Mother Xu quickly waved her hand and replied with a smile, "No need, no need. My daughter-in-law and I are fine in the kitchen. You can just sit here and rest for a while."
"You must be exhausted from walking so far so early in the morning. You need to get some rest!"
Seeing this, Mr. Xu quickly chimed in, "Yes, sister-in-law, you are our honored guest. How can we let you do any cooking? Just sit there and enjoy the meal my husband has prepared!"
Faced with such enthusiastic opposition from Xu's parents, Ma Aning felt a little guilty, but she couldn't insist any further, so she slowly sat back down on the stool.
Watching Xu's mother bustling around in the kitchen while he could only sit there waiting for dinner, he felt a little embarrassed.
After sitting for only a few minutes, a tall young man came in from outside.
Ma Aning looked closely at the young man in military uniform who was carrying a pheasant and two rabbits.
The young man stood tall and straight, like a pine tree.
He has deep and resolute eyes, as if they hold boundless power and unwavering conviction.
Beneath his high, straight nose, his lips were pressed tightly together, giving him a serious air.
His bronze skin bore the marks of long hours of outdoor training. His short, neatly trimmed hair seemed to symbolize discipline in every strand.
He stepped into the room, his gaze quickly sweeping over everyone, and gave a slight nod as a greeting.
However, the moment his gaze inadvertently drifted towards Shen Xiaoxiao, his body trembled slightly, and his eyes froze instantly.
However, this loss of composure only lasted for a brief moment, and he quickly returned to his normal self.
At this moment, Mr. Xu said with a smile, "Son, come here, let me introduce you. This is your Uncle Chen, and this is your aunt. And over here, this cute little girl is Xiao Xiao, and that handsome young man is Xiao Chuan."
"They are your Uncle Chen's children. You should all visit each other more often and get along well!"
Upon hearing his father's words, Xu Wenhua put down the heavy prey in his hands and strode forward.
He smiled broadly, extended his right hand, and said in a loud and magnetic voice, "Hello! My name is Xu Wenhua."
From the moment he appeared, Shen Xiaoxiao had a feeling in her heart. It was as if there was a little person in her mind who kept telling her, "It's him, it's him, I want to be with him."
Shen Xiaoxiao tried her best to control herself, but after a short while, she felt like she knew nothing anymore.
The moment she lost control, her body reacted.
As Shen Xiaoxiao's eyes met Xu Wenhua's, a faint blush rose on her fair cheeks.
She shyly extended her slender hand and gently grasped Xu Wenhua's broad palm.
In an instant, a strong sensation surged through my mind—the palm was not only rough and strong, but also covered with a thick layer of calluses.
Xu Wenhua gazed at the charming and beautiful Shen Xiaoxiao before him, and a feeling of amazement welled up in his heart.
Just as he was about to have a further conversation with Shen Xiaoxiao, Shen Xiaochuan suddenly took a step forward, blocking his sister's view perfectly.
Upon seeing this, Xu Wenhua was slightly taken aback, but quickly recovered and greeted Shen Xiaochuan with a smile, "Haha, hello! You must be Xiaochuan, right?"
"Hello! My name is Shen Xiaochuan." Shen Xiaochuan said with a smile and extended his right hand to the other person.
The hand was broad and strong, with a slightly rough palm that revealed a tough texture accumulated from years of hard work.
When their hands met, it was only a light touch at first, but soon, Shen Xiaochuan began to gradually increase the pressure on his hands.
That power, like a surging tide, flowed continuously from his palm.
Xu Wenhua was slightly taken aback at first, and then he felt the grip tightening.
He was secretly astonished, never expecting that this seemingly refined man would possess such amazing strength.
As time went on, Shen Xiaochuan's grip tightened, as if he wanted to crush Xu Wenhua's hand bones.
However, Xu Wenhua was no ordinary person. Despite feeling immense pressure, he gritted his teeth and tried his best not to show too much pain on his face.
Xu Wenhua's indomitable spirit was instantly ignited. He gritted his teeth, the veins on his arms bulging, and he increased the force in his hands.
In contrast, Shen Xiaochuan was clearly struggling.
After all, he is still young and somewhat immature in terms of strength. If he were given a few more years to grow, Xu Wenhua would probably be no match for him.
Just then, Shen Xiaoxiao seemed to suddenly come to her senses, her gaze fixed on her brother and Xu Wenhua's hands clasped together.
Her large, bright eyes were filled with worry, fearing that her brother might get hurt. So, without hesitation, she rushed forward, grabbed her brother's hand, and tried to separate them.
Feeling their sister's concern, Shen Xiaochuan and Xu Wenhua realized they couldn't continue this stalemate, so they simultaneously let go of each other's hands.
Xu Wenhua turned his back and quietly shook his hands behind his back to relieve the soreness caused by the excessive exertion.
Shen Xiaochuan made the same gesture, seemingly trying to hide the discomfort in his hand.
Then, Xu Wenhua turned around, picked up the chicken and rabbit that were on the ground, and strode towards the kitchen.
As soon as he entered the kitchen, he excitedly called out to his busy mother, "Mom, look, this is what I caught this morning while hunting. We can add a couple more good dishes!"
Hearing her son's voice, Xu's mother greeted him with a big smile and happily took the still lively pheasant and plump rabbit from Xu Wenhua's hands.
Then, Xu's mother turned to Niu Lili and instructed her, "Lili, quickly boil more water, we're going to kill a chicken and a rabbit."
Upon hearing this, Niu Lili happily replied, "Okay!"
These days, people have just gotten through those tough times, and it's not easy to have a meat meal on a regular basis, so everyone cherishes this opportunity to improve their diet.
Xu Wenhua walked slowly to the water vat, picked up the wooden basin next to him, and gently scooped up some cool well water.
He immersed his hands in the water, feeling the coolness, and carefully rubbed them, washing away the dirt from his hands little by little.
After washing his hands, he shook them off, then dried them with a towel, turned around, and walked towards the door.
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