19. Zongzi
"Mr. Chen," Song Wei walked over with a bright smile, completely ignoring Jiang Nan. "Long time no see! This is my cousin Qin Yu. He just returned to China and insisted on coming with me to meet him."
Qin Yu greeted Chen Yunsheng with a respectful attitude and all manners and conversation were fine, but Qin Yu's eyes swept over Jiang Nan, and his eyes were clearly evaluative.
Jiang Nan could only pretend not to notice his malicious look.
But she couldn't help but complain in her heart, hate her if you want, why hate her, it's not her who hurt anyone.
But she could still understand Song Wei's feelings - Chen Yunsheng didn't say it explicitly, but it seemed that her brother Song Huai's final outcome would probably not be very good.
At this moment, Song Wei glanced at Jiang Nan casually. "Miss Jiang, this outfit suits you very well today. Where did you buy it? It looks familiar to me. I think it's a new model from some fast fashion brand."
This sounded like a compliment, but Jiang Nan instinctively felt that there was something wrong.
She replied with an unwavering smile, "It's not fast fashion, it's just an ordinary brand. I think clothes are good as long as they're comfortable."
Qin Yu scoffed at the sidelines, "Cousin, you don't understand. Some people these days just like to act simple and down-to-earth, appearing approachable." He looked at Jiang Nan with a hint of meaning, "But Miss Jiang does... have a very different style from those who used to try to force their way into our circle."
This is almost rude.
Chen Yunsheng frowned slightly and was about to speak when he felt Jiang Nan gently grab his wrist.
"Everyone has their own style," Jiang Nan continued with a smile, "Just like Mr. Qin's trendy brand outfit, the style is very unique. It's more than enough to wear to an event like a fashion show."
Qin Yu didn't react at first, but after seeing Song Wei's dissatisfaction, he immediately realized that Jiang Nan didn't say anything good.
A hint of smile flashed across Chen Yunsheng's eyes.
He discovered that Jiang Nan had a special characteristic.
Normally gentle and modest, she could reveal her soft thorns when provoked, neither going too far nor hitting the opponent's sore spot accurately.
Seeing her cousin frustrated, Song Wei immediately changed the subject: "Where is Miss Jiang working now? I remember it was an advertising company?"
There was a hint of arrogance in her expression as she spoke, as if saying this was an insult to herself.
"Ms. Song has a good memory. A small advertising company cannot compare to the leisurely life of Ms. Song working in the family business." Jiang Nan made a great move with little effort.
Song Wei choked again.
She didn't want to worry about anything anymore and just wanted to reveal Jiang Nan's true face.
But Chen Yunsheng spoke at the right time: "Nannan's recent projects have yielded good results, and clients have spoken highly of her." He naturally put his arm around Jiang Nan's shoulders, "I remember Miss Song is also looking for advertising cooperation recently? Perhaps we can exchange more experiences."
As soon as these words were spoken, Song Wei and Qin Yu's expressions changed again.
Chen Yunsheng not only called Nan Nan the affectionate nickname, but also hinted that Song's small company was not as good as Jiang Nan's and needed to ask her for advice.
More importantly, he placed his hand on Jiang Nan's shoulder.
It was a clear gesture of possession and protection.
In other words, if they continue to make trouble, Chen Yunsheng might really be rude to the Song family.
Although Song Wei and Qin Yu were dissatisfied with Jiang Nan's promotion and hoped that the bosses at the top of the family business could be more sober, they were not stupid and knew when to let go and when to restrain themselves.
"Mr. Chen, you're joking," Song Wei immediately smiled sweetly, "How dare we trouble Miss Jiang?"
"You're too kind," Chen Yunsheng said calmly, "Nannan is very helpful. But let's enjoy the party first." He nodded slightly, turned around and left with Jiang Nan, leaving the two siblings looking at each other.
After walking away, Jiang Nan whispered, "Thank you."
Chen Yunsheng looked down at her: "You handled it very well."
This is the truth.
Jiang Nan's performance exceeded his expectations—she was neither humble nor overbearing, graceful, and sharp. Furthermore, almost all the troubles she had experienced were caused by him, so he should certainly protect her, not stand idly by or pretend to be deaf and dumb.
Jiang Nan smiled, but there was a hint of fatigue in his eyes.
Chen Yunsheng noticed that her smile was a little forced. It was obvious that today's reception had consumed too much of her energy.
"Tired?" he asked softly.
Jiang Nan looked up in surprise. She pulled out of Chen Yunsheng's embrace and rubbed her cheeks with both hands. She hadn't expected her expression to be so obvious. She hesitated for a moment, then nodded honestly, "A little bit."
Chen Yunsheng looked around and saw many people observing him and Jiang Nan's interactions. He paused for a moment, then suddenly raised his voice, "Nannan, Grandpa just said he wanted to try the rice dumplings you made. The ingredients are ready, right in the kitchen."
Jiang Nan blinked in confusion.
Mr. Chen never mentioned this at all.
But she quickly reacted and said cooperatively, "Okay, I'll go over now."
Chen Yunsheng nodded and explained to the guests around him: "Excuse me. We are going to make rice dumplings for grandpa. The old man asked for them."
This clever remark gave Jiang Nan a reason to leave and also hinted at how favored she was in the Chen family.
Several guests immediately chimed in. Amidst the polite compliments, Jiang Nan successfully escaped and headed for the kitchen.
Chen Yunsheng watched her leave, then turned around and met the slightly sarcastic eyes of Song Wei and Qin Yu.
He smiled slightly and nodded gently, but his eyes were no longer gentle.
Song Wei shuddered involuntarily, hurriedly looked away, and took Qin Yu somewhere else.
——
In the kitchen, Jiang Nan did find the ingredients for making rice dumplings.
She guessed that this might have been arranged by Chen Yunsheng a long time ago, but she was not sure what to do.
After thinking for a while, Jiang Nan decided to make a few remarks to show his appreciation so that he could report back to his superiors, lest Chen Yunsheng's words fall through and give others a handle to attack him.
Besides, she really knows how to make rice dumplings.
In previous years, when they celebrated the Dragon Boat Festival at home, the three of them would make rice dumplings together.
Afterwards, she suppressed her homesickness and began to skillfully wash the rice, soak the leaves, and prepare the fillings. Her movements were skillful and natural, and the integration of the materials was also very organized.
Several helpers hired to make rice dumplings originally wanted to help, but when they saw how skilled she was, they stood aside and watched in surprise.
"Madam, you have great cooking skills," an elderly woman exclaimed. "Not many young people can do this nowadays."
Jiang Nan smiled sheepishly: "I learned it from my dad. I make it every year, so I'm pretty good at it."
She concentrated on wrapping the rice dumplings, temporarily forgetting the social engagements and chaos outside.
At this moment, the fragrance of rice and bamboo leaves filled the kitchen, reminding her of the warm times she had spent with her parents during the festival. She had originally planned to buy a ticket for tomorrow morning, but now she changed her mind.
As soon as the party was over, she packed her luggage and went home - even if it was a red-eye flight, she would fly back.
Just at this moment, the kitchen door was pushed open.
Jiang Nan thought it was just a helper, so she didn't pay much attention. Without even turning around, she said to the talkative aunt next to her, "Auntie, could you help me get that cotton thread over there?"
The aunt blinked and didn't move.
Then, footsteps approached, and a piece of cotton thread was handed to her.
Jiang Nan took it and thanked him, but when he looked up he was stunned.
It’s Chen Yunsheng.
"Why are you here?" she asked in surprise. "Where are the guests?"
"Dad and Second Uncle are entertaining them," Chen Yunsheng observed the deft movements of her hands. "I didn't expect you to actually be able to...make zongzi."
Jiang Nan smiled shyly. "My dad taught me. He said that being able to cook traditional food is a kind of inheritance, and that being able to cook has its benefits. At least I won't starve to death."
As she spoke, her hands kept moving, and in no time she had wrapped a triangular rice dumpling.
"But among the three of us in my family, the ones I make are the easiest to recognize because they're the ugliest," Jiang Nan said with a smile. "My mom doesn't even want to eat them. She says they're not only ugly but also too big. She chokes after eating one."
Chen Yunsheng smiled.
He watched quietly, with a hint of inquiry in his eyes.
Sunlight streamed through the kitchen window, illuminating Jiang Nan's focused face. Her eyelashes drooped, and a gentle smile played at the corners of her mouth. She looked completely different from the cautious and proper Jiang Nan who had stood in front of the flower hall a moment before. At this moment, she seemed even more genuine, gentler, and more lovable.
Chen Yunsheng suddenly realized that this was what made Jiang Nan so special—no matter the circumstances, she always managed to maintain a warmth and authenticity. Just like now, in the kitchen of a strange house, she still had the lively, everyday air of making zongzi, yet it didn't seem out of place. Instead, it exuded a sense of peace and tranquility.
"Is there anything I can do?" he asked inexplicably.
Jiang Nan raised his head slightly, his expression surprised, but his eyes curved into crescents because of his smile: "You can make zongzi?"
"No," Chen Yunsheng admitted frankly, "but I can learn."
This made the helpers nearby cover their mouths and laugh.
Jiang Nan also laughed.
She handed him two pieces of bamboo leaves: "Then let me teach you?"
Chen Yunsheng washed his hands, took the rice dumplings from Jiang Nan, and stood beside her to learn how to make them. He had obviously never done this before, so his movements were clumsy and rice grains were spilled everywhere.
Jiang Nan demonstrated patiently, occasionally unable to help laughing out loud.
"It should be folded like this. No, you have to pinch it here." She naturally held his hand and adjusted the folding direction of the rice dumpling leaf.
The warm touch made both of them pause.
Jiang Nan hurriedly let go of his hand: "I'm sorry, I——"
"It's okay," Chen Yunsheng said, more modestly than usual. "Go on."
The atmosphere in the kitchen became tense.
The helpers tactfully stepped aside, leaving the two men standing side by side at the counter. The slanting sunlight cast their shadows on the ground. At that moment, their shadows were so close that they almost overlapped.
Chen Yunsheng followed Jiang Nan's example and finally wrapped a crooked and irregular rice dumpling.
Jiang Nan praised sincerely: "It's already very good that it turned out this way for the first time."
Looking at this work that was out of tune with the other zongzi, Chen Yunsheng let out a faint smile: "It seems I have a lot of room for improvement."
Jiang Nan endured it for a while before smiling and saying, "A little bit."
Afterwards, the two chatted and laughed while making a few more dumplings.
Chen Yunsheng's technique became more and more skillful, and he was no longer flustered. Jiang Nan praised him a few times and helped Chen Yunsheng adjust the tightness of the cotton thread.
At this time, the kitchen door was pushed open again, and Mr. Chen's voice came: "Where are my zongzi? Where is it? Is it ready?"
Seeing the scene in the kitchen, the old man was stunned for a moment, then he laughed: "This is good, this is good."
Jiang Nan smiled sheepishly, and the tips of her ears flushed uncontrollably.
Chen Yunsheng was calm and composed: "Grandpa, you are too anxious. We just wrapped it and haven't put it in the pot yet."
The old man waved his hand and said, "Then put it in the pot. I'll go and wait."
After saying that, the old man left with his housekeeper Qian Yuan.
Chen Yunsheng looked at his back for a while, then turned around and handed the wrapped dumplings to the kitchen helper, and then took Jiang Nan to the sink to wash his hands.
He looked at Jiang Nan's slightly red ears and suddenly felt that this year's Dragon Boat Festival might be the most festive one in his memory.
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