As for Xu Erhong and Liu Guimei, they were busy in the kitchen, Xu Erhong stoking the fire while Liu Guimei was in charge of washing the vegetables.
Xu Niannian, carrying a basket on her back, walked in and said crisply, "Granny, I’ve come to see you."
The elderly lady was occupied with stitching shoe soles for her eldest granddaughter, but upon hearing the voice, she immediately put them down.
Seeing her treasured eldest granddaughter, the old lady’s face bloomed into a smile.
"Oh, my dear big treasure, why have you come?"
Xu Sisi glanced over and shook her head without a word; her grandmother never showed her a friendly face but always looked at her cousin as if she was seeing gold and jewels.
Xu Niannian put her basket down on the ground and told the old lady, "Granny, I went to sell things in the county town today and bought you some tasty treats."
Upon hearing that Xu Niannian had bought some tasty treats, the old lady felt incredibly touched and hurriedly pulled Xu Niannian to sit down. Follow current novels on Novᴇl_Fire(.)net
"You have come already, why spend money on things? Granny doesn’t lack for food."
"Granny doesn’t need food, but Niannian wants to show her filial piety. You wouldn’t refuse that, would you?" Xu Niannian deliberately said.
Xu Erhong, hearing Xu Niannian’s voice from the kitchen, jovially shouted outside, "Yo, my big niece has come?"
"Eh, Uncle Er, I came to see you all."
Xu Erhong didn’t stick around, his work was done after lighting the fire, and he hurriedly rushed outside.
After he had left, Liu Guimei rolled her eyes in annoyance. She wasn’t nearly as enthusiastic about her own daughter.
Because of the incident last time, Liu Guimei always felt that the old lady had took issue with her.
But since the old lady didn’t speak openly about it, she found it hard to explain.
So all of her resentment was transferred onto Xu Niannian.
She thought that were it not for her, the old lady wouldn’t have developed this grudge against her.
If it were any other day when Xu Niannian came over, Liu Guimei would have had a few words to say at least.
But now, disliking Xu Niannian, she simply stayed in the kitchen, pretending not to hear, out of sight, out of mind.
Remembering how both her husband and mother-in-law favored this girl but treated her Sisi so ordinarily, Liu Guimei felt especially uncomfortable.
Other people’s daughters are treasures, aren’t hers as well?
One’s own child should be cherished by oneself; if others don’t care, she must care herself.
Xu Niannian was joking around with the old lady, while Xu Erhong also joined in the fun.
He inquired about everything regarding Xu Niannian, one moment about how her business was doing, the next if anyone had bullied her.
Xu Sisi was doing her homework, and upon hearing her father’s endless concern, she couldn’t help but say, "Dad, when I went to the county town, why didn’t I see you as concerned about me, huh?"
However, Xu Sisi wasn’t genuinely bothered by it; she just casually raised the question, even with a teasing tone.
Xu Erhong jovially said to his own daughter, "That’s different. Just look at how pretty your Sister Niannian is, and then look at you, as black as a lump of coal. If I were a scoundrel, I’d be too lazy to even pick on you."
These words made even Xu Niannian unable to help but laugh, "Uncle Er, don’t say such things about Sisi."
With her beauty, she looked lovely when she laughed, making Sisi, as a girl herself, couldn’t help wanting to drool over Xu Niannian’s charming smile.
Xu Niannian had placed the basket on the ground but hadn’t yet taken anything out from it.
Liu Guimei was bustling about in the kitchen, and hearing the laughter and cheerful voices outside, she felt disgruntled.
Her Sisi really had no cares, not even getting upset when her own father mocked her like that, still affectionately calling "Sister Niannian."
Such a silly girl she was.
The old lady, beaming, held onto Xu Niannian’s hand, praising that her Baby Nian was indeed beautiful, even more so than her grandfather.
Ah, no, not quite, she still fell a tiny bit short—her grandfather was better looking than anyone.