Chapter 79

Qing Mengzhu quickly grabbed his hand. "No, no, it's alright, let Auntie do it."

Ming Chunxi: "It's alright, she won't mind if we refuse."

Qing Mengzhu smiled and said, "It's really no problem. Besides being your mother, Auntie is also my aunt. It's no problem for us to have a meal together."

Ming Chunxi reached out and put her arm around Qing Mengzhu's neck. "Don't be nervous."

Qing Mengzhu whispered, "I'm not nervous, I'm just taking it very seriously."

Qing Mengzhu quickly replied to Ming Lexin, saying she was welcome to come and that she would send her her location.

Ming Lexin, however, said that she had been here many years ago, knew the way, and wouldn't get lost without using GPS.

After they got home, Zhao Hexi learned that Ming Lexin was coming and immediately tried to slip away.

While Qing Mengzhu was in the kitchen putting things away, Ming Chunxi grabbed him and said, "Don't go yet. If you don't mind, stay for dinner."

Ming Chunxi explained, "If you were here, Mengzhu wouldn't be so embarrassed."

Zhao Hexi's eyes widened in surprise. "God Ming, you're so considerate when you're in love! You're so down-to-earth!"

Ming Chunxi smiled.

So, Zhao Hexi, being a good friend, rolled up his sleeves and stayed to help, trying to prevent the atmosphere from becoming too tense.

He never expected that Ming Lexin's arrival would completely shatter his expectations.

Although Ming Lexin is an elder, she is petite, looks young, and is very cheerful and lively, so she doesn't seem like an elder at all. If you didn't know better, she would look more like Ming Chunxi's older sister than his mother.

Ming Lexin handed them several tote bags she had brought and explained to Qing Mengzhu, "I had originally planned to have dinner with you guys sometime later, but I was afraid that if I delayed it too long, this matter would weigh on your mind and you would keep thinking about it, so I came today."

Qing Mengzhu laughed and said, "The meal was quite good today. We went into the mountains today and picked a lot of local products."

Ming Lexin: "Oh, what kind of mountain products do you have? May I take a look?"

Qing Mengzhu: "Of course, they're all in the kitchen."

Qing Mengzhu took Ming Lexin to see the mushrooms, wild lilies, and various wild fruits they had picked.

Ming Lexin was very interested in the myrtle berries. She grabbed a handful, tasted them, and exclaimed, "So sweet! Delicious! I haven't had these in years!"

Qing Mengzhu: "You would probably prefer wild blueberries. I'll wash them for you."

Ming Lexin, without any hesitation, went to the sterilizer to get a bowl. "I'll do it myself, I want to try it."

Soon, Ming Lexin washed the wild blueberries and handed them out to everyone, letting them pick and eat them themselves. She commented, "They have a woody aroma, quite different from the blueberries in the supermarket."

Qing Mengzhu: "I'm not sure if it's the same variety as the blueberries in the supermarket. I hadn't checked before. We just call it wild blueberry."

Ming Lexin: "No wonder, it's so delicious."

Ming Chunxi: "Mom, you sit down and eat. You don't need to share with the puppies. They've been trained to refuse food; they won't eat anything from strangers."

Ming Lexin withdrew her hand. "Oh, your big dogs are cute too, so majestic. One is called Dharma Protector, and the other is called Guard, right?"

While washing the mushrooms Qing Mengzhu looked up and said, "Yes, the lively one is called the Dharma Protector, and the quieter one is called the Guard. It's easy to tell them apart."

Ming Lexin watched the dogs wagging their tails gently and said happily, "I can tell them apart now; they seem to respond to their own names."

Qing Mengzhu: "They are quite clever; they know people are calling them."

Ming Lexin originally wanted to help with the chores, but the three men firmly refused, saying that it was inconvenient for her because she had a manicure. So she moved a small stool and sat under the eaves, eating wild blueberries while admiring the yard.

Qing Mengzhu specially went inside to bring out his treasured lotus tea and brewed her a pot of tea.

With Ming Lexin present, Qing Mengzhu and Ming Chunxi didn't interact much, but their occasional eye contact and physical interactions were quite intimate.

It's the kind of intimacy where you can tell at a glance that you've had a close relationship, are very familiar with each other's bodies, and don't realize that some actions need to be avoided.

They themselves probably didn't realize something was wrong, Zhao Hexi, having gotten used to it, didn't think anything of it.

Ming Lexin, standing to the side, saw everything clearly. Holding her small bowl, she sipped her tea and looked at the exceptionally clear sky after the rain, feeling a sense of peace and tranquility.

That's good, they're a family again.

Ming Lexin took a sip of tea, a faint smile appearing on her face.

Chapter 79

Qing Mengzhu and Ming Chunxi cooked today.

They were cooking in the kitchen, occasionally exchanging words, but the sounds of cooking and the range hood made it difficult to hear clearly.

Zhao Hexi and Ming Lexin weren't really paying attention to the conversation between the two people inside; their focus was entirely on the aroma of the dishes.

Fresh wild mushrooms are stir-fried with plenty of garlic slices and green and red peppers, creating a unique and rich aroma that is incredibly enticing.

Not to mention the two people, even the two dogs, the Dharma Protector and the Guard, couldn't help but lie to the side, drooling and wetting a patch of ground at their feet.

When Qing Mengzhu brought out the dishes, she glanced at the drool marks on the paws of the two dogs with some surprise.

The Dharma Protector, somewhat embarrassed, covered the drool mark with his paw, trying to hide the evidence of his gluttony.

Qing Mengzhu couldn't hold back any longer and turned around with a smile.

Dharma Protector: "Woof woof!"

Ming Lexin glanced curiously at the kitchen. "Is Chunxi still cooking?"

Qing Mengzhu nodded. "He's stir-frying beef and lily bulbs; it'll be ready to eat soon."

Ming Lexin was very excited. "Then I have to try his cooking. I'll serve the dishes."

Today's dishes are quite simple: stir-fried beef with wild lily bulbs, stewed pork ribs with wild yam and garlic slices, ham and mushrooms, plus two vegetable dishes.

Besides being simple in style, the dishes were also presented rather roughly, clearly indicating that they were home-style cooking.

The dishes may look simple, but they taste amazing. Each one is very fresh, and you can taste the unique aroma of the ingredients, rather than the flavor of complicated seasonings.

Ming Lexin sighed, "It's still the most comforting food to eat like this. Simple meals and a peaceful life are enough to make me happy."

Ming Chunxi: "It wasn't exactly uneventful either."

Ming Lexin: "I was just expressing my feelings, don't nitpick. Speaking of which, it's been a long time since we've all gotten together like this. He Xi, how about you take a family photo for us?"

Zhao Hexi was surprised and looked at Qing Mengzhu.

Qing Mengzhu didn't object. "Shall we take the photos in the courtyard?"

Ming Lexin smiled and nodded, "Find that corner with the flowers and plants, take a picture with my phone, my phone can use a beauty filter."

So, Qing Mengzhu and the others stood in a corner of the courtyard, ready to take a family photo.

Zhao Hexi, holding Ming Lexin's phone, directed them to adjust their posture.

Soon, Zhao Hexi took a family photo of them.

In the family photo, Ming Lexin sat in the front, with Qing Mengzhu and Ming Chunxi standing side by side behind her. Two dogs squatted beside them, both grinning and sticking out their tongues, looking very cute.

Looking at the still photo, Ming Lexin couldn't help but touch her phone screen. "It's really well taken. I'm going to print it out and put it at home."

Before leaving after the meal, Ming Lexin invited, "Come to my place for dinner next time, I'll cook a couple of my signature home-style dishes for you to try."

Qing Mengzhu smiled and agreed, "Okay, thank you, Auntie."

Ming Lexin: "Don't be so polite, being too polite will only make us more distant. I'll head back now."

Ming Chunxi, carrying the things, said, "I'll take you."

Qing Mengzhu didn't know if the two of them had something to say, so she didn't follow them out.

Zhao Hexi watched Ming Lexin and her son walk away, she whispered, "You two looked like you were taking wedding photos just now. Did Auntie Ming find out?"

Qing Mengzhu: "I definitely know."

Zhao Hexi nudged his shoulder with her own. "She doesn't seem to have any objections. Looks like your relationship is going pretty smoothly."

Qing Mengzhu smiled faintly, "Yes, I hope things continue to go smoothly."