Xu Ji also slightly widened his eyes; having been sick since he was young, he had always been a precocious and sensitive child. Han Shouzhen could discern certain things, and naturally, he could too.
"Thank you, auntie," Xu Ji smiled slightly.
Even though he was just a child, Lin Xiaoguai felt his smile carried an indescribable warmth.
That feeling of being acknowledged by this child...
Thinking this, Lin Xiaoguai added a chopstick-full of crabmeat tofu to Xu Ji’s bowl, "Ping’an, try this. The tofu is homemade by your aunt, and it’s best enjoyed while hot."
Xu Ji smiled, took a taste, and indeed, it was delicious and appetizing. Just as he was about to speak, he noticed his little cousin’s intense gaze.
Seeing him looking over, Little Niangao also straightforwardly approached and asked, "Brother, is it delicious?"
"Want to try?" Xu Ji held up a chopstick-full of crabmeat tofu to his mouth.
Little Niangao didn’t hesitate and took a bite, his eyes lighting up, "It’s really tasty, mom, why haven’t you made this before?"
"You like to eat whole hairy crabs, right? If you ate this, you wouldn’t be able to enjoy the crabs," Lin Xiaoguai teased him.
"Then just make half," Little Niangao smartly retorted, turning to Xu Ji, "Brother, mom’s hairy crabs are so delicious. Next time, let her make some for you."
"Sure." Xu Ji’s smile was gentle, perhaps because Little Niangao was not aware of what his body condition entailed. Also, his precocious and clever nature made it very relaxing to be around him, unlike children of his age who were unruly and boisterous.
A gentle smile appeared on Han Shouzhen’s face; as long as her son was happy, she felt content.
Halfway through the meal, Lin Xiaoguai stood up and went into the kitchen. She came back with a bowl of rock sugar steamed pear, placing it in front of Xu Ji, "Ping’an and Little Niangao, would you like to ?"
Xu Ji’s eyes deepened. Besides his heart problem, he also had a bronchial issue. Though not severe, it easily flared up due to weather changes, and rock sugar steamed pear was exactly what was needed.
"Mom, you are biased. Brother arrives and you prepare so many delicious dishes I’ve never tasted," Little Niangao complained.
Lin Xiaoguai, patting his head and smiling, said, "Because brother is a guest. If Little Niangao visits elder aunt, she would surely make many delicious things that even brother hasn’t tasted."
"Right," Han Shouzhen smiled, "If Little Niangao visits your aunt, she’ll make tasty food for you too."
"Alright then, I won’t hold you to account," Little Niangao stated with an air of ’grown-up generosity’, bringing light smiles to both Lin Xiaoguai and Han Shouzhen.
Although Lin Xiaoguai’s rock sugar steamed pear was delicious, Little Niangao, who generally disliked sweet food, was only willing to eat fresh fruit occasionally. He wasn’t keen on desserts, so after one bite, he didn’t want more.
Lin Xiaoguai sighed in relief. She had indeed dissolved Heart Nourishing Pills into it. Although she was sure that the Heart Nourishing Pills, being routine medicine from the Outer Planet, wouldn’t harm ordinary people if consumed accidentally—possibly causing only a couple of days of insomnia—it was better to eat less of it.
If it weren’t to avoid arousing Han Shouzhen’s suspicions, she wouldn’t have invited her son to eat it too.
After the children had played and gone to take a nap, Lin Xiaoguai sat in the yard crafting cotton shoes for Little Niangao. Han Shouzhen, sitting beside her, expressed her envy, "Your hands are so skilled. I can’t manage it; I even failed at knitting a pair of gloves for Ping’an."
She noted that many things in her sister-in-law’s home were homemade: curtains, tablecloths, various covers, and even all of her nephew’s clothes—each being unique and more beautiful than those available in stores.
"Sister, if you don’t mind, give me Ping’an’s measurements. I’ll make him a couple of pairs too." Han Shouzhen had brought a whole bolt of high-quality fabric with her today. While Lin Xiaoguai wasn’t particularly fond of the fabric material, it was quite trendy and rare at the time. Grateful for the thoughtfulness, she didn’t mind reciprocating the gesture.
"Can you?" Han Shouzhen hesitated.
"It’s no trouble," Lin Xiaoguai finished cutting the shoe’s upper part, then secured it onto a small embroidery frame. Threading a needle, she began to embroider two cartoon-style monkeys.
Han Shouzhen watched in amazement, "Is this embroidery?" Although her family background had exposed her to many embroidered items, witnessing a piece coming to life right before her was still astonishing.
Moreover, by her judgment, although these two little monkeys were simple, the embroidery was no less exquisite than any other piece she had seen before.
"Ping’an was born in the year of the tiger, right? I’ll embroider a pair of little tigers for him," Lin Xiaoguai smiled.