Reborn in the 1980s: I became a stepmother in the 1980s

Part 86 Smoke overflowed from the lips of the two of them

The smoke wafted from between their lips, and Zhou Yueshen, afraid of choking her, let go to let her taste the smoke. Nowadays, the tobacco was all homegrown, not cheap at all, and didn't smell unpleasant.

No wonder she sometimes caught a faint tobacco scent from him, even though she had never seen Zhou Yueshen smoke before.

Sinan opened her eyes, misty with emotion. Her hands rested on his chest as she looked up, the dim lighting casting a soft glow on her face. His eyes were filled with desire, as if he wanted to devour her. She blinked and glanced downward instinctively. Zhou Yueshen immediately pulled back.

Sinan: "..."

So, was that a reaction or not?

Today, with Zhou's family visiting, Mrs. Lin pulled out all the stops and made a variety of delicious dishes. There were two plates of stir-fried meat alone: one with preserved meat and the other with the fresh meat Zhou Yueshen had sent over before. The preserved meat, stir-fried with scallions, was delicious no matter how it was cooked. The Lin family also steamed white rice, a favorite of the children's. While not as tasty as Sinan's cooking, it was still excellent for home-cooked meals.

The Lin brothers sat obediently at the table, backs straight, looking very formal, which left the two of them staring at each other in surprise.

Once they were seated, Mrs. Lin began serving the food. It was the first time the two kids visited someone else's home, so they were a bit shy. Mrs. Lin, afraid they might feel uncomfortable, enthusiastically helped serve food to the kids, picking only the fattiest pieces of meat for them.

Mrs. Lin had initially planned to stay overnight but realized her daughter had been away from home for too long. Feeling it wasn't right to impose, she decided against it. When Sinan and Zhou Yueshen arrived home, it was already dark outside. Sinan was surprised to see that the two kids hadn't gone to bed yet. They usually slept early.

Zhou Yuehan stood behind Zhou Yuedong, seeming hesitant to speak. Just as Sinan was wondering, Zhou Yuedong walked up to her and looked up, "Can you come to my school for parent-teacher conferences?"

Sinan looked at his little serious face, trying hard to mimic Zhou Yueshen's mature demeanor. But his eyes betrayed his nervousness. Sinan couldn't help but smile and reached out to ruffle Zhou Yuedong's hair, "Of course, no problem."

Zhou Yuedong was stunned, this woman just ruffled his hair!

Behind him, Zhou Yuehan didn't expect this reaction and quickly approached, eyeing Sinan and then his brother's head. Sinan understood his hint; he wanted his head ruffled too. She couldn't help but laugh and patted Zhou Yuehan's head, "Alright, go to bed early."

"Okay!" Zhou Yuehan nodded vigorously, making his way back to the room with quick steps.

In the middle of the night, he returned to his older brother's room, his face filled with worry. "Brother, what if she finds out I'm not good at studying and doesn't like me anymore? Everyone likes kids who are good at studying."

Zhou Yuehan regretted for the first time why he hadn't studied hard. Zhou Yuedong, half-asleep, didn't catch what his brother said and dozed off again.

Zhou Yuehan grew more anxious, watching his brother ignoring him. He sighed heavily. The next morning, Zhou Yuedong, who usually woke up earlier, was surprised to find his brother already awake, sitting on the sofa and reading diligently.

Zhou Yuedong was utterly shocked. Every time he tried to get his brother to study, it always went in one ear and out the other. Now, why was he suddenly so focused?

He rubbed his eyes, wondering if he was dreaming.

Zhou Yueshen had gone to the farm early in the morning. By the time Sinan woke up, both kids were already in the living room doing their homework. Sinan didn't disturb them but went straight to the kitchen to cook.

The large bag of small garlic bulbs she brought back yesterday still needed processing. These small garlic bulbs were a bit tricky to handle due to their size and required several washes. Sinan had already washed several transparent jars, and the pickled turnips inside were already well-flavored. They could be preserved for a long time. The small garlic bulbs were no different.

Cleaning the tiny garlic bulbs took her over half an hour. After soaking them in saltwater for a bit, she could start pickling.

There were many methods to pickle garlic, and they were quite simple. You used 10% of the total weight of the garlic in salt, then seasoned with soy sauce and vinegar, adding a bit of sugar. After marinating overnight, they would be ready to eat.

Sinan placed a full jar of small garlic bulbs on the cupboard. Beside it was a jar of pickled radish, the transparent jars cleaned so well that the red chili peppers, white radish strips, and soy-colored small garlic bulbs looked appetizing just sitting there.

Looking at her fully stocked kitchen, Sinan felt deeply satisfied.

In a basket on the side, the dried radishes were already done. When it was time to eat, she just needed to wash them, add seasoning, and they'd be ready to eat.

Feeling a bit bored at home and considering it rained last night, Sinan thought it would be a good opportunity to go to the mountains to pick some mushrooms. Being from Yunnan, people there loved to forage for mushrooms. In this era, the mountains were full of treasures. As one of the pioneers who had traveled back in time, she felt it was disrespectful not to go to the mountains.

Sinan smiled at the eager faces of the two boys. "Yes, I'm planning to pick some mushrooms. Do you two know where we can find a lot?"

Little Old Second, who was also known as Zhou Yueshen, blinked his eyes a few times, clearly thinking hard. "Mom, I think I saw some last time when we went to the western slope. There were some big ones!"

Little Old First, or Zhou Yuedong, nodded in agreement. "Yes, I remember too! They were near that big tree with the twisted trunk."

Sinan chuckled, "Great! Let's prepare some baskets and go together then."

Zhou Yuedong looked at the clock on the wall, "It's still early, Mom. We can finish our homework quickly and then go."

Zhou Yueshen was already eager to go. "I'll get the baskets ready!"

Both boys quickly finished their homework, their minds filled with excitement about the mushroom-picking trip.

Sinan felt grateful for these moments. She felt like she was truly bonding with her sons, teaching them the simple joys of life and the beauty of nature.

Soon, they were all ready. The three of them, mother and sons, set off towards the mountains, eager to find some delicious mushrooms.