Zhou Chenyu walked outside with a smile, carrying the wine, and Baoyu quietly followed behind her.
Everyone arrived and took their seats.
Looking at the large table of dishes, with both fine wine and delicacies, Chen Tongsheng scratched his head sheepishly. "I came here to help, but now I've made you all busy. I really feel bad about it."
"You've helped Chenyu and Baoyu several times, and it's rare for you to come all this way. If I don't treat you well, it would be truly embarrassing." Li Xiuju smiled, poured two cups of wine, and picked up one of them. "Tongsheng, to thank you for your help, I'd like to offer you a toast."
Chen Tongsheng was flattered and said, "Auntie, you are the elder and I am the junior. How can this be?"
"Helping others is helping others; what does it have to do with whether someone is an elder or a junior?"
Without saying a word, Li Xiuju tilted her head back and drank it all. Chen Tongsheng hurriedly picked up another cup and followed Li Xiuju, drinking the wine in his cup in one gulp.
Li Xiuju found the boy not only reliable but also impeccably polite, just like a mother-in-law looking at her son-in-law, growing more and more fond of him the more she looked at him.
She took Chen Tongsheng's cup and put it aside. "Drinking will lead to trouble, so let's just have a little. You must finish these dishes, everyone please start eating."
After saying this, Li Xiuju personally placed a piece of chicken into Chen Tongsheng's bowl, saying, "This was made by Chen Yu herself, please try it."
"I was just praising Chen Yu's cooking skills. This chicken looks very tempting, and it must taste delicious." Chen Tongsheng smiled broadly, making no attempt to hide his praise and appreciation for her.
Zhou Chenyu was tasting the chicken soup when she was scalded by the hot soup.
She cooked the chicken herself today. She said, "I can do without a man, but I can't do without food."
We'll discuss everything after she's eaten.
"Yes, everyone should try it and see if it suits their taste?" Zhou Chenyu stared at the poached chicken she had been longing for.
She picked up a piece, dipped it in the essential ginger and scallion sauce, and put it in her mouth. The skin was thin and the meat was tender and juicy with a chewy texture. It wasn't dry at all. With the addition of ginger and scallions, she could taste the aroma of chicken without it being too monotonous or overpowering.
Zhou Chenyu's eyes reddened, "It tastes like home."
"Hmm, this way of cooking home-style chicken tastes really good. I've never tried it before." Chen Tongsheng took a bite and praised it repeatedly.
Li Xiuju was so focused on observing Chen Tongsheng's reaction that she didn't even touch her chopsticks. "Really? If you like it, then you should eat more. Or you can come to our house more often, and if you want to eat it, we'll have Chenyu make it again."
Zhou Chenyu hadn't even had time to savor the taste of her hometown when Li Xiuju's words jolted her back to reality. If things continued to go on like this, she'd be in deep trouble no matter what.
She picked up the wine pot and cup again. "Grandma, Brother Chen, I have something very important to tell you today."
It's finally here.
Baoyu quickly put down the chicken he hadn't finished eating and looked at his sister.
Just then, a child's cries came from outside the courtyard.
Zhou Chenyu saw Grandma Wang holding her several-month-old grandson, standing outside the door coaxing him, "So that's why you're having dinner so early today, we have guests."
When Li Xiuju saw Grandma Wang holding the child, she smiled and said, "Yes, Auntie, since you're here, why don't you sit down and have a drink?"
Chen Tongsheng stood up, smiled at the old man, and that was his way of greeting him.
Grandma Wang felt she was superfluous and was also afraid of being gossiped about if she passed by at this time, so she shook her head and said, "I'm old and can't chew properly. You all eat yours."
Seeing that she was about to leave, Zhou Chenyu had a sudden inspiration and ran out to stop her. "Grandma Wang, you've helped us so much before. If you can't chew the meat, you can have some soup instead."
"Exactly! Finish your soup before you leave!"
Li Xiuju's tone hardened, and she went into the kitchen to get more bowls. Grandma Wang rarely saw the Zhou family so lively, and not wanting to spoil everyone's fun, she sat down.
Li Xiuju brought over a bowl of hot chicken soup. Grandma Wang glanced at the young man at the table, then looked at Li Xiuju and asked, "And who is this?"
Li Xiuju smiled excitedly, "Tongsheng is Chenyu's friend, and he helped us repair the eaves today."
"Hello, Grandma." Chen Tongsheng nodded in acknowledgment.
The unspoken understanding remained, but Grandma Wang, with her experience, looked at the young couple and already understood most of it. She smiled and nodded happily at Chen Tongsheng.
Zhou Chenyu sat up straight, coughed twice to clear his throat, and solemnly announced, "Grandma Wang, it's just in time that you've come today. With you as my witness, I have nothing to fear."
To provide evidence?
"What kind of certificate?" The old man was still confused and out of the loop. Li Xiuju remembered what had just been said, glanced at Chen Tongsheng, and asked, "Chen Yu, you just said you had something important to discuss. What is it?"
Zhou Chenyu poured two cups of wine in front of everyone, picked up the middle cup, stood up solemnly, faced Chen Tongsheng, and shouted:
“Brother Chen, it’s been several dozen days since I met you. In these short few dozen days, you caught me when I was about to fall, took me in when I was soaked in the rain, and even roasted chicken for me and Baoyu. Today, you even came all the way here to help us repair the eaves of our house. I’m afraid even a biological brother couldn’t compare to your kindness. So today, taking this opportunity, I want to recognize you as my sworn brother and we can become sworn siblings. What do you think?”
The entire short essay was a draft that Zhou Chenyu had carefully prepared before going to bed last night. She memorized it in one go, feeling completely satisfied.
Chen Tongsheng was stunned, as if struck by lightning. This sudden move also left Li Xiuju speechless. "Chen...Chen Yu, you want to acknowledge Tongsheng as your elder brother?"
Zhou Chenyu's plan went smoothly, and she smiled more happily than anyone else. "Yes, Grandma, from childhood to adulthood, I've always wanted an older brother to protect me, but unfortunately, I only have Baoyu as my little shadow."
Baoyu was kicked, but he stood up nimbly and poured himself a cup of wine. "Mother, since my sister wants to recognize Tongsheng as her elder brother, then her elder brother is my elder brother too. Brother Chen, I, Baoyu, also toast you! Brother Chen, let's drink together!"
The reunion was a carefully planned scheme by Zhou Chenyu, designed to catch everyone off guard.
Chen Tongsheng is warm-hearted but simple-minded and not good with words. The sudden reunion with his relatives made him feel joyful one moment and then all his joy vanish the next.
Zhou Chenyu and Baoyu stood straight in front of Chen Tongsheng, waiting. Chen Tongsheng gradually understood the reason and realized that he could not force it. If they could not be lovers, it would be fine for them to be siblings.
He picked up the cup, forced a smile, and said, "It's my blessing to have a sister like Chenyu and a brother like Baoyu! Come, let's have a drink!"
"Come on, bottoms up!" Zhou Chenyu and Baoyu drank their wine in one go.
Seeing the siblings working together as if they had agreed on something, Li Xiuju was at a loss. She could only pull Wang Da Niang aside and pretend to laugh happily, "Great! In this way, I have another eldest son!"
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