"Grandma, I brought you some fruit too, specially selected low-sugar varieties, so don't worry about it. The white roses are for the fairy lady, I'll put them away for you," Mo Chao said with a grin, giving Yu He no chance to refuse.
"It's nice of you to come, no need to be so polite," Old Mrs. Yu was amused by him. "Besides, Nan Nan has made so much bitter melon and eggplant, we can't finish it all. Stay and have dinner with us."
Mo Chao grinned, "Hehe, then I won't be polite... Is there anything I can help with? I'll help you."
"..."
Yu He put down the bitter melon she was holding, washed her hands, and added two cups of rice to the electric rice cooker where the rice was soaking. Don't be fooled by Mo Chao's tall and thin frame; he eats a lot.
"I'm eating dinner too!" Shen Yao's voice suddenly came from the living room.
He ran in, the fruit basket he was holding being jostled around.
"Is a dog chasing you? Running so fast," Yu He had just finished speaking when she saw Li Si Chen also walking in with a fruit basket.
"Little guy, who are you calling a dog!" Li Si Chen said sinisterly.
Yu He: "..."
Purely accidental.
"Hey, you've got sharp eyes!" Shen Yao said, gloating.
When he was parking downstairs earlier, he happened to see Li Si Chen also parking, so he urgently parked his car and wanted to get upstairs ahead of him.
Li Si Chen saw Yu He wearing an apron. "You're cooking, then cook a portion for your master too. I won't hold it against you for calling me a dog."
Yu He: "........."
Why are they all here to mooch a meal?
The ingredients she bought aren't enough for so many people!
However, she still quietly returned to the kitchen and added three more cups of rice to the electric rice cooker. Just as she added water, she heard Li Si Chen unceremoniously ordering dishes.
"I want dumplings, shepherd's purse filling. Don't cook instant noodles for me again!"
Seeing this, Shen Yao also stopped being polite. "I want fried shrimp and braised pork."
The veins on Yu He's forehead twitched.
"Hey, hey, hey, don't push it!" Mo Chao protested. "The fairy lady is cooking for me, not for you. If you want to mooch a meal, you should at least ask Grandma if she agrees!"
He immediately added, "I'll say no on Grandma's behalf!"
Old Mrs. Yu was amused by him. It was rare for the house to be so lively, and all of them were Yu He's friends. She was very happy, and the gloomy mood from the police station earlier that day dispersed considerably.
"Everyone, stay for dinner," she said to Qiao Wei. "We might not have enough dishes. Wei Zi, go buy some more."
Mo Chao: "..."
Qiao Wei responded and went out to buy groceries.
"Thank you, Grandma~" Shen Yao, having gotten his way, put on a sweet act. Seeing potatoes on the counter, he asked obediently, "Grandma, do these potatoes need peeling? I'll help you."
"I was going to do that!" Seeing his task snatched away, Mo Chao returned to the kitchen.
Seeing both of them vying to help, Li Si Chen also joined the act of being good and pleasing. As far as he knew, Qin Bei Ting seemed to be a good cook. He couldn't lose. "Then I'll help trim the vegetables."
"Okay, okay, okay." Old Mrs. Yu chuckled and handed him the vegetables.
Yu He saw that Grandma was so happy, so she let them be.
But ten minutes later...
Yu He looked at the potatoes that were almost entirely peeled away, the vegetables that were mangled beyond recognition, and the condiments that were in disarray. She, who had always been able to control her emotions, felt the veins on her forehead twitch again.
"I'll give you ten seconds. All of you, get out of the kitchen!"
The three men exchanged glances. Mo Chao was the first to bolt.
Mo Chao: The fairy lady is angry. If I don't leave the kitchen soon, I'll probably be kicked out of the house.
Shen Yao was the second: She's so fierce, but I like it!
Li Si Chen: Give me another half an hour, and I'll definitely be able to do it! If Qin Bei Ting can do it, I don't believe I can't...
Then he was dragged out by Mo Chao and Shen Yao.
Ruan Tianxin arrived not long after, carrying several gift boxes in her left and right hands. Seeing the three men in the living room, she exclaimed, "Oh, why are you all here?"
She carried the things directly into the kitchen: "Xiao He Miao, Grandma is here. I brought crayfish, lobsters, abalone, fish maw, sea urchin, etc. Let's have a seafood feast tonight~"
"You brought so many dishes, Wei Zi just went to buy some," Old Mrs. Yu said with a smile. "It's good that everyone is here to eat, we should be able to finish it."
Upon learning that the three men outside were all staying for dinner, Ruan Tianxin went out and lectured them:
"Why are you all standing around? Why aren't you coming in to help? No wonder Xiao He Miao doesn't like you. That Qin Qi Ye can host guests and cook, he's got Xiao He Miao's stomach completely won over."
"........." The three men who had just been kicked out of the kitchen dared not speak up.
Just then, the doorbell rang again. Ruan Tianxin went to open it. "Oh, Auntie, Grandma, you're here too~ Come in and sit down."
Entering were Old Mrs. Ye and Cheng Lizhu. Cheng Lizhu was a little reserved, not expecting so many people.
Yu He heard the commotion and came out. "Mom, why are you here?"
"Your Grandma saw the news and said she wanted to come see Grandma Yu. I was worried about her coming alone, so I came with her," Cheng Lizhu said softly.
Yu He was a little surprised and looked at Old Mrs. Ye. She, however, was completely unfazed. She acted as if she were at home, carrying her things directly to the kitchen to find Old Mrs. Yu.
"Old friend, I've come to visit you. Can I stay with you for a few days? I want to explore Beijing."
Old Mrs. Yu was a bit surprised, but she wasn't foolish. While Old Mrs. Ye said that, she actually wanted to stay and keep her company.
She also understood that everyone here today to see her probably saw the news and came to show their concern.
A warmth flowed into her heart, and Old Mrs. Yu's eyes couldn't help but well up.
Since her daughter passed away, Yu He was the only family member she had left. And Yu He wasn't even her biological granddaughter; she had been switched. Her biological granddaughter didn't acknowledge her and had even swindled her with high-interest loans.
If it weren't for Yu He, she might not be alive now, let alone have so many people come to care for her.
"Oh dear, old friend, why are you crying?" Old Mrs. Ye quickly took out tissues to wipe her tears. "Don't let Yu He see, or she'll think I'm bullying you. If you don't want me to stay, I can go to a hotel."
"It's okay, it's okay. I'm just too touched. Thank you," Old Mrs. Yu wiped her tears. "You can stay. Qiao Qiao's room is empty, it's perfect."
Old Mrs. Ye had this intention: "Then I won't be polite."
It was rare for the house to be so lively. The men were drinking tea and chatting in the living room, while the women were busy in the kitchen.
Cheng Lizhu was kneading dough and rolling out dumpling wrappers. Although Old Mrs. Yu was old, her strength in chopping filling was not small at all; Yu He fried the stuffed three delicacies and then followed Ruan Tianxin to learn how to wrap dumplings from Old Mrs. Ye. The atmosphere was lively.
After the dumplings were wrapped, Cheng Lizhu began to boil them. Old Mrs. Ye saw that Qin Bei Ting had not yet arrived and said:
"Hey, isn't Seventh Master done with his business yet? Yu He, quickly call Seventh Master and tell him to come over for dinner after he's finished."
"No need to mind him," Yu He said.
That vinegar-puss would come and see Mo Chao and the others, and probably get jealous again. She might have to coax him, so it's better if he doesn't come.
"Did you two quarrel again?" Old Mrs. Ye asked suspiciously.
Yu He: "........."
Why does everyone think they quarreled?
Yu He: "No."
"If not, why aren't you letting him come? Hurry and call him, tell him to come for dinner. You're in the honeymoon phase, you should see each other more." Old Mrs. Ye urged.