Chapter 7: Touched

“Are you Xiao Mao? Do you want to learn how to make dumplings? I’ll teach you.” Li Luo flashed a smile that she believed to be very kind.

To her surprise, Ling Xiaolei suddenly bolted away, leaving Li Luo standing alone in a state of confusion in the kitchen.

Why were these two brothers so rowdy, one after the other? Only Yaya was somewhat quiet, but... she seemed a bit *too* quiet.

It was only then that Li Luo realized something was wrong. Yaya was almost three years old, yet she hadn't uttered a single word to her... Looking at Yaya, she didn't seem mute, either.

There was only one possibility: no one had taught her how to speak! Her path as a stepmother was indeed fraught with difficulties!

Li Luo sighed and continued kneading the dough into a long strip, pinching off uniform pieces and rolling them into stacks of dumpling skins with a rolling pin.

Using chopsticks, she filled them and gave them a casual pinch, creating pleated dumplings.

Looking at the plump, white dumplings in her palm, Li Luo gave a satisfied smile; it seemed she hadn't lost her touch.

The finished dumplings were placed on a bamboo steamer. The water in the gas stove began to bubble and roar. Li Luo tossed the dumplings into the pot all at once and stirred them with a spatula.

After two additions of water, the steaming hot dumplings were ready. The aroma was so mouth-watering that Li Luo couldn't help but feel her appetite surge, wanting to take a bite immediately.

But she hadn't forgotten that there were three children in the house. She scooped them into an enamel basin and carried them out, just as the two Mao brothers were whispering to each other.

“Big brother, I saw that woman sprinkling powder on the dough just now. Are these dumplings unsafe to eat?” Ling Xiaolei whispered into his brother's ear with a look of great seriousness.

Ling Xiaoguang’s eyes instantly turned cold, and he crossed his arms over his chest. “You actually poisoned the dumplings?”

Li Luo froze. When had she poisoned anything? Looking at Ling Xiaolei, she suddenly understood—her sprinkling of flour had been misunderstood.

Li Luo felt a surge of amusement. Amidst the standoff, she picked up a dumpling with her chopsticks and popped it into her mouth. The tender meat immediately filled her palate.

It was hot! But Li Luo held her composure.

“How is it? If I had poisoned them, would I dare eat them myself?” With a candid expression, Li Luo placed the dumpling back on the table, turned to the kitchen to grab two small porcelain bowls, and poured a small dish of vinegar.

She casually scooped Yaya into her arms.

She used her chopsticks to split a dumpling in two, blew on it a few times, and once it wasn't too hot, she fed it to Yaya.

Upon tasting the delicious food, Yaya’s eyes instantly lit up. She pointed at the dumpling and then at her own mouth: “Ah!”

Li Luo smiled and flicked Yaya’s nose. “Little glutton.”

Yaya let out a "giggle" and buried her face in Li Luo’s arms, seemingly a bit shy.

Li Luo picked up another dumpling and dipped it in vinegar. The acidity immediately awakened her taste buds; dumplings dipped in vinegar were even better the more you ate.

“If you keep staring blankly, the dumplings will get cold. They say the first pot of dumplings and the second pot of noodles are the best. If you don't eat this first batch, it's a waste of food.” Ignoring the two brothers standing frozen in place, Li Luo continued feeding Yaya the remaining half of a dumpling.

Ling Xiaolei had been craving them for a while. He nudged his brother with his elbow. “Brother, the teacher told us that wasting food is shameful. Look, that woman made so many; if we don't finish them, it's a waste.”

“But it’s meat! How long has it been since we’ve had meat...” Ling Xiaolei poked and prodded with a pitiful expression.

Ling Xiaoguang thought for a moment and nodded. “Right. That woman made so much just to waste food. We can't let her have her way!”

Having convinced himself, Ling Xiaoguang went to the kitchen to get two small porcelain bowls and scooped some dumplings from the basin.

Ling Xiaolei also wanted to mimic Li Luo by dipping his dumpling in the vinegar dish, but Li Luo stopped him. “If you want vinegar, pour it yourself.”

Although they didn't have individual servings yet, Li Luo had already used that dish of vinegar, so she couldn't let Ling Xiaolei dip into it.

Ling Xiaolei pouted but obediently went to pour another dish of vinegar to try this novel way of eating.

In an instant, the sourness made Ling Xiaolei blink rapidly. Ling Xiaoguang, who was already on edge, couldn't sit still either.

“How is it, Xiao Mao?”

“I’m fine, Big Brother. It was just a sudden burst of sourness... but it's... delicious.” This attempt opened a new world for Ling Xiaolei, and he quickly devoured eight or nine dumplings.

“Big Brother, you try too!” Ling Xiaolei picked up a vinegar-dipped dumpling and looked at his brother expectantly.

Ling Xiaoguang chewed skeptically: *This woman's cooking is good, and even her way of eating is unique. However, I must observe for another two days; I cannot be deceived by her surface appearance.*

Despite his thoughts, the brothers' mouths did not stop. In no time, the basin was cleared. The two brothers had eaten the most substantial meal of their lives.

Ling Xiaolei looked longingly for more, but Li Luo shrugged. “The dumplings I made are all gone. There’s some dumpling soup left; don't drink too much.”

“It’s called 'the original soup turns back into the original food.'” Li Luo served herself and Yaya a bowl first. Only after she took a sip did the brothers go to serve themselves.

Sure enough, after a bowl of dumpling soup went down, the tightness in their chests eased. After the soup, the brothers couldn't eat any more dumplings.

Seeing the satisfied expressions on the boys' faces, Li Luo smiled mischievously. “So what if they become villains later? We have to start with children. If we correct their thoughts now, they won't go out and harm society later.”

“Wash the bowls in a bit. I’m going to give Yaya a bath. Can you handle the task I've given you?” Li Luo wasn't asking; she was stating a fact. Cooking was fine, but washing dishes...

*Sorry, I simply cannot do it!*

The two brothers nodded. Perhaps feeling guilty for misunderstanding her, Ling Xiaolei worked with lightning speed. He rushed to the kitchen, placed the dishes in the sink, stood on a small stool, and began scrubbing.

Li Luo looked around. Noticing Ling Xiaoguang was still staring at her, she asked, “Where is the bathroom?”

Ling Xiaoguang froze for a moment, then, as if possessed, pointed straight ahead.

Li Luo looked at the door in the far corner and nodded. “Thank you, Da Mao.”

Ling Xiaoguang’s ears instantly turned red. *She actually said thank you to me?*

“Big brother, come help me! I can't put the bowls in the cupboard!” In the kitchen, Ling Xiaolei urged Ling Xiaoguang.

Ling Xiaoguang had no choice but to withdraw his gaze and head to the kitchen to work, his mind full of confusion.

After finding the bathroom, Li Luo fumbled to turn on the light. The bathroom was tiled, but it looked as though it hadn't been used frequently.

Li Luo adjusted the water temperature to a comfortable level and filled a red plastic basin. As she undressed Yaya, she discovered faint bruises on the girl's waist and arms.

Li Luo’s eyes instantly turned cold.

Judging by how much Da Mao and Xiao Mao cared for Yaya, they certainly wouldn't bully her. Since Ling Zhuoqun was often away and Yaya couldn't speak, the culprit could only be Auntie Wang!

What a piece of work, Auntie Wang! To do such things right under the master's nose! Not only stealing food but also abusing a child—it was simply unforgivable!

Li Luo carefully washed Yaya’s body and untangled her hair. It took nearly half an hour of fussing before she finished and changed Yaya into clean, dry clothes.

Suddenly, the little "country girl" had been transformed into a delicate girl, like a porcelain doll.

“Such a beautiful treasure, left with no one to look after her at home. It's simply unacceptable.” Li Luo rubbed Yaya’s soft cheeks, finding her so adorable she could hardly let go.

“Giggle, giggle~” Yaya laughed continuously from Li Luo’s teasing, reaching out with her chubby little hands to hug Li Luo. Li Luo’s heart instantly softened.

She loved cute children far too much!

However, there were two less-than-cute children in the house.

As Li Luo came out with Yaya, she saw the brothers doing their homework. Ling Xiaoguang’s test papers were on the table, and Li Luo curiously leaned in to look.

Whoa! Impressive—perfect scores on both.

She hadn't even been this good when she was a child. It turned out this little villain was a straight-A student? At least he had brains.

Sensing Li Luo’s gaze, Ling Xiaoguang pulled his papers closer, not intending to let her see.

Li Luo let out a soft "oh" in resignation.

Having bathed, Yaya kept rubbing her eyes. Assuming she was sleepy, Li Luo held her in her arms and began humming a lullaby.

Before long, Yaya fell asleep on Li Luo’s shoulder. Listening to the lullaby, the brothers' minds drifted; it seemed that when they were small, they too had heard such melodies in their mother's arms.

For a moment, the brothers' writing slowed down.

Li Luo’s voice was very soft as she whispered, “Where is Yaya’s room?”

Ling Xiaolei was about to speak, but Ling Xiaoguang was quick to cover his mouth and pointed toward the second floor.

Ling Xiaolei’s heart, which had been in his throat, finally relaxed. He had almost woken Yaya up; luckily, his brother was fast.

Li Luo went upstairs and saw that Yaya was sleeping alone in her cradle. Ling Xiaoguang and Ling Xiaolei’s rooms were on either side of Yaya’s; if she made any noise, the brothers could arrive immediately.

Li Luo sighed. Ling Zhuoqun was truly too busy. He was rarely home, so it was no wonder Auntie Wang had dared to bully the child right under his nose without him knowing.

A house really cannot function without a housekeeper!

Thinking of Ling Zhuoqun, she wondered if he had eaten dinner. Following the principle of "never being in someone's debt," Li Luo made another batch of dumplings and covered them with a steamer cloth. When Ling Zhuoqun returned, they could be put straight into the pot.

Having finished everything, Li Luo sniffed herself and realized she still smelled of cooking. She went to her room to get her pajamas and headed to the bathroom to wash up.