Chapter 232: A Sweetheart Through and Through

Shen Zhenwu and his father, Shen Lixin, stood up, finally putting down their newspapers.

In truth, from the moment Song Yao started talking about setting up a stall, neither of them had turned a single page.

The papers were still in their hands, but their minds had long since wandered.

Now, hearing that dinner was ready, Shen Zhenwu stood up as if sighing in relief.

Yu Nana shot up as well, her back instinctively straightening.

But standing in the Shen family’s bright, spacious living room, she was at a complete loss for what to do.

Shen Zhenwu immediately shook his head.

“No need.”

She offered again, “I can help your wife wash and chop the vegetables.”

Shen Zhenwu’s expression immediately shifted.

“The one cooking isn’t my wife.”

Yu Nana had assumed the leader’s wife would be swamped, but then she saw Zhang Dongxue in the kitchen, skillfully tossing food in a wok and arranging it on plates.

To put it bluntly, all she knew how to do was boil some noodles or stir-fry some greens.

If this were a visit back in her hometown, she would have rushed to help.

But the Shen family’s house didn’t operate by hometown rules at all.

She glanced around, afraid that one wrong move would cause an awkward scene, so she stayed perfectly still, even softening her breathing.

Finally, it was Yang Wanqing who stood up with a smile, her skirt swishing as she clapped her hands twice.

“Dinner’s ready! Everyone, take your seats!”

Only then did Yu Nana take her son’s hand and obediently follow.

The head of the table was, of course, Shen Lixin’s seat. That was non-negotiable.

To his left, Shen Zhenwu had already saved a spot for Qi Xi.

Yu Nana and her son sat together, close enough for her to look after him easily.

Yang Wanqing had intended to have her sit to Shen Lixin’s right.

She waved her hands, her smile a little strained.

“I’ll just sit with Qi Xi. I feel more comfortable that way!”

Yang Wanqing didn’t press the issue and had Wei Guilan sit next to her instead.

Song Yao sat right next to Wei Guilan, and Shen Zhenwu sat next to Song Yao.

Finally, Yang Wanqing took her own seat next to her old man.

Zhang Dongxue was quick on her feet, bringing out the dishes in the blink of an eye.

Counting the hot soups and cold appetizers, there were eight dishes in total.

Although it wasn’t as lavish a spread as when Wei Guilan last visited.

But in Yu Nana’s eyes, it was already a grand affair.

“Oh my, that’s enough! Really, it’s enough! It’s too much, we’ll never finish it all!”

She said this as she started to stand up to stop her.

Yang Wanqing pressed down on her shoulder.

“Don’t move, stay seated! With so many people, how could this be too much?”

Yu Nana sat down sheepishly.

“We’re already bothering you enough…”

“What bother? Sit tight!”

Wei Guilan grabbed her arm and pressed her back into her chair.

After they started eating, she and her son were exceptionally careful when taking food.

Their chopsticks barely touched the serving plates as they focused on shoveling rice from their own bowls.

They were so reserved that even Yang Wanqing’s heart ached watching them.

Wei Guilan was a lively person and immediately raised her chopsticks.

“Sister Nana, try this! It’s very tender!”

As she spoke, she placed a large helping of soy-braised beef into her bowl.

Song Yao immediately put some stir-fried bean sprouts into Wei Guilan’s bowl.

“Mom, you should eat more too!”

Shen Zhenwu was sitting right beside his daughter.

Seeing this, he unconsciously tilted his own bowl slightly toward Song Yao.

He piled food into her bowl while nagging her.

“Eat more. Don’t just have porridge.”

“Your health is the top priority right now. Don’t push yourself.”

Song Yao chewed in small bites, nodding repeatedly.

“Mhm, don’t worry, Dad!”

“I get stir-crazy if I don’t go out. I just want to move around a bit and earn some pocket money on the side.”

Shen Zhenwu added a piece of tofu to her bowl.

“This will boost your brain, improve your memory.”

“Thanks, Dad, but if you add any more, it’s going to overflow!”

“Oh, oh, okay, okay. Eat, eat, hurry up and eat!”

He quickly retracted his chopsticks and glanced down at his own empty bowl.

He silently scooped up some white rice and buried his head to eat.

Song Yao suddenly slapped her forehead as if in a moment of epiphany, then quickly picked up a glistening piece of braised pork and placed it in Shen Zhenwu’s bowl.

“Dad, try this piece! I was watching it, and it has the best color. It must be full of flavor!”

Mr. Shen’s eyes lit up instantly, his smile stretching from ear to ear.

“Aha, my daughter knows me best! Braised pork is my one true love!”

He eagerly took a huge bite, nodding as he chewed.

“Delicious! So good! This piece you gave me has the perfect ratio of fat to lean, and it’s tender without being greasy!”

Yang Wanqing stared at his goofy, blissful expression, a breath catching in her throat.

She wanted to glare at him but couldn’t hold back a laugh, so she simply pushed her own bowl forward.

“Song Yao, come on, give Grandma a piece too. I want to see if it’s really as divine as all that.”

Song Yao was speechless.

‘Alright,’ she thought. ‘Looks like this dinner table is turning into a competition for who’s the favorite.’

After giving her grandmother a piece, she looked up.

Across the table, her own grandfather, Shen Lixin, was holding his bowl, waiting quietly.

Without a second thought, she stood right up.

Shen Lixin frantically waved his hands.

“Don’t move, don’t move! Grandpa will bring his bowl over!”

Song Yao waved back. “No need, no need. I’m faster than a rabbit.”

“But you’ve got a little one in your belly…”

Shen Lixin’s voice grew even softer.

“It’s really fine!”

‘This pregnancy is truly a gift from heaven.’

‘From the day I conceived, there hasn’t been a single day of trouble. A perfect little angel.’

Shen Lixin was still worried and stood up as well.

“You can never be too careful!”

He took half a step forward, his hand hovering protectively near her elbow.

Since she was already up and serving, Song Yao simply took her chopsticks and went around the table, adding food to Qi Xi’s and Yu Nana’s bowls as well.

Yu Nana was flustered, nodding and bowing her head repeatedly.

“Thank you, thank you! You’re too kind!”

Qi Xi kept his head down, clutching his bowl tightly, the tips of his ears bright red.

“Th-thank you, Sister.”

Song Yao returned to her seat and said with a smile,

“Everyone, please eat! Don’t just watch me!”

But Shen Zhenwu acted as if he hadn’t heard, continuing to pile food into her bowl, his heart pounding with anxiety.

‘It’s all my fault,’ he thought. ‘I made my daughter run around and tired her out!’

Song Yao looked at the mountain of food that had just reappeared in her nearly empty bowl and was utterly defeated.

“Dad, tell me… has anyone ever been stuffed to death with food?”

Shen Zhenwu froze.

“Well… I can’t say I’ve ever heard of that.”

Song Yao nodded.

“Then today you’ll get to witness the first case.”

Just as the words left her mouth, a loud, clear burp stunned the entire table into silence.

Then, the room erupted in laughter.

Even Qi Xi couldn’t help but let the corners of his eyes crinkle into a smile.

After dinner, everyone chatted for a while longer.

Then, Yu Nana and her son stood up to leave.

Yang Wanqing asked casually,

“Have you settled on a place to stay?”

Yu Nana shook her head.

“We booked a guesthouse. I’ve already paid for a few days.”

Yang Wanqing then offered,

“Why don’t you just stay here? We have a few empty rooms.”

Yu Nana quickly waved her hands in refusal.

“I’ve already paid and can’t get a refund. Trying to get it back would just be a hassle. We won’t trouble you!”

As she spoke, she guided her son toward the door, her steps quickening.

Yang Wanqing understood and didn’t insist.

After all, they had only just connected and weren’t that close yet.

Yu Nana had just left.

The next day, Song Yao ran into her and Qi Xi again outside the entrance to the scenic area.

Song Yao was looking down, adjusting the strap of her shoulder bag.

She heard a familiar set of footsteps approaching.

The moment Yu Nana saw Song Yao and her mother-in-law, she immediately beamed and walked over to greet them.

“Oh, Song Yao! Sister! I finally found you both!”

Song Yao had just stuffed some money into her bag and looked up to call out,

“Hi, Aunt Yu!”

Yu Nana smiled and nodded, gently nudging Qi Xi, who was beside her.

“After hearing what you said yesterday, I went home and thought about it all night. I specifically had Qi Xi bring me here today to have a look and see what this great business of yours is all about.”