Su Ning's family's food couldn't compare to He Ci's family's; it was a simple stew of pork and cabbage with vermicelli, and a small basket of steamed buns.
Having grown accustomed to delicacies, He Ci had never seen food like this before. A small bowl of mixed stew was placed in the middle of the table, and everyone sat down around it.
Su Ning knew that He Ci was a germaphobe, so she took a new pair of bowls and chopsticks from the cupboard and handed them to him. However, Su Ning did not know that many things had changed in the year they had been apart, including his habits.
Seeing that He Ci hadn't touched his chopsticks, Li Mei assumed that He Ci was disgusted by her cooking, and her expression turned a little sour.
“Our family can’t compare to yours. This is all the food we have in the countryside. Eat it if you like, or don’t if you don’t.”
Su Ning glanced at He Ci and saw him take a dark, burnt flatbread out of the steamed bun basket, with some golden-brown crust on top.
I wonder what happened to He Ci this year! He's lost weight and gotten darker, and most importantly, he no longer smiles. When he's not speaking, he's deep and cold.
Su Ning felt a pang of heartache watching this. He Ci noticed Su Ning's gaze and gave her a gentle smile.
"The food was delicious. It was the first time I had ever eaten this kind of food. The auntie's cooking skills are excellent."
Li Mei's expression softened slightly when she heard He Ci praise her cooking.
He Ci was telling the truth; the food on the table was indeed delicious, especially the vermicelli in the cabbage and the dark pancake in his hand.
The glass noodles are smooth, refreshing, and don't stick to your teeth. The pancake is a bit hard, but it's so delicious that the edges are coated with the vegetable juice, making it very flavorful.
Everyone saw that He Ci didn't mind the food and ate it with relish. He Ci was an adult, so the food wasn't enough for him. He wasn't the one who was supposed to cook, so Li Mei made a bowl of hand-pulled noodles for everyone.
After the meal, He Ci took the initiative to wash the dishes, but Su Ning stopped him, feeling sorry for He Ci, who had come all this way dressed so lightly.
“Ci-ge, you’re warm sitting here. I’ll wash the dishes.”
There was a coal stove in the main room, which was much warmer than outside. The weather here was colder than in the port city, where it was spring all year round. Su Ning was really worried that He Ci would get cold because he was dressed so thinly.
Looking at her disappointing daughter, Li Mei said, "Stop arguing, I'll go! You're worried about that boy getting cold, but I'm worried about you getting cold! Why doesn't anyone care about me?"
After Li Mei finished speaking, Su Qiang leaned over and said, "Wife, I'll help you. Who says no one cares about you? Don't I care about you?"
Su An is a boarding student in junior high school and will only be on holiday tomorrow. Now, only He Ci and Su Ning are left in the main room. Su Ning led He Ci to her room.
After a long separation, they had a lot to say to each other. Su Ning's family had built a new house in September, a large brick house with three rooms and a main hall. The house was spacious and bright, and Su Ning had her own room.
He Ci looked around Su Ning's room. Everything in the room was laid out before him: a wardrobe, a bed, a desk, and a chair.
Everything was new, probably acquired not long ago. The table was filled with pink and white roses, and He Ci knew the meaning of these two flowers.
Su Ning followed He Ci's gaze and saw that he was staring at the roses on the table. Su Ning smiled and explained!
"The love I cherish in my heart is enough for me to be worthy of you."
He Ci couldn't bear to see Su Ning so self-conscious, so he stepped forward and pulled her into his arms.
"Little darling, you're so outstanding. If anyone's not good enough for you, it should be me. Will you be upset that it took me so long to come find you?"
Su Ning looked up in He Ci's arms, a long-lost smile on her face. He Ci didn't know how long it had been since he had seen Su Ning like this.
"Brother Ci, did you make that call? Is there a reason why you didn't come to see me?"
He Ci hugged Su Ning even tighter. He hadn't expected that Su Ning was the one who understood him best. The things he was doing were so dangerous, how could he let Su Ning worry?
Fortunately, it's all over now. But he's no longer the high and mighty young master he used to be; he's now a convict, tainted by his past. He's the one who's unworthy of Su Ning.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
