Sanni watched as Yang Ruxin poured oil into the pot and began to lose her composure, "Big sister, that’s too much oil..."
"Without oil, how can the food be delicious?" Yang Ruxin chuckled, "Miss Yang Ruhao, although being thrifty is a virtue, you know? Being too stingy is not a virtue. Now that we have silver, we must eat well; health is capital. Only when we’re healthy can we make more money, so stop making such a fuss..."
"But it doesn’t need to be that much, does it?" Sanni still couldn’t help but grumble, "Half would be enough."
"If you keep nagging, I might just add more," Yang Ruxin said amusedly as she looked at Sanni and reached for the oil jug again.
"Alright, I won’t say anymore," Sanni hastily gestured with her hands.
"There, that’s better," Yang Ruxin smiled.
Sini watched her third sister being schooled by the eldest and covered her mouth, giggling mischievously.
Sanni reached out and pinched Sini’s cheek, "And you’re laughing."
Sini laughed even more joyfully.
Gu Yao arrived quickly, helping to clean two large pots. He placed one under the eaves in the yard, which could be used for washing hands and faces and even to collect rainwater, and the other in the kitchen, for cooking and drinking water. He even made several trips to fill the water pots and brought over the previously damaged kitchen knife, now sharpened and good as new.
"Gu Erni, I didn’t expect you to know how to sharpen a knife," Erni couldn’t help but laugh, "Is there anything you can’t do?" Perhaps because she now had a home of her own and life was filled with hope, Erni remained gentle in temperament but no longer shy and self-deprecating as before; look, she even took the initiative to tease Gu Yao.
"Yeah, Gu Erni, what can’t you do?" Sanni chimed in with the teasing.
"I can’t cook," Gu Yao, feeling a bit embarrassed by Erni’s comment, still seriously replied, "nor can I do needlework."
The group was first taken aback by Gu Yao’s earnestness and then burst into boisterous laughter.
"Little Yaozi, you really are adorable," Yang Ruxin couldn’t contain her amusement; if she weren’t too old and if it weren’t inappropriate, she would have pinched his cheek as well.
Gu Yao, feeling embarrassed by the laughter, turned to leave, only to see Gu Qingheng at the front gate and hurriedly ran over, "Brother Qingheng, what brings you here?"
Gu Qingheng had heard the laughter from a while away and couldn’t help feeling tickled by it, so he wheeled himself out of the courtyard. But there was a threshold at the Yang Family’s courtyard gate, which he couldn’t cross. Just as he was about to call out, Gu Yao spotted him and rushed over, laughing, "I heard you all having such a good time, I came to see what’s happening, and then I caught the scent of something delicious."
Gu Yao’s heart felt a sudden twinge; his elder brother had been so lonely these past years, barely venturing out of the yard since they arrived here.
"Little Yaozi, take off the threshold," Yang Ruxin was busy with her hands and peeked out upon hearing voices, "Let’s not put it back on; this way, it will be easier to come and go."
Gu Yao hurriedly agreed and then removed the threshold.
Gu Qingheng couldn’t hide the smile on his lips anymore.
Gu Yao, looking at the somewhat foolishly smiling Gu Qingheng, couldn’t help but sigh internally; it seemed his elder brother was truly, deeply in love.
"Brother Qingheng, Big sister is making something delicious tonight," Sini ran over, "Why don’t you stay and eat with us too?"