After the New Year, I was still busy visiting relatives. On the third day of the new year, I went to Qiaocun, where Xiaoyu said that this year they wouldn't be hosting guests at her home. After the three brothers divided their households, they agreed to take turns hosting guests each year. So on the fourth day, I returned from Qiaocun with everyone else. Also traveling with us was her newly adopted daughter, Ziyuan. The little girl is five years old this year and still doesn't dare speak much in front of everyone. When you ask her something, she just smiles and nods or shakes her head, occasionally glancing at someone before quickly lowering her head again.

  Shen's family discussed with Zeng Ruixiang: "We'll have to invite guests anyway, so let's just invite all the families at once. Father, mother, and older brother's family, and ask Zi Fu to deliver a message to his younger sister-in-law, inviting her husband and wife to come together. But there are so many people, two tables won't be enough, what should we eat?"

  "Let's have mutton hot pot, it's convenient. Prepare more meat and vegetables, we have two copper pots at home, right? Dad will definitely love it. Let's start stewing the bones tomorrow morning, now let's grind the sesame sauce. The sesame sauce Zi Qing made to go with the mutton is too delicious."

  "How much mutton will that be? Just your elder sister's family, those few kids are like wolves and tigers, one sheep may not even be enough for them to eat. I'm not being stingy, it's just that I don't know when to stop cutting." Shen Shi worried.

  "Then just add more mutton bones with meat and cook them together, pick them out to dip in sauce to eat is the same, just cut a few plates of meat for Father and Mother." Zeng Rui Xiang's words made Shen Shi very satisfied.

  On the fifth day of the first month, Shen's task for Zi Qing was to wash a small mountain of green vegetables. Zi Fu ground sesame sauce and even had someone grind it with a small stone mill just for this dish. Zi Lu cooked a big pot of lamb bones, using an entire sheep's worth of bones, and Shen also prepared two basins of mutton broth, in case they weren't enough to fill the table. Fortunately, the dining area was large enough, so they set up a large round table and added a square one, which didn't make it feel crowded at all.

  The guests arrived and the dishes were served, except for Zeng Ruiqing, everyone had never eaten hot pot before. Zhou Shi looked at the large bowl of mutton on the table and said: "This must be worth a lot of money! Brother's wife, you're really generous. In the past, even during Chinese New Year, we wouldn't have this much meat to eat."

  Tian's eyes swept over her and he said: "What kind of ghostly meat is this? It stinks to death, what can be eaten?"

  Shen's family heard and specially went to the kitchen to make a bowl of pork pancake soup, put it in front of Tian's family, inviting Zi Qing's belly criticism.

  Although everyone had a good understanding of the Chunyu family's appetite, it still exceeded everyone's expectations. It was as if they had never eaten meat so freely before, from Yan Ren to Xiao Si, they all dug in with gusto. The two large bowls of mutton were quickly emptied, especially by Yan Ren, who muttered with his mouth full: "Delicious. Too delicious, Second Brother and Sister-in-law are really living the good life, I'm so envious, you can eat meat like this every day."

  Everyone else was used to it, but Dugu Yu's husband, Zhou Yunjiang, saw it for the first time. He shook his head continuously, chuckled and said, "No wonder Brother-in-law always says that times are tough, this young master is going to eat me to death. Indeed, he's not wrong."

  Zi Qing saw Zi Er being timid and not daring to eat meat. So she gave her a full bowl of mutton mixed with rice and placed it in front of her, Zi Fu found a good gnawing rib bone for her, but unexpectedly, the rib bone ended up in Si Mao's hands, Zi Er only knew how to lower her head and peel rice, Zi Qing got angry and snatched the bone from Si Mao's hands, Si Mao wailed loudly, Chun Yu was holding Wu Mao feeding him meat and couldn't take care of it, Gui Ying comforted Si Mao for a few sentences, Tian Shi asked questions on the other side.

  Tian scolded, "Zi Qing, how old are you? Can't even give in a bit to the younger one, instead you bully him. There's a whole table of meat that's not enough for you to eat, and you still snatch from a child. You're really getting more and more out of line as you get older."

  "Ah Po, I found a good bone for Zi Er's cousin, but Si Mao snatched it away. Qing Er couldn't bear to see it, so she took it back for Zi Er. It has nothing to do with Qing Er." Zi Fu explained.

  "That's also a matter of far and near, a cousin from afar, can't compare with one's own close relatives. How stupid." Tian scolded.

  "Daughter." Xia Yu called out in a displeased tone. Zi Qing saw that Er Gu's (Second Uncle) Zhou Tianqing's face sank, but didn't say anything.

  "What are you talking about? Zǐér is the daughter of Xià Yù and your second son-in-law, and also your granddaughter. I think it's you who can't tell day from night, messing things up all the time." The old man glared at Tián Shì with dissatisfaction.

  Tian realized he had misspoken and glared at Zi Qing fiercely. Zi Fu whispered to Zi Qing in a low voice, "Don't be annoyed, there will be something else later, don't make trouble for Father and Mother."

  This little episode did not affect everyone's appetite, and one sheep was really not enough to eat. It was obviously too late to stew again. Shen Shi had no choice but to bring out the two bowls of water and mutton that he had prepared, barely filling everyone's stomachs.

  After having enough wine and meat, everyone moved to the living room for tea. Ziqing and Zilu helped Shen's wife clean up, while Zifu held Zurui and sat with the guests. At this time, Yan Renda asked: "Second brother, I heard from your father-in-law that you are no longer going to teach in the county town, and plan to open a private school at home, is it true?"

  "It's not at home, it's in the village, just at the head of the village, a new house built on newly purchased land." said Zeng Ruixiang.

  "What, you've bought land and built a house again? How was I supposed to know? Opening this small, broken temple, no one has even been recruited yet, and you're already pouring money into it. I think most of this silver is just going down the drain. Look at how many families in the village can afford to send their children to school? This silver would be better spent building a new house for your parents." Tian Shi was very dissatisfied.

  "Second brother, you really are generous. I don't have any other ideas, since you've opened a school, I'll send Da Mao, Er Mao and San Mao over to learn from you, at least they can recognize a few characters, in the future when they go out to work as an accountant or something, they can also make a living. How much money do you think is suitable to charge?" Yan Renda asked with a sly glint in his eye.

  "It doesn't matter how much money it is, we're all relatives, so let's just say it and not worry about what others think." Tian Shi hastily said.

  "What's your hurry? Did Xianger say he wanted money? I've told you so many times, yet you still can't calm down." The old man stopped Tian Shi.

  "Staying overnight is not necessary, but I only plan to study in the morning for half a day. If there's time in the afternoon, I'll practice writing. If there's farm work that can't be done at home, I'll go back and do it. You want them all to come over, so going back in the afternoon won't be a problem, but will they be able to make it here on time in the morning?" Zeng Rui Xiang asked.

  "What's the point of going back? It's more convenient for you to stay at our place, we have plenty of empty rooms and food is not a problem." said Yan Renda.

  Zi Qing tidied up the kitchen and entered the house, just in time to hear her father's words. She quickly looked at her father, who was the only one who could refuse at this moment.

  "This is absolutely not possible, it's not a matter of one or two days. Brother-in-law, you also know the situation at my house, many children and young, your sister has just given birth to Zi Yu, taking care of the children is already busy, I originally quit my job because I saw her alone at home taking care of the children and doing household chores was too hard, how can I go back and increase her burden again? Many things at home are taken care of by Zi Qing, she's not even nine years old, planting vegetables and raising chickens, how can she, how is it possible for her to help take care of your three big sons?" Zeng Rui Xiang refused.

  "What's the big deal? Just add a few more scoops of rice when cooking, isn't that all?" said Tian Shi.

  "How can it be possible to add a few more mouths, three people can eat and it's not like they haven't seen it, three big sons are eating more than the second brother. It's really a good calculation, one son doesn't spend money on education, but also wants others to help raise three big sons, I'm fed up with this nonsense." Zeng Ruiqing couldn't bear to see his younger brother being taken advantage of because of his soft heart.

  Yan Renda's face turned slightly red after hearing this, his thoughts had been seen through, and he didn't know how to refute it, so he gave a signal with his eyes to his wife Chunyu.

  "So we'll send some food over every month, that should be enough. Can't bear to see your nephews go blind, and in the future, they'll have to dig up something to eat from the ground like us? In the past, there was no way, couldn't afford tuition, but now that their own uncle has opened a school, can't even borrow some light? Look at how your parents suffered for you and your older brother to study, otherwise, you wouldn't have such good days today?" Chunyu played the family card.

  "It's not about the food, it's that we can't take care of them at all. Who cooks, who does laundry, who sweeps the house? With several more mouths to feed, how can it be as simple as you say, just adding a few more scoops of rice? Your sister-in-law is busy with household chores and taking care of the kids from dawn till dusk, I've said before that I resigned from my job and came back home because I saw how hard she was working. Would I make her serve your three sons instead, making her work even harder? In short, I have one sentence: either you arrange for them to come over early or send them to a private school near your village, no room for discussion."

  "Ah, yeah." Zi Qing's heart secretly rejoiced, seeing her father so strong for the first time. It seems that Father still has a special affection for Mother in his heart. He also knew that if he softened today, there would be no peace at home from now on. Shen Shi happened to come in and heard this, she was overjoyed to the point of tears.

  "Sister and brother-in-law's demands are a bit excessive, it's not just one or two days, whoever is put in this situation would not be able to bear it. Now I understand that raising a child is not an easy thing, let alone what big brother said, Da Mao and the others are still at an age where they need to be fed, and it takes a lot of effort to take care of their meals every day. It's not about spending money, it's about worrying, being mentally exhausted." Xia Yu said.

  "If you had the money to send him to a private school, why drag it out until today. You're not unaware of your elder sister's family circumstances. This should be okay, living with me, after all Autumn Jade is married off and her room is empty too, I can cook for my grandson. This should be fine, right?" Tian said huffily.

  "Mother, we'll just give two stones of rice, that's what was agreed. If you want more, there isn't any." Zhou Shi hastily said, fearing Tian Shi would ask for more grain.

  "Don't worry, I'd rather suffer a bit myself, be tired a bit myself, than drag all of you down. Look at each and every one of you, what are you saying? That's your own nephew, not some unrelated outsider. As his mother, I've worried to death to raise all of you well, now that I'm old, I still have to live according to your faces." Tian said as she started crying.

  "Old lady, have you thought it through? Your body hasn't been well all along, has it?" The old man also didn't seem to want to take on this matter.

  "What are you thinking of? Can't let this affect my grandson's studies." Tian retorted.