"Second brother, tell me about the family situation," Tianxuan said with a smile and a nod.
"Okay, what do you want to know?" Ye Liangcheng asked.
My younger brother is coming home, so it's normal for him to want to know more about the family situation.
"Besides Mother, did Father have any concubines? I mean, besides the four of us born to Mother, did Father have any other children?" Tianxuan asked after thinking for a moment.
So that's what the concern was. Ye Liangcheng understood his brother's intentions very well: "Father is a devoted man and doesn't like women, so so far he's only had our mother."
"We four brothers are all here."
Upon hearing this, Tianxuan's expression visibly relaxed considerably.
"Second brother, this skewer is ready, you can try it first." Tianxuan picked up a skewer of grilled meat and handed it over.
Ye Liangcheng felt happy when he heard his fourth brother call him second brother, and he was even happier when he saw that his brother gave him the first skewer of grilled meat.
Sure enough, coming here was the right thing to do. Look, even before my fourth brother officially returned home, my relationship with him was already the best.
Having received the skewers, I was prepared to act happy no matter how good or bad they were. However, when my eyes fell on the skewers in my hand and I saw what was on them, my expression cracked: "These are bugs?"
On the thin bamboo skewers were six golden-brown insects, some of which were plump to begin with, and others that had expanded after being roasted, with slight cracks on their shells.
After he arrived, his attention was entirely on his fourth brother, and he was thinking about how to chat with him and how to respond to his brother's words.
I didn't even notice what my fourth brother was busy rummaging through.
He suddenly remembered what his father had said: his fourth brother had been kidnapped by the Black Impermanence and made to beg, but he was never full. So, in order not to starve to death, he would find his own way to find food to fill his stomach.
"This is called a woodworm, also known as a pine worm or white barn worm. It specifically bores into pine trees, making it a natural enemy of pine trees. However, it is also a medicinal herb, with the effects of clearing heat, detoxifying, dispersing nodules, and reducing swelling."
Some people also eat this to relieve indigestion in their children. Although it's an insect, it feeds on tree trunks, so it's a very clean insect. Second Brother, you've never eaten it before, right? Feel free to try it." Tianxuan explained as she methodically continued grilling the skewers on the grill.
After hearing what his younger brother said, Ye Liangcheng no longer felt disgusted or uncomfortable looking at the insect in his hand.
If a worm gnaws at a pine tree, it's a bad insect, and you feel no guilt about eating it.
Although he was considered a mischievous boy in the family, climbing trees to find bird eggs to boil and eat, and catching cicadas in the summer to roast and eat, he had never eaten this kind of insect before.
Seeing his younger brother turn to look at him, Ye Liangcheng quickly brought the insect to his mouth, biting off a piece. Hmm? The outer shell was roasted to a slightly crispy texture, while the inside was tender. It smelled quite good!
After finishing a skewer of roasted woodworms in the blink of an eye, I saw a smile on my younger brother's face.
Ye Liangcheng knew that his actions had won his younger brother's approval.
Don't underestimate the act of eating a few roasted insects; for the younger brother, it might be the most effective way to get close.
"These are done grilling. Could you please take them over to everyone, Second Brother?" Tianxuan said to her Second Brother as she placed the grilled skewers on a rectangular tray lined with parchment paper.
"Okay!" Ye Liangcheng immediately replied, rolled up his sleeves, picked up the tray, and swallowed hard as he smelled the delicious aroma.
Watching her second brother walk away, Tianxuan raised an eyebrow. This kind of family seemed pretty good.
After placing the skewers on the long table, Ye Liangcheng immediately walked towards his fourth brother.
Tian Shu and Tian Ji, who were sitting down, glanced at Hong Xiaoduo. Seeing her shaking her head with a smile, they had no choice but to obediently sit down and eat their skewers.
In the past, they were the ones who did this, but after Xiaoduo saw Tianxuan's brother walk over, she stopped them from going over, giving the brothers a chance to get to know each other.
At the long table, the other two Ye brothers were also taken aback when they saw the wood worm.
The third brother, Ye Liangxian, was eager to try something he had never eaten before, while the eldest brother, Ye Liangwen, didn't want to. But it was no use not wanting to, because a cute little girl was super enthusiastic: "Big brother, try it, roasted woodworms, they smell so good."
The soft, chubby little girl's eyes were filled with an intense, expectant gaze—how could Ye Liangwen resist? By the time he realized what was happening, she had already reached out and taken the roasted insect!
"Big brother, you have to dip it in the sauce like this before eating. Mmm, it's so delicious!" Ye Liangxian nudged his older brother with his elbow, reminding him and gesturing for him to do it the same way.
Watching his third brother eat a roasted worm with a satisfied look on his face, Ye Liangwen thought to himself, "My third brother has become sensible and knows how to get closer to these people."
If you get along well with them, they will help you persuade your fourth brother to accept returning to the Ye family.
Well, if my third brother is so sensible, I, as the eldest brother, can't be worse than my two younger brothers!
Thinking this, Ye Liangwen endured the discomfort and took a bite of a roasted worm. Wow! It's really delicious!
Before they were grilled, the tray looked piled high with skewers of caterpillars, which seemed like a lot. But once they were grilled and served, even though each person only got two skewers, it still wasn't enough.
Lan Zechen didn't expect that Hong Xiaoduo and the others included not only themselves when they ate the barbecue, but also their four subordinates.
See, that's what makes her special.
She knew a high-ranking official of the second rank and had even met the real emperor. This was just the tip of the iceberg of what she knew. Yet, she still didn't categorize people into different classes.
In her eyes, people seem to fall into only two categories: good people and bad people.
She truly treats everyone around her equally.
Hong Xiaoduo looked at the second young master of the Ye family standing next to Tianxuan, thought for a moment, and then asked Tianshu to find a small square table and a chair to move over.
Without her saying anything more, the other children immediately brought the dipping sauce, chopsticks, and milk tea to the two children.
Then they all tacitly returned to their long tables and sat down. This was the quietest time the kids had eaten barbecue skewers today.
Tianquan looked at the three Ye brothers and felt a little uncomfortable. Even if they were to be recognized a few days later, Tianxuan would eventually have to return to their Ye family mansion.
Once Tianxuan goes back, they can cultivate their relationship however they want, right? Why do they have to take up the time they should spend with Tianxuan?
Despite his displeasure, Tianquan forced himself to keep quiet. He wasn't afraid of offending the three sons of the prefect's family, but he didn't want to upset his second brother, Tianxuan.
While eating, Xiao Yaoguang kept glancing longingly at Tianxuan. Hong Xiaoduo saw all of this, and the children's thoughtfulness made her feel sad.
He got up and walked over to Tianxuan, saying, "Aren't there any skewers we haven't taken out yet?"
Upon hearing this, Tianxuan glanced at the skewers that weren't finished grilling on the table beside her, blinked, and seemed to realize something, but looked uncertainly at Hong Xiaoduo and said, "It seems there are still some...should we go get them..."
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