Chapter 193: Grandma is Back
Dinner at the main house of the villa.
Yu Ling was drinking porridge with Li Xiulan brand pickles while browsing her phone.
A popular post on a local gossip forum: "Shocking! Performance art at the entrance of Genesis Star! A tough guy in black is delivering a 'workplace gift package'! A living person in a bag!"
Below are a few blurry long-range pictures: a black Shiba Inu truck, four muscular men, and a bag twisting on the ground.
Comments fryer:
"Oh shit! Woof Woof Express! It's them again!"
"The one in the bag is the one who caused trouble during the day, right? Serves him right!"
"Xinghui's chairman is awesome! This way of handling things is so satisfying!"
"Am I the only one curious about what kind of mysterious organization the 'Shiba Inu Guild' is? Even their delivery is so hardcore!"
Yu Ling smiled and kicked Zhao Chen's leg under the table. "Wangwang Express has a wide range of business, right? They even accept custom orders?"
Zhao Chen slowly peeled the boiled shrimp and put the shrimp into her bowl: "Well, the guild has a tertiary industry, to generate income."
He wiped his hands with a tissue printed with a yawning Shiba Inu and said casually, "By the way, Lao Wang just reported that he got a long-distance order from Yicheng, delivering some... local specialties to the countryside. The shipping fee is quite expensive, should we use your Xinghui account?"
Yu Ling looked at the crystal shrimps in the bowl, then looked at the man in front of her who was talking seriously about the shipping fee, and the anger in her heart had long since disappeared.
"Sure," she picked up the shrimp and stuffed it into his mouth with a smile, "I'll use the 'guild benefits' to pay for it!"
Outside the window, Wangcai was holding his diamond-encrusted dog bowl and happily knocking on the door panel with Shiba Inu's paw prints on it.
"Woof!" (Eat shrimp! Give me some!)
Haicheng Airport.
The private jet's ramp is lowered.
Zhao Chen held Yu Ling's hand, and his palm was a little wet.
"Nervous?" he asked in a low voice, his eyes smiling behind his gold-rimmed glasses.
Yu Ling took a deep breath and looked at the cabin door: "Nonsense! That's your mother! What if she thinks I'm not worthy of her precious son..."
"No." Zhao Chen squeezed her hand, "At most, I think I'm not worthy of you."
The cabin door opened. Butler Chen Bo appeared, pushing a wheelchair with a woman sitting in it.
Yu Ling's breathing stopped.
Liu Shuxian.
Even sitting in a wheelchair, wearing a simple and elegant modified cheongsam with a thin blanket on her knees, it could not conceal the grace and... scrutiny that permeated her bones.
Her face was well-maintained, with only the fine lines at the corners of her eyes betraying the slightest trace of time. Her eyes were sharp, scanning Yu Ling several times from a distance. That gaze was assessing, probing, and full of pressure.
Zhao Chen took Yu Ling forward.
"Mom." Zhao Chen's voice was calm and steady, with a subtle intimacy. "You've had a hard time along the way. This is Yu Ling."
"Hello, Auntie!" Yu Ling quickly forced out her most obedient smile and bowed slightly.
Liu Shuxian's gaze lingered on her face for a few seconds. She didn't smile, only humming a faint "hmm," her emotion unrecognizable. Her eyes flicked over Zhao Chen's apron, which hadn't been changed out yet (he'd just finished making breakfast), which had a silly Shiba Inu printed on it, and her brows furrowed slightly.
The main house of the villa.
The atmosphere was a bit stagnant.
Liu Shuxian was seated in the best spot in the living room, sunlight streaming down her through the French windows. She sipped her tea from the top-quality bone china cup Uncle Chen had presented her, her gaze like a searchlight, scanning Yu Ling and the unbelievably luxurious living room.
"Is this house rented?" Liu Shuxian put down the teacup. Her voice was not loud, but it carried invisible pressure.
Zhao Chen remained calm and said, "Yes, it's a guild benefit. I got the lifetime right to use it from the annual meeting draw."
Liu Shuxian: “…” She glanced at the priceless abstract oil painting hanging on the wall, and then looked at the half-human-high “family emergency iron box” in the corner with a cold and hard silhouette of a Shiba Inu printed on it.
"The guild... has good benefits." Her tone was flat, and no praise or criticism could be heard.
Yu Ling felt like she was sitting on pins and needles, feeling like her mother-in-law was slicing her apart. She mustered up the courage to speak, "Auntie, are you tired? The room is ready. I'll show you around. Or... maybe some soup first? I... I made some Codonopsis and black chicken soup, and it's warm."
Liu Shuxian's gaze finally fell back on Yu Ling's face, with a hint of scrutiny: "Can you make soup?"
"I know... a little bit!" Yu Ling nodded quickly. "I learned... from my mom!"
"Bring it here." Liu Shuxian said lightly.
Yu Ling, as if pardoned, trotted towards the kitchen. Zhao Chen tried to follow, but his mother's glare stopped him in his tracks.
In the kitchen, Yu Ling frantically served soup. She'd researched Liu Shuxian's stomach, and found that she needed a warming diet. The soup, made that morning in a slow cooker, was skimmed clean and bright golden.
She brought it out carefully and placed it on the coffee table in front of Liu Shuxian.
Liu Shuxian picked up the spoon, scooped a small spoonful, and blew slowly. Yu Ling's heart was in her throat.
Liu Shuxian paused for a moment, then scooped another spoonful without saying a word.
Yu Ling didn't dare to breathe.
"Not enough salt." Liu Shuxian put down the spoon, her tone still calm.
Yu Ling's heart sank to the bottom.
"But," Liu Shuxian changed the subject and looked up at her, "the heat was okay. No MSG?"
"No...no! I definitely didn't put it there!" Yu Ling quickly shook her head.
Liu Shuxian didn't say anything else. She took a few more sips and pushed the bowl aside. Yu Ling couldn't figure out what she meant. Was it just barely acceptable or...disdainful?
Afternoon, sunny greenhouse.
Liu Shuxian sat in a wheelchair, looking at the clouds flowing outside the glass dome, looking a little lonely.
"Auntie," Yu Ling said softly, pushing the wheelchair, "the roses in the garden outside are in full bloom. They're a new variety, champagne-colored, and so beautiful. Can I push you out for some fresh air?"
Liu Shuxian didn't look back, just said "hmm".
Yu Ling pushed her along the garden path, walking slowly. The sun was warm, and the air was filled with the fragrance of flowers. Yu Ling struggled to find topics, chatting about flowers, the weather, and the local customs of Yicheng.
Most of the time Liu Shuxian just listened, occasionally responding with a distant attitude.
Walking to the champagne roses, Liu Shuxian suddenly said, "I heard your parents live nearby too?"
"Ah, yes! It's in Wutongyuan next door!" Yu Ling answered quickly.
"what for?"
"They are all retired teachers. My dad is now... uh, an honorary security consultant for the residential property management." Yu Ling thought of her father's uniform with the Shiba Inu badge, and she felt like laughing but also a little guilty.
"Security consultant?" Liu Shuxian finally turned her head and glanced at Yu Ling, her eyes carrying an elusive meaning. "Very good."
The next day, Liu Shuxian said she wanted to go for a walk in the city.
Zhao Chen's company had a multinational meeting, and Yu Ling volunteered to accompany them.
Inside the extended Lincoln, the atmosphere remained subdued. Liu Shuxian stared out the window at the speeding street scene, silent. Yu Ling's palms sweated as she racked her brains for a topic.
"Auntie, there is a Ming and Qing porcelain exhibition at Haicheng Art Center recently. I heard that there are several fine pieces from official kilns..." Yu Ling asked tentatively.
"Noisy." Liu Shuxian closed her eyes and uttered a word.
"...then...let's go for a walk in the lakeside park? The air is nice..."
"tired."
Yu Ling: “…” Help!
Out of the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of a small, clean-looking and cozy dessert shop on the side of the road, and an idea suddenly struck her!
"Auntie! I heard that double-skin milk is the best! It's a long-standing brand! Even the locals line up!" Yu Ling pointed out the window. "How about...trying it?"
Liu Shuxian opened her eyes, looked in the direction she pointed, and did not object.
The car pulled over.
Yu Ling quickly got out of the car and trotted to the line. Sure enough, there was a long line outside the shop, a lively atmosphere. She ordered the signature double-skin milk and ginger milk, and also took home two freshly baked egg tarts.
Back in the car, she handed over the still warm dessert like a treasure: "Auntie, please try it!"
Liu Shuxian looked at the plain plastic bowl, then at the beads of sweat on Yu Ling's nose from jogging, her eyes moving slightly. She picked up a small spoon and scooped a little double-skin milk into her mouth.
It has a rich milky flavor and a smooth taste.
"Too sweet," she commented, but the spoon didn't stop moving as she scooped another spoonful.
Yu Ling secretly made a gesture in her heart, “Yay! There’s a way!”
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