Once Gou Dan started talking about the food in Beijing, he couldn't stop, recounting everything he had ever eaten.
Qin Chu'an listened attentively with a smile on her lips, occasionally adding, "Yes, I'll try it sometime when I have the chance."
"What are you two talking about? What are you eating?" Xia Qingqing asked curiously as soon as she entered the main room, seeing the two chatting so enthusiastically.
When Gou Dan saw his sister arrive, he immediately ran to her side: "Sis, I'm introducing some good food in Beijing to Chu An, so he can definitely try them when he goes to Beijing in the future."
Hearing this, Xia Qingqing was not surprised at all. Dog Egg, this little foodie, had his mind mostly filled with all kinds of delicious food.
She said with a smile, "After Xiao An and Xin Xin start school, I'll treat everyone to Peking duck."
"Hehe, great!" Gou Dan cheered happily, knowing he could get another free meal.
"Stop grinning like an idiot. Didn't you prepare gifts for Xiao An and the others? Did you give them to him?"
Mentioning the gift, Gou Dan's eyes widened suddenly, then he touched his nose somewhat awkwardly: "Um, I forgot, I'll go out and get it."
After saying that, he ran into the yard and took the basket hanging on his bicycle:
"Brother Chu'an, these are wild fruits I picked for you on the mountain yesterday. I chose the biggest and sweetest ones. They are all a token of my affection. I hope you won't mind them."
Looking at the basket full of fruit, Qin Chu'an was both surprised and touched: "Lele, thank you. Xinxin and I will definitely eat it all."
Although this basket of wild fruit wasn't worth much money, it represented a child's most sincere sentiments. Qin Chu'an was overjoyed and would never have looked down on it.
He suddenly thought of his and his sister's nominal relatives, his grandmother and uncle's extended family.
I don't know where those people found out he got into university, but a few days ago they came over eagerly trying to curry favor with him. They kept saying that he should never forget them, his family, if he becomes successful in the future.
How ridiculous! They wanted to curry favor with him, but they couldn't even bring a single blade of grass with them, and just came empty-handed.
Some people really lack self-awareness. Given the way his uncle's family used to behave, it would be a sign of his kindness if he didn't retaliate against them in the future, let alone let them take advantage of him.
"Xiao An, I haven't given you my gift yet," Xia Qingqing said, taking out the gift she had prepared yesterday from her handbag.
"These two pens are for you and Xin Xin, I hope you will both study hard in college. This sailor shirt is for you, and this dress is for Xin Xin."
Qin Chu'an was stunned for a moment, and then immediately wanted to refuse: "No, Sister Qingqing, we can't accept such an expensive gift from you."
The items on the table together cost at least twenty or thirty yuan, and even with his thick skin, he couldn't bring himself to accept them.
Xia Qingqing pretended to be angry and glared at him: "What, are you getting distant from me? You call me Sister Qingqing, but you won't even accept the college entrance gift that I gave you."
Qin Chu'an shook her head in a panic, denying it: "That's not what I meant, it's just that these things are too valuable..."
Xia Qingqing interrupted him before he could finish speaking: "It's not about the value of a gift, but the sentiment behind it. Whether it's the wild berries Lele gave you or the fountain pen I gave you, they are both expressions of our feelings. If you refuse again, I will really get angry."
These gifts might be quite valuable to ordinary people, but for Xia Qingqing, they were just a drop in the ocean.
She knew that the two siblings in the Qin family truly regarded her as an older sister, so she couldn't be too petty.
A fleeting struggle crossed Qin Chu'an's face as she pursed her lips and said, "Thank you, Sister Qingqing. I really like the gift you gave me."
Accepting such valuable gifts made Qin Chu'an feel a little burdened. He was worried that Xia Qingqing would be angry with him if he didn't accept them.
Fortunately, Qin Chu'an wasn't the kind of person who couldn't be tactful. He remembered all the kindness Xia Qingqing had shown to him and his sister and secretly vowed to repay her in the future.
With Xia Qingqing joining them, Gou Dan no longer needed to rack his brains for topics. He could quietly watch Xia Qingqing and Qin Chuan chat, occasionally chiming in with a few words.
Not long after, Qin Chuxin's voice came from the kitchen: "Brother, come quickly and help me serve the dishes."
Upon hearing the sound, Xia Qingqing and Gou Dan immediately tried to get up to help, but Qin Chu'an quickly pressed them back down: "Qingqing, Lele, you sit down and I'll get it."
The meal was a pleasant one for both the host and guests.
Qin Chuxin's cooking skills are quite good; all those years of cooking haven't been for nothing.
Gou Dan ate while praising Qin Chuxin, making her beam with joy.
"Our Lele is so sweet, she'll definitely be popular with girls when she grows up," Qin Chuxin said, glancing at Qin Chuan beside her.
Her brother isn't doing so well. The older he gets, the less he talks. When girls at school give him love letters, he just throws them in the trash. She's starting to doubt whether she'll ever have a sister-in-law.
Qin Chu'an pretended not to notice her sister's gaze and buried herself in her food.
After finishing their meal, the group sat down to chat. Qin Chuxin cut up the watermelon that had been soaking in well water. Qin Chuan had seen this watermelon growing in the countryside when he went there to collect vegetables. Unfortunately, not many were grown, otherwise he would have wanted to transport some to the county to sell.
Around 4 o'clock, Xia Qingqing said she wanted to go home.
Both siblings were reluctant to see them leave, especially Qin Chuxin. Her brother was always busy outside, and it was rare for their home to be so lively.
Qin Chuxin clung to Xia Qingqing's arm and said coquettishly, "Sister Qingqing, why don't you stay and play a little longer, or go back after dinner?"
"It's getting late, let's head back now. Xin Xin and Xiao An, you two are welcome to come to my house anytime," Xia Qingqing said, patting Qin Chuxin's hand.
Qin Chuxin nodded vigorously: "Yes, yes, I'll ask my brother to take me when he has time."
Xia Qingqing didn't take Gou Dan home directly; instead, she rode to the supply and marketing cooperative and bought two popsicles.
Eating a cool popsicle on a hot summer day makes you feel refreshed from head to toe.
Dog Egg sat on the back of the bicycle, happily munching on an ice pop, and let out a comfortable sigh: "This is so refreshing! I wish we had a freezer at home, so we could buy lots and lots of ice pops and eat them slowly in the summer."
When they were in Beijing, the supply and marketing cooperative wasn't too far from home, and he and Tian Hongjun would occasionally go there to buy an ice pop to satisfy their cravings. But after returning home, it wasn't so convenient to eat an ice pop.
Xia Qingqing nodded in agreement; she had actually wanted to buy a refrigerator too.
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