"Grandpa, I don’t want you to go. Can you stay, please?" Jie You said, his voice thick with tears.
Grandpa’s gaze faltered for a mont. ’Xiao You’s words are too stiff,’ he thought. ’They ca out so chanically, without a hint of real emotion. Is he really sad to see us go? No, soone taught him to say this.’
Grandpa knew exactly what was going on. When he was just giving Xiao You advice, he’d deliberately avoided telling him to listen to his mother. If Xu Chunyan were to teach Xiao You, the boy would be ruined. ’When I get ho,’ Grandpa thought, ’I’ll find so ti to go to the machinery factory and talk to the eldest. I’ll have him remind Jing Er to take Xiao You’s education seriously.’
Because of the incident with Zhang Hongyan, Jing Er held a grudge against him. He wouldn’t listen to anything Grandpa said.
Grandpa didn’t say anything more. He patted Xiao You’s little shoulder, stepped down from the stairs, and as he walked away, he glanced toward the kitchen. He saw Jie Jingchen standing in the doorway, and a flicker of light crossed his cloudy eyes.
Jie Jingchen had intended to help them with their bags, but when he saw Xu Chunyan volunteer, eager to make a good impression, he stopped. If Xu Chunyan wanted to put on a show, he would let her have the stage.
Jie You’s mood shifted as quickly as it ca. Slling sothing delicious, he rubbed his belly and ran happily toward Jie Jingchen. "Fourth Uncle."
After seeing Grandpa and Granny off, Xu Chunyan felt a great sense of relief. Back inside, she didn’t see Jie You, nor was he playing in the courtyard. She glanced at her own deserted kitchen, then her gaze locked onto the new kitchen Jie Jingchen had built. She deliberately called out in a loud voice, "Xiao You, Xiao You, where are you?"
"Mom, I’m here," Jie You mumbled, his speech muffled. He erged from the kitchen holding a roasted duck leg, gnawing on it happily.
’Roast duck?’ Xu Chunyan’s eyes lit up. Ever since Aunt Zhang was driven away, their quality of life had noticeably declined. Grandpa’s cooking was plain and unappetizing; they rarely even saw oily or aty dishes.
In contrast, Jie Jingchen and his group ate lavishly every day, with all sorts of fish and at. The sight was enough to make her drool with envy.
’Granny and Grandpa have moved back ho, and Jing Wu is seeing them off. Second Uncle will definitely have Jing Wu stay for dinner. Dad isn’t coming back tonight, nor is Qiao Yanqiu. Jing San and his wife aren’t ho either. Xiao You will definitely eat with them, which leaves only . If I’m a little shaless and drop a few hints, they’d never refuse to let mooch a al.’
"Xiao You, you little rascal, what are you doing over at your Fourth Uncle’s?" Xu Chunyan said with a smile as she walked toward Jie You. She crouched in front of him, took out a handkerchief, and made a show of wiping the grease from his face and mouth. "Look at you, with oil all over your face."
"Mom, the roast duck is yummy," Jie You said.
Xu Chunyan smiled at Xiao You. Of course she knew roast duck was delicious. Her gaze flickered as she looked at the dining table in the kitchen, where two large platters of roast duck sat. ’That must be the equivalent of two whole ducks,’ she thought.
The sight made Xu Chunyan’s mouth water, and she couldn’t help but swallow. Yet, she deliberately said to Jie You in a loud voice, "Xiao You, don’t bother your Fourth Uncle and the others. Co on, let’s go back to our room. I’ll help you with your howork, and when you’re done, I’ll cook for you."
Jie You was about to refuse, but then he rembered what his Fourth Uncle had said: if he listened to the adults, his uncle would give him more tasty food. "Okay, Mom. Let’s go do howork."
Xu Chunyan was dumbfounded. ’What is wrong with Xiao You today? He always resists doing his howork, so why is he being so obedient now?’ His earlier performance had made her break out in a cold sweat, but his current obedience made her grind her teeth in frustration. He was disobedient when he should have listened, and now he was being obedient when he shouldn’t be.
"Xiao You..." Howork was important, but right now, Xu Chunyan felt that eating was more important. She tried to signal her son with her eyes.
Gnawing on his duck leg, Jie You didn’t understand at all and urged, "Mom, let’s go."
He pushed Xu Chunyan with his small, greasy hands. Xu Chunyan was wearing a light-colored blouse and imdiately flew into a rage. "Jie You, don’t push ! Your hands are covered in grease!"
"Howork," Jie You insisted.
Xu Chunyan dodged her son’s small hands, looking at him with exasperation. Now that Jie You had pushed her out, no matter how thick-skinned she was, she couldn’t bring herself to go back and try to mooch a al, especially since her feud with Qin i already ran deep.
And so, she was dragged into the room by her son and forced to help him with his howork.
Qin i entered the kitchen to find Qin Xiang stir-frying vegetables while Jie Jingchen was beside him, assisting. As soon as Jie Jingchen saw Qin i, he waved her over. "Co here."
Qin i thought Jie Jingchen wanted her help, so she moved closer to him. But Jie Jingchen took her hand, led her to the dining table, picked up his chopsticks, and brought a piece of duck at to her lips. "Try it."
Looking at the roast duck, which had been deep-fried, Qin i hesitated for a mont before opening her mouth to eat it.
"How is it?" Jie Jingchen asked.
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