Chapter 53
Summer comes late in the north.
The fact that short sleeves cannot be worn during the May Day holiday is a bit unusual for young Master Jiang, who can wear short sleeves almost all year round.
"Hang in there a little longer..." Lu Mingxiao said to Jiang Huaiyu while throwing laundry detergent pods into the washing machine, "Summer here is like this, it comes suddenly and then it's gone just as suddenly. Jiang Xiaoyu, by summer vacation, we'll have known each other for a whole year!"
Jiang Huaiyu paused for a moment, then seemed to realize something.
It's only been a year?
It feels like so many things I never imagined have happened.
From discovering that he was not his parents' biological child, to arriving in this small northern town, and then accepting where he came from, he gained double the affection.
besides……
Lu Mingxiao.
He doesn't know what the next year will bring, but one thing is certain: the boy who was destined to be inextricably linked to him from the day he was born has been firmly written into his future plans.
They can spend the entire senior year of high school together. After that, Jiang Huaiyu will most likely go abroad, while Lu Mingxiao will get into a decent university, and the two may have a long-distance relationship for a while...
However, at that time, as two adults, they would have more freedom, and they could travel together during holidays and go to many places.
Perhaps during his graduate studies, Lu Mingxiao could go abroad to study, and the two of them could rent a small apartment in a foreign country...
However, they would have to return to China sooner or later to face the pressure from their families. Neither he nor Lu Mingxiao had ever said it, but they both tacitly understood that they never intended to hide their relationship forever.
I wonder how fierce the storms will be back then.
It's too early to think about these things now. Jiang Huaiyu flicked a wad of calculation paper off the table, as if flicking away his anxiety.
He was so happy at the moment that he abandoned the principle of "a person who does not plan for the future will have trouble in the present" and just wanted to indulge in this happiness.
Lu Mingxiao entered the bedroom and bent down to pick up the crumpled paper from the floor.
"Hey Jiang, is the trash can that far? Besides, your shooting accuracy is so good, can't you go easy on me..."
"Brother Xiao, I like you so much."
Lu Mingxiao: "...That's too much! You're cheating!"
Jiang Huaiyu twisted her waist, leaned on the back of the chair, and smiled at him.
Like a cunning and lazy cat.
Lu Mingxiao couldn't help but smile. He threw the crumpled paper into the trash can, walked over, bent down, and tilted his head to look at him: "So happy? What's the good news? Tell me?"
There was nothing he couldn't say. Jiang Huaiyu doodled on the draft paper while telling him about his visions for the future. However, it was one thing to think about it in his mind, but he felt a strange sense of shame when he said it out loud. So he stopped after a few words and didn't get to the part about "after returning to China".
Lu Mingxiao listened with eyes full of longing.
"That's right. If we studied abroad together, we could rent our own place. Tsk, wouldn't that be a must..."
Jiang Huaiyu: ...
He bristled, his ears burning red: "What are you doing? Who told you you have to?!"
"Cooking, huh? Those online jokes say that all the 'foreigners' are doing wilderness survival..." Lu Mingxiao looked at Jiang Huaiyu, completely bewildered. Seeing the blush spreading from her ears to her cheeks and neck, he suddenly realized, "You...you mean, cook...cook..."
"Don't say that!" Jiang Huaiyu stood up abruptly: "I... I'm going to check if Bone has finished eating Tiger Cub!"
Upon thinking of that word, Lu Mingxiao blushed and awkwardly got up to walk towards the bathroom: "Then...then I'll go check if the washing machine has run away..."
...
Jiang Huaiyu rubbed the dog's head outside for a while, let the wind blow on it, and felt that her face wasn't so hot anymore. Then she casually went inside. As soon as she entered the living room, she saw Lu Mingxiao hiding in front of the open refrigerator door, quietly taking things out.
"I've finished my ice cream..." Jiang Huaiyu said softly, unable to hide her guilty conscience.
“I know you’ve finished eating, Jiang Xiaobao. Did you really think you could sneak away without getting away with it? Even in this small room, with the blankets on, I could hear a little mouse stealing food.”
The tone was light and indulgent, and Jiang Huaiyu felt his ears burning again. He curiously leaned forward and asked, "So what exactly are you looking for?"
"Found it!" Lu Mingxiao took out a bag of frozen pork ribs: "They're fresh! We'll have sweet and sour pork ribs tonight!"
Jiang Huaiyu asked in confusion, "Is Mom going to leave work early? Should I ask you to thaw the frozen meat first?"
"Of course not, I'll make it for you." Lu Mingxiao stood up, carrying the small bag of ribs, and confidently raised his chin: "Jiang Xiaoyu, watch me show you my skills!"
Jiang Huaiyu: ...
I'm a little worried you might burn your hand.
Jiang Huaiyu was a little surprised when she first learned that Lu Mingxiao couldn't cook, since Lu Mingxiao was the kind of child who "took on the responsibilities early" and had been helping Li Qing with the renovations since he was very young.
Imagine that Lu Chuan cannot cook because of his lung disease and the fumes, while Li Qing has to cook after a long day of work. How could Lu Mingxiao not lend a hand?
He looked at Lu Mingxiao searching for recipes for sweet and sour pork ribs and couldn't help but ask a question.
"Mom absolutely forbids me from cooking." Lu Mingxiao said helplessly, "At first, I couldn't reach the gas stove. After I could, Luo Gui's accident happened, and I got injured. Mom was heartbroken and wouldn't let me cook anymore, but..."
Jiang Huaiyu watched him put the raft into the water to thaw, and asked curiously, "But?"
"However, according to my analysis, Mom's reluctance to let me cook might be related to her childhood experiences. Her grandmother passed away early, and no one cared for her. She started doing housework, washing clothes, and cooking at a very young age, so..."
Jiang Huaiyu understood.
Therefore, Li Qing did not want her child to pick up a spatula at a young age. Even if it was hard on her, she would do her best to love Lu Mingxiao, just as she could raise her own childhood again.
“I’ve thought about it. I need to learn how to cook properly this summer. You’re a picky eater. You don’t like the cafeteria, and you’re worried about hygiene when you eat out. Home-cooked meals are better.” Lu Mingxiao started boiling water in a pot, preparing to blanch the ribs according to the recipe. He reached out and took down the dog apron hanging on the rack and put it on. “Don’t worry, although I’ve never cooked before, I often help Mom in the kitchen. I think it’ll be fine.”
However, some problems still arose.
When Lu Mingxiao was frying ribs, oil splattered onto the back of his hand. He didn't say anything, but added the ribs to the prepared sauce and stir-fried them. Finally, he added water and covered the pot with the lid before calmly dealing with his hand. By the time Jiang Huaiyu noticed, several blisters had already formed on the back of his hand.
Jiang Huaiyu took out burn ointment from the first-aid kit and pressed Lu Mingxiao down on the sofa in an annoyed tone: "Sit still. Do you think one sweet and sour pork rib isn't enough? Do you want to add some braised chicken feet?"
"It's just a minor injury..." Lu Mingxiao was glared at, a glare that was both angry and reproachful. He straightened his posture and obediently extended his paw: "Please, Dr. Jiang, use your miraculous skills to heal me."
Jiang Huaiyu took the small stool and disinfected the hand she held.
Lu Mingxiao leaned forward, resting his other elbow on his knee, and looked at Jiang Huaiyu with his chin in his hand.
Jiang Xiaoyu's eyelashes are really long, like the trembling wings of a butterfly.
As he watched, he couldn't resist stretching out two fingers to try and catch the little butterfly, but Jiang Huaiyu slapped his paw hard, and he finally calmed down.
The living room of the small house was a bit cramped, but clean and tidy. The early summer sun shone on the old floor, and the scratches on the floor were filled with the warmth of time. The silhouettes of the two boys were also outlined by the sunlight, and their shadows overlapped on the ground.
Lu Chuan stood at the door, looking at his two sons sitting on the sofa. He frowned slightly, and his unease grew stronger. He felt that something was not right, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.
That evening, Li Qing returned home, travel-worn, and was treated to sweet and sour pork ribs made by Lu Mingxiao, cold cabbage salad by Jiang Huaiyu, and an egg drop soup.
The sweet and sour pork ribs were a bit too sweet, and the cold cabbage salad was a bit too salty, but Li Qing was still overjoyed, praising the two children non-stop and eating an extra big bowl of rice.
She had to get up early the next day to continue working on the project in the next city. After eating and taking a shower, she went to bed early to rest. Lu Chuan also went to bed with her schedule, feeling refreshed from the moisture.
He took a small box from under his pillow and handed it to Li Qing, his eyes, now showing fine lines, curving into a smile: "Open it and see if you like it."
"Of course I like it..." Li Qing smiled and gave her opinion before even opening it. She naturally leaned towards Lu Chuan, resting on his not-so-broad shoulder, and held up the small box: "It's not a holiday or an anniversary, what kind of gift is this?"
"I bought it for you because I wanted to."
Li Qing opened the small box, inside was a gold ring, with a rather simple design and a rather heavy weight.
"My God, Brother Chuan, you finally made money in the business world?" Li Qing picked up the ring, her eyes shining.
Lu Chuan's ears burned: "You're a mother now, don't talk nonsense."
He was about to reach out and put it on her when Li Qing, who couldn't wait any longer, put it on herself and looked at it happily under the light.
His wife's strong drive wasn't a good thing either, so Lu Chuan had no choice but to back down.
"What a pity, my hands aren't pretty..."
"It looks good." Lu Chuan held her hand and gently massaged her slightly deformed joints, feeling a little uneasy.
Li Qing slipped into bed with the ring on, her eyes and brows brimming with smiles: "Wear it to sleep, but take it off for work tomorrow, don't let me scratch it..."
Lu Chuan reached out and turned off the bedside lamp, then turned to embrace Li Qing.
He was having trouble sleeping; the scene he'd witnessed during the day kept replaying in his mind. The two children were just treating the burns normally, but he couldn't quite describe the feeling; something just felt off…
In the dim light of the night, he patted his wife's back: "Honey, don't you think... Da Bao and Xiao Bao's relationship is a little too good?"
"What are you saying?" Li Qing, feeling sleepy, muttered a complaint: "It's so good that they're like this. It's like they grew up together. You have no idea how happy I am every day. Just thinking about my two wonderful sons gives me endless energy..."
Lu Chuan: ...
Yes, could it be that he's overthinking things?
What exactly is wrong?
Author's Note:
I know I still owe three thousand, I'll go write [Please] right now.
[Cat paw] Sending red envelopes~
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com