Chapter 237: He clearly knows how to eat.
People gradually arrived at the dining room.
Everyone who entered the dining room couldn't help but glance at the main table.
The Shen family has strict family traditions, and when the extended family gathers for meals, they always sit separately.
Men sit at one table with men, women sit at one table with women, and children sit at one table with children.
But at this moment, there was a short, chubby little child on the main table, holding onto the edge of the table with his little hands, his bright eyes wide open, gazing at the delicious food on the table and swallowing his saliva.
She clearly wanted to eat, but since not everyone had arrived, she obediently sat in her seat, smelling the delicious aroma in the air, her little feet dangling from the edge of the chair, swinging back and forth impatiently.
As people sat down at the main table, they couldn't help but glance at her.
Soon, everyone had arrived.
As the head of the family, Mr. Shen took his seat last and said, "Let's start eating."
Only after he finished speaking did everyone pick up their chopsticks.
Mao Mao's arms are too short to reach the food, so Shen Zhaolin helps her pick it up.
"Thank you, Uncle."
"You're welcome." Shen Zhaolin asked with great concern, "Mao Mao, what do you like to eat? I'll get it for you."
Mao Mao: "Uncle, I like to eat them all."
She's not picky about food at all; she enjoys everything she eats.
No matter what Shen Zhaolin put on her plate, she ate it all up.
The little girl had a good appetite and was in high spirits; just watching her eat made one's mouth water. Besides, the meal in front of them was specially prepared by a chef from a restaurant, and it was already quite delicious.
Mr. Shen was already quite old and didn't have a very good appetite.
But the little girl was sitting right across from him. Every time he looked up, he could see her round little face. Before he knew it, he had taken a few more bites of the food in front of him.
Father Shen couldn't help but look at it a few more times in surprise.
Upon closer inspection, he saw his youngest son attentively serving the young girl, not only picking out food for her but also removing fish bones from her plate.
He had never seen his son serve anyone like this since the day he was born.
"Zhaolin," Uncle Shen, who was sitting at the same table, spoke first, "take this child to Zhaoyan's wife's table."
Hearing this, Sister Shen from the next table put down her chopsticks and came over to hug the person.
"Second Uncle, Mao Mao is my guest." Shen Zhaolin gently declined, "I'll take care of her, no need to trouble you, sister-in-law."
Uncle Shen said, "Her presence here is causing a lot of trouble."
Shen Zhaolin: "How could that be? Mao Mao is very well-behaved and won't affect anyone else."
Mao Mao looked over with her round, chubby cheeks, her eyes wide open, and she was still chewing food in her mouth.
Uncle Shen said disapprovingly, "How can you let a child sit at the main table? Zhaolin, today is your birthday. Inviting a child is already outrageous, but to expect her to take care of you is simply absurd."
Lou Yansui also put down her chopsticks at the children's table.
Shen Zhaolin took Mao Mao to the main table, but not him. He was already unhappy about sitting separately from his sister, and now someone was causing trouble for Mao Mao?
Lou Yansui put down his chopsticks and was about to stand up when Shen Zhuoying, who was sitting next to him, quickly pressed him down and said in a low voice, "My third uncle is here."
Shen Zhaolin also stopped smiling: "Second Uncle, Mao Mao is my friend."
"Ha." Uncle Shen sneered, "Lou Wenshan's daughter, a little kid? Zhaolin, the friends you make are getting less and less discerning."
Shen Zhaolin's breathing became heavier, but considering that the other party was an elder, he could only hold back and say, "Second Uncle, I've been an adult for a long time and I know how to make friends."
Uncle Shen remained noncommittal.
He picked up the small wine glass in front of him, slowly took a sip, but his expression showed disapproval.
“Zhaolin, I am your elder and know more than you. I only reminded you of this because I was kind.”
Mao Mao blinked, swallowed the food in her mouth, and asked, "Grandpa, can you shoot a gun?"
Uncle Shen: "What?"
Mao Mao: "My dad can shoot! He's amazing! He hits the bullseye every time! Bang bang~"
Uncle Shen: "..."
Uncle Shen's face darkened: "All you do is brandish knives and guns, you're just a brute, crude and uncouth."
Mao Mao asked in confusion, "Grandpa, what can you do?"
Uncle Shen stroked his white beard: "I have a basic understanding of the classics, histories, philosophical works, and literary collections."
Mao Mao couldn't understand his humility.
Shen Zhaolin explained from the side, "My second uncle sometimes writes articles."
Uncle Shen snorted, his face full of arrogance.
"Oh!" Mao Mao exclaimed excitedly, "Grandpa, was your story published in the newspaper too?"
"……What?"
"My brother! My brother writes stories in the newspaper!" Mao Mao proudly raised her chubby chin and said, "Tens of thousands of people read my brother's stories every day, Grandpa, do you know how many tens of thousands is?"
"..."
"That's hundreds of hundreds, so many!"
Shen Zhaolin said gently, "Although my second uncle has written many articles, he rarely shows them to outsiders."
"Huh? Why?"
Shen Zhaolin: "It might not meet the submission standards."
Uncle Shen: "…………"
Mao Mao thought for a moment and then comforted him, "Grandpa, it's okay, you can still eat. My mom said that being able to eat is really impressive."
"..."
"Pfft!"
The children at the next table couldn't help but burst into laughter several times. When Uncle Shen glared at them sternly, he saw that all the younger generation were sitting upright, their eyes fixed straight ahead.
Uncle Shen was so angry that his beard trembled: "Zhao Lin... this is the guest you invited!"
Shen Zhaolin said good-naturedly, "Second Uncle, I think that is indeed an advantage."
For example, the children he invited.
You can tell she's a good eater.
Uncle Shen Er glared and puffed out his beard: "Zhao Lin, you..."
"Alright," Father Shen said sternly, "Today is Zhao Lin's birthday. As an elder, you should be more accommodating to him."
"Big brother?!"
Father Shen: "He's not wrong either; your article is indeed utter nonsense."
Uncle Shen's face turned bright red, especially behind his beard.
He trembled, his white beard leaving afterimages.
Mao Mao opened his eyes wide, and just when he thought the grandfather was about to faint, he stood up angrily and left his seat.
Only after his figure disappeared outside the dining room did bursts of suppressed laughter erupt from all directions.
The kids at the table were laughing the most.
Shen Zhuoying whispered to Lou Yansui, "Our second grandfather likes to act like an old man and likes to lecture children. We all dislike him... By the way, who was the person your sister mentioned writing stories in the newspaper?"
Lou Yansui: "Me."
Shen Zhuoying: "..."
He silently lowered his head and ate his rice.
They're both sixteen, how come there's such a big difference?
Comparing yourself to others is truly infuriating!
At the main table, Mao Mao tugged at Uncle Chen's sleeve, her eyes sparkling as she pointed to the spare ribs far away from her: "Uncle, Mao Mao wants to eat this."
"good."
Shen Zhaolin stood up and served her some food.
A large piece of braised pork ribs, which Mao Mao grabbed in her hand and gnawed on, her little hands getting all greasy.
After she finished eating, she raised her little hand, and Shen Zhaolin patiently wiped the sauce off her little hand.
The two, one big and one small, worked together seamlessly, with a gentle smile in Shen Zhaolin's eyes, showing a tacit understanding even better than that of a biological child.
Someone at the table saw this and suddenly had an idea: "Zhaolin, you like children so much, why don't you get married again while you're still young and have one yourself?"
"Yes, you're not young either. When your older brothers were your age, they already had several children."
"Your wife left early, and she didn't leave you any children..."
“My wife has a niece who is a fan of your books. I’ll have my wife invite her to our house another day.”
Shen Zhaolin was slightly taken aback, then shook his head and said, "No need, I have no such idea."
hold head high?
With her big, bright eyes wide open and her ears perked up, Mao Mao listened to the adults talking while eating.
Tell Mao Mao any stories you have.
"Zhaolin, I know you cherish the past, but what will happen after you pass away?"
From the children's table came Shen Chuoying's voice: "I'll support my third uncle!"
Shen Zhaolin chuckled: "I'm still young, I'm not in a hurry for these things. Right now I want to devote more of my energy to education."
"but……"
"Thank you for your concern, uncles. I already have a plan for these matters."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com