New ink fragrance in old times

Lin Sizhe held tightly in his hands the calf he had just made from new dough, his eyes gleaming with a gleam of unyielding determination.

His fingertips gently stroked the delicate texture of the calf, as if to confirm whether his masterpiece really met the standards in his mind.

After a while, he raised his head with satisfaction, a smug smile on his lips. That smile showed both confidence in his own craftsmanship and a desire for recognition.

"Mom, look at this?"

With a hint of boasting in his tone, he handed the calf to Shen Xin.

Shen Xin was busy with her work, rolling the dough flexibly with the rolling pin in her hand. When she heard Lin Sizhe's words, she looked up, a hint of surprise flashed in her eyes, but she quickly regained her composure.

"It's still acceptable."

There was a subtle tenderness in Shen Xin's words, but more of it was an objective evaluation of Lin Sizhe's skills.

But to Lin Sizhe, these words were like a refreshing rain, instantly extinguishing the dissatisfaction and nervousness in his heart, and replacing them with a full sense of accomplishment.

He seemed to see himself moving forward step by step on this craft path.

However, just as Lin Sizhe was immersed in the joy of self-affirmation, Shen Xin suddenly changed the subject:

"Silang, you've already pinched two. Go to the backyard with Sanlang and help grandma."

These words were like a bucket of cold water, which made Lin Sizhe's heart chill. The smile on his face froze instantly, and his eyes revealed a bit of reluctance and helplessness.

"But I haven't..."

Lin Sizhe tried to argue for something, but when the words came to his lips, he didn't know how to continue. He glanced at the calf in his hand, then looked at Shen Xin, his eyes filled with desire and confusion.

"Go ahead, these two are enough for you."

Shen Xin interrupted him, his eyes filled with unquestionable determination.

Lin Sizhe opened his mouth, but ultimately couldn't utter a word of rebuttal. He sighed helplessly and carefully placed the calf on the chopping board beside him, feeling a sense of reluctance.

"Okay, I'll go right away."

At this time, Lin Mo looked up at his younger brothers not far away. Their faces and hands were covered with flour, and each of them looked like a little loach that had just rolled out of a pile of flour.

Looking at Lin Sizhe's expression again, Lin Mo seemed to understand something. He patted the flour on his hands, stood up and walked to Lin Sizhe.

"Shiro, Goro, Rokuro, let's go play in the backyard."

Lin Siheng and Lin Sinan also nodded: "Okay."

Lin Siya turned to look at Tang Qing and said gently, "Take your brothers and sisters with you."

Tang Qing was busy kneading the buns in his hand. When he heard Lin Siya's words, he looked up, a smile flashed in his eyes, and then nodded: "Okay, mother."

As he said that, he put down the buns in his hand, took Tang Xin and Tang Shan's hands, and followed Lin Sizhe and others, walking towards the backyard in a mighty manner.

Seeing that several people had left the kitchen, Lu Yue finally breathed a sigh of relief. She clapped her hands and said with a smile:

"These guys are finally gone. They were such a commotion. The kitchen was in turmoil when they were here, and my heart was in turmoil."

Shen Xin nodded in agreement, a smile playing on his lips. "Who says not? They're not just messing with the dough and fillings, they're also affecting our wrapping. I was just thinking about how to wrap something new, but Shi Lang disrupted my thoughts."

Lin Siya took over the conversation without stopping her hands, and exquisite buns jumped out between her nimble fingers.

There was a hint of sarcasm in her voice. "They're in the way here. They can't wrap things up as fast as I can. They cause a lot of problems."

Han Suniang listened from the side, a faint smile on her lips. Although she didn't answer directly, her hands moved much faster. The buns she made were small and exquisite, each one showing delicacy and care.

Xing'er and Hua'er looked at each other, pressed their lips to prevent themselves from laughing out loud.

"Second sister-in-law, I still haven't learned how to fold the buns you taught me last time."

Lu Yue suddenly asked Han Suniang.

Han Suniang: "Sister-in-law, you are being too modest. You don't need me to teach you your craft. But since you want to learn, I will teach you again later."

"Then it's settled."

Lu Yue smiled and nodded, and the two looked at each other and smiled, showing their tacit understanding.

Shen Xin: "Sister-in-law, don't hide here anymore, teach us too."

Lin Xiya: "Yes, sister-in-law."

Han Suniang: "Okay, I'll teach you everything. I'll teach you everything."

Lin Mo and his group walked briskly through the front yard and came to the back yard.

Zhao Yue'e was sitting alone by the well. There was a huge wooden basin in front of her. She rubbed her hands back and forth in the basin, as if she was washing something.

Lin Sizhe had long forgotten his resentment at being kicked out of the kitchen. He skipped over to Zhao Yue'e, tilted his head, and asked with a puzzled look on his face, "Grandma, what are you doing? What's in this basin?"

There was a glint of curiosity in his eyes at this moment, as if he wanted to explore all the secrets of this world.

Zhao Yue'e looked up, a warm smile bloomed on her face, and she patiently explained: "Oh, this is Gan Chu."

"sweet potato?"

Lin Sizhe repeated it, seeming to find the name new and surprising. He had never heard of such a name before, and his eyes widened, wanting to see what it was.

At this time, Lin Mo also walked forward. He leaned over to take a closer look and found that the so-called Ganchu turned out to be sweet potato.

He couldn't help but feel a sudden urge to eat roasted sweet potatoes. The sweet smell seemed to linger in his nose again, making him swallow his saliva.

Zhao Yue'e asked Lin Sizhe with a smile, "Aren't you guys helping make dumplings in the kitchen? Why are you here?"

Lin Sizhe scratched his head a little embarrassedly and said, "Grandma, my mother won't let me pack it anymore, so she asked me to come to you."

Zhao Yue'e looked up at them, a smile flashing in her eyes: "Oh, really? It seems that your mother feels that there are too many people in the kitchen and is afraid that you will cause more trouble. But that's fine, since you are here, why not help grandma wash these sweets."

Tang Qing asked curiously, "Grandma, what are you doing with the sweet potatoes? Are you going to steam them? I love them the most."

Zhao Yue'e shook her head and smiled mysteriously: "Today, let's change the way we eat it. Instead of steaming it, let's make vermicelli noodles."

"Leaking vermicelli?"

Lin Mo's eyes lit up, and the crystal clear and smooth sweet potato starch immediately appeared in his mind. He couldn't help swallowing.

After hearing this, Lin Sizhe clapped his hands excitedly: "Great! Leaking vermicelli, that sounds like fun!"

So, several children gathered around the wooden tub and began to help Zhao Yue'e wash the sweet potatoes. Their little hands shuttled through the muddy water, and bursts of laughter could be heard from time to time.

Zhao Yue'e guided them step by step on how to more effectively remove the dirt and roots from the surface of the sweet potatoes.

While talking about the tradition of making vermicelli in his family after early winter, his words were full of nostalgia for the past years.

"Tangshan."

Zhao Yue'e suddenly turned to Tang Shan, who was standing nearby, and said, "Take Wulang and Liulang over there to play. Remember, don't play in the water, and don't run too far, okay?"

Tang Shan nodded immediately after hearing this and said seriously, "I understand, grandma. I will take good care of them."

He turned to Lin Sinan and Lin Siheng and said, "Wu Lang, Liu Lang, come with me, let's go play over there."

Lin Sinan and Lin Siheng shrank back in fear at Zhao Yue'e's slightly dignified yet loving gaze, and quickly replied, "I understand, Grandma."

Afterwards, the two little guys followed Tangshan like little tails and ran to a corner of the yard to play.

Under Zhao Yue'e's guidance, Lin Mo and Tang Qing quickly mastered the skills of cleaning sweet potatoes.

They chatted while working, and time passed by unknowingly.

When the last sweet potato was cleaned, Zhao Yue'e nodded with satisfaction: "Okay, children, you did a good job. Now you can go play for a while, and grandma also needs to rest for a while."

Lin Sizhe asked excitedly: "Grandma, when will the vermicelli be released? I really want to see it."

Zhao Yue'e smiled and patted his head: "There's no rush right now. Let's take a break first and do it later."

Although Lin Sizhe was a little disappointed, he nodded obediently: "Okay."

Zhao Yue'e stood up and stretched her sore waist.

She looked at the washed Gan Chu in front of her, then looked at Lin Sizhe who was jumping beside her, and couldn't help but sigh in her heart:

"I'm old after all. I can't compare to when I was young."