Chapter 261: The Acquaintance Setup
Ning Xiyue was making dumplings, leaning slightly toward Shen Qingxia, and asked curiously,
“What’s the secret? Can you tell me now?”
“Finish making the dumplings first. After dinner, I’ll tell you slowly.”
Shen Qingxia looked up at Ning Xiyue with a mysterious smile, shaking the dumpling in her hand teasingly. She didn’t reveal the secret yet; it still needed to be told in coordination with other matters.
“Aunt Shen is just teasing me,” Ning Xiyue said, sitting up straight again, smiling cheerfully. “Alright, let’s make dumplings first. I’ll wait for your secret after dinner.”
She picked up the pace in making dumplings. In truth, she was only slightly curious about the secret—not overly so. But when talking with elders, it was important to follow their lead, appear eager, and at the same time subtly nudge her brother.
“Brother, write faster! Make more dumpling skins—the ones we have aren’t enough.”
“All right, coming right away,” Ning Qingyuan said, quickly filling out the form with his pen, washing his hands, and returning to roll dough and make dumplings.
With Ning Qingyuan helping with the dough, Ning Xiyue and Shen Qingxia only needed to fold the dumplings. Xiao He copied the adults and made dumplings too, learning quickly and neatly.
After finishing the main tasks, the siblings completely relaxed. Three adults and one child folded dumplings together while chatting, and the courtyard was filled with laughter.
Shen Qingxia considered that the children still needed to return to the countryside, so after making the dumplings, she started cooking dinner. By 4:30 p.m., the meal was ready.
The siblings had originally planned to leave, but they couldn’t refuse the elder’s hospitality. They stayed, helping with firewood and preparations, quietly enjoying the meal.
When dinner was ready, the little boy first seen at the door went out to get a spinning top and returned with a rolling iron hoop. As he walked, he rolled the iron hoop and shouted while entering the house:
“Mom, I’m back! Is dinner ready? I’ll help with the fire!”
“Hmm, it smells so good! Are the dumplings already cooked? I can even smell the cured meat.”
The boy sniffed the air, forgetting about his hoop. He threw the iron hook to the ground with a clatter and ran toward the house, a big smile on his face.
“Yay, I came back just in time—delicious dumplings and cured meat, here I come!”
“Brother, you’re back!” Xiao He ran happily toward her brother from Ning Xiyue’s side.
Shen Qingxia was placing slices of cured meat into a lunchbox when she saw her son rushing over. She pressed a hand to his forehead to make him stop.
“Why are you running so fast? Don’t be so reckless.”
After scolding him, she gave him a net bag and pointed to the lunchboxes that were already prepared:
“You really came back just in time. Here, your father’s dinner is ready. Go deliver it to him.”
The boy tiptoed to the stove, eyed the plate of cured meat, then looked at the steamer of dumplings. He moved his lips slightly, tugged at the net bag in his hand, glanced at the lunchboxes on the table, and then at his mother.
Finally, he made up his mind, quickly putting the lunchboxes into the net bag, saying:
“Make sure to wait for me to eat, or save me some meat and dumplings.”
“All right, we’ll wait for you. Don’t worry.”
Seeing her son eager to run off, Shen Qingxia first held his arm, turned him toward Ning Xiyue and Ning Qingyuan in the kitchen, and said:
“Say hello before you go. This is Sister Xiyue and Brother Qingyuan. Greet them.”
“Hello, Sister Xiyue. Hello, Brother Qingyuan! I’m Li Xiaodong, twelve years old. You can call me Xiaodong,” the boy said confidently, patting his chest. His eyes showed a bit of admiration—these older siblings were really tall.
“Hello, Xiaodong,” Ning Xiyue and Ning Qingyuan said in unison.
After greeting them, Shen Qingxia let go of her son:
“All right, you can go now. Go early, return early.”
“All right, but you must wait for me to eat!” Xiaodong shouted, clutching the lunchboxes as he dashed out.
“Sister Xiyue, Brother Qingyuan, I’ll be back. I still want to ask you something later.”
The last words barely left his mouth before he had already reached the gate.
“This child is always so full of energy. Sorry for making you laugh,” Shen Qingxia said, slightly embarrassed.
“No problem. Children should be lively,” Ning Xiyue said, shaking her head. This child was clearly outgoing and unafraid of strangers.
“Just way too energetic, driving me crazy every day,” Shen Qingxia muttered, but she clearly adored her children, smiling as she skillfully finished the last dish in the pan.
Xiaodong had barely been gone a few minutes before returning, shouting from the gate:
“Mom, I’m back! Can we start eating now?”
“Hey, wasn’t he supposed to deliver the food? How did he come back so fast—hasn’t even been five minutes!” Shen Qingxia scooped up the stir-fried celery and eggs:
“Xiyue, Qingyuan, no need to tend the fire. Go wash your hands and eat.”
“All right.”
Shen Qingxia poured a basin of warm water for washing hands and called out:
“Xiaodong, did you deliver the food? Come in and wash up for dinner.”
Xiaodong hopped into the kitchen, placing the lunchboxes down. Seeing his older siblings washing their hands with their little sister, he rolled up his sleeves and joined in, smiling widely.
“Mom, no need to deliver. Dad is back, and my second uncle is here too. I met him on the way. He brought beef—so big! He said a cow died in a nearby county, so he bought some. Haha, we have meat again!”
“And where are they now?”
“They’re close, arriving soon. I came back early to tell you to prepare two more sets of bowls and chopsticks.” Xiaodong shook off the water and dutifully placed the food on the table.
Hearing this, Ning Xiyue felt a bit hesitant. Had they been too bold? Staying for dinner on the first day as strangers might have disturbed the family.
With other family members coming, it could get awkward.
But since they were here, they had to make the best of it. They needed to visit more often, act like relatives, and not just appear when needing help. They had to leave a good impression, representing not only themselves but also Aunt Lin.
Ning Qingyuan shared the same thought. The siblings exchanged a look, giving each other determined nods.
They helped set out the dishes and bowls. With their personalities, there was no fear—they would make this meal comfortable, ensuring the guests were happy and a good impression left.
Shen Qingxia, concerned that the siblings might be too shy, spoke while putting the last dishes on the table:
“Don’t be shy. My second uncle is very nice, and you’re not much different in age. Who knows—you might even become friends.”
“Aunt Shen, don’t worry. We’re not shy. My brother and I are here to enjoy this wonderful meal—why would we be shy?” Ning Xiyue said jokingly.
“That’s good. You should come to my house more often. Today’s meal is all thanks to you two—helping roll dough, make dumplings, and even tending the fire.”
Shen Qingxia pointed to two plates of cured meat on the table, smiling:
“Even this cured meat was brought by you two. Don’t mind if I use it to serve you—it smelled too good, I couldn’t resist cooking a bit to taste it first.”
“If you like it, Aunt Shen, next time we can bring some more. I still have a piece or two, my sister gave them to me. Though it’s a bit different in flavor—spicy cured meat. Not sure if you’d like it.”
Ning Qingyuan spoke nicely, and Shen Qingxia was delighted, smiling from ear to ear.
“I accept your thoughtful gesture. But you should save some for yourselves—it’s the time to grow, so eat more nutritious food. Life in the countryside is tougher than in town. You must take care of yourselves, okay?”
“Yes, Aunt Shen,” Ning Xiyue and Ning Qingyuan replied with smiles.
At the main room door, Xiaodong peered into the courtyard with his sister. Just as he looked, he saw movement at the main gate—it was the people they had been waiting for.
“Mom, Dad and Second Uncle are home. We can start eating.”
“Qingxia, I’m back.”
“Sis-in-law, look at how to handle this beef.”
A deep voice and a slightly lighter, younger voice sounded simultaneously.
Ning Xiyue recognized one voice instantly. Looking up, she saw a familiar person carrying a bright red piece of meat into the courtyard.
Well, what was expected to be an awkward situation turned out to be a gathering of acquaintances.
