A rare weekend.
The Wen family was on high alert, and Wen Mo and Xia Lian started cleaning early in the morning.
For no other reason than that my parents suddenly said last night they wanted to come over for a meal and see how the two little ones were doing.
Since the last Mid-Autumn Festival reunion dinner, Wen Yiquan and Su Juan have not seen Xia Lian's face again, only occasionally showing her face when they video chat with Wen Mo.
Su Juan really wanted to come and see, but Wen Mo always made excuses to refuse. Today was different. Without allowing Wen Mo to refuse, Wen Yiquan directly gave the order.
The main purpose was just to visit the two children, like a family gathering for a meal once in a while, and to visit them more often.
Good.
Wen Mo was in charge of cleaning the inner room, while Xia Lian volunteered to clean the living room, and also washed the toilet again. She also emptied all the laundry baskets on the balcony, and the washing machine made a "rumbling" sound.
The room's furnishings are extremely important, especially the blankets and pillows on the bed; they must all be arranged to create the illusion that the two people usually sleep separately.
Wen Mo hadn't been this nervous in a long time. He wiped his forehead, let out a long breath, and turned to fold the blankets neatly.
It's been a long time since my parents last ate here; most of the time I go to their place by myself.
"Don't be nervous later. It's just a normal family meal. Just act the way you would normally." Wen Mo called over Xia Lian, who was sweeping the floor, reached out and pinched her little nose, a smile spreading across his face.
“They are family, I’m not nervous.”
Xia Lian shook her head, her expression calm, and she wasn't really nervous.
"Just keep it this way, let our parents see how we live now." Wen Mo clenched his fists loosely, raised them towards the sky to cheer himself up, and then went to the balcony to continue collecting the laundry.
Their relationship is currently a secret, and he hasn't decided when to tell his parents. Wenmo is looking for the right time.
Around noon, familiar footsteps echoed in the hallway.
Wenmo has very sharp ears and rushed to the door to help open it, holding a piece of clothing that hadn't finished hanging up yet. The sound of chopping vegetables came from the kitchen.
"Please come in, please come in." He smiled and welcomed the two people inside.
Seemingly hearing the noise at the door, a small head peeked out from the kitchen. Upon seeing her uncle and aunt arrive, she wiped her apron with her hands and greeted them crisply, "Hello, Uncle and Aunt."
Su Juan immediately stepped forward and hugged Xia Lian tightly, her eyes crinkling with laughter. "Oh my, this girl, your auntie has missed you so much after all this time..."
Unlike Su Juan's reaction, Wen Yiquan didn't say much when he came up. Instead, he glanced around the living room and when he saw that his son was holding a piece of clothing that hadn't dried, he understood what the two kids had been doing that morning.
The last time Su Juan came here was when Wen Mo had just moved into his new home. Seeing the clean and tidy house now, her eyes lit up. "It's quite clean."
"Because Wen Mo said we should make a good impression on my uncle and aunt." Xia Lian, who was being held in Su Juan's arms, raised her head and added blankly.
"Don't tell anyone! Now everyone will know we only cleaned temporarily...!" Wen Mo put a finger to his lips, but Xia Lian's words had already reached the ears of the two elders.
Su Juan wanted to laugh, but she forced a smile and put on a satisfied expression. At least the room looked clean now.
"Auntie, I'll go cook."
Xia Lian blinked her eyes, and only ran back to the kitchen after Su Juan let go of her embrace, leaving behind only her petite back view.
The parents were invited into the living room and sat on the sofa. Wen Mo was very conspicuous in his eagerness to please them, bringing over a fruit plate and placing it on the table, while also holding two cups of hot water.
"You two sit down and rest for a while. I'll go to the kitchen to help Xiaolian cook." Wen Mo put down the hot water and walked into the kitchen with a smile.
Wen Yiquan and Su Juan sat in the living room, occasionally taking a sip of hot water and looking around at the furnishings.
"It seems alright so far," Su Juan said with a sigh, reaching for the remote control on the table, changing a channel and immediately watching TV.
"That kid Wen Mo was probably watching TV too. I always said we should have a TV in the living room, but he said no. Tch." Wen Yiquan took a sip of water smugly and crossed his legs.
The kitchen was filled with the sizzling sounds of cooking, and the aroma of stir-fried dishes wafted out from under the door. Xia Lian was constantly stirring the food with a spatula, and then plated it for Wen Mo beside her.
Wen Mo originally planned to cook himself, but Xia Lian shook her head and said she wanted her uncle and aunt to taste her cooking.
So the two reached an agreement to each cook half of the dish.
This meal was very plentiful; it took quite a while just to buy the groceries.
Once all the dishes were served, the group filled their bowls with rice and sat down.
"Xiao Lian, this dish tastes really good."
Wen Yiquan praised him sincerely and then picked up his rice bowl to eat heartily.
Unexpectedly, Wen Mo almost burst out laughing at what she had just said. In the end, she picked up her chopsticks and took a bite herself, glancing at the food intentionally or unintentionally.
"I made this dish, Dad."
"Oh, I was wondering why this dish had some flaws. So it was you who made it." Wen Yiquan's tone immediately changed from one of satisfaction to one of admiration.
"Oh, come on, you're putting on such a show in front of the kids. Just eat normally." Su Juan rolled her eyes at him, picked up a piece of stir-fried pork and put it in her mouth, nodding in satisfaction. "Who made this dish? It's delicious."
"That was made by Xiao Lian. She knows you like lean meat, so she specifically chose lean cuts when she went grocery shopping." Wen Mo smiled.
"Oh, thank you so much, Xiaolian." Su Juan's eyes crinkled into crescent moons with laughter, and her chopsticks never stopped moving.
"Uncle and Aunt, I hope you enjoy your meal."
Xia Lian was a little shy, her earlobes had turned red at some point, and her eyes, which were not particularly bright before, had become clearer.
She's not good at receiving compliments and gets shy easily, but Wenmo doesn't seem to mind at all; in fact, he's quite happy for his girlfriend to be praised.
"I feel relieved with Xiaolian here. Wenmo is always causing trouble."
"What's wrong with me?" Wen Mo shrugged helplessly.
“You used to order takeout every day, don’t think I didn’t know.” Su Juan smiled and tapped his forehead.
"That's just something I occasionally want to try, and I haven't ordered any takeout lately..." Wen Mo felt a little guilty, but still forced a smile. "Right, Xiao Lian?"
Xia Lian, standing beside him, simply nodded and shook her head, watching the group chat with a calm expression.
This kind of family atmosphere was what Xia Lian had always dreamed of, and now she is a part of this family.
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