Extra four
Because of Tang Yue, Tang Jianye and Lai Xiang also got to know each other, and after meeting a few times, the two became familiar with each other.
Lai Xiang scooped the dumplings out of the pot, and Tang Jianye reached out to pinch them.
With a "smack," Lai Xiang slapped Tang Jianye on the back. Tang Jianye quickly pulled his hand back, and Lai Xiang rolled her eyes at him. "These dumplings are so hot, they just came out of the pot. Aren't you afraid of burning your hands?"
Lai Xiang's fierce expression made Tang Jianye's heart suddenly race uncontrollably, and the warm touch on the back of his hand seemed to linger. In that instant, Tang Jianye suddenly felt as if something had changed.
After Lai Xiang finished playing and speaking, she realized that she and Tang Jianye weren't actually that close. But how did she manage to make her movements so natural?
Lai Xiang felt a pang of regret. How could she have cared about Tang Jianye? She suddenly felt a little embarrassed, and a faint blush rose to her cheeks in the misty air.
Tang Jianye stared at Lai Xiang's face for a long time, and Lai Xiang was so angry and embarrassed by his impudent behavior that she was almost dying of embarrassment. No one had ever stared at her so brazenly before.
She didn't say anything more, scooped the dumplings into a bowl, and carried them directly into the house. Tang Jianye's lips curled into a wicked smile, and he turned and followed her into the house.
He moved the kang table from the ground onto the kang, and Lai Xiang then placed the dumplings on the table.
"Grandma Liu, are you hungry? Hurry up and eat something to tide you over."
Looking at the plump, white dumplings in the bowl, each one shoveled full of filling, Liu Ting's eyes welled up with tears again.
How long has it been since he last ate dumplings? Since the old man passed away, she hasn't even seen wheat flour.
"Hey, girl, boy, let's eat together."
Lai Xiang originally wanted to eat with her parents in the cowshed, but now that guests had come, she couldn't let Grandma Liu eat alone. So she made two more bowls of dumplings, and Tang Jianye and the other two sat on the kang (a heated brick bed) and finished their meal.
Lai Xiang originally cooked a large amount, but Tang Jianye could really eat a lot, so the leftovers sent to the cowshed weren't enough.
Fortunately, people in Northeast China have a habit of freezing dumplings, and Lai Xiang has learned quite a bit from them during her stay. Not wanting to go through the hassle every day, she made a lot of dumplings today and buried them in the snow in the yard.
Lai Xiang added some more firewood to the stove, then went out and rummaged through the fire to find a lot of frozen dumplings. After the water boiled, he cooked another pot of dumplings.
Liu Ting rested on the kang (a heated brick bed) for a while and then ate a hot meal of dumplings. Now she felt warm all over.
She was deeply worried about her husband and couldn't contain herself any longer. Standing at the door of the main room, she wanted to speak but didn't know what to say.
Tang Jianye was squatting by the stove tending the fire when he saw Grandma Liu's anxious look and he chuckled. "Grandma Liu, don't worry, we'll come over after the dumplings are cooked."
Old Ke is right there; he can't run away.
When the three arrived at the cowshed, Old Ke and Old Xu were in Lai Jiaxing's house.
When Lai Xiang came yesterday, she said she would bring dumplings over tonight, so none of them had dinner and they were chatting quietly.
When the door was knocked, Lai Jiaxing immediately went to open it.
"Xiangxiang is here, come in quickly."
When he saw that there were two more people behind him, Lai Jiaxing moved aside. He recognized Tang Jianye and nodded to him, but in the dim firelight, he couldn't quite make out the appearance of the thin, short old woman behind him.
But guests are guests, so Lai Jiaxing quickly and politely invited them in. Liu Ting's heart pounded the whole way; she had never imagined she would one day travel all the way to Northeast China to see the old man.
The person was right in front of her, but she didn't know what to do.
Upon entering the room, my gaze immediately fell upon the old man sitting on a stool, wearing a tattered cotton-padded coat.
By the dim candlelight, seeing that the old man looked quite well and had bright, piercing eyes, Liu Ting could no longer hold back her tears as they streamed down her face.
Old Ke had intended to make a joke, saying that Xiangxiang was a little late today. But when he saw the frail old woman at the door, he could hardly believe his eyes.
Old Ke stood up and wiped his eyes with a clean part of his sleeve. When he opened his eyes again, the old woman was still standing in front of him, and she was crying.
He immediately went over and used a clean part of his sleeve to wipe Liu Ting's tears. "What's wrong? You finally dreamt of me to see me, and now you're crying."
"How old are you? Still crying all the time. Watch your eyes."
The rough, hardened man, who had spent his life in the military, was now speaking softly and gently, leaving Lai Jiaxing's family and Tang Jianye completely dumbfounded.
His words made Liu Ting's tears flow even more fiercely, and her shoulders trembled. Old Ke, for some unknown reason—perhaps he had become more accepting of everything after what had happened, or perhaps he thought he was dreaming—pulled Liu Ting directly into his arms.
"Oh dear, look at you, how old are you? Stop crying, stop crying."
I haven't dreamt of you since I arrived here. Now that we finally see each other, let's have a good talk.
Old Ke's words touched the hearts of those standing nearby. The seemingly stern old man was actually just a facade; he too missed home and family.
Liu Ting sobbed for a while, then reached out and gripped Old Ke's wrist tightly. "What nonsense are you talking about? What dream? I'm standing right in front of you, aren't I?"
Feeling the real touch on his wrist, Old Ke couldn't hide the shock in his eyes.
Looking at the sallow and emaciated old woman in front of him, he frowned and narrowed his eyes, "What happened to you? You've lost so much weight. They've been mistreating you."
Old Ke was stating a fact. He was blind and clueless before, so if he still couldn't see what kind of people his sons were, he would be a complete idiot.
This chapter is not finished, please click the next page to continue reading!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
