Chapter 21
The Joyson family lived in a run-down street, and their financial situation was certainly not very good. However, inviting a child younger than Joyson to dinner and adding a pair of chopsticks to the table was no problem for them.
From the kitchen came the sound of chopping vegetables and running water, accompanied by the faint sound of conversation. Jiang Yunu sat at the table, knowing that the topic would most likely revolve around her. Qiao Yisen must have something to explain and report to his mother, and some of the content would be inconvenient for her to hear. She maintained the highest respect for anyone who was willing to treat her to a meal, and stayed quietly in the outer room, not deliberately eavesdropping on other people's conversations.
Jiang Yunu just took a quick look at the cabin No. 78.
Every day when she went out and came home, Jiang Yunu would pass by her neighbor's door, but most of the time, she would see the lights in this small house turned off. She had never returned to this street at such an "early" time and seen her neighbor's house turn on the lights.
Judging from the structure of the house, Joyson's house is similar to the small, rubbish house where Jiang Yunu lives. Both are small two-story structures, and the area of each floor is not large.
But when you look inside the two houses, you can see that they are completely different.
The first floor of Jiang Yunu's empty garbage house remained much as it had been the first night she entered it—dust-covered and littered with remnants of what looked like ancient relics. Jiang Yunu spent two-thirds of her day out and about, so she considered the second floor her own. She had left the first floor untouched, never minding it, and never even considered cleaning it up.
As a result, when he walked into the house opposite and took a look at the first floor of his neighbor's house today, Jiang Yunu finally knew what a similar house would look like after being renovated.
Joyson's home possesses a cozy, yet confined, atmosphere. The small first floor is divided into three areas: the living room, the dining room, and the kitchen. The dining table is very close to both. It's covered not only with a washed-out floral tablecloth, but also with a harder, oil- and water-resistant, transparent plastic sheeting. These two layers of cloth protect the table well. Like the dining table and chairs, the other furnishings in the house reveal a sense of seldom replaced. Each piece bears visible signs of use, yet each has been meticulously cared for, a testament to the owner's meticulous attention to detail, extending the lifespan of his household items to the utmost.
Jiang Yunu only needed to take a look at the layout of this small home to know clearly that Joyce had a home that was not financially wealthy but rich in love.
Perhaps it is only in such a family that children are raised who are willing to take the initiative to talk to and help others, and who want to bring strangers they meet on the first day home for dinner.
The red-haired Ms. Jodais seemed to be rude to her son and even suspected of liking to "scare children", but she must be a person who is tough on the outside but gentle on the inside, and her enthusiasm for life has not been dampened by her not-so-good living conditions.
Jiang Yunu noticed that there was no trace of an adult male's belongings in the house, and she had a rough idea of what Joyce's family composition was like.
"Here comes the stew!"
Joyson's shout came from the kitchen, and the next second, a little red-haired boy walked out of the kitchen with a towel draped over his shoulders, like a waiter in an old TV drama, carrying a stew pot wrapped in an insulating pad.
Jiang Yunu stood up from his chair and gestured on the table: "Where should I put it? Do I need another insulation board or something like that?"
Qiao Yisen immediately ordered Jiang Yunu to sit down, saying, "No, no, hey, why are you standing up? Just sit where you are and wait for the meal to be served. Don't be busy."
The stew pot was placed in the center of the dining table. When the lid was opened, steam rose and the soup inside was still bubbling.
Qiao Yisen proudly introduced it to Jiang Yunu: "This is our family's specialty dish - 'Big Hot Pot'."
The so-called "hot pot" is actually to prepare the base in advance, then add all the ingredients at hand, and finally cook it into a pot of hodgepodge. Different ingredients are integrated with the hand-made soup, and in the later stage of cooking, the soup base is full of the freshness of various ingredients. It is a bit like an alternative hot pot.
Qiao Daisi came out of the kitchen carrying the two remaining stir-fries. After hearing her son's praise, she said, "I made them with the leftover ingredients at home. They may not taste that good, but they're worth eating."
Jiang Yunu tried to get up again, but she felt it was not a good idea to let someone carry two plates alone. Qiao Yisen was one step faster than her. He put his hand on her shoulder and pushed her back to the chair, then he stepped forward and took the plates.
"Don't listen to my mom's blind modesty," Joyson said as he arranged the dishes on the table. "She makes the best soup base in Chat City. I think any soup she makes with her shoe insoles would be delicious."
"Oh." Ms. Jodais raised an eyebrow, looking at her son who had entered the "brainless boasting" stage, with a half-smile on her face. "There's still some soup left in the kitchen. This little sister and I are having stew. Go take your insoles to the big pot in the kitchen and rinse them. You can have stewed insoles with your meal tonight."
“…” After Joyson finished arranging the stir-fry, he clasped his hands together and bowed to Qiao Daisi, “Mom, I was wrong.”
Ms. Qiao Daisi humphed and said, "Stop bragging and hurry up and get more rice and the dishes."
Jiang Yunu tried to stand up for the third time: "Then I..."
The red-haired mother and son said in unison: "Sit down."
"..." Jiang Yunu had no choice but to sit back in his chair and watch Qiao Yisen go to the kitchen to get bowls and add more rice.
Ms. Qiao Daisi sat down opposite Jiang Yunu. She had heard her son's account of Jiang Yunu's life story, and she looked at Jiang Yunu again carefully and as subtly as possible at the dining table.
Jiang Yunu generously allowed himself to be observed, and when their eyes met, he even smiled at Ms. Qiao Daisi.
"They didn't let me help at all, which made me feel a little embarrassed to eat such delicious food," said Jiang Yunu.
Jodaisi was amused. "You haven't even taken a single bite of the food yet, and Joeysen hasn't even brought the rice over yet, and you already know it's 'so delicious'?"
"But I have a nose," Jiang Yunu said. She tapped her chin against the pot and two plates on the table and made an exaggerated sniffing motion, taking a deep breath with her nose moving. "They smell so good. They really sound like they have the best strength in all of Chat City."
Qiao Daisi looked at Jiang Yunu sniffing around the stew pot and felt that this white-haired girl was a bit like a little animal. She could speak human language and had a very sweet mouth. She especially liked to attack people with her sweet words.
Because Jiang Yunu went on to say, "Aunt Daisy, if I say I support your son's opinion and that they smell incredibly delicious, I might become your 'brainless liar' after I actually eat them. Tomorrow I'll go out and say that Aunt Daisy's soup base is the best. You won't punish me by making me eat stewed insoles, will you?"
The corners of Qiao Daisi's mouth curled up so much that she could hardly suppress it. She coughed lightly and pretended to think seriously for two seconds: "Well... I think this kind of punishment should be borne by Qiao Yisen alone."
Joyce came out with his bowl of rice. He had heard everything that was going on outside from the kitchen. He shouted in grief and anger, "Mom?"
The voice revealed the injustice of having different fates for the same behavior.
Qiao Daisi glanced at her son and said, "What are you yelling about? Your biological weapon-like insoles, other than stewing them for yourself, do you have the nerve to let anyone else eat them?"
Joyson put the bowl down on the table, placing it first for Qiao Daisi, then for Jiang Yunu, and finally for himself. When he heard the question, he subconsciously answered, "Of course, I can't let anyone else eat it."
Then Joyson paused, sat down in the empty seat next to Jiang Yunu, and said with a sad face: "--But I can't eat it by myself."
Jiang Yunu once again suspected that Qiao Daisi really liked to scare her son for fun, and the fun of "scaring her son" was that Qiao Daisi's words might just be spoken casually, but Joeyson would take a cautious attitude to think carefully, and take what his mother said as true - for example, at the moment, Joeyson seemed to be really worried about the fate of "eating stewed insoles".
Joyson was the only one with a sad face, but the two ladies at the table couldn't help but smile.
Joyson's boasting is not all about the "parent-child filter", Ms. Joe Daisy's stew is really delicious.
Jiang Yunu scooped the first spoonful of stew onto the rice. The rich, golden broth instantly soaked into the white rice, coating it with an oily sheen. The abundant ingredients in the broth covered the rice, and even the roots of the stewed leafy greens absorbed the aroma of the broth. With one chopstick, he picked up the broth, rice, and vegetables, and his taste buds seemed to be instantly activated. The first bite was a pleasant aroma, and then he could distinguish its specific meaning. Jiang Yunu's eyes lit up as he ate.
Qiao Daisi had been observing Jiang Yunu. She didn't want to ask too much about the girl's personal affairs, so she focused on caring about her feelings about the dinner.
Seeing Jiang Yunu's reaction to the stew, Qiao Daisi asked, "Is it really that delicious?"
Jiang Yunu was so busy eating that her mouth was not very free. She didn't like talking while chewing, so she could only make affirmative sounds: "Hmm!"
The sight of guests actively eating makes the cook feel particularly comfortable.
After her mouth was finally free, Jiang Yunu told Qiao Daisi very seriously: "This is the most delicious meal I have ever eaten in Chat City."
Joyson chimed in, "Right? I can't even imagine what I'll do when I go to a junior school for supernatural powers and can only go home for dinner on weekends."
Jiang Yunu asked, "Is the elementary supernatural school a boarding school?"
Her knowledge in this area is far behind that of the locals. The recruitment advertisements that Jiang Yunu has seen recently mainly talk about tuition fees and admission rates, and she has hardly heard of any discussion about accommodation issues.
Joyson said, "Basically... all schools for supernatural powers require accommodation, right? Because schools are usually not built in the main city. They are either in the more remote suburbs, requiring a long shuttle bus ride to get there, or some are built directly in the near-star area, requiring a near-star flying car."
Jiang Yunu seemed to be lost in thought.
Joyson was so excited about the junior supernatural school that he couldn't help but tell Jiang Yunu a lot about the school at the dining table.
Time passed unknowingly, and in the end, it was Qiao Daisi who was careful. She glanced at the electronic clock in the living room and felt that it was a little late. She reminded him, "Joyson, isn't it time for you to take someone home?"
From what Joyson said before, Qiao Daisi knew that Jiang Yunu had his own home, but she didn't know where it was, and she assumed that her son should know.
Joyson glanced at the time and realized what his mother said was true. He immediately stood up and said, "Oh my God, it's so late - which building is your house? I'll take you home."
Qiao Daisi: “?” It seems like you don’t know where the other person lives, and you dare to keep him at home to chat for so long.
Ms. Jodais's eyebrows raised, and she seemed about to twist her son's ears again.
But before Joyson's ears were hurt again, Jiang Yunu quickly stood up and refused to be sent away.
"No need to see me off." Jiang Yunu pointed to the door opposite. "We're very close. I live across the street."
Joyson: “…”
Joyson: “?!”
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