Chapter 23: Chen Xiu's Change of Heart

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Xiao Xiao first washed all the different mushrooms. She scored a cross on the caps of the shiitake mushrooms and tore the smaller ones into bite-sized pieces. She added water to the pot, then threw in sections of green onion and slices of ginger, bringing it to a rolling boil over high heat. Once the water boiled, she added all the mushrooms and simmered them gently over medium heat. The rich aroma of the mushrooms gradually filled the kitchen, and the broth thickened little by little.

Sniffing the fragrant steam, Xiao Xiao nodded with satisfaction. She lifted the lid, seasoned the soup with salt and pepper, drizzled a few drops of sesame oil just before taking it off the heat, and sprinkled chopped scallions on top. A fresh mushroom soup was ready.

“Delicious!” She ladled a small bowl and took a sip, eyes closing in contentment.

“What’s that smell? Let me try some too,” Chen Ba, standing by the kitchen door and already drawn by the aroma, tugged gently at Xiao Xiao’s sleeve.

“Here.” Xiao Xiao smiled, handing him her bowl. The soup was still warm, and Chen Ba swallowed hard to resist drinking it all at once. He carefully carried it out to share with Lin.

Xiao Xiao went to fetch a large bowl, pouring most of the soup inside. When she returned, she saw Chen Ba squatting before Lin, carefully feeding him a spoonful before taking a sip himself. The two little ones shared that small bowl of soup between them.

Xiao Xiao smiled warmly; the brothers truly had a close bond.

“The soup’s ready. Once you’re done, we’ll head over,” she said, placing the bowl on the table. Lin and Chen Ba glanced at her, finished the last sips, then Chen Ba went to wash the dishes while Lin hurried to get ready.

When Xiao Xiao arrived at Chen Xiu’s home with Lin and Chen Ba, Chen Xiu’s two children had just returned from school and were helping with making dumplings.

Seeing Lin and Chen Ba, the children immediately glanced anxiously at their mother, fearing she would be angry and send them away.

They silently signaled to Lin and Chen Ba to leave quickly and promised to secretly deliver the food after they finished eating.

Before their silent exchange could conclude, Chen Xiu called out warmly, “Here you are! Lin, Chen, come sit down!” Her smile deepened upon seeing the large bowl in Xiao Xiao’s hands.

She had just caught the delightful aroma; her children had been pestering her all afternoon, craving the soup.

“Still making dumplings? Let us help—let’s all make them together!” Xiao Xiao laughed, setting down the soup inside and joining them in folding the dumplings.

Li Lei and Li Sen stared at Chen Xiu, stunned. Li Lei whispered, “Mom, you don’t dislike Lin and Chen anymore?”

“Oh, nonsense! When have I ever disliked them? It was Aunt Li’s words that made me misunderstand you boys. I apologize to you now,” Chen Xiu said, shooting her own son a look before turning toward Lin and Chen Ba with a sincere apology.

“It’s... it’s okay,” Lin and Chen Ba murmured, still a bit overwhelmed. They hadn’t expected Xiao Xiao’s words to be true—that Chen Xiu had truly apologized.

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“Ah?” Li Lei and Li Sen were dumbfounded.

What was going on?

Just a few days ago, their mother told them not to play with Lin and Chen Ba.

Now... she was apologizing to them?

“What’re you staring at? Get back to making dumplings!” Chen Xiu slapped her forehead, frustrated at her two clueless sons. One was a rock, the other a block of wood—she wasn’t wrong.

Xiao Xiao sat down with Lin and Chen Ba. Chen Xiu rolled out the dough while Xiao Xiao and Lin helped fold the dumplings.

Chen Ba played with two dumpling skins before being sent to the corner to count ants.

“Mom, can we play with them from now on?” Li Lei called out loudly to Chen Xiu.

“What are you shouting for? Of course you can! But don’t bully them, or I’ll give you a spanking when we get home!” Chen Xiu narrowed her eyes threateningly.

“How could we bully them? Even the two of us together can’t beat him,” Li Lei coughed and rubbed his nose.

“Lin’s that strong?” Xiao Xiao blinked in surprise.

Li Lei and Li Sen looked at Xiao Xiao with wide eyes but didn’t dare ask further.

“This is Lin and Chen Ba’s mother, Aunt Fu,” Chen Xiu said, annoyed at her sons’ behavior.

“Aunt Fu,” Li Lei and Li Sen greeted, glancing at Lin and Chen Ba, who didn’t respond.

“Good boys,” Xiao Xiao smiled while folding dumplings, unable to get the candies from her pocket. “I’ll give you some candy later—my hands are covered in flour right now.”

Once the dumplings were ready, Xiao Xiao helped Chen Xiu carry them into the kitchen.

After the adults left, the four children huddled together.

“What’s going on? Didn’t you say we should get rid of this stepmother?” Stone asked Lin. They had been scheming to drive away their new mother, yet now they seemed so compliant.

“But she treats us well—she even cooks for us and doesn’t scold us,” Chen Ba pouted. He felt reluctant to see Xiao Xiao leave.

“We’re not getting rid of her,” Lin said, glancing toward Xiao Xiao in the kitchen. He had to admit, this new mother felt very different.

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Being around her wasn’t unpleasant at all.

“Does she have magic powers? My mother used to hate you so much, but today she invited you for dumplings and said we could play together. A few days ago, she was scolding us and even grabbed my ear to make me promise not to play with you,” Li Lei whispered, convinced Xiao Xiao must be some kind of fairy. No matter how many times they asked before, their mother refused to let them play with Lin and Chen Ba.

“Exactly!” Li Sen nodded, imitating his brother. “My ear still hurts from when Mom pulled it.”

“She even taught my brother and me how to climb trees today! We walked with her to town for two hours, and she didn’t scold us once,” Chen Ba added quietly.

Just then, Xiao Xiao and Chen Xiu appeared with a large plate of freshly cooked vegetarian dumplings. They spotted the four children huddled in a circle, whispering among themselves.

“What are you two sneaking about?” Chen Xiu’s voice startled the children, who quickly scattered.

“Mom, how do you walk so quietly? You scared us!” Li Lei exclaimed.

“You little rascal, go wash your hands with your brothers!” Chen Xiu laughed, scolding playfully.

Xiao Xiao looked at Chen Xiu and smiled. “The bond between you and your sons is really strong.”

“Strong? Don’t kid yourself! Those two little troublemakers drive me crazy! I feel like hitting them every day,” Chen Xiu chuckled, exasperated but affectionate.

Once the four children washed their hands and returned, the table was filled with vegetarian dumplings and a large bowl of mushroom soup in the center. Each child received a generous bowl.

“Wow, this is so tasty!” Li Lei carefully tasted the soup and was immediately won over by its rich, fresh flavor.

“Oh, girl, your soup smells amazing, but it tastes even better!” Chen Xiu admitted, sipping the broth and almost unable to stop.

“I’m glad you like it,” Xiao Xiao smiled.

Everyone alternated between soup and dumplings, thoroughly enjoying the meal. The children were so engrossed they barely looked up.

They had made four plates of dumplings, and the four growing boys devoured two and a half plates. No wonder they say growing boys eat their parents out of house and home.

Li Lei was about ten years old and could finish a whole plate himself. When he grew older, two plates might not even be enough.