The other members of the Shen family chose meat dumplings without hesitation!
Shen Yao loved plum bean and meat dumplings the most. The plum beans, cooked until soft and mealy, paired with sticky glutinous rice and specially seasoned minced meat, were incredibly delicious with every bite.
The center of the dumplings was purplish-red because a bit of red-blue grass had been added.
Red-blue grass had no taste, so Shen Yao had no pressure eating them.
Compared to the triangular dumplings, the meat dumplings were significantly larger. Therefore, after Jiang Qingqing and Xiao Jun finished theirs, those eating the meat dumplings had only finished half of theirs.
Seeing them eat with such gusto, Jiang Qingqing and Xiao Jun couldn't resist and expressed their desire to try the meat dumplings.
This time was a revelation, overturning their previous perceptions of meat dumplings.
They had always thought that while dumplings could be savory, how could they be stuffed with meat? They couldn't understand it.
But after tasting them this time, they had a completely different experience. The meat filling was eighty percent lean and twenty percent fat, and the two percent fat had already blended with the glutinous rice during the long, high-temperature cooking process.
One bite was oily but not greasy!
After the group had eaten more than a dozen dumplings, they reluctantly went to their rooms to rest under Shen's mother's stern instructions.
After all, eating too many dumplings would make it difficult to digest them at night!
The next morning, after breakfast, Shen's mother took out some bags and put several dumplings in each bag. These were to be delivered to close relatives in the village.
Although these relatives might also be making dumplings at home, the customary etiquette still had to be observed.
The task of delivering the dumplings was assigned to Shen's second brother and Jiang Qingqing.
Jiang Qingqing would soon be marrying into the Shen family. Shen's mother used this opportunity to have Shen Huaijin take Jiang Qingqing to visit various relatives, so she could get to know them.
Thus, the two of them set off with the dumplings to visit relatives.
The remaining dumplings were frozen by Shen's mother in the large freezer.
They were prepared in advance for use during the Lunar New Year, and of course, it was convenient to take them out whenever they wanted to eat them by simply boiling them from the refrigerator.
Time flew by, and it was soon the twenty-fourth, the day for the grand cleaning.
On this day, everyone would do a thorough cleaning of their homes, inside and out, leaving no corner untouched.
Regarding this, Shen Yao had once remarked that she only needed a dust removal spell, and there was no need for such arduous cleaning.
Then, she was admonished by Shen's mother.
"You don't understand, this is a custom, you can't be lazy or take shortcuts. Hurry up and get your broom and clean your room!"
So Shen Yao went upstairs with her broom. In reality, her room didn't need much cleaning, as Shen Yao used the dust removal spell every two days to clean the house.
Ever since the two little ones arrived, she had been particularly mindful of this aspect, though she didn't over-clean.
Shen Yao set the broom aside and walked over to her cabinet, slowly folding the clothes that had been piled to the side.
These were the clothes for the two little ones, which Shen's mother had specifically found in the storage room of the neighboring farmhouse.
Shen's mother said that on Lunar New Year, one should wear new clothes, so the "old" clothes that had already been worn had been put away by Shen's mother.
Coupled with the fact that the two little ones grew particularly quickly, it seemed every few days that the clothes they wore just a couple of days ago were no longer a good fit.
The clothes for the two little ones were still very new and not inexpensive. Shen's mother certainly wouldn't discard them carelessly.
They were all cleaned and neatly packed into large boxes.
Shen's mother stated that these old clothes could still be worn when her grandchildren were born, eliminating the need to buy new clothes.
Future grandchildren: So we don't deserve to wear new clothes?
Shen's mother's decision was unexpectedly met with everyone's approval. Even Jiang Qingqing said she would save those clothes to have her own children wear them in the future.
Upon hearing this, Shen's mother couldn't help but exclaim that she was indeed a thrifty and virtuous daughter-in-law.
However, what they didn't know was that Jiang Qingqing was thinking of having her own baby wear the clothes of their older siblings, perhaps so they could grow up to be as good-looking and intelligent as their older siblings.
Intelligent? Yes, very intelligent.
Since they were born, the two little ones had never been fussy babies. They spent their days either giggling happily or quietly spacing out and sucking their hands and feet.
And they were also very smart. They would "tell" the adults when they needed to pee or poop, making whimpering sounds to indicate when they needed to relieve themselves.
Therefore, many diapers only served a precautionary purpose.
As she was thinking, Shen Yao was suddenly hugged from behind.
Because her thoughts were drifting, this sudden action truly startled Shen Yao.
Feeling a familiar presence, the spiritual energy Shen Yao had gathered in her hand slowly dissipated.
"Sister, I missed you so much."
A magnetic, low voice sounded in her ear, and Shen Yao's ears couldn't help but turn red. She struggled a little.
"What are you doing? Let me go quickly."
Shen Yao felt that this person was becoming increasingly bold. When they were at the Shen family's house before, she could only see him secretly. Now, he had the audacity to run into her room, not to mention hugging her.
"Just a little longer, just a little."
In the end, Shen Yao could only helplessly allow him to hold her.
Suddenly, she was turned around abruptly, and her back leaned against the cabinet. She found her mouth sealed by a warm lip.
The kiss deepened, and Mo Chen's breathing became more rapid.
After a while, Mo Chen finally released Shen Yao. "When can we get married!"
The way he said this, Mo Chen seemed to be gnashing his teeth.
Right now, he wished he could just snatch Shen Yao away and take her home!
Hearing this, Shen Yao couldn't help but laugh, and her laughter grew louder.
Seeing Shen Yao laughing so hard, Mo Chen gritted his teeth even harder. She was truly teasing him!
Then, after his anger subsided, Mo Chen stood beside Shen Yao and helped her fold the little ones' clothes.
"Why didn't you let us know you were coming back?" Shen Yao asked.
When Mo Chen heard this, he immediately said, "I wanted to give you a surprise."
After saying that, he put down the clothes in his hands and took out a jewelry box from his pocket.
When Mo Chen opened it, a ruby necklace lay inside. Although the ruby was about the size of a pigeon's egg, its craftsmanship was exquisite, and one could immediately sense the value of the necklace.
"Let me put it on for you."