When Tessie was away, I would cook for our sons. They enjoyed my noodles very much. Well, sometimes I would prepare two extra dishes for them. But it's too late now, and I don't have the ingredients to make those dishes for you. Tomorrow, I will buy you some beef and mutton."

The meat in this place was famous, and almost all families raised cattle and Lambs.

The thought of his wife and sons living in this squalor and eating meager meals sent such a pang of anguish through his heart that his hands balled into fists.

He shot up from the chair. Erica frowned and asked, “Where are you going? Don't you want to eat?"

The man turned. He suppressed his emotions and said, "I'm going to wash my hands."

“Okay. I'll show the way." She heaved a sigh of relief. Her heart almost broke when she thought that he wouldn't eat the noodles she had made. However, it turned out that he was just a neat freak.

There was a tap outside the house, and it was connected to a pipe that was fed by cold spring water. When Erica came here, there hadn't been such a tap in the village, and every household had to fetch their water from the river. She had paid someone to install this tap.

She quickly fetched a basin of water and put it in front of him.

"Wash your hands!" she said.

The weather was neither hot nor freezing. The spring water was cool, but it could be used to wash hands.

After Matthew finished, Erica handed him a yellow towel and said, "This is Adkins’ towel. This little guy is also a neat freak like you, so his towel is the cleanest one. You can use your son's things!"

Now that she had cared for four boys, Erica had become good at taking care of people. She carefully wiped the water on Matthew's hands.

She guessed that Matthew Like the noodles she had cooked. After all, he ate in silence till all the noodles were finished.

Just Like the four little guys. They never said a word from beginning to end while eating the noodles made by their mother.

In the kitchen, Owen picked up some noodles and asked Tessie, who had quietly come out to clean the kitchen, “How often does Erica cook? And have you tried her noodles before?"

Tessie glanced at him and answered briefly, "Yes."

“What do you think about them?" Owen asked cautiously. He didn't say that the noodles tasted awful.

Tessie didn't say anything. Instead, she busied herself with cleaning the kitchen.

Since she stayed silent, Owen got her point.

“Did the four boys grow up by eating these noodles?" That would be miserable! To be honest, he had never eaten such terrible noodles before. He really felt bad for the boys.

"No, I can cook. I am the one who usually cooks for the boys," said

Tessie. She couldn't help smiling as she thought of how the four kids would gobble up her food every time she'd cook for them.

Although they were only three years old, they were so sensitive and understanding as if they were teenagers.

“That's good to hear!" Owen nodded his head with a smile that indicated his sense of relief.

Even he could understand that it wasn't easy for the two women to take care of four children.