Rebirth in 1980: The Farm Wife Makes a Comeback
Chapter 378: Big Appetites

Chapter 378: Chapter 378: Big Appetites

Ah, Doraemon is really too useful.

She had drunk half a bottle of water by the time she saw Li Li and Mao Xiaomei come out, looking completely exhausted with beads of sweat on their foreheads. It’s just an exam, but bless them, I wonder if they’ve put their lives on the line for it.

As soon as the two of them sat in the car, they kept talking about the exam. They wouldn’t stop, and once they started, they were both flipping through books and searching for answers again. They probably knew they had made mistakes, and the two of them just hugged each other and started wailing.

"I got it wrong, I answered it wrong, what should I do, what should I do?"

Qin Xiangnuan leaned her head against the car window on one side.

Ah, what can be done now? The exam is over, if you got it wrong, just accept it. And as for me, I stayed out of it the whole time. Silence is golden, after all. Better save my energy for the feast later.

It’s likely that Jian Zhiqing also knew that the other two hadn’t done well on their exams, so he made sure they had plenty of compensation for their bellies—sweet and sour fish, eight-treasure duck, braised lion’s head, and green pepper beef. As soon as these dishes were served, the two who had been worrying about the exam immediately transformed into bona fide foodies.

A table full of dishes, and the four of us ate until we were stuffed.

"Why don’t you two stay at my place?" Qin Xiangnuan thought it might be inconvenient for them at school, "It would be more convenient to go to the exam site together tomorrow morning."

"My brother’s room is still vacant; you two can stay there."

"How could we impose like this?" Li Li and Mao Xiaomei both felt it was a good and convenient offer, but were too embarrassed. After all, having eaten at someone’s house, it would be even more awkward to stay there, too.

"It’s fine, my house is very quiet, much better than staying at school, and you can study late into the night."

Qin Xiangnuan knew that there’s a set lights-out time at the school, even during exams, and pulling an all-nighter before an exam isn’t a wise move. Therefore, the school implements an early lights-out policy, but at her home, it doesn’t matter.

Nowadays, most students still live on campus, after all, many have a long commute, and the exam venues are far away, so the majority choose to stay at school.

In the end, the two of them were taken back to Qin Xiangnuan’s home.

When Granny Lu saw Qin Xiangnuan return, she didn’t ask how the exams went. She didn’t want to add any pressure on the children. Ever since they started school, they’ve been independent, and as an uneducated old woman, she couldn’t help with their homework. Thankfully, both children were diligent, and she never had to worry about their studies.

Granny Lu made dumplings and left them in the kitchen, ready to be boiled if someone got hungry at night.

After Qin Xiangnuan came out from the system, she solidified what she had to learn for tomorrow’s exam. When she emerged, it was already dark outside. She studied some more outside, until around ten o’clock, when the light in Qin Xiangyang’s room was still on.

Are those two still studying?

Although Li Li and Mao Xiaomei are not particularly good students, they are quite earnest. They still haven’t gone to bed. Even Jian Zhiqing’s room lights were on. Qin Xiangnuan knew that Jian Zhiqing usually went to bed late, and since he had taken leave, he probably wanted to finish tomorrow’s work ahead of time, otherwise, when he got to his workplace, he’d probably be overrun with work.

She sighed and went to the kitchen to cook some of Granny Lu’s dumplings, intending to give them a bit of a snack. Eating well aids studying, and after studying, it’s good for sleeping.

She boiled a large plate of dumplings, so each person could have a share without eating too much. Eating too much would only make one more uncomfortable.

"Knock knock..." she knocked on the door.

In a short while, Li Li came to open the door. Qin Xiangnuan took a glance inside; on the small table, there were a few books laid out. Sure enough, the two had decided to pull an all-nighter.

"I’ve cooked some dumplings, want some?" Qin Xiangnuan pointed at the stone table outside, where a large plate of dumplings was placed alongside a few small dishes containing dipping sauce.

Granny Lu’s dumplings are delicious, but the dipping sauce prepared by Qin Yangnuan is truly exceptional—unforgettable for those who have tried it.

"Of course, I want to eat," Mao Xiaomei quickly rushed out. "I’m so hungry," she said, patting her stomach. "I was just about to ask you for something to eat. We’re planning to stay up until midnight, and that won’t do on an empty stomach."

Qin Xiangnuan disapproved of their plan to stay up late, but she also knew that not everyone was like her, so she let it be, taking responsibility only for keeping their stomachs full.

The two of them immediately ran to the stone table to eat the dumplings.

Qin Xiangnuan then went to knock on Jian Zhiqing’s door.

"Brother Jian... it’s me."

Jian Zhiqing came out from inside, surrounded by a pile of documents. It seemed he too was gearing up for a night of toil—thankfully, though, he didn’t have exams to worry about, so his mind could be more at ease.

"What’s up?" Jian Zhiqing emerged from a heap of papers, one sheet still clinging to him.

"Brother Jian, I’ve cooked some dumplings. Do you want any?"

Qin Xiangnuan glanced over at the stone table and saw the two women gobbling up the dumplings with great enthusiasm, to the point where they seemed to devour her reputation along with it.

"Any left?" Jian Zhiqing, too, was resigned to the voracious eating habits of the two women outside. From such a large plate, it seemed unlikely any would remain for him—and he was quite hungry himself, fearing that the leftovers would not suffice to fill his stomach.

"Yeah, there’s more, not cooked yet."

Qin Xiangnuan was also taken aback by the other women’s appetites. It was supposed to be enough for four, but it seemed it might all end up in their bellies, leaving possibly not enough for both Jian Zhiqing and herself.

"I’ll go cook," Qin Xiangnuan said, turning towards the kitchen. She estimated there was enough left for another plateful.

Jian Zhiqing sighed, removing the paper stuck to him and gave it a shake, as if preoccupied with the mountain of work yet to be done.

Not long after, Qin Xiangnuan returned with another plate of dumplings.

Li Li and Mao Xiaomei had polished off the first plate, not leaving a single one.

"All finished?" Qin Xiangnuan’s gaze shifted from the empty plate to their bellies. Such a large plateful had indeed been stuffed full, stuffed plenty.

"Mhm, burp... all done," Li Li kept burping, patting her fulsome stomach. "You made too much, and we didn’t want to waste, so we forced ourselves to finish it."

Alright then, Qin Xiangnuan dropped the subject. Truly, she dropped it—didn’t she prepare enough for four? Didn’t they notice the four bowls she had set out?

"Would you like to eat more?" she asked, offering up the plate in her hands. "There’s one more plate."

"No thanks, no thanks, burp..." Li Li hurriedly shook her head. "I really can’t eat another bite."

"Me too," Mao Xiaomei said, holding her stomach as well. "I don’t even feel like moving."

"Then I’ll take it away," Qin Xiangnuan said, taking the plate to Jian Zhiqing’s room. Those two women probably needed to stay put a little longer to digest. To ensure Jian Zhiqing’s stomach could get some dumplings sooner, she decided to bring the plate in first.