Chapter 24: Fu Xiaoxiao’s Promise

Chapter 24: Chapter 24: Fu Xiaoxiao’s Promise

After a meal, Fu Xiaoxiao’s cooking skills were affirmed by everyone.

"Girl, your cooking is so much better than mine, oh my, this soup is so delicious." Chen Xiu looked at Fu Xiaoxiao as if discovering a treasure; the soup was so fresh she truly wanted to lick the bowl.

"If Sister-in-law likes it, I’ll teach you when we have time." Fu Xiaoxiao said with a smile.

"Aunt Fu, teach my mom!" Before Chen Xiu could speak, Li Lei and Li Sen eagerly agreed on her behalf.

"Brats! You’re asking for it! Is my cooking really that bad?" Chen Xiu raised her hand to smack the two cheeky boys.

"Mom, just admit it! Only your dumplings are decent." Li Lei gave Chen Xiu a difficult look. "Even though you’re my mom, the teacher said kids shouldn’t lie, or their noses would grow."

"Just wait till I whip your butts today..." Chen Xiu’s anger turned into embarrassment, grabbing a broom nearby. Upon seeing the ’weapon,’ Li Lei and Li Sen opened the door and ran off without a word.

"Come back here, brats!!" Chen Xiu angrily shouted, watching her two sons laugh triumphantly.

"I’m not stupid; I’m not coming back!!" Li Lei laughed, full of himself.

Although Li Sen wasn’t his mother’s target, if she couldn’t catch his brother, she’d surely come after him; it was smart to run.

Fu Xiaoxiao stood at the door watching Chen Xiu chase after the two, panting heavily, then turned to look at Lu Lin and Lu Chen.

"You guys wouldn’t do this, would you?"

"Nope." Lu Lin shook his head.

"Hehe." Lu Chen showed a cute smile.

When Chen Xiu returned, Fu Xiaoxiao, along with Lu Lin and Lu Chen, was doing the dishes. Fu Xiaoxiao was scrubbing, Lu Lin rinsing, and finally, Lu Chen wiping them dry with a cloth.

Watching these two kids work without a single complaint, Chen Xiu truly felt she had misunderstood them before.

Seeing how obedient they were, they weren’t troublesome at all. If they were naughty, what would you call her two troublemaker boys?

"Xiao Lin, Xiao Chen, go play! I’ve got this." Chen Xiu quickly stepped forward to take over, but Lu Lin shook his head.

"Auntie, no need. My brother and I can help Aunt Fu." Lu Chen, speaking on Lu Lin’s behalf, smiled at Chen Xiu without stopping, taking the bowl handed over by his brother to wipe.

"Sister-in-law, just these two bowls left, you don’t need to get involved." Fu Xiaoxiao chuckled lightly, finishing scrubbing the last plate and handing it to Lu Lin.

"Really sorry, you guys are guests and still doing the dishes." Chen Xiu said apologetically, thinking she should’ve held back and not chased the two brats earlier.

"We’re all neighbors, don’t be so formal, or we won’t dare come over in the future." Fu Xiaoxiao laughed lightly, not wanting such formalities.

"Right, right, the girl is right!" Chen Xiu happily pat Fu Xiaoxiao’s hand, watching Lu Lin even help put the dishes and chopsticks away, her eyes showing more guilt toward the two kids.

She went to the cabinet and took out two pieces of cake.

"Come on, try these cakes, brought back by his dad during a mission. You can’t buy them around here." Chen Xiu hadn’t even let her own kids eat these, planning to save them for New Year.

Lu Lin and Lu Chen paused, facing such hospitality for the first time, unsure what to do, instinctively looking at Fu Xiaoxiao.

"Take with both hands, thank Sister-in-law Chen." Fu Xiaoxiao looked at the green bean cake handed over by Chen Xiu, a specialty from Shencheng City, indeed not available here.

Seeing the kids naturally turn to her for guidance, Fu Xiaoxiao smiled and reminded them.

"Thank you, Aunt Chen." Lu Lin and Lu Chen obediently accepted with both hands.

"It’s so tasty!" Lu Chen cautiously took a bite, the sweet green bean cake making him squint happily.

Lu Lin didn’t say anything, but the way he nibbled on the cake made Fu Xiaoxiao feel he should be pleased.

"Such good kids." Chen Xiu looked at their cute smiles, feeling no regrets anymore.

"Go play! I’ll chat with Sister-in-law." Fu Xiaoxiao ruffled Lu Chen’s hair after both kids finished their cakes, and Lu Chen gleefully ran out.

"Girl, I really feel like all these years have been for nothing, looking at your two kids, they’re so obedient... how could I have believed Aunt Li and thought they were bad!" Chen Xiu said to Fu Xiaoxiao.

"Sister-in-law, that’s because Aunt Li is very scheming. She does this to make Lu Feng feel guilty. Lu Feng is a man, wouldn’t bother with these things, he’d just give her more money as compensation! The worse she describes how naughty your kids are, the more guilty Lu Feng feels for not having time to take care of them, and won’t verify if her words are real." Fu Xiaoxiao explained, and Chen Xiu looked at her with bright eyes.

"Uh? What’s wrong?" Seeing her stare, Fu Xiaoxiao felt wary.

"Girl, you’re really amazing! You explained it perfectly! Every time Camp Commander Lu comes back, I hear a bit, and just like you said, he always gives her a bit more money as compensation!" Chen Xiu, living next door, naturally hears something.

It’s exactly like Chen Xiu said; Lu Feng, being a man, doesn’t bother with these twists and turns, and since the kids aren’t biologically his, he won’t scold them.

"You know, we’re neighbors, just a wall apart. My husband is a rough person; he won’t talk to Camp Commander Lu about it, just tells me not to meddle." Chen Xiu wanted to intervene, but her husband thought it was better to mind their own business, fearing Lu Feng might think she’s watching him constantly, so he wouldn’t let Chen Xiu do anything.

"I understand, Sister-in-law. Lu Feng wouldn’t blame you either. In the future, if the kids have any issues, feel free to tell me." Fu Xiaoxiao pat Chen Xiu’s hand, reassuring her.

Chen Xiu didn’t want to meddle, worried Lu Feng would think she’s interfering too much. Her husband serves under Lu Feng, daring not to manage his leader’s family issues.

When Fu Xiaoxiao returned home, Lu Lin and Lu Chen were bringing herbs inside. Fu Xiaoxiao thought for a moment, stopping Lu Lin to ask about schooling.

"Xiao Lin, do you want to study?" Fu Xiaoxiao looked at Lu Lin, asking seriously.

Lu Lin paused, quickly looking up at Fu Xiaoxiao, his eyes filled with shock and disbelief.

"What? Seeing your expression, seems like you feel I wouldn’t let you study?" Fu Xiaoxiao felt she understood the reason for his shock.

Lu Lin lowered his head. "I’m not your biological child; would you really send me to study?"

Looking at Lu Lin, Fu Xiaoxiao’s eyes showed complexity. What was this little head thinking?

"Do you trust Lu Feng?" Fu Xiaoxiao squatted down, her eyes level with Lu Lin’s.

"I trust him." To Lu Feng, Lu Lin has faith; although not related by blood, he was willing to adopt him and his brother, swear to raise them until adulthood. Like their father, he’s a soldier, so he trusts him.

"Then when Lu Feng isn’t here, you can treat me as him! His promises to you are valid with me. What other kids have, you will have too; what others lack, if I can give, I’ll give you as well." Fu Xiaoxiao said seriously.

Lu Lin and Fu Xiaoxiao’s eyes met, her sincere and unreserved actions melted a corner of his cold heart.