Chapter 411: Long-Lost Smiles

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Miss Li and Tao Zhenggang intended to save the money Su Binglan had given them for the pottery workshop, as it was for their starting capital. The Taos also had to remember their debts and could not forget their roots when their days improved in the future.

Tao Dayong and Tao Eryong felt energetic today and carried their things on their shoulders. The brothers would feel tired if they had to carry other things and walk a few miles home, but they were okay with carrying their necessities.

The Taos had also not eaten meat for a long time, and the thought of it made the two brothers hungry.

Miss Li bought more meat that day, like streaky pork and ribs. She planned to give her sons nourishment when they got home.

On their way home, the Taos naturally had to pass the west side of town. Miss Li looked around the bustling streets, and what she saw surprised her even more. “This street used to be so empty. Why are there so many people here now? They’ve even opened shops here.”

She looked at the shops on the side of the street and was somewhat puzzled. Meanwhile, Tao Eryong smelled the fragrance and said, “Father, Mother, this should be the new Food Street. We can have haggis soup, sesame buns, duck blood vermicelli, barbecue lamb skewers, and even hotpot here.”

He spoke as if he was counting family treasures.

Tao Zhenggang asked, “How do you know so much about this place, Eryong?”

Tao Eryong answered, “I heard it from the people working at the docks. They told me a lot, so I remember it all.”

Finally, Miss Li understood what was happening. “No wonder it smells so good here.”

She looked at Su’s Haggis Soup and stopped briefly before saying, “I wonder how much the food here costs. I’m sure it’s expensive, right?”

Of course, Tao Dayong knew what the prices were like here. Still, even a few copper coins were a lot for the Taos. After all, the two brothers worked hard day and night moving goods and earned only a few coins.

Although the family now had more money, they could not spend it thoughtlessly.

“Father, Mother, we already bought so many things. We should cook and eat at home,” Tao Dayong said.

Tao Eryong smelled the wafting fragrance and started drooling, but he nodded and said, “Big Brother is right. It’s already noon, and I’m a little tired. Let’s go home.”

“All right, let’s go,” Miss Li said, relieved.

She was considering trying the food there just now. She would gladly oblige if her sons said they would want to try some. However, spending the starting capital trying new food would make Miss Li uneasy.

Miss Li sighed in relief when she heard her two sons agreeing to go home instead. After all, it was already noon.

Since it was almost noon, many people would have lunch and rest at home. Some had just started cooking and were collecting firewood when they saw Tao Zhenggang and Miss Li.

Everyone was surprised when they noticed the things the two brothers carried. A woman asked, despite herself, “Miss Li, did you take your boys to the town market just now?”

Miss Li smiled. “Yes, I took them to buy some things just now. Since they’ve suffered so much for my husband and me, I wanted to repay my two boys by nourishing them.

The woman sighed. “It hasn’t been easy for your sons, so you must nourish them. Their health is most vital. They’ve lost so much weight, Miss Li.”

Miss Li’s heart ached when she saw how thin her two sons were. However, the woman was puzzled as everyone in the village knew about the Taos’ situation. They wondered how the Taos could afford to buy so many things now.

Others wanted to ask a few more questions but were too embarrassed.

Miss Li thought she would tell the villagers the truth if they asked, but she said nothing since they were too shy to ask.

After getting home, Miss Li told her husband, “Let’s tidy up the pottery workshop in the afternoon and officially start work tomorrow.” Tao Zhenggang nodded. “Yeah, that’s what I was thinking too.”

“Let’s do that together,” Tao Dayong added.

“Of course we will.”

After getting home, Tao Dayong and Tao Eryong did not laze around and helped their parents split firewood instead. Soon after, Tao Zhenggang started the fire, and his wife started cooking.

Miss Li planned to make noodles with pork ribs for lunch. Pure white rice and pork ribs were excellent foods for farmers. However, most were reluctant to buy pork ribs, even during the New Year, because of their high price.

This time, Miss Li bought the pork ribs with great determination, even though she was only willing to buy such things once in a blue moon. Right now, she only wanted to give her sons some nourishment.

She had also bought pork meat, which she roasted until she could extract its oil to add to the pork ribs and noodle dish.

Tao Dayong and Tao Eryong were chopping firewood in the courtyard when they smelled the fragrance and got hungry. Tao Dayong gulped and continued chopping firewood, but his younger brother sniffed the air, saying, “That smells great, Big Brother! I’m getting so hungry.”

Still, Tao Dayong continued chopping the firewood to distract himself. “We’ll be eating soon, so hurry up and chop the firewood, okay?”

“All right, Big Brother. Mother said she would make meat dumplings for us tonight, too.”

The two brothers had only heard of dumplings but had never eaten or had any at home.

“I wonder if Mother knows how to make them.’

“Mother learned it from Mrs. Liu before. She knows how to make them,” Tao Dayong said.

“I want to learn, too. Then I can help Mother cook next time.”

“But you learn fast and cook well, Big Brother,” Tao Eryong said while chopping firewood.

‘That’s mainly because Big Brother’s ex-wife was still around. She was lazy, but Big Brother loved her, so he did all the housework.

‘Big Brother did whatever his ex-wife told him so that mother couldn’t say anything bad about her. Still, Mother didn’t make things difficult for his ex-wife for Big Brother’s sake.’

Tao Dayong’s ex-wife was so lazy that she did not do anything. She would not even feed the chickens.

When Miss Li finished cooking, she gave her two sons large bowls of noodles each. “Eat as much as you want. There’s still more in the pot. Here are some pork ribs that go well with the noodles.”

Although her pork ribs dish was straightforward with just a little salt, Tao Dayong and Tao Eryong enjoyed every bite. Initially, the two brothers were reluctant to eat the pork ribs, so they offered them to their parents while they just ate the noodles.

Just having the noodles and soup was enough to satisfy the two brothers.

However, Tao Zhenggang and his wife were even more reluctant. They left all the good food for their sons to eat.

The whole family was reluctant to eat, but Miss Li took the initiative to place the pork ribs in her sons’ bowls. Only then were the two boys willing to eat. Of course, Tao Dayong also offered his parents some pork ribs.

The family had a satisfyingly delicious lunch, and their faces revealed long-lost smiles.

After lunch, Su Binglan carried her basket to the back of the mountain to collect more rapeseed.

Strangely enough, others would easily get lost whenever they entered the back of the mountain and could never find things like rapeseed. However, Su Binglan could always find whatever she wanted there..

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