The meal was finished in a cheerful atmosphere between the sisters. After cleaning up the dishes, Chu Molin went to take a nap with the children, while Qin Xue helped her mother pack up the things they needed to bring back.
“Qin Xue, don’t pack too much. It’ll be difficult to carry.” Nangong Shulan looked at her daughter’s preparations, exclaiming as if she wanted to bring everything in the house back with them.
“Mom, I can just mail these things back tomorrow, and you don’t have to carry them. You can take these,” Qin Xue said, pointing at the items she had prepared.
“Mailing is so expensive,” Shulan said with concern. Although she rarely saw her daughter working to earn money here, she often noticed Qin Xue writing and drawing.
She was not an ignorant rural woman; she knew that Qin Xue was working through her writing and drawing. It wasn’t easy for her daughter to make money, so she couldn’t afford to be wasteful.
“Mom, money is meant to be spent, not saved. After it’s spent, I can always earn more. What’s the point of earning money if I don’t spend it?” Qin Xue said helplessly.
“Even so, we shouldn’t waste it like this. It’s not easy to make money,” Shulan said, having been conditioned by her past to be frugal.
“Mom, do you want to earn some money? Are you afraid of hard work?” Qin Xue asked, noticing her mother’s unwillingness to spend money.
“Yeah, I’m not afraid of hard work. What’s the matter?” Shulan asked, looking at her daughter curiously.
“But you’ll have to get up very early, and since our house is far from town, you’ll probably have to start preparing at three or four in the morning. It’s really tough,” Qin Xue prewarned her mother.
“Tell me, what should I do?” Shulan’s interest was piqued.
“Egg-filled pancakes and Chinese pancakes. If you want to make them, I can write down the instructions for you. I can teach you how to make egg-filled pancakes, but there won’t be enough time for Chinese pancakes because you need a special pan to make them,” Qin Xue thought. If only her mother had mentioned her idea sooner, she would’ve had time to teach her.
She enjoyed eating both dishes for breakfast, which was why she had learned to make them in the first place.
That was one of Qin Xue’s strengths—she always took action when she wanted to do something.
“Okay, teach me,” Shulan decided, thinking that if she could learn the skill, that would be ideal. If not, she could always figure it out when she went back.
“Alright, let’s finish packing up and then I’ll teach you,” Qin Xue said, speeding up her packing to help her mother.
After packing, Qin Xue taught her mother how to make the dough for egg-filled pancakes and what to pay attention to during the process.
When Chu Molin got up to go to work, he was greeted by a delicious smell filling the house.
“Mom, Xue’er, what are you making that smells so good?” Chu Molin asked as he approached the kitchen.
“You’re up; come taste it and see if it’s good,” Qin Xue said, using chopsticks to pick up a piece of pancake and feed it to Chu Molin.
“Cough, cough, Qin Xue, I can do it myself,” Chu Molin said, his face slightly red as he noticed his mother-in-law nearby. His wife seemed to have no problem expressing her affection for him in front of others.
However, some discretion was necessary, especially when dealing with his mother-in-law.
“Oh, right. Here you go,” Qin Xue handed a plate with the pancake to Chu Molin.
“It’s delicious and fragrant. Not bad at all,” Chu Molin said after taking a bite and providing a favorable evaluation.
“That’s what I thought too. Mom, even Chu Molin said it’s good. Are you feeling confident now?” Qin Xue asked her mother.
“Yes, I believe I can do it well.” Nangong Shulan tasted the pancake after hearing her son-in-law’s comment and said with full confidence.
“Right, my mom is the best. Isn’t that right, Chu Molin?” Qin Xue not only praised her mother but also wanted her husband’s approval.
“Mhm,” Chu Molin replied simply.
“Mom, Xue’er, I’m going to work now. Don’t forget to change the children’s diapers later,” Chu Molin said, thinking about the baby bed sheets that had to be washed and dried every day. Luckily, they had enough at home to replace them. Otherwise, their children wouldn’t even have a clean place to sleep.