Take out the cured meats and sausages and hang them up; if you leave them in those bags any longer, they might get moldy in a few days.

For lunch, Madam Chen and a few daughters-in-law used these cured meats to prepare a meal. The kitchen had everything needed and was very spacious and convenient.

"This kitchen is really big, even bigger than my bedroom," Lin Juan said sourly, feeling a bit dissatisfied because Xu Mumu, as the eldest sister, didn’t help their family’s Dongbao even a little.

The responsibility of cooking naturally fell to Qian Ying, as her culinary skills were recognized as the best among the daughters-in-law of the Old Xu Family.

"Big sister, the room you prepared for us is really nice," Xu Jiaojiao said, clinging to Xu Mumu. It had been a long time since she last saw her elder sister, and she missed her dearly.

"As long as you like it. If there’s anything else you need, just let me know," Xu Mumu said gently.

"Nothing else, these things are even more complete than what we have at home," Xu Jiaojiao quickly shook her head. The house, which Xu Mumu intended to rent out in the future, was naturally well-equipped. There were beds and wardrobes, and each room had a desk.

Xu Wan also nodded, acknowledging that the rooms here were indeed good, and the house was vastly superior to their old home.

"As long as you like it," Xu Mumu said with a smile, then she inquired about their studies. All the children had good grades, even receiving certificates during their end-of-term exams.

As they discussed their studies, Dongbao felt out of place. He wasn’t interested in studying at all; his grades were always at the bottom of the class, and now he wasn’t attending school at all.

However, he found it quite nice not having to go to school, being able to play wherever he wanted every day, without worrying about food and clothing. How great was that?

Dongbao pouted, reluctant to hear them talk about school, so he went straight to the kitchen. They had brought so much meat; surely, they were going to eat it for lunch. His mother was in the kitchen; maybe he could sneak a piece or two.

But with Madam Chen in the kitchen, there was no way Dongbao could sneak any food.

Soon it was time for lunch. The Old Xu Family, along with Professor Song and a few others, filled three whole tables.

Seeing so many people from the Old Xu Family, Professor Song was envious. His family just had him and Yin Yang, with no one else.

Tasting the long-missed dishes made by his second aunt, Xu Mumu was quite happy. His second aunt’s skills were really good, not as good as Mrs. Liu’s, but still unmatched by many in the countryside.

Except for Xu Xue, who was a bit absent-minded, everyone else enjoyed the meal.

After lunch, as Xu Mumu was about to test the learning progress of her younger siblings, Xu Xue came to find her.

"What do you want me for?" Xu Mumu asked, puzzled as she looked at Xu Xue. It seemed they had no common topics, so it was surprising that Xu Xue would come to her.

"I wanted to ask where Huo is living," Xu Xue didn’t even try to hide her intentions; she had nothing to conceal from Xu Mumu anyway, who knew everything.

Xu Mumu: "....." Huo Qingze really had his charm; Xu Xue was still hung up on him.

Xu Mumu stroked her chin, wondering whether to tell Xu Xue.

After considering for two seconds, Xu Mumu directly told Xu Xue where Huo Qingze was currently living. She mostly just wanted to watch the drama.

The plot had long since fallen apart; she didn’t know what might develop between the two. She purely wanted to watch the excitement.

Getting the information from Xu Mumu, Xu Xue thanked her and left.

"Big sister, what did second sister want?" Xu Jiaojiao asked curiously.

"This is our secret, children shouldn’t know," Xu Mumu said with a sly smile.

"Big sister, we promise not to tell," Xu Tao said excitedly. Secrets were something he was very interested in.

"No way," Xu Mumu calmly replied. Telling these kids was equivalent to telling the whole family. If that were the case, Xu Xue would probably want to kill her out of anger.

To divert the kids’ attention, Xu Mumu directly began asking about their academic progress.

Their academic progress was fairly aligned, and once she had an understanding, Xu Mumu knew what she needed to know.

"Big sister, we also participated in the competition. You taught second brother the tricks for the speech competition; you haven’t taught us yet," Xu Jiaojiao said expectantly, this being the second time Xu Minglei had bragged about it to them since their arrival, making them quite envious.

"Aren’t you going to take a break first? Do you need it now?" Xu Mumu looked at them, thinking about how tired they must be from sitting on the train for so long. Their eagerness to learn made even her feel a bit ashamed.

"Not tired, not tired. Sitting isn’t tiring at all," Xu Jiaojiao shook her head energetically. She wanted to learn about the speech techniques, as they hadn’t experienced that before. Initially, it was just to get a certificate, but later when their grandmother found out, they learned that after winning there are more competitions, and the ultimate competition was in the Imperial City, where they could visit their big sister.

Just to be able to visit her in the Imperial City, the kids were seriously motivated to study hard.

Alright, seeing their eager expressions, Xu Mumu agreed to teach them. With so much energy, it was time to put it to use.

She carefully explained what she had taught Xu Minglei before, making sure to clarify any tricky parts, ensuring that each child understood.

Meanwhile, Lin Juan eagerly looked at her own son as Xu Mumu taught the children.

"Dongbao, go and listen to your big sister’s lesson. Next year, you can re-enroll in sixth grade and continue to junior high," Lin Juan said excitedly, hoping her son wouldn’t drop out so early. In school, even if he wasn’t top of his class, he’d still learn something.

Unfortunately, Dongbao didn’t understand her maternal concerns. "I’m not going; I’m done with school. Studying isn’t fun at all."

Life was so comfortable right now, studying was torture, and he didn’t want that at all.

Just then, Li Caixia happened to pass by the house, her face showing disdain. Hmph, a hopeless fool. Just look at her own kids, each one so promising.

Remembering the grievances she had suffered from Lin Juan, her anger vanished immediately. She walked proudly to her room to share the overheard conversation with Xu Hai.

Lin Juan was furious; she was wholeheartedly doing it for his own good; why couldn’t he understand even a bit?

She no longer hoped for her son’s certificates; she just hoped he could at least go to high school so it would be easier for him to get a job.

Looking at the other kids, each one driven to attend university, where a degree meant a secure job. Thinking about her nieces and nephews’ future secure jobs, with only her son doing poorly, she felt a sting of frustration.