Chapter 216 Honey and Oil
Gu Yan looked at Ruan Wenjing beside him: "I always said my brother and sister-in-law have such a sweet and loving relationship, you didn't see it before..."
Gu Xiao's gaze swept over.
Gu Yan immediately shut up, shrugged, and gave Ruan Wenjing a 'see' look.
Ruan Wenjing smiled, then lowered her head and took another sip of tea.
She thought to herself, this fifth brother is just as Gu Yan said, he's very cold outside, but he's a completely different person when he's at home with his sister-in-law.
Outside the window, the sound of firecrackers grew more frequent.
When Gu Xiao asked about their journey, Ruan Wenjing said it was her first time flying...
Seeing that everyone was chatting happily, Nan Zhiyi stood up and said softly, "You guys keep chatting, I'm going to the kitchen to see how Sister Zhang is doing. She should be going home soon."
She walked into the kitchen, where Sister Zhang was serving the last dish of braised chicken with chestnuts onto a plate. The bamboo mat by the stove was covered with round dumplings, clearly divided into two piles.
"On the left is cabbage and pork, on the right is three kinds of seafood, there are enough of them."
"Okay, I got it."
Nan Zhiyi agreed and, together with Sister Zhang, brought several hot dishes and cold platters to the table, setting out the bowls, chopsticks, and wine glasses.
"Sister Zhang, hurry back, it's already dark, and your family is waiting for you."
"And these dumplings..."
"Don't worry, cooking dumplings is easy, I can do it."
Nan Zhiyi escorted Sister Zhang to the door, took out a thick red envelope that she had prepared in advance from the cabinet in the entryway, and then picked up the wrapped snacks and fruits, stuffing them into Sister Zhang's hand, saying, "You've worked hard all year, take this, and have a Happy New Year."
Sister Zhang thanked her repeatedly, her face beaming with smiles, and hurriedly left with her things.
Nan Zhiyi returned to the restaurant and greeted everyone, "Come on, let's eat."
The food was piping hot, and the atmosphere was relaxed.
Gu Xiao picked up a bottle of Arctic Ocean soda and asked Gu Yan, "Want some? I'll keep you company. If you don't want any, I won't stand on ceremony." He wasn't a big drinker, especially at home.
Gu Yan quickly waved his hand, a bitter look on his face: "No, brother. I'm really tired of drinking in the south. I can't do business without alcohol. When I come back, I just want to eat some home-cooked food and drink something sweet."
As he spoke, he pointed to the soda bottle.
Gu Xiao stopped mentioning it, took the bottle and filled his glass, saying, "Enough is enough."
He even poured a little bit into Xiaoman's little cup, which she was eagerly watching. The little girl immediately picked up the cup and sipped it, her eyes sparkling.
"Wenjing, don't be shy. I don't know if it suits your taste," Nan Zhiyi said.
Ruan Wenjing picked up a piece of bok choy with her chopsticks, chewed it slowly, and said with a smile, "It suits my taste, sister-in-law. The food where I'm from tends to be sweet, but the food here is savory and delicious. I'm not picky."
As she spoke, she naturally used serving chopsticks to place a piece of braised beef, which Gu Yan seemed to have glanced at twice, on his plate. She also filled a small bowl halfway with tofu and vermicelli soup and gently placed it beside him.
Gu Yan was talking to Gu Xiao when he casually picked up the bottle and took a sip, continuing to recount his experiences in the South as if it were commonplace.
Throughout the meal, Ruan Wenjing seemed to pay close attention to Gu Yan's needs, refilling his drinks and handing him tissues with practiced ease.
Gu Yan accepted it calmly, only occasionally responding with a word or two.
Gu Xiao sat next to Xiao Man, peeling shrimp for him and carefully cutting them into small pieces. Xiao Man ate with gusto, his mouth greasy with oil.
After they had almost finished eating, Nan Zhiyi stood up and said, "I'll go cook some dumplings, it'll be quick."
Gu Xiao stood up almost simultaneously, "Let's go together."
In the kitchen, Nan Zhiyi added water to a large pot, put the lid on, and turned on the gas stove.
Blue flames leaped up, licking the bottom of the pot.
Gu Xiao washed his hands and stood behind her. The kitchen was small, and his breath brushed against her hair.
"Honey, you've worked hard."
Nan Zhiyi turned to look at him, "What important thing have I done? What's so hard about it?"
Gu Xiao wrapped his arms around her waist and said softly, "I don't know why, but I'm always worried that you'll get tired no matter what you do."
She teased, "Then next time I say I'm so tired, you should..."
He instantly understood what she meant. "That won't do."
Nan Zhiyi glared at him.
The water quickly boiled and bubbled, filling the air with white steam.
Nan Zhiyi lifted the lid of the pot, and a wave of heat hit her face.
"Be careful, it's hot." Gu Xiao took the spoon from her hand. "I'll do it, you keep an eye on the heat."
Nan Zhiyi stepped aside and watched him deftly put the dumplings in the pan. After adding water three times, the dumplings floated to the surface, round and plump.
She gave him a thumbs up and praised him: "Our Minister Gu is so good at making dumplings!"
Gu Xiao took out one hand and pinched her chin, "Give me a few more compliments..."
Nan Zhiyi dodged his hand and went to get the plate.
When the dumplings were served, Gu Yan heard that they were cooked by his brother and praised them, saying, "I never thought I would get to eat dumplings cooked by my brother himself."
Gu Xiao focused on blowing on the dumplings to cool them down for Xiaoman, ignoring his younger brother's flattery.
After dinner, the group moved to the living room sofa to drink tea and chat, listening to festive music and excerpts from model operas playing on the radio.
Gu Yan leaned back lazily on the sofa, looked around, and suddenly asked, "Hey, brother, Zhiyi, why don't you buy a TV? My brother's allowance should be quite high, right? Getting a ticket shouldn't be too hard, right? Listening to the radio is so boring."
Nan Zhiyi was peeling an apple when she heard this and paused almost imperceptibly. She lowered her head and didn't say anything, but handed the peeled apple to Ruan Wenjing first.
Gu Xiao's expression remained unchanged, and he replied calmly, "I haven't had a chance to check. Is everything going well in the South?"
Seeing that his brother had changed the subject, Gu Yan followed up by briefly talking about the difficulties of doing business and his experiences.
Ruan Wenjing occasionally added, "Brother Yan is very capable. He has managed to negotiate with many difficult clients. It's just that he works very hard and his meals are always irregular."
Gu Yan smiled indifferently and patted the back of her hand.
By almost 10 p.m., Xiaoman had already started to doze off like a chicken pecking at rice.
Gu Xiao then said, "We don't have so many old rules in our family. You've all had a long day, so get some rest. The rooms are ready. Gu Yan, you can sleep in the guest room downstairs, and Wen Jing can sleep in the room upstairs. The toiletries are all in the bathroom; they're all new."
They both nodded in agreement.
Nan Zhiyi took out a prepared red envelope and handed it to Ruan Wenjing: "Wenjing, this is a small token of my appreciation from your brother and sister-in-law since it's your first time visiting our home. Please accept it."
Ruan Wenjing looked at Gu Yan, who smiled and gestured with his chin for her to accept the gift. She accepted it with a slightly shy expression and said softly, "Thank you, sister-in-law, thank you, brother."
Gu Yan leaned closer, grinning as he reached out to Nan Zhiyi, "Sister-in-law, where's mine?"
Nan Zhiyi glanced at him, took out a thinner red envelope, and slapped it into his hand: "Hey, how could I forget yours? I wish you a prosperous new year."
Gu Yan clutched the red envelope, beaming with joy: "My sister-in-law is the best!"
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