"Brother Aiguo and Xia Yuan are here."
Hearing her mother-in-law's voice, Lin Xue came out of the kitchen with a wooden tray holding three bowls of sugar water eggs, cheerfully greeting the pair. She didn't leave out Lu Yun either, saying with a beaming smile, "Xiaoyun looks so pretty today. How about Auntie gives you a sweet egg later?"
"Thank you, Auntie." Lu Yun nodded politely.
The top she wore today was a pink cotton blouse with ruffled lace, and its round collar was quite eye-catching. Paired with black trousers and a pair of white plastic sandals.
Not to mention anything else, the fact that her clothes, trousers, and shoes were all new made her outfit stand out in the village of that era.
After all, at that time, everyone's clothes were patched over patches, especially the girls who all dressed in dull colors; many had never had the chance to wear new clothes until they were in their teens and were still wearing hand-me-downs from their older siblings.
"Such a good girl," Lin Xue couldn't help but give Lu Yun a few extra glances, finding it no wonder that the younger sister-in-law treasured this daughter so. She not only looked adorable but also seemed more well-behaved and endearing than other girls.
Stepping into the hall, the whole family was indeed all there.
Uncle Lu sat in the seat of honor puffing on his tobacco pipe, while Lu Aidang was sitting next to him discussing something. Lu Aimin was surrounded by several children being entertained by his fire-eating stunt, creating quite a ruckus, with his wife Zhang Cui sitting to one side, sewing the bottom of a shoe and occasionally looking up with a smile in her eyes.
As they walked in, everyone turned to smile and greet them. The three children even abandoned Lu Aimin to crowd around Lu Aiguo and clamor, "Little uncle, what tasty treats have you brought for us?"
"You want treats before you've even called out to your little aunt?" Lu Aiguo said with a feigned stern face, "Quickly call your little aunt and sister Xiaoyun. Only those who call out get treats, those who don't get nothing."
Lu Jinfeng and Lu Jinzhao made faces at Lu Aiguo but promptly called out cheerfully to Xia Yuan and Lu Yun, "Hello, little aunt. Hello, sister Xiaoyun."
Lu Ying, evidently shy and introverted, waited until her cousins called out before she hesitantly followed suit in a quiet voice.
Xia Yuan smiled at the children and pulled out a handful of candy wrapped in colorful paper from her trouser pocket, distributing several pieces to each child. Lu Jinfeng and Lu Jinzhao let out cheers, while Lu Ying quietly and shyly said thanks.
Lu Yun's eyes sized up the girl in front of her, the only one in the whole Lu family close to her own age. In her previous life, she had married early into a decent family, but they hadn't had much contact and weren't close.
Meanwhile, Lu Aiguo had taken gifts out from his back basket and laid them on the table, then began introducing Xia Yuan to everyone one by one.
"You two are really something, just coming is enough, why bring things with you?" Aunt scolded playfully. She took a sugar water egg from the tray in her daughter-in-law's hand and shoved a bowl into the hands of Lu Aiguo, Xia Yuan, and Lu Yun.
"Come on, have a bowl of sugar water eggs each, so you all will lead sweet and beautiful lives."
Looking down, Lu Yun noticed that each of their bowls contained two poached eggs. She touched her slightly bloated stomach, her face expressing difficulty. For breakfast, she had already eaten a bowl of porridge, two meat buns, and at least one egg—an amount exceeding her usual intake. If she had to eat two more poached eggs... and with visits to three more households to go, where she'd have at least two eggs at each, oh my, wouldn't her stomach burst?
"Dad, Mom, I can't eat anymore."
Lu Yun looked pleadingly at Lu Aiguo and Xia Yuan. They hadn't eaten any fewer meat buns that morning and probably couldn't take any more either.
"Just a few sips of the soup will do." Lu Aiguo said as he eyed the sugar water egg that was served, feeling a bit awkward. If he hadn't had the meat buns in the morning, it would have been nothing to eat ten or eight of these, but now...
"How can that be? Eat the eggs too. You shouldn't be polite when you come to your aunty's place. If you don't finish them all, don't blame aunty for getting angry, ah."
"Aunty, we're not being polite, it's just that we ate too much this morning and really can't eat any more, please let us off." Lu Aiguo gulped down the sweet soup from the bowl and then, with a motion of his hand, he unwrapped two packages of meat buns wrapped in lotus leaves, revealing the warm and plump, pale and tender meat buns.
"Look, the meat buns we had in the morning, we brought some for you guys too."
"You mean, these are meat buns?"
Not only was aunty shocked, but everyone else couldn't help but cast sidelong glances, their mouths nearly watering. The three kids were even more drool-worthy, their eyes glued to the sight but this time, not one of them made a peep. They just gazed longingly. The desire in their eyes was so poignant that Lu Yun couldn't bear it, and at the same time, she felt an immense fondness for their silence.
Maybe she could sneak them some extra good things to eat in secret in the future.
Uncle Lu glanced at the meat buns and then at Lu Aiguo and tapped his tobacco pipe before speaking, "Where did you get the flour and meat to make these meat buns?"
"We didn't make the meat buns ourselves; we just happened upon them. Don't worry, they weren't stolen or snatched. It's hot out, and they don't keep well."
Lu Aiguo was actually a bit uneasy about the origin of the items, but he didn't show it. Anyway, so much had suddenly appeared that it would be a waste not to deal with it quickly. If there was a problem, he would take the blame alone.
Lu Aiguo didn't plan on staying long. "Uncle, aunty, we still need to visit Second Uncle and Auntie. We'll bring Xia Yuan and Xiaoyun over to play another day."
"Alright. You guys go ahead, and come again when you have time." Uncle Lu nodded and didn't persist with his concerns, his estimation of his nephew's capabilities growing yet again.
Xia Yuan and Lu Yun hurriedly placed their sugar water eggs, which they had sipped a few times, on the table.
The family escorted the three out the door, with aunty making sure to close it firmly behind them and even bolted it. Once back in the main room, she said to Uncle Lu, "What kind of connections does Aiguo have to be able to get these meat buns? Tsk tsk, he's really becoming more capable. Xia Yuan and Xiaoyun are lucky to have him."
"The man remembers to honor you with good things, and here you are talking all this nonsense," Uncle Lu said, glancing at her with irritation.
"I was just saying it offhand." Aunty chuckled awkwardly before inspecting the meat buns, "My, my, six in a pack, twelve in two packs, there's enough for one each with some to spare."
"Then let's divide them up, one per person for now. It's hot weather; we shouldn't let them spoil and go to waste." Uncle Lu decided on the spot, a decision that put smiles on everyone's faces.
"Okay, we'll give the remaining three to you, Aidang, and Aimin, so you three men can each have an extra one," aunty readily agreed. "You three are the mainstays of the household; you work hard and should eat more. We'll all eat them in front of each other, no need for divvying up."
Lin Xue and Zhang Cui laughed, "Mom, don't worry, we won't touch theirs, nor will we let the kids have any."
The three children nodded too, their eyes fixed on their grandmother as she divided the meat buns one by one.