Chapter 157: A Harmonious Family
Chapter 157: Chapter 157: A Harmonious Family
Li Yanan married Chen Chuan and had five children: eldest son Chen Ze, eldest daughter Chen Ya, second son Chen Hao, second daughter Chen Shi, and youngest daughter Chen Xiu.
Besides Li Yanan, Chen Hao, and Chen Xiu, the others only knew of Fu Xiaoxiao by name and had not met her before.
Looking at Fu Xiaoxiao sitting in their yard, Chen Chuan nodded at her and then turned to go inside the house.
This left Chen Ze, Chen Ya, and Chen Shi gazing at each other in surprise. Chen Ze looked at Fu Xiaoxiao and was about to ask when Li Yanan, hearing the commotion, rushed out of the kitchen. "She is a benefactor to the Chen Family and my recognized goddaughter, Fu Xiaoxiao. She’s your little sister who brought back the children, Shi Tou and Mu Tou, for Xiu’er from afar."
"What?" The crowd was surprised and, like Chen Hao, dashed straight to Chen Xiu’s room.
Chen Hao happened to come out of the room and walked up to Fu Xiaoxiao. "Little sis, from now on, you’re my real sister. You tell me to go east, and I won’t go west."
"Second brother, I’ll take you seriously then." Fu Xiaoxiao chuckled lightly, understanding they were all very excited and took it as a joke.
"Seriously, absolutely!" Chen Hao ran back to his room, brought out a pile of stuff, and placed it in front of Fu Xiaoxiao and the two kids. "Eat up! I bought these from the market; they’re delicious."
By the time the others came out of Chen Xiu’s room, their eyes were all red.
"You are our little sister; this kindness is something our whole family remembers." Chen Ze seriously said to Fu Xiaoxiao.
"Exactly, you bringing the two children back to my sister is as good as saving her life." Chen Ya looked at Fu Xiaoxiao. She herself had two children, and she couldn’t imagine what it would be like to lose them.
Children are a lifeline for a mother.
"I don’t know how you did it, but I admire you. You accomplished what we couldn’t. These past days, Xiu’er has been crying secretly, and we all knew, but there was nothing we could do except feel sad for her." Chen Shi recalled the day Chen Xiu came home looking distraught; it made her heartache with her.
But they were just ordinary people, and the only thing they could do was support and comfort her.
"It’s all in the past now. The most important thing is that the two kids are back with their mom, and they can stay by Sister Chen Xiu’s side from now on. That’s what matters." Fu Xiaoxiao said sincerely to them.
"Right!" Hearing Fu Xiaoxiao’s words, the Chen Family’s affection for her soared.
"Let’s go help mom with cooking." Chen Ya and Chen Shi gave Fu Xiaoxiao a kind smile and went to the kitchen to help Li Yanan with dinner.
Before long, the kitchen was filled with the aroma of food. Chen Ya and Chen Shi brought out dishes, and Chen Ze and Chen Hao, who had been playing with the two kids, got up immediately to help.
The small square table was too small, so Chen Ze brought a large tabletop, setting it on top of the small table to make a large round table.
Dish after dish was served; Fu Xiaoxiao saw there were more than nine dishes already, filling up the entire table, yet the kitchen was still bustling with activity, evidently, more dishes were being prepared.
"Do you always make so many dishes in a day?" Fu Xiaoxiao curiously asked Chen Hao, who was beside her.
"Of course not! It’s because you’re here today. Knowing mom’s nature, she’d definitely bring out all the best dishes." Chen Hao knew his mother well. To entertain Fu Xiaoxiao, she would surely prepare every dish she could think of for her.
"Wow? There’s no way we can finish all this food, right? There’s so much." Fu Xiaoxiao was shocked and quickly got up to go to the kitchen.
As soon as she entered the kitchen, she saw Li Yanan holding an old hen, about to cut its throat to drain the blood.
"Spare the chicken!"
Fu Xiaoxiao hurriedly stopped her.
"Little girl, what’s wrong? Don’t you like chicken? Don’t worry; this is a plump one I secretly raised in the backyard." Li Yanan smiled and asked when she saw Fu Xiaoxiao coming in.
"Auntie, there are already enough dishes; it’s really enough." Fu Xiaoxiao quickly helped Li Yanan up, asking her not to make any more.
"It’s okay; I just need to make this hen, and I’ll be done. It won’t take long." Li Yanan thought the dishes on the table weren’t enough; this old hen was just right for making a stew for her.
"I think the dishes on the table are enough; there are several that I really like! We can make it in the evening instead! There’s not enough time now, isn’t there?" Fu Xiaoxiao persuaded her again.
"Alright then, I’ll listen to you." Seeing what Fu Xiaoxiao said and looking at the time, it was indeed getting late.
If she had known, she should have started stewing it for her as soon as she arrived.
The Chen Family looked at Li Yanan actually being persuaded by Fu Xiaoxiao, gazing at Fu Xiaoxiao with an extra layer of admiration.
During the meal, Chen Xiu came out with Li Lei and Li Sen, sitting by Fu Xiaoxiao’s side, continuously putting food on her plate.
"Xiao Xiao, this is delicious! This one too, my mom makes the best mushroom soup."
"Sister Chen Xiu, you eat too, don’t just take care of us, you all should eat too." Fu Xiaoxiao didn’t move a single bite by herself; her bowl was filled with food given by the Chen Family, not even having to use her chopsticks, as her bowl was piled high with food.
Li Yanan, watching Fu Xiaoxiao eat so elegantly, liked her more and more. "Little girl, why don’t you all stay here tonight and play for a few days before heading back."
"This... it’s too much trouble." Fu Xiaoxiao shook her head, wanting to refuse, because with so many people in the Chen Family, there wouldn’t be enough room to sleep.
"It’s no trouble." Chen Chuan suddenly chimed in, surprising the Chen Family.
"Wow, did I just hear that? Dad only says a word a year; is it almost New Year’s since dad just spoke?" Chen Hao exaggerated.
Li Yanan lightly tapped him with her chopsticks. "How can you joke about your dad! This is more like once every three years that I hear him speak up."
The crowd couldn’t help but laugh, and even Fu Xiaoxiao was amused by Li Yanan’s words.
"Don’t worry about staying; my second sister and I will head home to sleep tonight, and the big brother will also go to his own home, so there are enough rooms without the unmarried second brother and Xiu’er." Chen Ya saw Fu Xiaoxiao’s hesitation and smiled as she explained.
"You all don’t live together?" Fu Xiaoxiao was surprised, not expecting them not to live together.
"Hahaha... little sis, you’re funny." Chen Hao laughed. "They’re all grown up; my eldest sister has been married to my brother-in-law for over ten years; they could be old enough to be your..."
Chen Hao laughed about their age, and Chen Ya smiled, but her hand quickly gave a solid smack to her brother’s head.
"You’re one to talk; you’re the only one in the family not married." Chen Shi snorted.
"...I just can’t find a wife to settle down with; what can I do about that? I don’t want to just settle for anything." Chen Hao pouted, daring not to speak out, just rubbing his head.
He also wanted to get married, but... just couldn’t find the right one.
"Please don’t think badly of us, it’s just lively in the house." Li Yanan watched Fu Xiaoxiao observing them playfully argue, her eyes full of undisguised envy.