Xue Xing clutched his shoulder. "I was just telling the truth. You can see the entire village just by standing at the window. What more is there to see?"
"Say that again."
This ti, Xue Xing was smart enough to dodge to the side. Si Wen’s palm whizzed past the back of his head. "If you hit again, you’ll really knock stupid."
"You’re already stupid, don’t bla . Get on with your howork."
"A good man doesn’t fight with a woman."
Xue Xing shifted his howork away from Si Wen, only for her to snatch it back. "If you move so far away, how am I supposed to see?"
Nitpick, nitpick, nitpick. Is there anyone pickier than you? Xue Xing grumbled to himself.
If Si Wen heard that, he could forget about doing his howork for the rest of the day. She would teach him a lesson he wouldn’t forget.
Lin Xi occasionally looked up at their playful bickering, finding it quite amusing. Si Wen was used to being domineering, and while Xue Xing didn’t indulge her, he was still completely intimidated by her. Any hint of resistance and he would get smacked.
Hahaha!
After that, things quieted down considerably. The four of them busied themselves with their own tasks, and it wasn’t too boring.
During that ti, they could hear a car engine starting downstairs, and not long after, the delicious aroma of food wafted up. There were dogs barking, chickens crowing, and the sound of people talking. Although it was loud, it wasn’t jarring. On the contrary, the place felt full of life—an atmosphere one might call the warm buzz of daily life.
Gradually, Si Wen’s temper subsided as well. Ti flies when you’re busy, and before long, it was lunchti.
Zhong Hailan ca upstairs to call them down to eat.
"Xing Zai, why don’t you have lunch with us today?"
"Auntie, it’s okay. We have plenty of food at ho. I’ll go back to eat, and I’ll co over again when I’m done."
Xue Xing left his howork at Xue Yang’s ho and ran off.
Zhong Hailan was used to this by now and didn’t insist. "Xiao Xi, Si Wen, co down for lunch. Where’s Xiao Yang?"
"Auntie, I’ll go get him."
Lin Xi went to the study to fetch Xue Yang, while Si Wen followed Zhong Hailan downstairs.
"It’s just so simple ho cooking. I hope you don’t mind."
As Lin Xi’s best friend, Si Wen was an important guest, almost like a representative from the bride’s side of the family. Because of this, Zhong Hailan took her visit very seriously. She was worried that any shortcomings in the al might affect the relationship between Lin Xi and Xue Yang.
"Auntie, I’ve had your cooking before! It’s delicious. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have made a special trip just to eat it."
"That’s wonderful, as long as you like it. It’s a rare treat to have you over, so you must eat a lot," Zhong Hailan bead, her eyes crinkling into happy slits. For any cook, there is no greater complint than hearing that others love their food. She never expected that the dishes she sent for Xue Yang and Lin Xi would also win over Si Wen. It was an unexpected delight.
"I will, Auntie."
Just as Si Wen sat down, Xue Yang and Lin Xi ca downstairs. A sumptuous spread of dishes covered the table. The chicken was from their own coop, and the vegetables were from their own garden. The seafood had been carefully selected by Xue Yuanqing, who had driven to the coast early that morning to pick it out. Their family’s culinary skills were widely recognized as excellent.
Without a doubt, everyone ate to their heart’s content. Si Wen and Lin Xi, who were usually careful about managing their figures, both ate more than their share. If they weren’t so stuffed, they would have kept on eating.
Not long after lunch, Xue Xing returned from his own al.
"By the way, Sister-in-law, Sister Si Wen, my parents want to invite you and my brother over to our house for dinner tonight."
Zhong Hailan, who was also there, overheard. This was to be expected. Since Lin Xi and Si Wen had brought gifts for everyone, it was only proper for them to be invited for a al in return. It was a matter of courtesy.
"Why?" Si Wen asked.
"Well... they just want to invite you. Sister-in-law, you have to co! Otherwise, my parents will beat up."
This Xue Xing... is he inviting us or ordering us to co over? Lin Xi thought with a smile. Outwardly, she said, "Okay, please tell your uncle and aunt that we’ll co over tonight."
Xue Xing bead. "Great! I’ll go tell them right now so they can start preparing. Uncle, Auntie, you should join us for dinner too, then you won’t have to cook."
"Tell them not to prepare too many dishes. I feel like I’ve been gaining weight ever since I got here," Lin Xi said, patting her slightly bulging belly.
"Gaining weight is a good thing! They love to see people plump and fair-skinned. It gives them a sense of accomplishnt. If you don’t believe , ask Uncle and Auntie."
"You’re the plump and fair-skinned one," Si Wen retorted tartly.
Xue Xing had already run off into the distance, but he soon returned to continue his howork. The weather in July and August was simply too hot, making it unrealistic to go out and play. The best option was to stay indoors with the air conditioning on and wait until the sun went down in the afternoon to go out for a bit.
After they had been relaxing at ho for a while, Xue Yang made a suggestion.
"Do you guys want to go check out the new house?"
"New house?" Si Wen asked.
"I bought a house when I ca back for the New Year. Over the past six months, my parents have been renovating the second floor, so they renovated the new house at the sa ti," Xue Yang explained simply.
"Bro, I want to go too!" Xue Xing had been there when the house was bought. His brother hadn’t told him to ntion it to anyone, and he had kept the secret faithfully. He was also eager to see how the renovations had turned out.
"Did you finish your howork?"
"Bro, I finished that a long ti ago. The work I’m doing now is for senior year. I’m self-studying."
Xue Yang nodded. "Alright, you can co with us then."
"Yay!"
The group of four trooped downstairs. After a quick word with Zhong Hailan, Xue Yang got into the family’s Wuling Hongguang.
"Xue Yang, you really should think about replacing this car," Si Wen remarked with a pinch of her nose after getting in.
"This car is a legend! What do you know?" Xue Xing, sitting next to her in the back, retorted with annoyance.
Si Wen pinched his arm. "If you can’t say sothing nice, don’t say anything at all."
"You’re so fierce! I’m not sitting with you."
Xue Xing started to get up to move to the very back, but Si Wen yanked him back down. "Sit still, or I’ll kick you out of the car."
"This is my brother’s car!"
"And who do you think your brother listens to? You or your sister-in-law?"
"My sister-in-law would never kick out of the car!"
"Are you going to sit down or not?"
"You vicious shrew! I won’t stoop to your level."
Xue Xing sullenly sat back down, muttering the insult under his breath.
Unfortunately for him, Si Wen heard him. She narrowed her eyes dangerously and leaned closer. "What did you just say?"
Realizing he’d said the quiet part out loud, Xue Xing quickly backpedaled. "I said, a good man doesn’t fight with a woman."
"Don’t think I can’t guess what you ant just because I don’t understand the local dialect. Xue Xing, you’ve gotten pretty bold, haven’t you?"
Si Wen twisted his ear firmly, making him yelp in pain. "Stop! That hurts, it hurts, it hurts!"
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