At first, Xu Nianhua thought about how she could lend a helping hand to them, but in the end, as more and more people sought her out, Xu Nianhua felt it was too frightening; she even dared not visit her own family home in the county and instead hid away at Du Chang’s residence with Pei Yining.
Pei Yining’s laughter was uncontrollable; observing Xu Nianhua’s expressions, how could she find them so amusing?
Maybe, Heaven was also helping her brother create opportunities.
"Yining, are you really a friend? Taking pleasure in my disaster." Xu Nianhua pursed her lips and puffed her cheeks, staring unblinkingly at Pei Yining. These days, due to her academic results and the study methods she had shared before, countless people sought her out through various connections.
Although Xu Nianhua was generous with her teaching, the sheer number of people had become quite terrifying, and moreover, she didn’t know any of them. They all came to her, regardless of their children’s individual circumstances.
This put a great deal of pressure on Xu Nianhua, who in the end credited all her success to Teacher Lin.
Finally, she managed to divert those people to seek out Teacher Lin, and Xu Nianhua breathed a sigh of relief, but she dared not stay at home any longer.
"Nianhua, everyone recognizes you, admires you, and believes in you—that’s a good thing." Pei Yining clapped her hands and praised, "You scored full marks in the foreign language exam. I heard that you’re the only one in the whole country with a perfect score in foreign language."
"What a great honor." With one hand propping up her chin, Pei Yining felt extremely comfortable living in the county post-exam, spending every day happily.
Xu Nianhua sighed and swiftly started to prepare the vegetables. Since she was staying at the Du family’s home, she did not want to just sit around and expected to be fed, and decided to show off her cooking skills.
The braised pork was shiny with oil, making anyone’s mouth water just from the aroma.
Stir-fried pork with green and red peppers, spicy beef, tomato scrambled eggs, sautéed green beans, and pork ribs stewed with lotus roots filled the table, along with a special cucumber smash and cold mixed okra, presenting an array of dishes that were a feast for the senses.
"We are really fortunate today," Du Chang said contentedly, looking at the dishes that included both meat and vegetables, soup, and cold dishes, some spicy and some not, appetizing just at a glance.
"Indeed, Nianhua’s hands must be enchanted," Pei Yining’s eyes sparkled as she looked at the array of ordinary but exceptionally pleasing dishes made by Xu Nianhua. She couldn’t help swallowing her saliva and said, "Otherwise, how could Nianhua be so good at exams and also make such delicious dishes?"
Uh-huh, this sister-in-law must definitely be from her family.
"Hey, it seems I’ve arrived just in time," Cheng Hao said as he entered the house with two bottles of wine, already smelling the aroma.
"Xiaohao, your timing is perfect."
Du Chang beckoned Cheng Hao, and as everyone took their seats, he tactfully saved Pei Yicheng’s seat next to Xu Nianhua during the moment Pei Yicheng went to wash his hands.
"Let’s eat, everyone, please enjoy; don’t waste Nianhua’s great culinary talent," Du Chang said with a smile, and he started by trying a piece of the smashed cucumber. It was a simple cucumber, but after Xu Nianhua’s touch, the taste was indeed quite good.
Du Chang picked up another piece.
A series of compliments arose from the dining table, and even with Xu Nianhua’s thick skin, she was embarrassed by the praise.
"I wonder if I’ll have the honor of tasting your cooking in the future?"
A warm breath brushed past Xu Nianhua’s ear suddenly, and her already stiff face from the compliments tensed up even more.