The Sweetness of Suffering

In the kitchen, the wall tiles were slightly yellowed from the smoke.

Sunlight streamed through the window and slanted onto the cutting board, filling the air with the rich aroma of star anise, Sichuan peppercorns, and soy sauce sizzling in a wok.

Aemeath stood in front of the stove, wearing a slightly worn apron that gave her a gentle and virtuous air. If her hairstyle were changed to braids hanging down in front of her, it would suit her perfectly.

Aemeath's culinary skills have become superb in the past ten days.

With a swift movement, she wielded the knife, the sound of it striking the cutting board rapid and rhythmic.

In her hands, a potato was transformed into perfectly uniform shredded potato in the blink of an eye.

Lu Yan stood beside her at the sink, acting as her most tacit assistant.

He had just handed her the washed green peppers when Aemeath naturally took them.

The hot oil in the pan was sizzling happily. She deftly put the marinated ribs into the pan, and as she stir-fried them, the aroma of the meat was instantly released.

"A-Yan, pass me the sugar jar, we need to color the ribs." Aemeath didn't even turn her head, her eyes fixed intently on the heat in the pot.

Lu Yan immediately handed her the candy jar and then asked gently, "Are you tired?"

"Not tired at all, this is nothing." Aemeath turned her head, smiled brightly at him, her eyes sparkling in the firelight. "I'm going to make a good impression on Grandma."

Just as the two were cooking in the kitchen, a series of chaotic footsteps suddenly came from outside the courtyard, accompanied by the sound of an electric tricycle and a loud, cheerful voice.

"Mom! We're back! There's a really long line at that roast chicken stall in the market today!"

My uncle's rough, deep voice rang out first in the yard, followed by the rustling sound of my aunt putting things away.

Before the adults in the yard could even put down what they were carrying, Lu Shuyao, who had been cooped up inside for half a day, rushed out like a gust of wind.

"Dad, Mom, Grandpa! You're finally back!" Lu Shuyao was so excited that she danced around, and although she lowered her voice, she couldn't hide the wildly upturned corners of her mouth.

"Quick, quick, my brother's back this morning! And he brought a really beautiful girlfriend with him! She's cooking for us in the kitchen right now!"

"What? Xiao Yan is back? And with a girlfriend?!"

The eldest uncle was so shocked that he almost dropped the roast chicken he was holding.

Auntie's eyes lit up, and she pulled Lu Shuyao towards the kitchen. "Oh dear, how can you let a girl cook on her first visit! Quick, let me do it!"

Grandpa quickly put out his cigarette and followed along happily.

As the elders crowded to the kitchen doorway, they saw Aemeath perfectly reduce the sauce of the last, deliciously colored and fragrant braised fish, then pour it into an old-fashioned enamel basin.

"Uncle, Aunt, Grandpa, you're back." Lu Yan, carrying a plate of freshly cooked dishes, turned around and greeted the elders at the door with a smile.

The aunt stared in disbelief at the incredibly beautiful girl with long pink hair before her, then at the several exquisitely presented dishes on the stove.

Aemeath immediately put down the spatula, wiped her hands on her apron, and greeted them sweetly and obediently, "Hello Grandpa, hello Uncle, hello Aunt! I'm Aemeath, A-Yan's girlfriend."

Auntie finally snapped out of her daze and grabbed Aemeath's hand, exclaiming, "My goodness! This child is so beautiful!"

"Xiao Yan is truly blessed! How can I let you do the work? Go and rest, your aunt will take care of the rest!"

"It's alright, Auntie, the food is all ready, we'll be eating soon," Aemeath replied with a smile.

His uncle patted Lu Yan on the shoulder, saying, "Good lad, you're really lucky. Your skills look even better than the chefs in restaurants."

Grandpa, hands behind his back, nodded with satisfaction. "It's rare for the whole family to get together like this. Come on, let's set the table in the main room and get ready to eat!"

Inside the main room, a large eight-immortal table was filled to the brim.

Braised pork ribs, braised prawns, stir-fried shredded potatoes, scrambled eggs with tomatoes, and the grand finale of braised fish—all exuded an irresistible aroma.

The family sat around the table, the atmosphere as lively as if it were Chinese New Year.

Grandma sat next to Lu Yan, her smile never fading.

The first thing the old man did after picking up his chopsticks was to serve food to the children.

"Little Aemeath Ai, you're too thin. Eat more ribs. You made these yourself; your cooking is excellent!" Grandma picked up the meatiest piece of rib and put it into Aemeath's bowl.

"Thank you, Grandma!" Aemeath said sweetly.

Then, Grandma turned her gaze to Lu Yan. Looking at her grandson's thin face, the old woman sighed with heartache.

"Xiao Yan, you must not be eating or sleeping well while working out there. Look at your face, it's gotten thinner and thinner over the years."

As she spoke, Grandma picked up a large shrimp and a few pieces of egg, piling Lu Yan's bowl up like a small hill. "Eat more, you need to grow strong."

Lu Yan reluctantly took the bowl and said, "Grandma, I ate quite well outside, you should eat too."

Aemeath bit her chopsticks, her gaze sweeping across the table.

She noticed that the plate of braised fish was placed directly in front of Lu Yan, its color bright red and its aroma enticing.

However, whether it was Grandma, Uncle, or Aunt, they all tacitly avoided the fish dish when serving food to A-Yan.

Even the most cheerful Lu Shuyao, when spinning the central turntable, would intentionally or unintentionally turn the plate of fish towards her or the adults, but never towards Lu Yan.

Aemeath asked with some confusion, "Grandma, A-Yan has been working hard these past few days. This fish is cooked very tenderly, why didn't you give him some fish meat?"

With the intention of taking care of her boyfriend, Aemeath picked up her chopsticks and prepared to reach for the plate of braised fish.

As soon as she finished speaking, the lively conversation at the dinner table suddenly paused subtly.

Auntie chuckled and stopped Aemeath's chopsticks from reaching for the fish, explaining, "Oh, Little Aemeath, you don't know. Xiao Yan has never eaten fish since he was little."

"Huh?" Aemeath's chopsticks froze in mid-air.

The uncle took a sip of his drink and chimed in, "Yes, that kid can't stand the smell of fish since he was little. No matter how delicious the fish is, if there's even the slightest hint of fishiness, he won't eat a bite."

"Later, his family simply stopped forcing him to eat it. So, Xiao Yan won't touch a single fish."

"... You don't eat fish?" Aemeath repeated the question blankly.

She recalled the first time she confidently cooked a pot of fish soup, but because she didn't know the proper heat and seasoning ratios, the blackfish soup ended up being a cloudy mess.

When I saw his pale face after taking a bite, I wanted to throw it away, but he finished it anyway.

He had never eaten a single fish since he was a child, yet he forced himself to eat the entire thing, despite his terrible creation, without a single complaint or hint of disgust.

The surrounding laughter and chatter seemed to fade away at that moment.

Aemeath slowly turned her head and looked at Lu Yan sitting next to her.

Lu Yan realized what his family's words would make Aemeath think of.

He put down the bowl in his hand and turned to Aemeath's gaze.

Lu Yan looked at Aemeath's watery eyes, a hint of helplessness flashing in his own.

He didn't say anything in front of his family, but quietly reached out under the table, tightly enveloped Aemeath's small hand, and gently squeezed her palm in a comforting manner.

Lu Yan looked at her, a faint smile playing on his lips that only the two of them understood.

Aemeath tried hard to suppress the emotions welling up in her eyes.

She gripped Lu Yan's hand tightly with her own, their fingers intertwined.

In this noisy yet warm main room, amidst the joyful laughter of a family, two hands are clasped tightly under the table, as if whispering the most touching words of love in the world.

"Hey, Little Aemeath, why are you standing there blankly? Are you tired?" her aunt asked with concern.

"No, no!" Aemeath immediately snapped out of her daze, flashing her aunt a dazzling smile. She then turned to the plate of ribs, picked up a piece, and placed it in Lu Yan's bowl.

"Since A-Yan doesn't eat fish, then eat more ribs! I made this especially for you." Aemeath's tone was filled with undisguised affection.

Lu Yan looked at the ribs in his bowl, then at Aemeath beside him, and nodded with a smile, "Okay~ I'll eat them all."

The meal was enjoyed amidst laughter and cheerful conversation until everyone was completely full.

After the meal, Lu Yan wanted to stand up and help clear the dishes, but his uncle and aunt pressed him back into his chair.

"Alright, alright, you two have been traveling all morning, and Little Aemeath has been busy in the kitchen for half the day. There's nothing for you young people to do here!" Uncle said as he deftly stacked plates.

My aunt, carrying a stack of bowls, smiled and urged them on, "That's right, that's right, you two should go and rest, or have Xiao Yan take Little Aemeath to town to digest your food. There's a market day for May Day. We two can handle the kitchen!"

Lu Shuyao chimed in from the side, "Brother, hurry up and take your wife back inside! Her cooking is so delicious, I'm already stuffed. My parents can wash the rest!"

Overwhelmed by the elders' enthusiasm, Lu Yan could only smile helplessly and take Aemeath's hand.

"Then let's go back to our room and rest for a while. Thank you for your hard work, Uncle and Aunt."

Go ahead, go ahead.