Soon, Qin Lian stepped out of the kitchen, carrying a wooden tray with three large and one small steaming bowls.
Her clothes were dusty, and sweat clung to her skin after working in the kitchen for so long.
She placed the tray on the dining table and called out, "Xu Shen, Xu Wei, wash your hands and come eat. Xu Wei, help your younger brother too."
Xu Wei's eyes lit up at the mention of food.
He stood up quickly, puffed out his chest, and declared proudly, "Yes! I'll help my little brother. Since he's small and can't do anything, I, as the eldest brother, will take responsibility!"
Qin Lian chuckled and stepped forward to gently ruffle his hair. "That's right. As the big brother, you should take care of him."
Xu Wei froze on the spot, stunned by the sudden warmth in her voice and gesture.
It had been a long time since anyone had treated him so kindly.
Since the day their parents passed away, everything had changed. The world had turned cold.
Even though they knew Xu Yinchen wasn't a bad man, they had never been close to him.
His quiet, distant nature made him hard to approach, and the fear of being abandoned again kept them from trusting anyone easily.
Before Xu Wei could burst into tears, Xu Shen gave him a light slap on the back.
"Move it. Or the food will be gone," he said flatly, noticing the shift in his brother's mood.
He sent him away quickly, worried that if they stayed any longer, his brother might end up crying and showing weakness in front of this woman.
Snapped back to reality, Xu Wei quickly pulled Xu Hao along to help him wash his hands, then washed his own.
When they sat down at the dining table, Xu Shen's brows furrowed slightly as he looked at the bowls in front of them.
There were just boiled handmade wheat noodles in a clear, light broth.
Plain. Simple. Nothing else.
His heart sank.
There were so many ingredients in the house, yet this was all she made? So, in the end, it was all an act.
But just as that momentary disappointment crossed his mind, Qin Lian returned with another tray.
She calmly placed several small plates and bowls on the table. The three of them stared at her in a daze, wide-eyed.
There was a plate of sautéed, seasoned vegetables, neatly cut pieces of cooked meat, boiled eggs, and small bowls filled with soy sauce, vinegar, and a freshly made chili-garlic sauce.
She even placed a plate of meat buns on the side, one for each of them.
She had noticed earlier that the children hadn't touched them and figured they might be unsure if they were allowed. So now, she quietly added them to the breakfast herself.
Xu Shen and Xu Wei exchanged stunned looks. What… was this woman doing? This was the first time they had seen such sumptuous meal.
Qin Lian finally sat down at the dining table and smiled. "Are you surprised by the plain noodles?"
She pointed at Xu Hao with her chin and added, "Since Xu Hao is still small, he can't eat anything too strong-flavored."
"So, he'll have some noodles with a clean broth and some meat, veggies, and egg."
Then she pointed at the seasonings. "For you two, you can add soy sauce, vinegar, or chili garlic sauce to your noodles to make it more flavorful. But don't add too much, you won't be able to handle it. Especially the chili sauce. It's spicy."
Without waiting, she added the toppings to her bowl and began eating.
Seeing her eat without hesitation, Xu Shen and Xu Wei didn't waste any more time and picked up their chopsticks, quickly digging in.
The noodles were delicious. The broth was clean and simple but warm and comforting. And once mixed with the toppings and sauces, it brought out an entirely different flavor.
They thought last night's meal was tasty.
But this…This felt like the best meal they'd ever had in their lives.
Qin Lian smiled as she watched them eat so enthusiastically.
She helped Xu Hao first, feeding him noodles since he still struggled with chopsticks. In between, she ate her noodles calmly.
…..
After one bowl of noodles and a meat bun, Qin Lian was full, and so was Xu Hao.
She handed him a bun, which he held with both hands and slowly nibbled on.
However, Xu Shen and Xu Wei, who had wolfed down their large portions, were still staring at their empty bowls, their expressions conflicted.
Qin Lian chuckled. "Did you like it?"
The boys didn't reply, but their silent yearning was enough.
Liking was an understatement. They had never eaten anything so delicious before.
She smiled and gestured toward the kitchen."If you're still hungry, there are more noodles and broth in the pot. Help yourselves."
"After eating, make sure to put the dishes in the kitchen and clean the table. Alright? I'm going upstairs to change my clothes.'
Without waiting for a response, she walked away, giving them space to eat in peace.
Her dress had gotten dirty from all the cleaning earlier, and she wanted to change before doing anything else.
She had planned to change before breakfast, but she was worried the children wouldn't eat if she didn't sit with them, so she chose to eat first and shower later.
As soon as she left, Xu Shen and Xu Wei quickly got down from their chairs and rushed toward the kitchen.
Seeing the space now spotless, Xu Wei paused, wide-eyed. "Brother…That woman wasn't pretending. She really cleaned the whole kitchen."
"It looks huge and clean now. Have we ever seen it like this before?"
He glanced around again."There aren't any spider webs or insects either…"
Xu Shen didn't say anything. He simply filled his bowl with noodles and broth, then added the remaining toppings straight from the pans.
While Qin Lian was upstairs taking a bath, the children sat at the table, happily enjoying their food. For the first time in a long while, they felt full, satisfied, and content after a meal.
Just then, the front door creaked open, and a familiar figure storms in."You thieves! What are you eating?"
"Meat? Eggs? How dare you steal such precious food?!" She shrieked.