His eyes lingered briefly on the pile of wrapped dough in front of her, as if to confirm whether the supply chain was smooth.
Grandma Zhang was startled by his gaze, but then she reacted and immediately smiled as she handed over a few freshly wrapped doughs. "Yes, yes, yes! All you can eat! Go ahead and fry them, kid! Grandma can wrap them up really fast!"
Ye Qingliu nodded slightly in response, then picked up a new dough and continued with his "frying experiment."
This extremely subtle interaction, without words, was like a small stone thrown into a calm lake, creating deeper ripples in the hearts of the elderly.
"Hey, did you notice?" The fat aunt lowered her voice and said to Grandpa Li beside her with a little excitement, "Little boy just now...did he look at Sister Zhang? And even nodded?"
"It seems so!" Grandpa Li also suppressed his excitement. "This child may look cold, but he knows everything in his heart! He knows that Sister Zhang is supplying him with 'ammunition'!"
"That's right!" Grandma Zhang smiled until her eyes narrowed into slits, and she wrapped the pancakes faster. "We kids know what's going on!"
A silent understanding and warmth flows in the small space.
Ye Qingliu focused on the frying pan, the old people focused on making the pancakes, and Sun Guixiang was like the most reliable hub, helping Ye Qingliu pass the pancake base and plates while keeping an eye on the heat.
When the last spoonful of red bean paste was wrapped in the last glutinous rice wrapper and the last round pancake embryo was steadily slid into the oil pan by Ye Qingliu, a small cheer broke out in the main room.
“Done!”
“Mission accomplished!”
"Just waiting for this last pot, kid!"
The old people rubbed their sore wrists and backs, but their faces were filled with satisfied smiles, and their eyes were focused on the cold figure in front of the stove.
Ye Qingliu concentrated on frying the last few pancakes.
His gray-blue eyes reflected the dancing flames of the stove and the golden color bubbling in the pot.
When the last pancake was picked up, drained of oil, and placed on the plate, he gently put down the long bamboo chopsticks in his hand.
The fire in the stove gradually died down, leaving only the embers emitting a warm red glow.
The sizzling sound in the oil pan also subsided, leaving only the rich and indelible aroma of burnt and sweet food in the room.
Two large plates of golden and shiny red bean glutinous rice cakes were neatly placed on the square table in the main hall, like two small mountains of gold, exuding unparalleled temptation.
Next to it was a plate of green food stir-fried by Sun Guixiang using the tender bean sprouts brought by Grandma Zhang, and the homemade pickled crispy radish cut into small pieces contributed by Grandpa Li. The red and white colors were crisp and refreshing.
"Dinner is ready!" Sun Guixiang announced with a smile, her voice filled with joy and pride.
The old people all found a place to sit down. Sun Guixiang's small bamboo stool, several small stools borrowed from neighbors, and even the doorstep were all filled with people.
"Come on! Let's try the children's cooking skills first!" The fat aunt couldn't wait to pick up a piece of golden round pancake fried by Ye Qingliu, blew on it, and took a big bite.
"Crack!" The crisp sound was particularly loud. She squinted her eyes in satisfaction, her cheeks puffed out.
"Mmm! Delicious! Really delicious! Crispy on the outside, soft and chewy on the inside, and the red bean paste is just the right amount of sweet! The kid's timing is amazing!"
"Hmm! It smells good! Really smells good!" Grandma Zhang nodded repeatedly, eating in small bites, with a look of pure enjoyment on her face.
"It's a hundred times better than what you buy on the street! It's made with our own heart!"
Grandpa Li took a piece of Sun Guixiang's pancake and savored it carefully: "Sister Sun's cooking skills are still authentic! After decades, the taste is still the same! It makes me miss home!"
He sighed, picking up another piece of crispy radish with his chopsticks. "This is a great way to relieve the greasiness! A perfect match!"
Ye Qingliu sat quietly beside Sun Guixiang. He didn't eagerly pick up his chopsticks like the others, but just looked at the small bowl in front of him.
In the bowl was a piece of pancake that Sun Guixiang had specially picked up for him - the first flawless golden round pancake he had fried himself, and a chopstick of emerald green bean sprouts.
He picked up the chopsticks, but instead of eating the pancake immediately, he picked up a green bean sprout and put it into his mouth.
The unique sweet and slightly astringent taste of fresh bean sprouts lingers between your teeth, bringing with it the scent of spring.
Then he lowered his head and took a small bite of the golden cake.
The familiar "click" sound rang out from his own mouth.
This time, there was less initial shock and confusion, and more of a... calm confirmation.
He ate in small bites, his movements still gentle, but a little faster than before.
The gray-blue eyes were lowered, and the long eyelashes cast a small shadow under the eyes, covering the subtle emotional fluctuations in the eyes.
Only his slightly puffed cheeks, stained with a little golden crumbs, silently expressed his acceptance of this worldly life.
"Little boy, have some soup!" Sun Guixiang pushed a bowl of thick and fragrant millet porridge to his hand. "You'll choke if you only eat bread."
Ye Qingliu picked up the bowl as instructed and sipped the warm millet porridge.
The old people ate and chatted at the same time, the topics covered all over the world, and they laughed constantly.
Ye Qingliu rarely interrupted, just ate quietly, occasionally raising his gray-blue eyes and calmly scanning the faces that were chatting and laughing, as if he was collecting some kind of atmosphere data.
When the fat aunt talked about the funny things her grandson did when he was naughty, causing everyone to burst into laughter, Ye Qingliu was taking a bite of the crispy radish.
The crisp chewing sound was particularly clear in the intervals between laughter.
He paused slightly, and his gray-blue eyes looked at the fat aunt who was laughing so hard behind the glasses. The edge of his tightly pursed thin lips seemed to move upwards very briefly, like an imperceptible ripple passing across an icy lake.
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