufang's back slowly moved towards the kitchen, thinking in her mind about preparing a sumptuous meal for the children to comfort their wounded hearts.

Afterwards, she planned to find Aunt Zhang to ask who taught the little girl to say such evil words.

She had a vague suspicion that it was Xie Fei, but she was unwilling to act rashly without solid evidence.

As for the one hundred yuan owed by Xie Fei, Xu Xiufang has decided not to ask for it herself. She will handle it properly in her own way.

She thought to herself that perhaps it would be a wiser choice to let the village branch secretary mediate.

Most of the members of the Xie family are shrewd and difficult to deal with. If she goes directly to their house, she will inevitably get involved in a verbal battle. This will not only fail to solve the problem, but may make things even more difficult.

Entering the kitchen, Xu Xiufang picked up a bowl of brightly colored braised pork from the stove.

She picked up a piece and put it in her mouth. The meat was extremely soft and crispy. She took a light bite and the rich meaty aroma instantly exploded in her mouth.

Even Xu Xiufang herself was surprised. She had never expected that she had such a good cooking skill.

In the courtyard, the three little guys pouted their lips so hard that it seemed as if they could hang an oil bottle on them when the aroma of meat drifted in the wind.

Despite this, they felt both fear and lack of favor.

Even though her attitude has softened recently, they still don't dare to approach her easily.

So, I could only stand there and look towards the kitchen.

Xu Xiufang caught a glimpse of the three greedy little cats through the window, and her heart was warmed. She then decided to move the small square table in the main room to under the locust tree in the yard so that they could enjoy their food in the shade.

When Dabao and Erbao opened their big black and shiny eyes and stared at her expectantly, Xu Xiufang chuckled and asked gently, "You little guys, aren't you hungry?"

Erbao almost blurted out: "Hungry!"

Following closely behind, Sanbao also shouted anxiously: "Mom, I'm hungry too!"

In contrast, Dabao seemed a little hesitant. He widened his eyes but did not speak immediately.

Xu Xiufang knows very well that one cannot rush into getting along with children and that the only way to truly win their hearts is with patience and care.