Shen Rong wasn't aware that Chen Yang and Shen Xue had built a new house. Seeing the grand brick and tile residence, the young girl was so shocked she hesitated to enter the courtyard.
"Auntie."
The sharp-eyed toddler spotted Shen Rong and scampered over, tugging at her pants leg, wanting to be held.
"Yanyan, your face is so pinchable, it's gotten rounder again. Come let Auntie pinch it."
Shen Rong pinched the toddler's little cheeks, and the child immediately pouted.
"Auntie is mean."
"I'm not playing with you anymore."
Not only did she not get picked up, but her cute little face was also pinched. The toddler was instantly displeased.
"You silly girl, you're about to go to college, and you still can't behave."
"How many times have I told you, don't pinch babies' faces, they'll drool."
Liu Chunmei happened to be washing vegetables in the yard. Seeing her youngest daughter, she was overjoyed. However, looking at her aggrieved little granddaughter, she couldn't help but nag a bit.
Women of this age are like this; they love to talk when they have nothing else to do, but deep down, they dote on their children.
"Mom, I know. I only pinch her a few times a month. Yanyan, Auntie will take you to roast sweet potatoes later."
Shen Rong knew her mother's temper very well. She winked vigorously at the toddler crouching behind her.
As soon as she heard "roast sweet potatoes," the toddler subconsciously swallowed.
Red, sweet, and fragrant.
"Auntie, I want to eat roast sweet potatoes."
The toddler bit her little finger and scampered back to Shen Rong. The greedy toddler met this mischievous, clever aunt, and it was truly a case of one master taming another.
"Auntie."
"I want to eat roast sweet potatoes too."
Just then, Chen Hao, who had been silent, spoke up in a serious tone.
He was also a little foodie. Seeing his hesitant yet eager expression, Chen Yang couldn't help but laugh. He wondered whose genes their two children had inherited to both love food so much.
"Erni, this is Haohao. He's Yanyan's twin brother and also your little nephew."
At that moment, Shen Xue also heard the commotion and came out of the house. Upon hearing her words, Shen Rong's mouth gaped open in surprise.
Had she really only been away at school for a month without coming home?
What in the world was going on?
Her sister and brother-in-law's little rundown yard had become a big tile house, and she had an extra nephew?
"This isn't the place to talk, let's go inside."
"Yanyan, Haohao, Auntie will take you to roast sweet potatoes later. This girl is wild and knows nothing else but stealing food, and she's brilliant at it."
Liu Chunmei shot Shen Rong an exasperated glare. Sweet potatoes from the fields back then belonged to the production team. If the mischievous child got caught stealing, she'd get a good scolding.
Shen Rong was already a grown girl, and she still wanted to steal sweet potatoes – unbecoming.
After going inside, Liu Chunmei told Shen Rong about what had happened over the years. Hearing about her sister and nephew's tragic past, Shen Rong felt very sorry for them.
This girl was so mischievous and clever, completely unlike Shen Xue's personality.
Before Chen Yang and the others could react, Shen Rong had sneakily taken the two little ones to the fields.
Shenjiaba Village was by the river. Most of the village had paddy fields, and there wasn't much dry land. Nowadays, crops like sweet potatoes and corn, which could stave off hunger, were more favored by farmers.
After all, most of the collective's grain had to be handed over as planned ration, and what was left after distribution was not enough for everyone. Sweet potatoes didn't need to be handed over, so planting more meant more to chew on for everyone.
Shen Xue, with the two toddlers in tow, and while the elderly man guarding the fields dozed off, stealthily entered the plot.
"Yanyan, Haohao."
"Come, Auntie will teach you. Pick a big one, two for each of us, and then cover the soil. Otherwise, if we're discovered later, your little bottoms will be in trouble."
Shen Rong was clearly experienced, knowing perfectly well to cover the soil after digging up the sweet potatoes. Back in the day, her own little bottom had been spanked by her parents more than once.
Soon, Shen Rong, carrying the sweet potatoes with the two little ones, ran from the field to the riverbank. The two toddlers, holding sweet potatoes thicker than their arms, had their clean clothes covered in mud.
Shen Rong gathered some dry branches from the bushes by the river, skillfully dug a pit in the ground, and then took out matches from her pocket to light some dry grass.
"Auntie, fire, fire, wow, there's fire."
Seeing Shen Rong start a fire so quickly, the two little ones excitedly rubbed their hands together.
With fire, they could roast sweet potatoes. Fragrant, sweet, delicious roast sweet potatoes.
"Be quiet, be quiet."
"If we attract people, do you still want to eat roast sweet potatoes?"
Shen Rong pinched the two little ones' cheeks. The soot from her hands when starting the fire immediately turned them into little tigers.
But the two little ones didn't mind at all. Instead, they gathered around the fire, excitedly rubbing their hands, stomping their feet, and whispering about roast sweet potatoes, fragrant roast sweet potatoes. Sudannovel.com
Shen Rong was busy and having fun with the two little ones. Soon, she herself was covered in soot from the burning firewood, her face black and smudged.
She then threw several sweet potatoes into the pit, covered them with soil, and continued to burn firewood.
After burning for a while, according to Shen Rong's experience, when she dug up the soil, the sweet potatoes were indeed almost roasted.
"Blow on it, you little brat, it's hot, hot! "
"I'll blow on it for you. That's just the skin, it's all burnt black. You can't eat it, can't eat it."
As soon as the sweet potatoes were dug out, before Shen Rong could cover the fire with soil, Chen Hao, the little rascal, reached out to grab a sweet potato.
This scared Shen Rong greatly. The sweet potatoes just dug out from the fire were scorching hot. If her little nephew and niece got burned.
She would be scolded to death when she got back.
She quickly hugged the two little ones. Shen Rong forgot about eating the sweet potatoes.
"Yanyan, Haohao, you two little fools, it's hot, hot, do you know that? It'll burn off your skin, and then it'll hurt like crazy, you two little fools."
"Listen to Auntie. Only when Auntie says you can eat it, can you take it. Otherwise, Auntie won't bring you to roast sweet potatoes next time."
Shen Rong seriously educated the two little ones. Children at this age weren't that sensible. They had to be taught what they couldn't touch.
"Auntie, I was wrong."
"I'll listen to you from now on. Can you let me eat roast sweet potatoes?"
Hearing that there would be no roast sweet potatoes, the toddler's big eyes immediately welled up with tears. Looking at her pitiful little face, Shen Rong couldn't maintain her sternness.
"Auntie, I will be good too."
Chen Hao quickly promised. Seeing that the two little ones were behaving, she finally let them go.
"Auntie will teach you. First, use this twig to pat off the mud and burnt skin. Then, wrap the sweet potato in this grass, peel it, blow on it. Mmm, it smells so good, that's the scent."
Watching Shen Rong eat with delight, the two little ones’ mouths watered with greediness.
"Here, Auntie will blow on it for you. It's ready to eat."
Shen Rong smiled at the two little gluttons, peeled the skin for them, and the two little ones hugged the sweet potatoes, which were almost as big as their washbasins, and started to gnaw.
True eaters!