The three students were surprised by the feast on the table. They looked like ordinary home-cooked meals. The three came from powerful backgrounds, and they had frequented five-star hotels in the county town. However, none of the food they had could be compared to the simple dishes on the table.
They had no idea that a simple vegetable could be so fragrant. The smell invigorated their appetite, and it also made them feel refreshed. Ning Weiyi saw the dishes and said seriously, “Sis, they smell heavenly. Auntie is such a good cook!” Then, he turned to Xiao Lingye, who was only arriving. He shouted, “Ye, you’re so lucky that Auntie is such a wonderful cook!”
Their mothers never cooked. They complained about the grease in the kitchen. Plus, they had nannies. The help would cook and do all the housework. They had never had their mothers’ cooking before. They were very envious of Xiao Lingye.
Xiao Lingye said proudly, “Of course.” It was true that his family life was harmonious and happy.
Xiao Lingyu set up the table and said, “Come and sit down at the table!” She saw the saliva dripping down Xiao Lingye’s friends’ mouths. “Ye ‘Er, you need to take care of your friends!” Xiao Lingyu told Xiao Lingye.
Xiao Lingye nodded reluctantly. ‘These three didn’t need to be taken care of. They have already treated this place as their home.’
After Xiao Lingye sat down, he thought of something and asked, “Sis, is Dad coming back for dinner?”
Xiao Lingyu shook her head and said, “Dad said that he will go to Uncle Cheng’s house to have a few drinks tonight!”
“Oh!” Xiao Lingye nodded and then told his friends. “Come and sit!” It was embarrassing that they kept staring at the food on the table.
Xiao Lingye wouldn’t admit it, but he was also distracted by the food on the table. He knew how delicious they’d be. Xiao Lingye’s friends immediately rushed to grab the seats around the dining table. They grabbed at the dishes. This was rude, but the smell was too tempting.
Mother Xiao walked out with a plate of fried peanuts. She smiled, “You should treat this place like your own home. Auntie has prepared plenty of food.”
“Okay, Auntie!” The three answered.
Mother Xiao told Xiao Lingyu, “Yu ‘Er, you should eat too!”
“Okay!” Xiao Lingyu prepared a bowl of rice for Mother Xiao. She told her mother. “Mom, you better sit down and eat too!” Xiao Lingye and his friends were sweeping through the food. If Mother Xiao didn’t sit down soon, the food would be all gone.
Then again, when she remembered how tempting the food was, Xiao Lingyu sighed with understanding.
Mother Xiao saw the depleting food, and she quickly sat down. She took the rice from her daughter and started to eat. The hosts and the guests were fighting for food.
Xiao Lingyu had to cover her mouth and laugh.
At that moment, Father Xiao rushed in. Xiao Lingyu stood up. As she walked to the kitchen, she asked, “Dad, aren’t you staying with Uncle Cheng?”
Father Xiao smiled, “I heard we have some guests, so I came back to welcome them.” In reality, Father Xiao missed the food. He knew that his wife would cook more dishes since they had guests. The wonderful taste of the food far exceeded his love for wine.
“Hello, Uncle!” When the three guests saw Father Xiao, they immediately stood up to greet him.
Father Xiao smiled, “Nice kids. Please, don’t let me disturb you.” Father Xiao had already heard that his son had brought his classmates over.
Ning Weiyi looked at Father Xiao and immediately complimented, “Uncle, you’re so handsome. No wonder Ye is so popular among girls. He got it from you. Ye looks exactly like Uncle.”
Ning Weiyi was not lying. The pair of father and son had different personalities, but they looked alike. Xiao Lingye looked like a younger version of Father Xiao.
Father Xiao was very happy to hear the compliment. As he was about to say something, Yang Baolin added, “Uncle, Auntie, your family is a picture-perfect family! Everyone is beautiful and handsome!”
A woman appreciated being called beautiful no matter her age. Mother Xiao was no exception.
If Xiao Lingye resembled Father Xiao, then Xiao Lingyu looked like Mother Xiao.
Kang Le didn’t want to fall behind and said, “That’s right. Uncle is so handsome, and Auntie is gorgeous. Big Sister is like a fairy, and even the worst Ye is the Prince Charming in many girls’ heart.”
Mother Xiao laughed, and Xiao Lingye choked.
Mother Xiao said cheerfully, “You three have such sweet mouths. Come, let’s dig in. The dinner will get cold soon.”
“Thank you, Auntie!” The three of them said in unison.
Very soon, all of them stopped talking. They were caught in a food war. It was hard to tell who was the guest and who was the host.
In less than fifteen minutes, the food was gone.
Ning Weiyi went so far as to pour the soup of the eggplant steamboat into his bowl. The soup was so delicious that he wanted to lick the pot. However, that would be too rude, so he settled with licking his own bowl. His two friends followed his example. Then, the three sat there rubbing their round stomachs.
Yang Baolin praised openly, “Auntie, your cooking is amazing. Even the five-star chefs can’t compare to your cooking. The food is so delicious I wanted to eat the plates too!”
Ning Weiyi nodded and echoed, “Auntie, it’s true! No wonder Ye ‘Er misses his home-cooked meals every day.”
Kang Le added, “Auntie, you should open a restaurant. I’m sure with your culinary skills, and the customers will line up all around town!”
Xiao Lingyu and Mother Xiao were both intrigued when Kang Le said that.
Mother and Father Xiao had been busy collecting tuition fees for Xiao Lingyu in the past few years. They didn’t have extra money to pursue their own ambitions.
It was only recently that the family had some extra savings. A small diner was not a bad idea.
However, Xiao Lingyu had another direction. She planned to rent the barren mountain land at Taoyuan Village. It would cost a lot. She needed to use the family savings.
She would have to have a good talk with her family that night.
