Xiao Yunying was focused on cooking, Chen Yuancheng was watching her cook intently, and Luo Chen was tending the fire with his back to the door. None of the three noticed that there were quite a few people standing at the door.

After letting the children taste the food and get used to it, Xiao Yunying took a pair of chopsticks and handed them to Chen Yuancheng: "Try it and see how it is."

Chen Yuancheng washed his hands, took the chopsticks, picked up a piece of snow-white fish slice and put it in his mouth. After tasting it, he said, "It smells appetizing, the fish is tender, and it's sour and spicy. It's delicious."

"You suffer from wheezing, so you can't eat too much spicy or stimulating food. I didn't add much chili. The slight spiciness you tasted was from pickled peppers, and the fish had a fishy smell, so you can't eat too much of it."

Chen Yuancheng put down his chopsticks: "I'm not the greedy Yuanxuan; I know my limits."

Xiao Yunying blinked. Why did those words sound so familiar? It was as if she had heard something similar somewhere before.

"Go tell Yuan Yao and Yuan Xuan to wash their hands; it's time to eat."

Xiao Yunying cleaned the pot and turned around to be startled. When did so many people arrive?

She didn't recognize the person standing at the front; how did they get in? And why were the children so quiet?

"Um... hello, who are you looking for?"

Chen Yuancheng turned around, paused for a moment, and then frowned slightly: "Mother, why are you here?"

Xiao Yunying's mouth twitched slightly, but she quickly realized what was happening, put down the pot, and bowed in the same way Cheng Yue had bowed to her father.

"It's Madam Chen. I was cooking and didn't notice her. I apologize for not greeting her."

Having spent years observing pigs run, Xiao Yunying's etiquette was remarkably skillful. Unlike the gentle and refined ladies of noble families, she possessed a straightforward and decisive nature befitting her personality.

Madam Chen personally stepped forward and gave Xiao Yunying a helping hand: "Miss Xiao, there's no need for such formalities. I came uninvited and was rude."

Chen Yuancheng looked at Chen Yuanyao with a hint of anger, which frightened her so much that she quickly denied it in a low voice: "It wasn't me, I didn't know Mother would come."

Chen Yuanxuan stood at the door, hesitant to go forward, and whispered while scratching at the door frame, "It was me who said that Mother wanted to come and thank Sister Yunying for relieving my brother's symptoms yesterday."

Madam Chen explained, "I heard yesterday that Yuancheng had a relapse on the street, and it was Miss Xiao who relieved his symptoms. I wanted to come and thank her in person, but I didn't say anything to disturb her just now because I saw that Miss Xiao was busy cooking."

She finally caught a glimpse of her icy eldest son talking to a girl, and if she hadn't been discovered, she could have watched him all day without getting tired.

She noticed that her eldest son not only smiled, but his eyes were also incredibly tender when he looked at the girl.

However, her son would always restrain his expression when the other woman looked at him. This Miss Xiao seemed unaware of this, and her gaze towards her eldest son lacked the shyness and admiration that other women showed.

This is not good. Based on her experience, her son's current situation is like a flower falling in vain while the flowing water is full of affection.

In addition, Miss Xiao is already married and has four children...

It's a bit difficult.

Xiao Yunying met Chen Yuancheng's mother without any preparation. Not knowing what to say, she could only go along with what Madam Chen had said:

"It's alright. We country folk don't have so many formalities. Madam Chen has come from afar, and we don't have much to offer in terms of hospitality. It's almost lunchtime anyway, so let's have a simple meal together."

"I've long heard of Miss Xiao's superb culinary skills, so I won't refuse."

Chen Yuancheng said, "Yuanyao, take your mother to sit down."

After saying that, he took the sauerkraut fish and went out.

Chen Yuanyao pulled her mother to leave, but Madam Chen didn't want to leave the kitchen; she hadn't seen enough of the kitchen.

Chen Yuanyao whispered, "Mother, you came looking for me without saying a word. My eldest brother is already unhappy. Don't make him angry."

“It’s good that you’re angry. It’s been so long since I’ve seen your older brother angry.”

Chen Yuanyao: "...Mother, please stop making a fuss. My older brother just glared at me."

"Let him glare at me if he wants, he wouldn't dare glare at me."

Despite her tough exterior, when her youngest son called her from the yard, telling her to go out and wash her hands, she brushed her daughter's hand aside, replied "Coming," and went out.

Chen Yuanyao followed behind, muttering disdainfully to her mother: "I thought she wasn't afraid of making my older brother angry, but it turns out she was just pretending."

With no one watching in the kitchen, Chen Yuancheng returned and said softly, "I'm sorry, I didn't know my mother would come."

Xiao Yunying served the stewed chicken with tea tree mushrooms and dried bamboo shoots, saying, "It's alright. Didn't your mother say she came to thank me? It's not a bad thing, so there's no need to feel sorry."

It's not hard to tell from Madam Chen's words that someone has mentioned her existence to the head of the Chen family. Since Chen Yuancheng didn't mention the spray, Madam Chen's purpose in coming today is quite clear.

She was curious about who she was and how she could have gotten to know and befriend her children, so she came uninvited today.

Three parts gratitude, three parts probing, and four parts a method to alleviate wheezing.

There are things she knows in her heart and doesn't need to say out loud.