Old Mrs. Song is reborn; get out of here, you scumbag husband and illegitimate child!

Fu Bao's eyes lit up instantly, and she nodded like a chick pecking at rice:

"Okay. I'll sleep with my aunt."

After agreeing, Fu Bao's eyes darted around, and she turned and ran towards Song Xianglan's room. A moment later, she came running out, carrying several paper packages in her arms—the pastries from Beijing that Song Tingting had bought.

"Er Ying, San Ying. Come and have some snacks."

Fu Bao put the paper package on the small stool and skillfully peeled off the wrapping paper with her little hands.

Children are naturally fond of sweets.

A stool was piled high with jujube paste pastries, donkey rolls, golden peach pastries, and colorful biscuits.

The three little girls huddled together, eating until their mouths were full of crumbs, and they didn't even look at the shrimp anymore.

"Where are Youbao and Erbao?" Song Xianglan looked around but didn't see them.

"They've already disappeared."

Shen Huijun picked up the washed side dishes. "After eating the candy, she slipped out, saying she was going to raid bird nests under the big banyan tree at the village entrance."

"Let them be, as long as they don't go into the sea." Song Xianglan wiped her hands and turned to go into the kitchen.

The fire was lit.

White smoke started billowing out of the kitchen chimney.

The scene at noon was quite grand.

Song Xianglan first started the oil in the wok, frying a large basin of vinegar-braised pork and garlic-flavored spare ribs coated with sweet potato starch, while sweet potato rice was simmering in a large iron pot next to it.

Braised pork belly and chestnuts are stewed together, and abalone is added when it's almost done.

The rich, dark aroma of soy sauce wafted out.

Clean the three-eyed crabs and steam them. Cut the red-roe crabs in half and fry them in a pan with tea oil and old ginger until the golden crab roe is oozing oil.

Clean the large razor clams, top them with vermicelli and minced garlic, and steam them in a pot.

The stonefish was used to make a tofu and mustard green soup, and Song Xianglan also grabbed a handful of large, meaty clams and threw them in to enhance the flavor.

For freshly trimmed shrimp, boil them.

The bright red grouper was baked in a clay pot.

In addition, there is authentic oyster and seaweed omelet, and blanched transparent squid.

The whole yard was filled with the irresistible aroma of seafood.

Fu Bao pulled out two sweet potatoes from somewhere and ran into the kitchen.

"Grandma, roasted sweet potato." Fu Bao handed the sweet potato to Song Xianglan.

Song Xianglan took the sweet potato and used fire tongs to pry open the hot ashes in the stove.

"It will be kept in the stove for a while. It will be ready to eat after lunch. Go wash your hands now and get ready to eat."

Around noon.

The courtyard gate was pushed open.

Xiao Yan walked in carrying two net bags of fruit, one bag of tangerines and the other of bananas.

"Third Aunt," Xiao Yan greeted with a smile.

Song Xianglan came out carrying a plate, and her face darkened as soon as she saw what was in her hand.

"Why are you spending money on things? We harvest fruit and sell it ourselves, why are you bringing this up?"

Xiao Yan remained calm and composed, a smile playing on her lips.

"My colleague said the tangerines from these trees are especially sweet, so I bought some for Aunt Tingting and Aunt Huijun to try. These small bananas are your favorite, so I just picked them up too."

Song Xianglan had nothing to say.

He was happy inside, but told Xiaoyan to hurry up and go inside.

This was the first time Xiao Yan had met Shen Huijun and Song Tingting.

She called Shen Huijun "aunt" and Song Tingting "auntie," speaking confidently and openly, a stark contrast to her previous timid and hesitant self.

Shen Huijun looked Xiao Yan up and down.

She turned around and rummaged through the bag she hadn't put away earlier.

"Xiao Yan, come here." Shen Huijun took out a light blue wool dress. "I bought this dress too small, and it's been sitting there unworn. I think it fits you perfectly, so go try it on."

The wool skirt is made of soft material.

She also wore a delicate silver belt around her waist.

Xiao Yan waved her hands repeatedly and took two steps back:

"Auntie, this is too expensive. I usually work in a food factory and can't afford to wear this."

"You're such a young woman, why don't you dress up a bit?" Shen Huijun shoved the dress into her arms. "What shoe size do you usually wear?"

"Thirty-seven," Xiao Yan replied.

"Perfect, the same age as me."

Shen Huijun rummaged through the shoebox and pulled out a pair of slightly worn calfskin boots. "I don't wear these boots much anymore, but they go perfectly with this dress. Take them if you don't mind."

Song Tingting watched the commotion from the sidelines.

He casually pulled a light blue beret from his bag and put it on Xiao Yan's head.

"Go change and see."

Song Tingting pushed Xiao Yan into the inner room, saying, "A wool skirt with boots and this hat would definitely look good."

A few minutes later.

Xiao Yan walked out with a blush on her face.

Clothes make the man, and a saddle makes the horse.

The light blue dress made Xiao Yan's already fair skin look even brighter, and the belt accentuated her waist, making her appear tall and slender.

Paired with that beret.

She's exactly like a female college student from the city.

"So beautiful." Song Tingting gave a thumbs up. "Xiao Yan's current aura is so striking that she'd turn heads on the streets of Beijing."

Xiao Yan smiled, pursing her lips.

His eyes lit up.

"My Aunt Tingting loves to make fun of me."

"I've received my first paycheck." Xiaoyan touched the fabric of her skirt. "It felt so wonderful to touch the wages I earned for the first time."

"Keep your salary safe."

As Song Xianglan set the dishes on the table, she didn't forget to give some instructions:

"A girl needs to have money. You should spend it now and save it now. Save some money every month so you can learn a skill later. You can't do manual labor your whole life."

"I understand, Third Aunt." Xiao Yan nodded earnestly.

Song Tingting pulled Xiao Yan to sit down at the table: "Until what day do you finish your shift?"

"The day after tomorrow."

"That's perfect. After you finish your shift, come straight to my house and stay with me for a few days before going back to Niejiazhuang. We can have a good talk." Song Tingting also liked Xiaoyan; she admired all girls who worked hard to live their lives.

"Okay," Xiao Yan readily agreed.

Song Xianglan served a plate of braised pork belly with abalone, and added a few pieces of fried pork ribs. She also put some grouper in.

I also served a bowl of stonefish soup.

"Tingting, you and Huijun take this to your auntie."

"Third Aunt, I'll go."

Xiao Yan brought the soup, and Song Tingting brought the dishes.

The two ran over.

Erbao, Youbao, and Dabao have also returned.

The family sat down around the eight-immortal table.

The dishes were laid out to the brim.

Song Tingting picked up a pan-fried crab roe and chewed it with a crunching sound.

The rich aroma of crab roe spread in her mouth, and she sighed contentedly.

"Home-cooked meals are still the best for my taste." Song Tingting scooped up a spoonful of stonefish and tofu soup and drank it. "After living in Beijing for several years, I still can't get used to the food there. It just doesn't taste as fresh as this. But the lamb in Beijing is delicious."

"Beijing is inland; seafood transported there would be stale by then," Shen Huijun said, placing a piece of braised abalone and pork on her plate.

"yes."

Looking at the table full of dishes, Song Tingting felt a pang of emotion. "Although we are a fishing village, living off the sea is just as good as living in the city."

I've tried everything from cafeterias to restaurants, but something always felt off. Today's meal finally feels like it's the real deal. Turns out, what I love most is my mom's cooking.

"Just eat your food, why all the fuss?"

Despite her outward expression of disgust, Song Xianglan used a spoon to scoop a large clam into her daughter's bowl.

Amidst the steaming aroma of the food, everyone in the room enjoyed their meal to the fullest.

The sweet potatoes in the stove had already developed a caramelized aroma, which, mixed with the steam from the food, filled every crack in the Song family's doors.

Da Bao and Er Bao were at the age where they were just teenagers and could eat their fathers out of house and home; the large bowls they held were a size bigger than everyone else's.

The two brothers had a clear goal: their chopsticks went straight for the braised abalone and pork belly, as well as the salt and pepper ribs and vinegar pork.

Meat first, then seafood—that's the young men's rule for eating.

Xiao Yan sat beside her, chewing slowly and carefully.

She has taken excellent care of herself during this time; her face has become fuller and her skin has become fairer.

Besides working, I usually read books at the factory.

Her demeanor was completely different from that of the hunched-over girl when she first returned to Nie Family Village.

"Mom, drink more soup." Song Tingting ladled another bowl of stonefish, tofu, and mustard green soup and handed it to Song Xianglan. "By the way, I just heard you say that Uncle isn't feeling well. Should we send some of the tonics I brought back over?"