??Chapter 55: Chapter 55: Returning to My Parental Ho (Part One)
Chapter 55: Chapter 55: Returning to My Parental Ho (Part One)
“Mom and Dad, we’re back.” Lu Aii shouted from outside the courtyard gate.
“You’re here, you’re here.”
Lu Aii’s aunt was busy in the kitchen with her daughter-in-law Zhang Cai, mainly prepping for the evening’s al. Today was special; her daughter and son-in-law were visiting, and more importantly, it was Xia Yuan’s first ti dining at her parents’ house. Just yesterday, the couple had brought over many gifts, so dinner had to be exceptionally good.
Hearing her daughter’s familiar voice, she called out in response and hurriedly ca out.
Zhang Cai also ca out to greet them with a smiling face.
By the ti they reached the courtyard gate, Lu Aibing had already opened it ahead of them. Lu Aijiao’s family of three had all arrived, while only the couple ca from Lu Aii’s side.
After exchanging greetings, Lu Aii’s aunt asked her second daughter, “Why didn’t you bring Dabao and Erbao?”
“What would they have been able to eat? And the road is too long, my mother-in-law is also worried, so we left the kids behind,” Lu Aii said nonchalantly.
“That’s true.”
Though she said that, Lu Aii’s aunt couldn’t hide her disappointnt. But then she thought that although the Xie family’s village, where her daughters married, wasn’t too far, it was still a distance of ten or twenty miles. Bringing two such little kids would indeed be a hassle, and it was normal for her parents-in-law to be concerned.
“Co on in quickly. Jifu, co and see your grandma. You’ve gotten taller just in these few months. Goodness, grandma will get you so treats soon. The candies and sweets your third uncle and aunt brought yesterday are all saved for you. Take so ho later to enjoy slowly.”
While Lu Aii’s aunt didn’t stay downcast for long, her spirits lifted instantly upon seeing her eldest daughter Lu Aijiao’s grandson, Xie Jifu—the first child among the grandchildren in the family. Even though he was a grandson by marriage, he was still very much adored.
Although Xie Jifu was only four years old, he knew who treated him well. Every ti he visited his grandparents, he received even more attention than at ho. Especially his grandma always rembered to save him so treats, so he was very close to her.
As soon as he heard Lu Aii’s aunt call out, he wriggled free from Lu Aijiao’s grasp and ran over, hugging her thighs and looking up at her coquettishly, “Grandma, I missed you so much, even dreaming about it.”
“Pfft… you’re just missing the treats at grandma’s house, aren’t you?” Lu Aijiao blatantly exposed her son’s flattering antics without any rcy, “Mom, don’t be fooled by him. He’s been going on about the food since he found out we were coming here yesterday, even mumbling in his sleep last night, ‘Grandma, I want candy.’ That’s hardly dreaming about missing you.”
“Grandma, I missed you first, and then the treats,” Xie Jifu hastily clutched at Lu Aii’s aunt’s clothes and explained nervously, then turned around and glared with puffed cheeks at his mom who had embarrassed him, wearing an expression full of hurt and accusation, “Bad mom.”
His antics successfully made everyone laugh. They were all so amused they could hardly stand up straight.
“I know, I know, my dear, I believe you, not your mom’s nonsense,” Lu Aii’s aunt managed to say between laughs, squatting down to wrap him in a tight hug and giving him a good squeeze, “Your mom is so an, how could she say that about us? We won’t share the treats with her, she can just watch us eat.”
“Grandma is the best.” Xie Jifu was initially pleased to hear this, but when he realized his mom wouldn’t get any treats, he felt a bit anxious. If his mom couldn’t have the treats, how pitiful would that be?
“Grandma… Mom isn’t really that bad, can we still share so good food with her?” Xie Jifu wriggled in Aunt Lu’s arms, his face etched with conflict, pleading with his grandmother.
Seeing that Grandma remained unmoved, even shaking her head with a stern face, he grew even more anxious, “Grandma, what if Mom cries because she has no good food to eat? Once a woman starts crying, there’s no end to it, it’s so annoying. We might as well just indulge her a bit for the sake of peace.”
“Hahaha, Jifu, you must tell your fourth uncle who taught you to speak like that?” Lu Aibing laughed heartily as he teased Xie Jifu, who sneaked a glance at Xie Jiang. This brought another round of laughter from everyone.
Looking at the adults, whose laughter brought them to tears, Xie Jifu couldn’t understand what they found so funny. He hadn’t figured out what the joke was and pouted, signaling that the adult world was beyond his comprehension.
Xie Jiang glanced around at everyone awkwardly, then shot a helpless look at Xie Jifu, wondering when this child had beco so articulate. When did he learn to speak so smoothly?
Xie Jifu, feeling the threatening gaze from his dad, shrank back and buried his head in his grandmother’s embrace. Lu Aijiao then sneakily pinched Xie Jiang’s waist. Xie Jiang grimaced, his face resembling a bitter lon.
“Alright, alright, everyone, co on in,” Aunt Lu hinted with a sideways glance at her eldest daughter, signaling it was ti to quit while ahead. The warning was clear. Lu Aijiao sheepishly retracted her hand.
Aunt Lu then walked inside, holding Jifu’s small hand, and from the table laden with snacks, seeds, and candy dishes, she gave him a bit of everything, telling him to sit aside and eat, “Be good, we’re going to have dinner soon, and grandma will give you so at. You eat these for now; we need to save room in your belly for the at.”
“Mmm, Grandma, don’t worry, I won’t have more after these. I love at,” Jifu quickly nodded, his face full of anticipation as he looked up at Aunt Lu. The thought of at made his mouth water, a mighty temptation indeed for a child who rarely got to eat at throughout the year.
“Good boy, there’s plenty of at at Grandma’s house today,” Aunt Lu said lovingly as she patted her grandson’s head.
At that mont, Uncle Lu also strolled in, and the n stayed in the hall to chat while Lu Aijiao and Lu Aii insisted on following their mother and sister-in-law to the kitchen to help out.
“Mom, where are Aiguo and the others? Why didn’t you call them over for dinner?” Upon entering her mother’s house, Lu Aii began looking around.
“I did call them. Aiguo and Shitou went up the mountain, and Xia Yuan took Xiaoyun to the township. They won’t be back until evening,” Aunt Lu said, her voice marked with warning severity, fearful that her daughter’s stubbornness might flare up into a confrontation with Lu Aiguo.
“When you see Xia Yuan and Xiaoyun, you better control your temper. Aiguo is very fond of those two. You might get away with upsetting Aiguo, but if you upset his wife, Aiguo will be the first to mind, and you could truly damage your sibling relationship. Don’t be foolish.”
It had to be said that Aunt Lu understood Lu Aiguo’s temperant very well.
“Okay, okay, I won’t ss with Xia Yuan. Don’t you have any faith in ? Ever since Lu Aiguo got married, it’s like you don’t even see us sisters anymore.”
Although now aware that Lu Aiguo was her biological brother, Lu Aii still felt a bit sour upon hearing her mother’s words, but she managed not to flare up imdiately. In the past, she would have exploded after such a conversation!
“Don’t drag
into this; I don’t have as much jealousy as you. You’re not worried about being laughed at by Dabao and Erbao when they find out?” Lu Aijiao scolded her sister with barely concealed irritation.
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