Yu Shaohua sat in front of the two people, watching them play chess.
Yu Shaohan was so annoyed with Bai Song, but now it was not her turn to speak! If she said something unpleasant at this moment, she guessed her own father would not take it well.
He might even slap her.
She went to the kitchen to help; meanwhile, Yan Chunlu kept holding onto Bai Xiao without letting go, finally realizing that Bai Xiao was her sister, her aunt’s sister, which meant her own sister. How could it not be different?
An Zhiyuan saw that there was nothing for him here and also grabbed a chair to sit in front of the old man, watching their game.
Only then did he understand the expression Yu Shaohua had earlier.
The old man was just... terrible at chess!
"Mom, let me do it!"
Yu Shaohan took the knife from the old lady, who quickly checked the chicken soup in the sandpot and skimmed the foam off the surface with a spoon.
"I am so happy today!"
Yu Shaohan sulked, "Mom, you and dad are so biased! When my older sister was around, you only had eyes for her, treating me and my older brothers as if we weren’t even your own. And now it’s the same with my niece. Aren’t you afraid the younger ones in the family will get jealous?" Competing with her own sister for their parents’ love was truly the one tragedy of her life.
The problem was, her sister had died! It became a lifelong regret that she could never overcome.
The old lady tapped her on the head, "It’s only you who is petty, as small-minded as the tip of a needle. When you were little and fought with your sister over things, whatever she liked, you had to have it too; nothing has changed. You’re grown up now; I think Chunlu from your family is better than you, she would never be jealous of Xiao. After all that child has suffered, shouldn’t we show her some love?" A gnawing worry finally lifted from her heart, and the old lady’s wrinkles smoothed out.
The second daughter had a tough life and bad luck with people, what could be done? But this girl was different from her daughter; I don’t know whom she takes after!
"Mom, I think this girl isn’t so easy to talk to; aren’t you afraid she won’t be close with you too? I don’t understand why," Yu Shaohan felt a surge of irritation whenever she thought of Bai Xiao. Putting aside Bai Song’s issues, her first encounter with Bai Xiao was unpleasant, and future interactions were likely going to be tough.
"Related or not, she’s still your sister’s child. It doesn’t matter if she doesn’t recognize us, but we can’t deny her. The child did nothing wrong; we haven’t looked after her at all but now suddenly show up wanting to act as her elders. I wouldn’t like it either.
Who wants another elder to deal with?"
The old lady added oil to the pan to fry a fish.
She rubbed some ginger on the bottom of the pan to prevent sticking, then placed the freshly killed fish inside. As soon as it hit the frying pan, it sizzled, and oil splashed everywhere.
Yu Shaohan stepped back.
"Mom, you’re trying to ruin your daughter’s face!"
Mom hadn’t spent much time cooking in her life, except during the mandatory labor during her rural placement, the old lady seldom cooked.
The old lady was beaming with joy.
Being happy meant cooking.
Winning over her granddaughter’s stomach would rely on these offerings.
She took a spatula to flip the fish to fry the other side, but then tragedy struck.
The fish flipped alright, but splattered oil everywhere, burning the back of the old lady’s hand with hot oil.
Yu Shaohan screamed instantly.
"Mom’s been burnt by the oil."