Xia Shuran smiled back. "Hello, Gu Yao."
Seeing that her daughter had finally come out,
Wen Wanyi rose from the sofa too, turned to Xia Shuran beside her, and said with a smile,
"Shu Ran, you young people chat. I'll go back to the kitchen and give your uncle a hand. We'll have a feast of eight dishes and a soup ready for you in no time."
"Thank you, Auntie."
Xia Shuran did not know what else to say, so she could only fall back on an all-purpose thank-you.
Half an hour later.
The dining table was covered with eight steaming dishes and a soup.
The five of them sat around it to eat.
Xia Shuran sat between Wen Wanyi and Gu Yao.
Gu Qing sat beside his father, Gu Mingbo.
Basically, the men sat on one side and the women on the other.
"Here, Shu Ran, have a big chicken drumstick. Put on some more weight, and you'll have more strength when you swing your spear."
"These braised ribs are delicious. Have some more."
"One bowl of rice isn't enough. Let me get you another."
During the meal,
Wen Wanyi was extremely enthusiastic, constantly putting food into Xia Shuran's bowl, afraid she might be too shy and reserved to reach for the dishes she wanted.
Xia Shuran was a little overwhelmed by the attention. She had not expected Gu Qing's mother to be even more enthusiastic than she had been on video.
It left her feeling somewhat uncomfortable.
With Wen Wanyi constantly serving her food, she felt as though everyone at the table was watching her eat.
Every bite felt awkward and constrained.
The food in her bowl piled higher and higher.
Her tiny, cherry-like mouth simply could not keep up.
As someone her own age, Gu Qing