"You two are bullying me a bit. Tsk, no fun," Tang Si snorted coldly and turned to leave.
"Come back!"
Seeing him about to go, Qing Muye called out, pointing to the dumplings in the pot, "The dumplings are ready, scoop them out and take them over."
"Don't you have hands?" Tang Si retorted.
As he spoke, he received a sinister gaze from his second elder brother, full of warning.
Recognizing his mistake instantly, Tang Si drooped his head, walked into the kitchen, picked up a bowl, and started scooping dumplings.
He mumbled, "I've never done chores since I was little, why do I have to do hard labor here with you?"
"It's your honor," Qing Muye said lightly.
"Forget it, I'll do it. It's not right to bully a young master like him, who hasn't experienced hardship."
Meng Jingwei deliberately said the opposite, teasing.
Then she reached out to take the ladle from Tang Si, but Qing Muye snatched the ladle before her, grabbed Tang Si by the collar, and threw him aside.
"Hey, hey..."
Tang Si stumbled a few steps, leaning on the door before he could stand steady.
He glared back at Qing Muye, and as he was about to say something, he saw Qing Muye looking affectionately at Meng Jingwei. Then, Qing Muye used the slotted spoon to scoop dumplings, picked up one with chopsticks, blew on it, and fed it to Meng Jingwei, "Here, I'll feed you."
Tang Si swallowed the words that were on the tip of his tongue, feeling as if a lump was stuck in his throat, making him extremely uncomfortable.
"This public display of affection, I can't stand it!"
He stomped his foot and turned to leave.
When he reached the kitchen door, Tang Si stopped and looked at Han Yu, "Look at that aunt-like smile on your face. If people didn't know better, they'd think you, a single dog, had a girlfriend."
The fire at the city gate affects the fish in the pond.
Han Yu was teased by him but calmly replied, "I've only been single recently. But you've been single since you were born. In short, a 'born-single dog'."
Tang Si: "..."
His sharp gaze fixed on Han Yu, his mouth twitching incessantly, "You got me!"
He huffed and went to the main hall. Han Yu turned back, looked meaningfully at the two people in the kitchen, then turned and followed.
"Come back."
Qing Muye suddenly called out, pointing to the bowls of dumplings on the stove, "Take the bowls over too."
"Together."
Meng Jingwei added some cold water to the pot and was about to get the dumplings, but Qing Muye held her hand, "It's hot. Han Yu and I will do it."
Although Han Yu didn't speak, he glanced at Qing Muye with resentful eyes and sighed helplessly.
There was no other way, who made him a single dog too.
This bowl of dog food had to be consumed.
The two of them carried four bowls of dumplings and left. Even though Qing Muye had told Meng Jingwei not to carry the dumplings, she still carried two large bowls of dumplings to the main hall.
"Oh my, why is Young Master Qing carrying the dumplings himself?"
Du Juan immediately went forward to take the dumplings from Qing Muye's hands.
She was worried that Qing Muye, having grown up in a wealthy family, wouldn't be able to carry anything.
"It's fine."
Qing Muye placed the dumplings directly on the table, then turned to go to the kitchen to get more dumplings. As a result, he saw Meng Jingwei coming over with a bowl.
"I told you you didn't need to do it."
The man said reproachfully, forcibly took the hot ceramic bowl, and turned to place it on the table.
Although their exchange was only a sentence, everyone present could feel the thick atmosphere of love.
For a moment, everyone understood a little, but they tacitly kept silent.
"Come, come, eat quickly, eat quickly."
Du Juan went to the kitchen and brought over a large soup bowl of dumplings. The eight of them then sat around the square table and ate together.
With the misunderstanding between Meng Jingwei and Qing Muye resolved, the atmosphere was much livelier than before.
Especially with Tang Si, the chatterbox, there was rarely a dull moment.
After breakfast, Qing Muye helped clear the bowls, very attentively.
Having grown up in the countryside, Meng Tianhua was very patriarchal and stopped Qing Muye, "Don't clean up. Let Jingwei and her mother do it."
"Yes, yes, Muye, you just sit down," Old Chen also agreed.
Qing Muye maintained a polite smile, "I'm idle anyway. I'll do it."
He snatched the bowls from Meng Jingwei's hands and went to the kitchen with a towering stack of bowls.
Du Juan followed behind, muttering, "Oh my, you're the young master of the Qing family, how can you do such dirty and tiring work? Let me do it."
"Oh my, Mom, just let him wash them."
Having seen Qing Muye's arrogant and aloof side, Meng Jingwei was in a good mood to suddenly see him so down-to-earth, kind, and gentle, like a big brother next door.
Although she and Qing Muye were exchanging glances that everyone could see, Meng Jingwei still deliberately explained, "He just wants to experience country life, indulge him."
"You silly girl, what nonsense are you talking? Go wash the dishes quickly." Meng Tianhua frowned and scolded her, then whispered, "He's a guest, it's not proper like this."
"Hahaha, Uncle, it's fine. My second brother is just diligent, he's been diligent since he was little. If you have any dirty or tiring work, just let him do it, he's very happy to."
Tang Si was talking nonsense.
As he spoke, he lowered his head and leaned close to Lu Yanming, whispering, "If it weren't for coming to Little Pepper's house, I probably wouldn't see him wash a dish in my life."
"Exactly," Lu Yanming nodded with certainty.
"Uncle, Tang Si is telling the truth."
Seeing Meng Tianhua's disbelief, Han Yu mischievously played a trick.
"Stop listening to you two boys talking nonsense. Muye was born into a wealthy family, how can he do rough work?" Meng Tianhua waved his hand, indicating disbelief.
Lu Yanming, who had been silent, had a serious expression, but maintained a mature and steady demeanor. He said unhurriedly, "It is precisely because he has always lived in the big city that he yearns for pastoral life. On the way here, he said he must experience rural life more."
"Hahaha, yes, yes, yes."
Upon hearing Lu Yanming's words, Tang Si almost burst out laughing.
He never expected Lu Yanming to be so cunning.
Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Qing Muye insisted on washing the dishes. Even though Du Juan kept trying to stop him, Meng Jingwei happily tied the apron around Qing Muye's waist, then patted his shoulder, "The apron is tied, start washing."
"You silly girl, don't mess around."
Du Juan chided Meng Jingwei for being ignorant.
Qing Muye smiled contentedly, "Auntie has been busy all morning, rest for a while. Leave the rest to me."
He took hot water and started washing the dishes.
"No, no, let me do it." Du Juan went to snatch the dish brush, but Meng Jingwei directly hugged Du Juan, "Alright Mom, let him wash."
She gave Du Juan a look, the look containing a lot of information.
Du Juan, after all, had raised Meng Jingwei for more than twenty years and immediately understood her meaning. She stood aside, watching Qing Muye wash the dishes, observing his every move.
Suddenly, she remembered Meng Jingwei's words about "unequal matches" and asked, "Muye, do wealthy families like yours look for very rich daughters as wives, is that right?"