When lunch was put on the table, the men and women sat together.
Two Eight Immortals tables were put together. Xiaoduo and the two aunts invited by the Xiang family cooked the rice together. Every dish was served in double portions to ensure that everyone sitting at the table could enjoy it. If you pick it up, you can eat it with a few chopsticks.
Uncle Shengnan acted like a normal person, clinking bowls and drinking with cattle dealer Yang Huazhong and the others, saying various words to persuade them to drink.
The new aunt was not so comfortable. She was very silent at the dinner table, holding a bowl and picking up the food. The chicken and fish bones on the plate in front of her were piled up like a hill.
The women understood each other tacitly, especially the second aunt, who was extremely happy and had many more polite words at the dinner table than before.
This made the new aunt grind her teeth with hatred while eating. She bit her tongue several times and rolled her eyes in pain. She covered her mouth and wanted to lift the table.
It turns out that my second aunt is also a good person, and she doesn't care about anything. "Sister-in-law, why are you covering your mouth to take a breath? Did you bite your tongue?"
The new aunt shook her head.
"Oh, don't be too hasty when eating. It's very uncomfortable if you bite your tongue. I've bitten it before, and it's like a fire."
Just when the new aunt was so angry that she was about to fight back, the second aunt took the initiative to scoop a spoonful of sweet soup for her, put it into her bowl with a concerned look on her face, and warned her again in good faith: "Come on, come on, have a drink. Sweet soup would be better.”
The new aunt rolled her eyes in anger. This mute was the one who got the most out of her. Don't let her catch the chance.
Lingling also sat next to Father Xiang holding a small bowl.
At first, she was afraid to sit at the table. She had never enjoyed such treatment since she was born. Even in the homes of her adoptive parents, she was always made to squat on the stove when eating.
Later, Father Xiang and Xiao Duo came over and patiently coaxed and encouraged Lingling, finally sitting down next to Father Xiang.
Holding the bowl and chopsticks in his hands, he buried his head and did not dare to look at the people on the table. The hands holding the chopsticks were still shaking.
When everyone saw Lingling like this, they felt very sorry for this child.
Father Xiang realized his wish today and became a grandfather again, and his kind side came out.
He kept picking up food for Lingling, stroking Lingling's little head and smiling, with love in his eyes.
This made Xiaoduo feel a little jealous.
Even when facing Jiaojiao, I have never seen my father-in-law show such a kind smile. I guess in my father-in-law's heart, Brother Jin Nan is more important than a man, and this is also the adopted daughter who is recorded in Brother Jin Nan's name. The portions are heavier than Jiaojiao?
But when his eyes turned and fell on Lingling, Xiaoduo couldn't get angry anymore.
This child was so heartbreaking that Xiao Duo couldn't help but think of how he and Xiao Hua were so lonely and helpless back then.
It was their parents and sister who gave them a warm home.
Since I grew up with such warm care, now that I am an adult, it is my turn to pass on this kindness and warmth.
Xiaoduo picked up a big chicken drumstick and put it into the Lingling bowl, and smiled softly: "Try the chicken drumsticks made by my aunt. It's delicious."
The new aunt was the first to put down her chopsticks and get off the table.
But the uncle was still there drinking with the cattle dealers and the others, and the new aunt went over and urged her over and over again, saying nothing that gave her no face at all.
Later, my uncle got tired of urging me, "What are you yelling about? I haven't even eaten two bites of food yet. I want you back when you've eaten and drank enough!"
"This is what you said, okay, just come back, no one is afraid of whom!"
The new aunt waved her hands and ran out of the main room.
Father Xiang grunted as he sat there, twisting his neck and not bothering to answer.
After Xiang's mother was killed by her natal sister-in-law, even though the sister-in-law paid with her life, Xiang's father no longer regarded them as relatives and became annoyed when he saw them.
They were the ones who shamelessly started to associate with this place again, who knew that Katsuo was their nephew!
Father Xiang was too lazy to respond and threw out two words: "Hypocritical."
The cattle dealer did not get up to chase or persuade, but just told Xiao Duo: "Pack some food for uncle..."
"Ah? Uncle...don't you want to drink any more?" Xiaoduo stood up hesitantly and asked.
Xiang Shengnan also said: "Uncle, haven't you had enough of it?"
The uncle drank a glass of wine, waved his hand and said: "What do you want to eat? I want to continue drinking!"
"Brother, you'd better stop drinking and go chase your sister-in-law. She went back alone."
The person who said this was the second uncle Shengnan. As he spoke, he looked into the yard from time to time. There was a table full of people, but he was the only one who was really anxious and worried.
"Snapped!"
Someone slammed the chopsticks on the table.
Everyone looked around and saw Sheng Nan's second aunt's face, which was darker than the bottom of the pot.
"If the emperor is not in a hurry to kill the eunuch, you are just a dog and a mouse meddling in other people's business!"
The second aunt scolded her with a dark face, and the second uncle was so scolded that he frowned. He had just moved his stool to go after him to see what was going on, but now he quietly sat back down.
"If you are really worried, just go and chase her. It's best to escort your sister-in-law back. No one will stop you here. As a brother-in-law, it's not uncommon to care about your sister-in-law who is younger than you. Your elder brother will be grateful to you. Yes Right, brother?"
Uncle Shengnan's face also darkened, and he looked at the brother beside him with squinted eyes.
He didn't say anything, but the pressure from his elder brother made the younger brother unable to bear it.
"Brother, what's that...don't listen to those tiger bitches talking nonsense, I'm going to tell my sister-in-law..."
"Come on, come on, his second uncle, let's have a drink."
Yang Huazhong grabbed Uncle Shengnan's shoulders and interrupted him forcefully.
There are some things that get darker the more you explain them, so it’s better not to say them.
Everyone else at the table smiled tacitly, followed the interruption, and helped to bring the topic to an end.
Mrs. Sun, Aunt Shengnan and the others were scrambling to pick up food for their second aunt. The atmosphere at the table was forcibly brought back to normal, and everyone was forcibly ignoring the new aunt who ran out in anger.
Let's say that when this new aunt ran outside the courtyard, she stopped running. Instead, she stood outside the courtyard wall with her arms folded, counting in her heart.
According to past experience, when she counted to five, which would not exceed ten at most, Uncle Shengnan would definitely chase her out.
Even if he wanted to save face and not chase her, there would definitely be someone in the house of relatives who would chase her back and persuade her to go back.
However, when she almost reached a hundred, there was not even a soul in the room.
She couldn't help but poke her head in and take a look inside. Good guys, they were all sitting around the table, eating and drinking, and the one in her family even raised his wine bowl to clink it with the cattle dealer.
"This goddamn old immortal thing doesn't want to see me like this!"
She stamped her feet vigorously, crossed her arms and twisted her waist and ran away. This time she really ran away.
In the Xiang family, this midday lunch was eaten until the sun turned to the west and then gradually dispersed.
The cattle dealer was drinking with uncle Shengnan, but both of them finally collapsed and fell asleep on the table.
Xiaoduo held Lingling, Xiang Shengnan held Jiaojiao, and Xiang's father stood aside with a cane and smiled as he watched Yang Huazhong drive away with a family of three.
Before leaving, Mrs. Sun said to Xiaoduo, "I'll bring Jiaojiao and Lingling back for a meal some other time."
