Li Li clenched her teeth and poked Qin Xiangnuan's face, "Oh please, with that face of yours and that figure, how do you even resemble a mother? Jeez, you tell me, what have you been eating? How come other women either get fat or gain weight after giving birth, yet you? You just gave birth to triplets, and your figure didn't even change, it seems even better," she glanced at Qin Xiangnuan's chest, these are for nursing the kids, right? Why are they even bigger than hers, and not sagging at all? She sneakily looked at her own, so small, so flat.
"No matter what, I'm still a mother," Qin Xiangnuan was quite conscious of her own identity. She wasn't a young girl anymore; she was a mom, and the mom of three kids, no less.
"Hey, Li Li," Qin Xiangnuan kicked Li Li lightly, "You haven't told me yet, how are things going with Brother Mo? Didn't you say that you had a good impression of that soldier?"
"How could it be?" Li Li picked up Little San and stared at his tender little face, filled with so much love. However, when it came to her own lifelong issues, she didn't seem quite so delighted.
"Probably not suitable, I guess. Our values aren't the same, incompatible."
Alright then, Qin Xiangnuan didn't ask anymore. What's the use of asking so many reasons? It all boils down to you not liking him, and him not liking you. Why bother talking about values, such a profound thing? That's not something a layperson like her could grasp.
"And..." Qin Xiangnuan continued to ask Sun Xiaoyu, "What about the thing I mentioned to you a few days ago? How have you been pondering over it?"
"What thing?" Li Li kissed Little San several times. Qin Xiangnuan truly felt sorry for Little San; this tender little tofu must have been 'eaten' by so many people from a young age. When he grows up, will there be any tofu left for others?
"I was talking about you moving in with me," Qin Xiangnuan took Little San into her arms, as he was pouting and about to cry.
"Moving into your place?" Li Li stood up and turned around. This house sure had plenty of rooms; she had been coming here often since high school, sometimes even spending the night with Qin Xiangnuan and Mao Xiaomei, but living here seemed indeed quite inconvenient.
It would bother others, since her work shifts included day and night.
"I'll just rent a place to live."
After pondering for a while, she still felt it was better to live on her own, not troubling anyone.
"Just move in," Qin Xiangnuan squeezed Little San's little chubby hand and said, "Living alone out there, not to mention me, even your parents would be worried. You're already familiar with my place, and with so many rooms, there's definitely one for you to stay in."
"Also, you see," she lifted Little San, "with these three kids at home, if one gets a cold or fever, we're all over the place, not knowing what to do. With you around, it'll be a lot easier to manage them in the future. Besides, there aren't many people in my house, just Granny Lu, me, Brother Jian, and these three. You eat at my place anyway, might as well be our family doctor. That's settled then." She freed one hand to pat Li Li's shoulder, "Just pick a room and settle down. The bed, wardrobe, everything's available. From now on, these three are yours too."
"Heh heh..." Li Li could only force a laugh.
Was this like herding ducks onto a perch?
She did want to insist a bit longer, but she truly underestimated Qin Xiangnuan's persistence. Qin Xiangnuan might seem easy-going on a regular day, but she was actually quite determined. In the end, no matter what she said, how she advised, or how she declined, she would still end up packing her things and moving them in.
And with the arrival of a doctor at home, even Li Qiuhua and Granny Lu breathed a sigh of relief.
There's no helping it, with three children, it's really difficult to take care of them. Having a doctor around gives everyone peace of mind, so there's no need to panic and overthink things every time a child has a fever or a cough.
The door creaked open, and a young man walked in. How to describe him? He was neat and spirited, not very old, but you could feel he had a very steady disposition.
However, as he walked, something seemed amiss. There was a slight disability in his foot, causing anyone who noticed to feel a tinge of pity.
"Ah, Dongsheng is back," Granny Lu came out from the kitchen with a smile upon seeing Dongsheng, "How come you're back so early today? Didn't your master let you learn?" This update is available on n0velfire.net
"My master had something to do, so he let me come back early," Dongsheng hurriedly went over and took over the chore Granny Lu was doing. "Granny, let me cook today. I learned a few new dishes and I want you all to try them."
Granny Lu was delighted; she enjoys the food cooked by Dongsheng, so she handed over the kitchen to him. Of course, it was also because she wanted Dongsheng to practice more and get the hang of the dishes.
Before long, Dongsheng finished cooking a table full of dishes: sweet and sour ribs, mapo tofu, cold chicken salad, Dongpo fish, braised chicken with chestnuts, fish-flavored shredded pork, braised pork, chicken in vinegar sauce... an entire table of food that looked and smelled delicious.
Granny Lu beamed with joy because her grandson's cooking was truly excellent. She thought to herself that once the restaurant reopens, it would definitely make money. The main thing was that her grandson had found his passion and his own ideas. That was what comforted her most. As long as he had the determination, he would manage the family restaurant well. Even if they didn't become wealthy, they would at least have enough for their needs. Even when she was gone, she could rest in peace.
"Nuannuan, Xiao Li, come out to have dinner."
Granny Lu took out the chopsticks and called out to the people inside the house.
Dongsheng was puzzled, wondering who Xiao Li was. Was she a guest that had come to the house? As he looked at the dishes on the table, he wondered if he should cook a few more dishes in case they really had guests.
Qin Xiangnuan opened the door and came out. It was just right; all three little ones were asleep, so they could have a peaceful meal.
Li Li, who had been working the night shift, now took the day to rest. Rubbing her eyes, she walked out of her room and immediately smelled the delicious fragrance.
"This smells so good." Now that she knew there was delicious food waiting, her sleepiness vanished, and her eyes sparkled with excitement. But when she looked up, she met a pair of smiling eyes and saw a face that, while not very handsome, was well-proportioned.
Involuntarily, her heart skipped a beat, and her cheeks burned with a blush.
Dongsheng was generous; he took the chopsticks from Granny Lu's hand, set them out neatly for everyone, lifted the lid of the rice cooker, scooped out the rice into a bowl, first for Granny Lu, and then with another bowl, he extended it forward, "Here's your rice, eat it while it's hot, it's not as good when it cools."
Li Li took the bowl. But her hands shook uncontrollably, as if she couldn't even pick up the chopsticks, and her head remained bowed, daring not to turn randomly.
Dongsheng didn't notice; he scooped out another bowl of rice and gave it to Qin Xiangnuan.