Before long, with the help of the nanny, they were done with the making of sycee-shaped dumplings. There was enough for the whole family, including the guest, Lei Qingyi.
Once the first batch of dumplings was cooked, Ye Shuyun packed them in a Tupperware to take away.
“I’m going to the hospital, Qingyi. I’ll cook you more dumplings when I’m back,” said Ye Shuyun as she untied her apron and marched out, Tupperware in hand.
Lei Qingyi stood up. “Okay,” he said. The dumplings in the kitchen made him drool. With his aunt gone, he could eat as many dumplings as he liked. His aunt’s dumplings were divine, a delicacy one could not hope to find in any restaurant.
Oh, he knew another person who made delicious dumplings.
Yan Huan. Yan Huan’s shrimp dumplings were in a class of her own. Maybe he could get Lu Yi to convince her to cook up some dumplings. That would be enjoyable. Then again, it wasn’t a very realistic hope, considering Yan Huan’s arm injury.
Bone injuries would take at least a hundred days to recover.
Which meant three months or even more.
In comparison, the prospects of eating Aunt’s dumplings were way more realistic and probable. The only time he might taste Yan Huan’s dumplings again is in his own dreams, so he might as well forget about them.
Yan Huan was starving by the time Ye Shuyun brought the dumplings to the patient room she was in.
“Eat this,” said Lu Yi, offering her a packet of snacks.
“No,” said Yan Huan stubbornly. She was set on not eating the snacks so that she had enough stomach space for the dumplings.
“Drink some water then,” Lu Yi passed a glass of water to her. “It’ll take away the hunger.”
Yan Huan gulped down half the glass and placed the cup down. She then yanked Lu Yi’s clothes.
“You lied.”
“Mhm?” frowned Lu Yi. What lie had he told?
“I’m still hungry,” said Yan Huan, looking as pitiful as possible with the cup in hand.
“Try drinking a few more cups,” suggested Lu Yi.
Yan Huan did as she was told. “Still hungry.”
“I guess you’ll have to eat something, then,” said Lu Yi, offering her the snack again. And they were back to square one.
Yan Huan nibbled at the packaging with her teeth while staring at Prosecutor Lu, who was leaning against the table and drinking from a cup in his hand.
“Let’s see how long you can endure it,” he challenged.
Yan Huan clutched a cup and began guzzling water again. No, she wouldn’t succumb to the temptations of the snack.
The door opened just as they were playing the staring game.
“Sorry for being late,” said Ye Shuyun as she bustled in.
Yan Huan placed the cup down.
It was time for dumplings!
Her eyes shone so brightly they dazzled.
Ye Shuyun quickly placed the Tupperware onto the table and, from within, took out the dumplings and divided them into two plates.
“This one has leek and egg fillings, this one mushroom fillings, and this one shao mai filling.”
There were two plates of dumplings, one meat and one vegetarian.
“Thank you, Mom,” said Yan Huan happily as she picked up a dumpling with her chopsticks. She had become quite experienced at maneuvering the chopstick with her left, a necessary skill she needed to eat rice properly.
Nowadays, she often practiced using chopsticks with her left. It wasn’t as agile as her right, but good enough for her to pick up food and put them in her mouth.
She took a content bite out of a dumpling.
“Mom’s dumplings are the best,” she praised sweetly.
Ye Shuyun had a weak spot for young and pretty girls. At that moment, she immediately forgot about her son beside her.
“Eat more, eat more. There’s more here. I’ll make even more for you tomorrow.”
“Thank you, Mom.”
Yan Huan stuffed another dumpling into her mouth. The dumplings were extremely delicious with their thin wrappers and tender meat within. She even devoured a few of the meat dumplings, without becoming sick from the grease.
Out of all the dumplings she had ever eaten, her mother and Ye Shuyun made the best ones.
Both were tasty, and she loved eating both.
“Huh? What are you doing here, Lu Yi?” asked Ye Shuyun when she noticed her son standing at the side with a cup in his hand. The handsome man had been standing still and wordless.
“I was here all along,” said Lu Yi. He placed down his cup and walked towards them.
Yan Huan picked up a dumpling with her chopsticks and offered it to him.
“Say ahh.”
Lu Yi took a bite without reservations. They were indeed the taste of his mother’s dumplings. Very tasty.
And there weren’t many dumplings left on the table. It seemed as though Yan Huan wasn’t full yet. She didn’t eat much on normal days, but had a ravenous appetite when eating things she liked.
“I brought more,” said Ye Shuyun awkwardly as she produced another Tupperware. “Here’s another box.” Had she not remembered her son at the last minute and brought that box, Lu Yi would’ve ended with nothing to eat.
What can Lu Yi say? Yan Huan flashed a smug smile at him while eating her dumplings, which made him want to squeeze her face hard.
He took out the dumpling container and placed it on the table for Yan Huan to eat first. He was fine with eating what was left.
Seeing the couple getting all lovey-dovey, Ye Shuyun didn’t want to third wheel any longer. Lei Qingyi was still waiting outside.
When Lu Yi had returned to the hospital room from sending Ye Shuyun, Yan Huan was still eating.
She had already eaten a lot, but she wanted more.
Lu Yi was putting a dumpling he grabbed with his chopsticks near his mouth when he saw Yan Huan staring at the dumpling thoughtfully.
Lu Yi could only move the dumpling away from his lips.
“Fine, you can have it.”
Yan Huan grabbed his wrist and took a bite out of it. It was a little bland.
“I want chili,” said Yan Huan, drooling at the chili sauce on the side.
“Only a little,” allowed Lu Yi, dipping it in a little bit of chili sauce. Recently, the food Yan Huan ate had been so bland she felt half a rabbit, and she could no longer hold herself at the fiery taste of the chili sauce. She wouldn’t have minded drinking the chili sauce by itself.
She forced herself to eat five more dumplings just for the chili. Lu Yi was stingy with the chili sauce, and only dipped the dumplings with enough sauce to let her barely taste the chili.
Without saying, the rest of the dumplings went into Lu Yi’s tummy. They had not eaten so much or felt this full in a long time.
