As the Su grandmother was lamenting that her grandsons never came home on weekends, the Su brothers surprisingly returned.
Upon seeing her elder grandsons, Grandma Su’s murmuring ceased immediately. She hurried forward to examine them, making sure they hadn't lost weight.
Then, Grandma Su spotted Chi Yiyuan walking behind her grandsons.
Since arriving in the capital, Chi Yiyuan had grown taller, though he appeared a bit thinner.
“Little Yuan is here too? Oh dear, you’ve only been gone a few days, and you look so much thinner!”
Grandma Su, forgetting her own grandsons for a moment, began to fuss over Chi Yiyuan.
The Su brothers watched this scene, feeling a pang in their hearts.
Why was their grandmother favoring an outsider?
They were her own grandsons, after all!
Grandma Su, oblivious to her grandsons’ resentment, continued to shower Chi Yiyuan with concerned words.
“Little Yuan, you need to eat more good food to nourish yourself. Is your coursework too heavy? From now on, you’ll come home with Little Sweetheart and her brothers to eat.”
“It’s just you and your grandfather at home, and no one to cook for you two.”
“My child, why are you being so formal? What’s wrong with eating a meal at our home? It’s not like we’re still in the production team where people are watching!”
Grandma Su chattered on, making Chi Yiyuan feel a little awkward.
He actually quite liked the atmosphere at the Su family’s home and had often visited before. It was just that he had been busy recently and couldn’t make it.
“Grandma Su, I’ve just grown taller, so I look a bit thin. My health is actually quite good,” Chi Yiyuan replied with a smile.
Grandma Su patted Chi Yiyuan’s hand and smiled, “It’s good that you’re growing. A tall boy looks spirited.”
Afterward, Grandma Su suddenly remembered how the children had ended up together.
“How did you all end up together?”
“We happened to meet on the road, and since it was still early, we invited Yiyuan to come along,” replied Su Shouwen.
Despite his slight displeasure at his grandmother’s favoritism, he answered respectfully.
Chi Yiyuan nodded, confirming that was indeed the case.
Grandma Su didn’t think much of it.
“We’re having a delicious meal at home today. I’ve already asked Little Six and Little Seven to invite Grandpa Du and Auntie Taohua’s families. You all go wash your hands quickly; dinner will be ready soon.”
After speaking, Grandma Su went off to busy herself.
As Chi Yiyuan and the others went to wash their hands, they discovered Chi Ge leisurely sipping tea.
“Grandpa!”
“Hello, Grandpa Chi!”
Chi Ge and the others quickly stepped forward to greet him.
“You rascal, you came to the Su family’s house and didn’t tell me!” Chi Ge said, unable to suppress his playful scolding upon seeing his grandson.
Chi Yiyuan hadn’t expected his grandfather to be at the Su family’s home.
He went over and sat beside Chi Ge, saying, “Grandpa, I just happened to be lucky. As for you, you said you were bored at home, and since I wasn’t here, you came to see Grandpa Su and the others!”
Chi Ge hadn’t expected his grandson to turn the tables on him, and his smiling face looked rather mischievous!
However, Chi Ge was delighted by this.
It was much better for his grandson to be like this than to be so cold and distant as before.
Although he was a grandson and not as soft and cute as a granddaughter to win affection, he, an old man, also hoped this rascal would show more expressions and occasionally act spoiled towards him.
But this child, perhaps due to too many hardships, carried too much on his mind.
Not only did he not know how to act spoiled, but at times, his words were sharp and confrontational.
This way was much better, much better!
Chi Ge looked at his grandson with satisfaction.
Chi Yiyuan had never seen Chi Ge stare at him like this before.
He couldn’t help but look himself up and down, ensuring his clothes were neat and clean, which made him even more worried.
That gaze was a bit frightening!
What was wrong with his old man?
Why did he look so foolish, smiling at him so strangely?
Chi Yiyuan felt his hair stand on end.
In his panic, he quickly stood up, feigned a need to use the restroom, and fled.
Chi Yiyuan was tall, and when he ran, his speed was undeniable.
Chi Ge watched his grandson run off, feeling a sense of regret.
Why did this child run away so quickly?
Chi Ge looked at his grandson’s retreating back, his eyes filled with an indescribable emotion!
“Grandpa Chi, what’s wrong with your eyes? If you’re not feeling well, should I ask Little Sweetheart to take a look?”
Su Sangong, seeing Chi Ge’s eyelids twitching, worried he might have an eye condition and asked.
Chi Ge was rendered speechless by this remark!
Was this Su Xiao San so dense?
His eyes were perfectly fine, better than fine!
This child, at such a young age, had poor eyesight!
Su Sangong, not understanding, received several stern glares from Grandpa Chi.
He looked bewildered, having said nothing wrong, so why was Grandpa Chi’s face darkening?
Or was it not just Grandpa Chi’s eyes that were problematic, but his overall health?
Just as Su Sangong was about to ask further, Grandpa Su returned.
Grandpa Su looked at Chi Ge’s darkened face, finding it very strange.
This old man usually had a great disposition and hadn’t been this angry in years. What was wrong today?
Had he developed a temper after coming to the capital?
“Why the long face? Puffing out your beard and glaring, aren’t you afraid of scaring my precious darling!”
Grandpa Su’s words successfully made Chi Ge’s expression much better.
Chi Ge slapped his forehead in annoyance, realizing he had forgotten about Little Sweetheart.
The old man quickly turned to Su Xiaotian and said, “Little Sweetheart, Grandpa Chi wasn’t glaring at you. Weren’t you scared?”
The Su brothers were stunned. What was going on?
When had their little sister become so timid?
After receiving Su Xiaotian’s confirmation that she wasn’t scared, Chi Ge continued, “Tell me, your third brother is so old yet still can’t speak properly. What will he do in the future?”
It was a good thing he wasn’t his disciple, or he would be worried to death.
He’d have to tell Shen Zizhen to teach him properly, otherwise, it would be a worry in the future.
He might not even be able to find a wife.
Su Sangong touched his nose. What had he done?
He didn’t think he had said anything.
Su Xiaotian smiled, a mischievous and incredibly cute smile.
Her silly third brother’s heart was completely buried in the loess, his mind filled with land and crops…
His intelligence was sufficient, but his emotional intelligence was indeed worrying!
Never mind, it would happen slowly over time.
Su Liuxiu went to invite Du Tonghe and his wife, but returned with five other people.
Grandpa Su and Grandma Su were surprised by the number of guests.
The Du family lived alone, and their relatives rarely visited. Why had they brought others today?
Su Xiaotian, however, recognized them with her sharp eyes. They were indeed acquaintances.
“Uncle Hua!” Su Xiaotian immediately called out happily.
“Uncle Hua? Little girl, didn’t you used to call me big brother?” the baby-faced man said, putting on a stern face.
Su Xiaotian snorted proudly and said, “Look at how old you are. If I call you big brother, you actually dare to accept it!”
Hmph, just because you look young doesn’t mean you can pretend to be young! That won’t do!
Hua Xiucheng awkwardly touched his nose. He was indeed getting old.
But who didn’t like being called young?
This little girl, after such a short time, wasn’t cute at all!
Why had he ever thought this young girl was soft, adorable, and cute before?
“Little girl, I’ll give you another chance. Call me big brother, and there’s a gift!”
Hua Xiucheng couldn’t help but try to tempt Su Xiaotian.
He refused to admit his age, absolutely refused!
Su Xiaotian looked at Hua Xiucheng with disdain. How shameless, insisting on being called big brother…
“Hmph, do you think I’m so easily bought?” Su Xiaotian said proudly, then leaned forward slightly and asked, “Uncle Hua, what gift did you prepare for me?”
Another “Uncle Hua,” and Hua Xiucheng felt he simply didn’t want to talk to this girl anymore.
Perhaps he should give the gift to someone else?
But the Su family were all brats and not much fun.
“You child, how old are you to ask a little girl to call you brother? Aren’t you ashamed?”
The person who spoke was an old man standing next to Hua Xiucheng, about sixty years old, with a weathered and experienced look.
Their appearances were vaguely similar, indicating they were undoubtedly father and son.
Su Xiaotian looked at the two, contemplating how to greet them.
Hua Xiucheng said, “Father, this is the little girl I told you about on the train! See, just as I said, isn’t she beautiful!”
“She’s truly beautiful!” Father Hua looked at Su Xiaotian with a kind smile, but then, in a flash, he glared at Hua Xiucheng: “Tell me, when will you give me a granddaughter to hold?”
Hua Xiucheng hadn’t expected to be pressured into having children so soon.
He quickly changed the subject and said to Su Xiaotian, “Come, come, little girl, see how you like this piece of jade I brought you.”
He even pretended to be busy and opened his bag.
Su Xiaotian hadn’t expected Hua Xiucheng to bring her a piece of jade.
At that moment, she was startled.
This gift was rather valuable.
She quickly declined, saying, “I can’t accept it, it’s too valuable!”
Hua Xiucheng couldn’t help but roll his eyes. This girl was so perfunctory. How did she know it was valuable without even seeing it? Let me see it first!”
He hadn’t even opened the box in his hand, and she was already refusing it?
Su Xiaotian said as a matter of course, “Since it’s jade that you’re giving to someone, it must be something extraordinary.”
It was a joke. Would ordinary jade be worth giving as a gift?
“It’s not that expensive, I just happened to get it.”
Hua Xiucheng seriously considered whether this piece of jade was valuable or not.
He even thought, if this jade wasn't good or valuable, would this little girl dislike it?
If it was valuable, and this little girl didn’t want it, what should he do?
Su Xiaotian watched Hua Xiucheng’s expression change repeatedly, unable to guess his thoughts.
She decided not to rush her conversation with Hua Xiucheng and instead greeted Mother Hua and Father Hua.
Su Xiaotian was beautiful and sweet-talked, able to charm people with just a few words.
Father Hua and Mother Hua looked like honest and decent people. Although they liked Su Xiaotian very much, they were still a bit hesitant when Su Xiaotian invited them to sit inside.
Yu Ruiyuan smiled and said, “This is my god-granddaughter, don’t treat her as an outsider!”
“We’re all family. Let Xiaotian show you inside. Sangong, don’t just stand there, go pour some tea.”
Hua Xiucheng also said, “Dad, Mom, look, I’m quite familiar with them too. We’re all family, no need to be formal!”
As soon as Hua Xiucheng finished speaking, Father Hua glared at him.
The meaning was clear: he thought Hua Xiucheng was indiscreet.
Familiar?
After all, they had only met once on the train, and he had even taken advantage of their hospitality.
The old man clearly ignored what his son had said about giving tickets and money.
Su Xiaotian couldn’t help but chuckle at this scene.
She hadn’t expected Hua Xiucheng’s family to be so amusing!
However, Father Hua and Mother Hua were unwilling to sit down just yet. They wanted to greet everyone first.
A moment later, Father Hua and Mother Hua had formally met everyone.
Everyone knew about the past connection between Father Hua and Mother Hua and the Du family, and they felt a sense of gratitude towards the Hua elders, treating them as family from the bottom of their hearts.
The Hua elders also felt everyone’s sincerity and gradually relaxed.
They had initially thought that people in the capital would be aloof and look down on others, but they were surprisingly easygoing.
Grandma Su busied herself with cooking, and Yu Ruiyuan proactively went to help.
With so many people to feed, and Su Taohua not yet arrived, she couldn’t just wait for the Su mother and daughter-in-law to cook.
Grandma Su found an opportunity to ask Yu Ruiyuan, and only then did she learn that the Hua elders had arrived in the capital the previous night.
As she said this, Yu Ruiyuan’s thoughts drifted to her second son, and a look of sadness appeared on her face.
After so many years, she hadn’t thought she would ever see her son’s belongings.
Previously, she had thought she had no mementos, but now that she had seen them, she felt even more heartbroken.
“Don’t be too sad. From now on, you’ll have something to remember him by!” Grandma Su quickly comforted her.
“I know, but a mother’s heart…”
“Auntie, you must be happy, otherwise, your eldest brother won’t be able to rest in peace in the afterlife!” Liang Xiu also chimed in to persuade her.
She even considered finding Su Xiaotian to help comfort her.
“I know. It’s a joyous occasion, so let’s not talk about these things, not talk about these things.” Yu Ruiyuan was truly afraid of losing control for a moment, so she quickly changed the subject.
“Help me with the cooking. We have many guests tonight, and our large family. I’m a bit overwhelmed! It’s rare for everyone to be together, so I’ll prepare a few more dishes for you to taste my cooking!”
Hearing Grandma Su ask for her help, Yu Ruiyuan’s mood actually improved considerably.
Her cooking skills weren’t great, but she could help with the preparations.
Yu Ruiyuan willingly helped peel onions and garlic.
Just then, Su Xiaotian arrived with Mother Hua.
“Xiaotian, why did you bring guests into the kitchen? This child is becoming more and more capable!” Grandma Su said with a playful scolding.
However, despite the scolding tone, there was no anger in her words.
Before Su Xiaotian could speak, Mother Hua spoke somewhat awkwardly.
“The men are all talking, and I have nothing to do, so I thought I’d come and help. If it’s inconvenient, I…”
Father Hua and Mother Hua spoke with heavy regional accents, but they could be understood to some extent.
Communication wasn’t too difficult.
Grandma Su realized Mother Hua was overthinking things and quickly took her hand, saying, “There’s not much help needed, but if you don’t mind it being the kitchen, you can sit nearby and we can chat.”
“Strictly speaking, when guests arrive, I should entertain them properly, but as you can see, my situation is like this. Please don’t blame me for being impolite.”
“People often say that customs differ every three miles. Why don’t you tell us about your local customs so we can broaden our horizons!”
Grandma Su spoke so fluently that Mother Hua felt comforted and quickly said, “You busy yourself, I’ll just sit here and peel onions with Sister-in-law Du.”
Yu Ruiyuan smiled and said, “I’m so fortunate. With someone helping with these onions.”
The women all burst into laughter.
While chatting and laughing, Grandma Su finally saw off all the guests for the day.
However, the Su Taohua family arrived at this time, explaining that they had recently taken on a business order that was urgent, causing the delay.
Grandma Su asked them to go sit first, but Su Taohua refused. However, unable to resist Grandma Su, they eventually went upstairs.
As the kitchen work was nearing completion, Grandma Su asked Su Xiaotian to take Yu Ruiyuan and Mother Hua upstairs.
When the dishes for the last table of guests were served, Grandma Su instructed the waiters to look after them, and she and Liang Xiu also went upstairs.
The main dishes for the day were clear broth lamb and braised pork ribs.
The meat, stewed early, was tender and flavorful. According to Grandma Su’s wishes, there was enough meat, so there was no need to prepare too many other dishes.
Su Xiaotian thought it would be nice to have some vegetables after the lamb, so she had prepared a custom copper hot pot early on.
She also prepared plenty of fresh vegetables and thinly sliced raw meat.
As there were many people today, two tables were set. Generally, one table was for drinking, and the other was for non-drinkers.
Although the elder Su brothers didn’t drink, Grandpa Su said they could try the taste of alcohol.
Therefore, the brothers all sat at the drinking table.
Grandma Su and the others sat at another table, consisting of women and children.
Father Hua sat with Grandpa Su and the other men. After a few drinks, the men were much more at ease.
Mother Hua, however, was clearly uncomfortable.
“Sister-in-law, please try it. How is my cooking? Can you get used to it?”
Hearing Grandma Su say this, Mother Hua politely replied, “Such good food, and so much meat. Even during our New Year, we don’t have this much.”
This was the truth. She had never seen so much meat. How much did this cost?
Although her son was successful, their family’s life was decent, but this was their first time dining out like this.
“It’s all homemade, nothing special!” Liang Xiu said with a smile.
“Meat is expensive. In our production team, a family doesn’t get this much meat in a whole year!” Mother Hua said with a smile.
In her heart, she couldn’t help but sigh, realizing that life in the city was indeed better.
“Auntie, I heard that the flavors of dishes vary from place to place. Please try them and see if our dishes are very different from those in your hometown? Do they suit your taste?”
“Here, have a piece of lamb. Sister-in-law, you have no idea, the cooking skills of these mother and daughter-in-law are better than each other.”
Liang Xiu and Yu Ruiyuan were both busy attending to Mother Hua, which eased her discomfort considerably.
Mother Hua nodded.
This was self-evident. One could imagine that a restaurant in the capital would have good cooking skills.