Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
Yun Nan smiled and said nothing. Shi Nian patted her head and then ruffled her hair. The two of them didnât need to announce their love or say anything; the others could tell they were a loving couple just from their conversation. Coupled with the easy, calm, and peaceful expressions they exchanged between them, they made a beautiful picture together.
Xiao Zhao was the first to speak up. âDirector Yun, this is amazing! I canât believe you actually made all these dishes. It really blew my mind! Youâre incredible! Amazing!â Xiao Zhao gave her a thumbs up.
Si Kun also chimed in, âTo be honest, the two of us were slightly worried about how lunch would turn out; we were prepared to cook noodles for everyone when we came back, but we didnât expect to see such a feast spread out before us when we returned. Just look at this selection of food! There are meats and veggies, cold dishes and hot dishes, foods stir-fried and braised. Even Xiao
Zhao and I donât have the skills to make all this. Iâm impressed, Director Yun. Thank you for your hard work today!â
Yun Nan chuckled, âYou can just call me Yun Nan. Why donât we all try the food and see if it tastes good?â
Hearing that, everyone started eating. Immediately after, a series of âwowâs could be heard.
âThis is so delicious!â
âOh my god, you have to try the pork ribs. Theyâre so tasty! Xiao Zhao, theyâre better than yours!â
âTry the beef! Itâs so tender and smooth!â
Yun Nan silently scooped a bowl of soup for Shi Nian amidst the praises. She made it a routine for Shi Nian to drink soup before meals to nourish his stomach.
Shi Xiu didnât care about such things. She picked up a chicken wing and started eating. As she ate, she mumbled, â1 wasnât lying when I said my sister-in-law is a great cook. Yun Nan is amazing, isnât she? She also makes beautiful dumplings; they come in all kinds of shapes!â
Shi Xiu shared her sister-in-lawâs qualities with childish glee. Yun Nan reached across Shi Nian to pat Shi Xiu before she smilingly chided, âEat properly! Donât talk with your mouth full!â
âOkay,â Shi Xiu responded and focused on demolishing the chicken wings.
Yan Tang praised, âNo wonder Shi Xiu is so proud when she mentions you, Yun Nan. If I had a sister-in-law like you, I would show off even more than she did.â
Yun Nan picked up the stir-fried Chinese kale before her with the serving chopsticks and placed it in Yan Tangâs bowl, remarking, âYan Tang, I remember you have a song called âKale Without Garlic.â I made this dish especially for you.â
Yan Tang was stunned. âYouâve heard my songs?â
Yun Nan smiled and nodded. âMy family used to run a small restaurant in town.
We had speakers at the entrance. My dad likes to listen to folk music so⦠Yan Tang, Xiao Zhao, and Le Chao, I listened to your music every day. I donât know all the lyrics, but I can hum along.â The three music artists felt moved when they heard that.
âYour family owned a small restaurant?â Si Kun asked curiously. âArenât theyâIâ He stared at Yun Liu, who was silently and timidly eating her food.
âOh, I mean my adoptive parents,â Yun Nan replied frankly.
âOh, youâre so great at cooking because your family used to run a restaurant, right?â Xiao Zhao stated in realization.
Yun Nan nodded and laughed. âYeah. When I was young, I would do my homework in the shop after school. After I finished my homework, I would help my parents out. My parents said their fatigue would disappear whenever they saw me. Therefore, my childhood dream was to grow up quickly and learn to cook so my parents could take a break.â
Yun Nan spoke very candidly. Everyone could see the nostalgia on her face as she talked about her childhood. Shi Nian placed some food into her bowl, and Yun Nan automatically ate them before she turned around and smiled at him.
Yun Nan had Shi Xiuâs sweetness as well as Yun Liuâs elegance, but her composed and concise charm was something those two couldnât match. Her bright light couldnât be masked in the slightest, even by the dazzling Shi Nian sitting beside her. She could make people feel calm and happy just by sitting there; everyone had a good impression of her.
âYou said they âused toâ run a restaurant, so what are they doing now?â Hai Hua asked. âYou didnât take over their small restaurant. Are they retired?â
Yun Nan gave her a faint smile and lowered her eyes as she answered, âTheyâre gone. â
Everyone fell silent at that. Le Chao softly remarked, âI can relate⦠I used to think that I could give my parents the best life when I became successful. However, they⦠passed away before I managed to achieve anything. As the saying goes, âtime and tide wait for no man,â so those of you who still have parents around should really visit them more often, love them, and cherish them. You donât want to have regrets. If I had the chance to choose again, I would choose to stay with my parents and enjoy my time with them.â
Yun Nan grabbed her cup and gently touched it to Le Chaoâs before taking a sip from it. She was the one whoâd started the topic; she didnât want the mood to get too somber, so she smiled and said, âItâs okay. Theyâre all watching over us from the heavens. Theyâll be glad as long as we live our lives in earnest..â