Eating Way Too Much

Click.

The soft turn of the door lock broke the silence inside the house.

The last rays of the setting sun streamed through the hallway window, slanting across the doorway and stretching one large shadow and one small shadow into long silhouettes.

Lang Yue pushed open the door, still carrying the faint chill of the evening breeze. Her other hand held Na'er's tightly.

Na'er's short silver hair had been tousled by the wind, with several loose strands clinging to her pale forehead.

She kept her head lowered, her little hand wrapped in Lang Yue's warm palm. On her bare feet were a pair of pink plastic slippers clearly several sizes too large—ones Lang Yue had hurriedly bought from a roadside shop. They slapped against the floor with every step, and she walked carefully, afraid they would fall off.

"You're back?"

Tang Ziran immediately rose from the sofa and hurried over.

He took the sun umbrella from Lang Yue's hand, his eager gaze falling on her face, his voice carrying a trace of barely noticeable anticipation.

"How did it go? Did the governor's office find any news about Na'er's parents?"

Lang Yue gently shook her head, exhaustion and heartache showing on her face.

She closed the door behind her, shutting out the evening darkness and noise outside.

"No."

She sighed softly.

"I told the staff about Na'er's features, as well as the time and place she went missing. They checked all missing-person reports from the past three months, but there wasn't a single relevant lead. No one had reported losing a little girl with silver hair and purple eyes, either."

She lowered her head and looked at Na'er beside her. Na'er still had her head down, unconsciously picking at the hem of her clothes. Her long lashes hid the emotions in her eyes.

"Where's Tangtang? Why don't I see him?"

After changing her shoes, Lang Yue looked around the empty living room and asked in confusion.

Click.

The moment she finished speaking, Tang Wulin's bedroom door was gently pushed open.

Tang Wulin walked out of his room, fine beads of sweat still covering his forehead. His black bangs were damp with sweat and stuck to his brow.

His clothes were soaked through as well, with a large dark patch across his back. He also carried a faint, strange fishy odor—the smell of impurities expelled through his pores while practicing the Hidden Dragon Formula.

"Mom! Na'er!"

His eyes lit up, and he ran over quickly. He first looked at Lang Yue, then turned to Na'er, his little face full of anticipation.

"Did you find any news about Na'er's parents?"

"No."

Lang Yue shook her head, reached out to touch his sweaty forehead, then wrinkled her nose and said gently.

"Why are you so sweaty, Tangtang? Remember to take a bath before dinner."

"Got it, Mom!"

Tang Wulin obediently nodded, but his eyes remained fixed on Lang Yue as a bad feeling rose in his heart.

Sure enough, Lang Yue sighed and said helplessly.

"Since we can't find Na'er's parents, I'll contact the orphanage later and send Na'er there. There will be teachers to take care of her, and lots of children to play with her."

"No, Mom!"

Tang Wulin panicked the moment he heard that. He abruptly stepped forward and spread his arms, firmly blocking Na'er like a mother hen protecting her chicks.

He looked up at Lang Yue, his eyes already misty, his voice trembling as though he were about to cry.

"Don't send her to the orphanage. Let her stay, okay?"

He shook his head hard, his little face full of pleading.

"The orphanage isn't good at all. The kids there bully people.

"Let her stay. I'll take care of Na'er every day after school! I'll share all my toys with Na'er, and I'll give all my snacks to Na'er too.

"At worst, I'll eat less and buy fewer snacks from now on. That way, we can save money to raise Na'er!"

Na'er stood behind Tang Wulin, protected by his small figure.

She raised her head, revealing a pair of clear purple eyes, and tilted her head in confusion.

She did not really understand what an "orphanage" was, nor did she understand why Tang Wulin was so agitated.

But she could feel that Tang Wulin was protecting her.

A warm, unfamiliar feeling quietly took root in her heart.

Seeing Tang Wulin so anxious he was nearly crying, then looking at the quiet little girl behind him, delicate as a porcelain doll, Lang Yue's heart instantly melted.

In truth, she could not bear to send such an adorable child to an orphanage either. It was just that their family was not well-off.

Tang Ziran was already working hard enough to support the family alone. Now he also had to save money to buy a Soul Spirit for Tang Wulin. Adding another child would only make things more difficult.

"Tangtang, you can't make decisions for someone else so casually."

Tang Ziran crouched down until he was level with Tang Wulin and spoke in a gentle tone.

"You need to ask Na'er whether she'd rather stay with our family or go to the orphanage."

Tang Wulin immediately turned around to face Na'er behind him. He crouched down, placed both hands on her shoulders, and looked at her with sparkling eyes full of expectation.

"Na'er, stay at my house."

He spoke earnestly.

"My mom's cooking is really delicious. She can make braised pork, sweet-and-sour ribs, steamed egg custard, and all sorts of other tasty things.

"My dad is really nice too. He can make little iron toys for you.

"You can live with me. I'll protect you, and no one will be allowed to bully you.

"I've always wanted a little sister. Stay and be my little sister, okay?"

Na'er looked into Tang Wulin's sincere eyes, then at Lang Yue smiling gently beside him, and finally at Tang Ziran's kind face in the distance.

She fell silent for several seconds before lightly nodding.

"Mm."

Her voice was as quiet as a mosquito's hum, yet it reached everyone's ears clearly.

"Yes! That's great! I have a little sister now!"

Tang Wulin immediately jumped up in delight. He grabbed Na'er's little hand and pulled her into hopping around on the spot. He was strong, and Na'er was dragged along, her body bouncing up and down with his. A dazed, helpless expression appeared on her face.

Her little hand was tightly held by Tang Wulin's warm palm, yet for some reason, she felt very safe.

"Tangtang! Slow down! Don't go tugging on a girl like that!"

Lang Yue hurriedly reached out and pulled Tang Wulin back, laughing despite herself.

"Tangtang, look at you. You've completely confused Na'er. Go take a bath already. You're covered in smelly sweat—don't stink up your little sister."

"Oh! Okay!"

Tang Wulin immediately released Na'er's hand and dashed into the bathroom.

The sound of running water soon came from inside.

Lang Yue watched Tang Wulin's retreating figure and shook her head helplessly.

She turned to Tang Ziran. Their eyes met, and both saw helplessness and tenderness in each other's gaze.

Tang Ziran walked over, gently patted Lang Yue's shoulder, and said quietly.

"Let her stay. This child is pitiful too. It's just one more pair of chopsticks. I'll take on more work and put in another two hours every day. We'll manage to raise her."

Lang Yue nodded, her eyes reddening slightly. She wrapped her arms around Tang Ziran's arm and said softly.

"I'll go look for some part-time work tomorrow too. With the two of us, we'll be able to raise both children."

Tang Ziran said nothing. He only nodded firmly.

The night gradually deepened.

A warm yellow ceiling lamp cast a soft glow through the small living room.

On the dining table sat six large steaming bowls of white rice, a big plate of glossy braised pork, a large bowl of steamed egg custard so tender it seemed ready to wobble into water, a plate of stir-fried cabbage, a plate of tomato and egg stir-fry, and a huge bowl of corn rib soup.

The porcelain plates and bowls were piled high, and the aroma seemed to grow wings as it filled the entire small living room.

Tang Wulin had already finished bathing and changed into a clean blue cotton shirt.

He plopped down beside the table, picked up his chopsticks, and did not stop moving.

"Na'er, eat this braised pork!"

He picked up a large chunk of braised pork streaked with fat and lean meat and plopped it into Na'er's bowl. He immediately stuffed another piece into his own mouth, his cheeks puffed out as he said indistinctly.

"My mom's braised pork is the best. It's rich without being greasy and melts in your mouth!"

"Na'er, have some egg custard!"

He scooped a huge spoonful of egg custard into Na'er's bowl, then lifted the large bowl of egg custard himself and gulped down two big mouthfuls. A ring of pale yellow egg custard stuck to the corners of his mouth, but he did not even bother wiping it off.

He was not merely serving Na'er food. He was eating faster than anyone else.

His chopsticks flew up and down as he shoveled rice into his mouth at breakneck speed. Mouthful after mouthful of white rice disappeared between his lips, his cheeks always bulging like an endlessly hungry little hamster.

He finished one bowl of rice in no time, even licking every last grain from the bottom before reaching out to serve himself a second bowl.

Na'er had completely lost her earlier dainty, small-bite manner as well.

She kept her head lowered, the little spoon in her hand moving rapidly. Her short silver hair hung down and covered her face, leaving only her chin visible as it moved swiftly up and down.

She ate no slower than Tang Wulin, swallowing one bite after another with barely any chewing.

She could stuff two pieces of the braised pork Tang Wulin gave her into her mouth at once. Her little cheeks were full, yet she made no sound apart from the occasional faint chew.

Whenever Tang Wulin was busy serving rice, she would quietly pick up the biggest rib and place it in his bowl.

Her movements were quick. The moment she set it down, she lowered her head and resumed eating as if nothing had happened. Only the faint redness at the tips of her ears revealed her little thoughts.

The two children were like two revved-up little motors, launching a fierce assault on the table full of food.

The braised pork on the plate vanished at a visible rate. The chunks that had originally been piled like a small mountain soon left behind only sauce at the bottom.

They took turns drinking bowl after bowl of the huge pot of corn rib soup until it was empty.

The stir-fried cabbage and tomato and egg stir-fry did not escape either. Tang Wulin even mixed the leftover sauce with rice and ate every last bit.

Lang Yue sat across from them, barely touching the chopsticks in her hand.

Watching the two children devour their food, her face blossomed into a smile, her eyes full of tenderness and contentment.

"Eat slowly, eat slowly. Don't choke."

She kept serving the two children more rice and food, afraid they would not have enough. "There's still lots of rice in the pot, and there are more dishes too. If it isn't enough, Mom will make more."

"Oh my, these two children have such good appetites!"

She turned to Tang Ziran, her tone full of happiness.

"It's a blessing to be able to eat. It means they're healthy. Look at Tangtang—he used to dawdle over every meal, but look how happily he's eating today. And Na'er looks so tiny and thin, yet I never expected her to eat this much."

Tang Ziran sat beside them, chopsticks in hand, but he had not picked up a single bite for a long time.

He stared dumbfounded at the food rapidly disappearing from the table, then looked at the two children who had already started their fourth bowls of rice. His mouth was wide enough to fit an egg.

He had lived for over thirty years and had never seen children who could eat so much.

This was not the appetite of two six-year-olds. They ate more than two grown men!

He secretly did the math. During this meal, each child had eaten at least eight bowls of rice, along with an entire table's worth of dishes.

If they ate like this every day, the family's bags of rice and flour would be empty in less than half a month.

Tang Ziran's mouth twitched as he silently calculated.

He had already been planning to save up money for Tang Wulin's Soul Spirit, and now there was another Na'er. Food alone would be no small expense.

It seemed he would have to go talk to Mang Tian tomorrow and have Tang Wulin start working for him sooner.

He would also need to take on even more private jobs and work another two hours each night. Otherwise, forget about buying a Soul Spirit—they would soon struggle to afford food.

"Eat slowly. No one's going to take it from you." Tang Ziran cleared his throat and spoke to the two children, his tone carrying a trace of hard-to-detect helplessness. "Eating too fast is bad for your stomach."

Tang Wulin lifted his head, his mouth still packed with rice, and grinned at Tang Ziran. Then he lowered his head again and continued working hard.

Na'er also looked up at Tang Ziran, then quickly lowered her head again, her speed of eating not slowing in the slightest.

More than ten minutes passed.

As Tang Wulin shoveled the final mouthful of rice into his mouth, every dish on the table was finally eaten clean by the two children.

They had even wiped the plates so shiny with rice that they could reflect people's faces.

Tang Wulin rubbed his round little belly and let out a satisfied burp.

"I'm full!" he said happily. "Mom's cooking is so delicious!"

Na'er put down her spoon too, rubbed her equally round little belly, and gave Lang Yue a small smile.

"Delicious," she said softly, her voice sweet and gentle.

Lang Yue smiled even more happily at the sight of the two satisfied children.

She stood up and began clearing the bowls and chopsticks.

"I'm glad you liked it. From now on, Mom will make delicious food for you every day."

Tang Ziran looked at the pile of spotless empty dishes and bowls on the table, then at the two lively children. He shook his head helplessly, stood up, and helped Lang Yue clean up.

The night grew darker, and the tiny house was filled with warm domestic comfort.

After dinner, Lang Yue found Na'er a set of pink pajamas Tang Wulin had worn when he was younger.

The pajamas were a little too big. The sleeves and pant legs had to be rolled up several times, making them look like a little dress on Na'er.

"Na'er, will you sleep with Auntie tonight?"

Lang Yue adjusted her pajama collar and spoke gently.

Na'er nodded without saying anything.

Tang Wulin stood nearby and thought Na'er looked even cuter in the pink pajamas. He yawned and waved to her.

"Na'er, good night. Tomorrow morning, I'll take you to the yard to see the little ants."

"Good night," Na'er replied softly, her voice sweet and gentle.

Tang Wulin returned to his room and closed the door. He climbed onto the bed, and just as he lay down, a golden figure floated down from the ceiling.

Jin Qiu had both hands tucked into his hood, his dangling legs swaying as a teasing smile rested on his face.

"Not bad, little Tang Wulin."

He raised an eyebrow. "In less than a day, you managed to bring home such a pretty little sister. You're someone with a little sister now. How does it feel?"

Tang Wulin rolled over and lay on his stomach, his little face full of seriousness.

"I'll definitely protect Na'er properly from now on," he said. "I need to grow stronger quickly. Then no one can bully her, and no one can bully Dad and Mom either."

The smile on Jin Qiu's face faded slightly as he looked at Tang Wulin's serious expression.

He nodded, his tone unusually earnest.

"Mm, you've got ambition. Then starting tomorrow, the Hidden Dragon Formula training will be doubled."

"Ah? No, Brother Jin!"

Tang Wulin's wail was loud enough to echo through the small room, yet not a single sound escaped beyond it.