Hearing footsteps, Mu YinYin immediately turned around, a hint of playful blame and helplessness in her voice, "Grandma, why are you in the kitchen?"
Liang Min chuckled, "That brat was driven off to work by you. If I don't come, and you're busy alone, won't you resent this old woman?"
She walked over slowly. The little white cat stretched its limbs and followed behind her, its tail wagging.
The kitten's eyes looked very round, with a hint of blue.
She liked small animals, but considering Fu SiYe, she hadn't been around any small animals during their three years of hidden marriage.
The kitten was spirited. When she called, it softly nestled at her feet.
She smiled gently, a touch of helplessness in her voice, "Grandma, I can manage one meal. I'm willing, how could I possibly blame you? But, when did you get this little white cat?"
She hadn't seen it the last couple of days she visited.
Liang Min bent down slightly and reached out. The little white cat extended its head and paws.
As Liang Min stroked the kitten's head, she replied, "I found it by the road yesterday. It was all dirty. After a bath and some food, it stuck to this old woman. YinYin, you always keep me company and find new ways to cook for me. I want to go to Qingshan to pray tomorrow. Will you stay tonight, and we can go together tomorrow morning?"
As she spoke, Liang Min had already scooped the little white cat into her arms.
She looked at Mu YinYin expectantly, her misty eyes making Mu YinYin's heart ache.
The little white cat meowed at her, as if trying to keep her there.
Although she couldn't bear to refuse, she was already divorced from Fu SiYe, and staying at the old house now felt inappropriate.
Mu YinYin shook her head, her refusal firm, "Grandma, if you want to go pray tomorrow morning, you can ask the household staff, or have Fu SiYe take you. I've been very busy lately..."
"I know you're busy. Grandma wants to pray for your safety. Cough cough..." Liang Min interrupted Mu YinYin, and then began to cough violently.
Mu YinYin saw that she wasn't faking it and quickly helped her, patting her back.
Before Mu YinYin could speak, Liang Min, gasping for breath, said, "YinYin, Grandma is really going to pray, I'm not lying to you. Qingshan Temple has early morning incense, let's go early and have their vegetarian meal. YinYin, please, for Grandma's sake?"
Saying this, Liang Min grabbed Mu YinYin's hand and pleaded with her softly.
Mu YinYin truly couldn't refuse such a strong request from an elderly person, especially when her grandmother looked like she was about to cry.
After a pause, she thought for a moment and said, "Grandma, I'll accompany you. But I'm telling you now, this is a one-time thing. I'm really busy and have my own things to do."
She genuinely couldn't be hard-hearted towards her grandmother, but she had to say it. Otherwise, she didn't know how things would develop in the future. Besides, Fu SiYe might find her contact with Grandma excessive and it would annoy him.
"Alright, alright. Then the two of us, grandmother and granddaughter, will cook together!" Liang Min rolled up her sleeves, and they began preparing the meal together.
"Grandma, I can do it. Please go back and watch TV. It'll be ready soon, you really don't need to help," Mu YinYin couldn't let her elderly grandmother do this.
But Liang Min shook her head with displeasure, "Fine, you think Grandma's old arms and legs can't keep up with the work, don't you?"
Mu YinYin immediately shook her head, "How could I dare? Grandma, your health is so good now."
"You know my health is good, yet you're stopping me? I need some exercise every day, I can't just do nothing, or I won't live a long life!"
She couldn't see them remarry, couldn't see her great-grandchild...
Of course, these were thoughts she dared not entertain, nor dare she speak.
Mu YinYin didn't want her help, but she couldn't sway her grandmother's insistence, so she finally nodded, "Okay."
And so, the grandmother and granddaughter began preparing together, talking and laughing heartily.
It took them about an hour to prepare four dishes and one soup.
Fu SiYe was in the living room, handling work documents, but he kept glancing towards the kitchen. However, all he saw was Liang Min's figure, which made him frown involuntarily.
When Liang Min was about to bring the dishes to the table with Mu YinYin, Mu YinYin stopped her, "Grandma, I can take it slow. You just go sit in the dining room and wait for me."
"How can that be? I haven't been fond of the servants lately, I gave them a holiday. Your brat was ordered around by you to do errands. If I don't help you, how can you manage alone?"
Liang Min was very insistent.
Mu YinYin was helpless against her and feared her unsteady legs might cause an accident. So, she could only ask her to take the bowls and chopsticks out.
Fu SiYe saw this from outside and quickly came in to help.
He was displeased, "Where are the servants?"
Not a single servant was in sight. Were they all dead?
As soon as he spoke, Liang Min shot him a glare, "You didn't call me beforehand when you arrived. I generally don't like being waited on by servants. Several times I called you, and you always said you were busy. Only YinYin cares about this old woman, cooking for me and chatting with me."
As Liang Min spoke, she let out a long sigh.
The little white cat behind her saw Fu SiYe nearby and shrank back, hiding on the side where Fu SiYe wasn't.
Fu SiYe's expression was stern, his tone revealing some displeasure, "Where did this cat come from? Your current health condition is not suitable for raising pets."
Saying this, Fu SiYe took a step closer to Liang Min.
Liang Min, however, protectively clutched the little white cat and glared at Fu SiYe, "It's my decision whether I raise pets or not. You handle the matters I assigned you, you don't need to worry about anything else."
Fu SiYe knew her stubbornness and said nothing more.
However, before they sat down to eat, he gave Mu YinYin a look, and Mu YinYin suddenly understood.
She felt a pang of discomfort. He only remembered to find her when he needed something. For the past three years, he had barely treated her as a person. Now that they were divorced, where did he get the nerve?
She ignored him.
After the meal, Liang Min took the initiative to clear the bowls.
Liang Min instructed Mu YinYin, "YinYin, the guest room hasn't been tidied by the servants for a long time. You'll stay in your old room. I'll come find you after I wash the dishes."
Considering she had already agreed to her grandmother, Mu YinYin said nothing, nodded, and went upstairs.
Her old room was Fu SiYe's room. Every time she visited, Fu SiYe would leave after dinner, leaving her to sleep alone in an empty room.
As she walked in, the doll painting that Liang Min had hung by the headboard was particularly eye-catching.