The Fat Wife of the 1980s Awakens

Xu Xiufang's words were sincere and thoughtful, which instantly eliminated Zhou's mother's discomfort and made the atmosphere in the kitchen harmonious again.

Are you treating me as an ordinary guest?

Mother Zhou pondered in her heart. Although she understood that her current identity was indeed a visiting guest, Xu Xiufang's lukewarm tone was like a breeze that gently extinguished the smile that had just bloomed on her face. The corners of her mouth that had been slightly raised gradually calmed down, hiding the gentleness and expectation just now.

Xu Xiufang seemed unaware of this subtle change, or perhaps pretended not to notice it. She turned lightly and walked towards the cupboard. With a light touch of her fingertips, bowls and plates, as smooth as jade, were carefully taken out and arranged on the clean dining table, like a silent ceremony.

After everything was ready, she turned around and said in a clear voice, like a bird singing in spring: "Come and eat, don't delay, the food won't taste good if it gets cold!"

In response to this cheerful call, the three babies were like a group of little birds that had just flapped their wings. With endless energy and laughter, they gathered behind grandpa and rushed into the dining room. The small house was suddenly filled with childish laughter and overflowing with the warmth and happiness of home.

Deep wrinkles appeared at the corners of Father Xu's eyes as he laughed. That was a mark of time and a symbol of happiness. The joy in his heart was like the rising tide, so full that it almost overflowed and could not be hidden.

When the family sits around the round table, dinner officially begins.

There was not much restraint and etiquette at the table. Everyone was enjoying the delicacies and sharing their daily lives. Only Zhou's mother remained silent, occasionally looking up at the bustling crowd, with a subtle hint of complex emotions in her eyes.

Xiao Bao chewed the bright red and rich-flavored braised pork carefully, raised his head with satisfaction, and expressed his appreciation to his grandmother in his childish voice: "Grandma, your cooking is so delicious, even more tempting than the food in the cartoons!"

As he spoke, his little face was filled with happiness and admiration.

Hearing this, Xu's mother's smile grew even brighter, as if Xiaobao's words were the most beautiful music in the world. Without hesitation, she picked up another large piece of braised pork for Xiaobao, her movements gentle and full of love: "Really? Then Xiaobao, eat more and grow taller."

Xu Xiufang caught this scene, a sly look flashed in her eyes, and she teased softly: "Xiaobao, do you like your mother's cooking better, or your grandmother's cooking? You have to choose one."

Xiaobao blinked his big eyes, cleverly not offending either side: "They are all delicious! I like both the ones made by my mom and grandma!"

His clever little head always seems to have endless ideas.

Seeing this, Xu Xiufang pretended to frown and said, "Little rascal, you can only choose the one you like best!"

Xiao Bao tilted his head and thought for a while, then announced seriously: "Then when I eat my mother's cooking, my mother's taste is the best; when I eat my grandmother's cooking, my grandmother's taste is the best."

His serious yet flattering look made everyone laugh.

"You little devilish rascal!"

Erbao couldn't help laughing and joked in a half-joking tone.

This little family episode made the atmosphere at the entire dinner table more relaxed and cheerful, with laughter ringing out one after another.

However, behind this warm scene, Xu Xiufang suddenly became concerned about Peng Peng who had not yet appeared, and turned to Zhou Lijuan and asked: "Lijuan, why hasn't Peng Peng gotten up yet? Is he feeling unwell?"

Zhou Lijuan shook her head slightly and explained, "He had a slight cold last night, and I gave him some medicine. Maybe the effect of the medicine made him sleep more deeply, so he might not wake up until later."

Mother Zhou then spoke softly, with a tone that contained some subtle meaning: "It's so lively here, maybe Pengpeng has already woken up, but just hasn't come out yet."

Her words were like a stone that caused a thousand ripples, making the air inexplicably more solemn.

Xu Hengwen broke the sudden silence at the right time, his tone was soothing: "No, we are not having a party, the sound is controlled just right, Peng Peng should not be able to hear it."

Zhou Lijuan nodded, agreeing with her husband's words, and did not forget to comfort Sanbao, telling them not to worry about disturbing their brother's rest.

During this heartwarming interaction, Xie Yi considerately picked up a piece of golden and crispy chicken leg and placed it on Xu Xiufang's plate, his eyes full of pampering: "Wife, try this, it's very fragrant, I guarantee it will suit your appetite."

Xu Xiufang took it and praised it generously: "Well, it tastes much better than what you made before. It seems that you have made progress."

Hearing this, Xie Yi's eyebrows curved into a crescent shape, and there was a hint of teasing in his smile: "Then I have to learn from your mother and make it for you every day in the future, how about it?"

"Mom, did you hear that?"

Xu Xiufang shouted towards Xu's mother, her voice full of playfulness, "You have to teach him well, don't be lazy!"

Xu's mother pretended to be helpless, but her eyes were full of love: "Oh, I really can't do anything about you. I will run around for you, a lazy little cat."

"Mom, I want to learn how to cook, too! When Dad is away on a business trip, I'll cook for you!"

Erbao responded positively, his face full of excitement and confidence.

When Mr. Xu heard this, he was surprised and even more delighted: "You can cook? How come I didn't know that?"

"Grandpa, you underestimate me! When Dad is not at home, the kitchen is my world..."

Erbao was talking halfway when he suddenly felt his elder brother's gaze and immediately changed the subject, "Of course, my elder brother sometimes helps out, but most of the time I'm the main chef. After all, my cooking skills are recognized by my family!"

These words once again sparked laughter in the room. The subtle meaning in Zhou's mother's previous words seemed to be tacitly ignored by the family. The air was filled with deliberate ease and harmony. Although this way of handling the matter was polite, it also subtly revealed a bit of avoidance of Zhou's mother's attitude, which seemed not direct and honest enough.

Zhou's mother's expression was a little subtle, with a barely perceptible embarrassment passing across her cheeks, but she quickly adjusted her mood and asked with a hint of deliberate concern in her voice: "Xiufang, I heard that you were admitted to university, congratulations! Which school is it?"

As soon as this question came out, the expression on Xu's mother's face became gloomy, and she felt mixed emotions.

In fact, Xu's mother knew very well that Xiufang lacked confidence in retaking the college entrance examination because she had been away from school for a long time, so she did a lot of homework in private and collected information about several technical colleges in Beijing, hoping to use this as a backup to ensure that her daughter could smoothly return to city life.

She also gave the carefully selected information to her daughter-in-law Zhou Lijuan.

Unexpectedly, Zhou Lijuan not only passed the exam successfully, but was also eventually admitted to the Normal University. This undoubtedly caused some subtle emotions in Zhou's mother's heart.