TTTQF Chapter 110

Care

"Ah Che, you're doing well, aren't you? Sister-in-law is here to take care of you, so you won't need to come have a meal with us in the dining hall in the Jingcui Garden anymore," Han Qin says, a slight hint of envy in his tone. He never imagined that Pei Che, who had always stayed away from women, would be the first among them to get married. Then again, Pei Che only ever says he stays away from women, he never said anything about men.

"Don't call him sister-in-law. Just call him Brother Jiang as before." Pei Che, with a smile on his face from Han Qin's words, doesn’t forget to correct Han Qin’s way of addressing Jiang Miao.

Han Qin raises his eyebrows and signals to He Chen, gesturing for him to take a good look at how protective Pei Che is now. He Chen smiles and nods in agreement. The change in Pei Che is obvious; perhaps this is the difference between those who marry and those who haven't.

"By the way, Ah Miao says that since we’ve just moved to the back mountain, we should have a housewarming celebration. He asks me to invite you all over for dinner tonight." Pei Che, unaware that they are laughing at him behind his back, simply passes along Jiang Miao's message to them.

"Since Brother Jiang has invited us, it would be rude to decline. Ah Che, you head back first, and we’ll prepare a bit before coming along to trouble you," Han Qin quickly responds. Just from the appetizers he tastes, he knows Jiang Miao is skilled in the kitchen. Who knows what dishes he might prepare for them tonight?

With eager anticipation, Han Qin, He Chen, and Su Jin prepare some gifts and make their way to the back mountain. Following the house number on the door, they soon find Pei Che's home.

Han Qin steps forward, curls his hand into a fist, and knocks on the door. Almost immediately, the door opens a crack. Strangely, there is no one behind the door.

The three of them are surprised, but before they can ask, they hear a voice coming from below. They look down and realize that it is a child who has opened the door.

"Are you friends of Brother Che?" the child asks.

"Yes, we are. Ah Che invited us to come and celebrate," He Chen replies with a smile. The little one before them must be Pei Che’s brother-in-law.

"Then come in!" Xiao Shitou fully opens the door, warmly inviting the guests inside.

After they enter, Xiao Shitou closes the door and even stands on tiptoe to bolt the lock. It can be said that he has a strong sense of security.

"You're here, have a seat," Pei Che sits at the table in the main hall, writing something with a brush in his hand. When he sees them enter, he merely glances up and greets them. Given their relationship, there is no need for formalities.

"Ah Che, are you writing?" Han Qin hesitantly asks. He glances around, realizing that this is clearly the dining area. Since when does Ah Che become so unconcerned with the setting?

"Isn't it obvious?" Su Jin replies coldly. The scene before them is clear—was there really a need to ask?

Han Qin glares at him, just about to snap back, when Jiang Miao happens to walk in from outside, carrying a tray. On the tray are three or four snacks, both sweet and savory, thoughtfully catering to everyone's tastes.

"You've all arrived! I'm sorry for not welcoming you properly. Please, sit down. There's still some time before dinner, so help yourselves to some snacks first," Jiang Miao says, noticing them standing around the table. He quickly adds, "Ah Che, move your things off the table. We're going to need the space."

Pei Che hums in response and quickly tidies up, moving the papers and ink box to the side. Once done, he even grabs a cloth and wipes down the table.

The series of movements is so smooth and effortless that the three of them are left dumbfounded. Pei Che, however, remains completely unaware and even asks in a puzzled tone why they haven’t sat down.

The three quickly take their seats and only then realize they are still holding the gifts they brought. They intend to give them to Pei Che, but somehow, they end up handing them over to Jiang Miao instead.

As soon as Jiang Miao leaves, Han Qin can’t help but ask, "Ah Che, when do you learn to do all this?"

Pei Che replies with a question of his own, "What’s there to learn? Clearing the table and wiping it down, isn’t that something everyone can do?"

Han Qin is speechless. Indeed, it is something everyone can do. But when Pei Che does it, why does it feel so strange?

Pei Che ignores Han Qin's inner turmoil. He pours tea for everyone and invites them to eat. His mannerisms are very much like that of a proper host, displaying impeccable hospitality.

These snacks are not plentiful, but whether sweet or savory, they serve to whet everyone's appetite and fill them with anticipation for the upcoming dinner.

As night falls, dish after dish of delicious food is laid out on the table. Although they have seen these dishes in restaurants before, Jiang Miao’s cooking makes them feel as if they have never truly tasted them—they are incredibly delicious.

On the way back, Han Qin sighs with admiration. If he could eat food like this every day, helping out with some chores doesn’t seem like such an unbearable task after all.

...

"Young man, you... must be the family of Young Master Pei, right?"

On his way back after dropping the two children off at the primary school, Jiang Miao suddenly hears someone ask that question. He turns his head and sees a woman in her forties or fifties speaking. She is simply dressed, carrying a basket, and has her hair tied up in a bun. She looks plain yet tidy, giving off a friendly and approachable vibe.

"That’s me. My surname is Jiang, and I’m Jiang Miao. I just moved here a couple of days ago. May I ask your name, auntie?" Jiang Miao pauses and waits for her to come forward.

"My surname is Luo; you can call me Aunt Luo," she replies.

"Hello, Aunt Luo. You came just in time; I have something I'd like to ask you." As Jiang Miao waits for her to come closer, he glances at her basket; the question he has is quite obvious. They have been eating what they brought down from the mountain, and it is almost gone.

Aunt Luo smiles and says, "You want to ask me where to buy vegetables, right?"

"Yes, exactly. I've been looking around for the past two days, but I haven’t found anywhere to buy anything. Do we really need to go down the mountain every day?" Jiang Miao says. He has just arrived, and while others are at school, he has been exploring the area to familiarize himself with the surroundings.

"You don’t need to," Aunt Luo replies. "The vegetables that everyone eats from the back mountain are collected by the personnel from the Imperial Academy. You just need to pay some money to the dining hall staff, and they will have the vegetables prepared for you. You can just go pick them up daily."

As she speaks, Aunt Luo shows Jiang Miao the contents of her basket: a piece of pork, a fish, and some seasonal vegetables, all of which look pretty good.

"That’s pretty convenient. But do we get to choose what vegetables we want, or do we just eat whatever they provide?" Jiang Miao asks. He doesn’t want to eat the same few items every day.

"Generally speaking, we eat whatever they send. If there's something specific you want, you can give them some money to buy it for you," Aunt Luo explains clearly.

"I understand. Thank you, Aunt Luo," Jiang Miao says with a smile.

"What’s there to thank? We're neighbors from now on; it's nothing," Aunt Luo replies warmly. She is a kind-hearted person and has looked out for nearly every family that has just moved in.

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