Chapter 190: The Feeling of Kinship

Watching Grandma make dish after dish of her favorite foods, Su Yuqing was deeply moved.

For a moment, it was as if she were seeing a scene from the past, of her own grandmother bringing out all sorts of her favorite dishes.

They both had the same kindness, the same loving warmth.

The concept of familial affection had gradually faded in Su Yuqing’s mind.

But here, with Chen Mo’s grandparents, she felt this rich affection, this love from an elder to a junior, so clearly and beautifully.

As Su Yuqing sat down, Grandpa had already brought over chopsticks for her and Chen Mo.

"These chopsticks are brand new, bought just today. Your grandma said you young people might not like using ones we’ve used, so she bought a special set for you. See? This white pair is for Momo, and this pink pair is for you, Yuqing." As Grandpa handed over the chopsticks with a smile, Chen Mo couldn’t help but give him a strange look.

’When I used to eat here, these two old folks never prepared extra chopsticks just for me.’

’This is blatant favoritism.’

’I only have these new chopsticks thanks to Su Yuqing.’

And that was indeed the case.

Grandma was very thoughtful. She was worried that if she only prepared new chopsticks for Su Yuqing, it might make her feel distant, so she got new ones for both her and Chen Mo.

Chen Mo had lived with his grandparents as a child. Back then, they had prepared a smaller pair of chopsticks for him, but after he grew up, they never got him a separate pair.

Now, thanks to Su Yuqing, he had new chopsticks to use.

As Su Yuqing accepted the chopsticks, she once again felt the care the elderly couple showed her in every little detail of life.

Soon, Grandma came out carrying the last dish.

The final dish was simple: steamed baby napa cabbage.

It was a light, palate-cleansing dish, but it was also one of Su Yuqing’s favorites.

"Come, come, dig in." Grandma said, ushering Su Yuqing to start eating before she even sat down herself. "There are no rules in our house. Just do whatever makes you comfortable, don’t be formal."

Grandma smiled at Su Yuqing as if looking at her own granddaughter.

However, Su Yuqing didn’t rush to start. Instead, she waited until Grandma took off her apron, washed her hands, and returned to her seat before she picked up her chopsticks.

"Try these dishes. It’s Grandma’s first time making them." Grandma looked at Su Yuqing nervously, wondering how the dishes she had so carefully prepared for her would taste.

Su Yuqing picked up a piece of the tempting, vibrant sweet and sour pork and put it in her mouth.

Instantly, a delicious sweet and sour flavor filled her mouth.

The key to this dish was the control over the balance of sweet and sour.

Although it was Grandma’s first time making it, she had been so afraid of getting it wrong that she followed the recipe’s proportions exactly, which in turn made the flavor exceptionally authentic.

The sweetness and sourness were perfectly balanced, making you crave a second piece right after the first.

It wasn’t greasy at all.

"How is it?" Seeing Su Yuqing remain silent, Grandma said with a smile, "If it doesn’t taste good, it’s okay to just say so. That way, Grandma will know what she did wrong and can adjust it to be better next time."

"Mm," Su Yuqing shook her head. "No, Grandma, this dish is delicious. My grandmother used to make it a little sweeter, but the way you made it is just perfect."

Su Yuqing also loved the sweeter version, but she was more conscious of maintaining her figure now and subconsciously felt that eating sweet things would make her gain weight. That’s why she preferred Grandma’s current version of the sweet and sour pork.

"Is that so? You can’t be tricking your old grandma," she chuckled.

Chen Mo immediately picked up a piece as well. "Mm, it really is good."

Grandma knew Chen Mo would never lie to her, so she was instantly relieved. Her efforts in studying the recipe hadn’t been in vain.

"From now on, if there are any dishes you like or want to eat, you can just tell Grandma. I’m usually just idle anyway, so I can take my time to study them and make them even better. That way you two will always have a happy meal when you come over." Grandma looked at Su Yuqing with a loving expression.

Although Chen Mo had only briefly described the girl’s situation, Grandma knew she didn’t have it easy at home.

’Now that the two elders who cared for her most, her grandparents, had passed away, she was in need of love.’

’We will be the ones to provide that love for her,’ Grandma thought to herself.

By the end of the meal, Su Yuqing had eaten until she was ninety percent full for the first time in a long while.

She felt so stuffed that she didn’t even want to move.

She rarely ever ate until she was this full.

It was just that Grandma’s cooking was so perfectly to her taste, and on top of that, the elderly woman had worked so hard for her. Su Yuqing felt she would be letting Grandma’s efforts go to waste if she didn’t eat a little more.

Seeing Su Yuqing rubbing her stomach with a look of contentment, Chen Mo said with a smile, "In the future, don’t force yourself to eat if you’re full. You can come visit Grandpa and Grandma whenever you want, so we can just ask Grandma to make smaller portions next time."

Grandma, standing nearby, added with a smile, "Momo’s right. Eating until you’re too full isn’t good for you."

"It’s okay. I’m only ninety percent full. I’m fine," Su Yuqing said with a smile, still rubbing her stomach.

Grandma then specially prepared a small digestive tonic for the two of them before going to attend to her own things.

Su Yuqing wanted to go to the kitchen to help with the dishes, but she was too stuffed to move comfortably.

Chen Mo saw what she was thinking and said with a laugh, "Just stay put. At Grandpa and Grandma’s house, there’s no work for us to do."

When he was little, Chen Mo had often tried to help, but his grandparents always shooed him away.

His thoughtfulness made his grandparents very happy, but the old couple couldn’t bear to see their grandson work so hard. The thought was enough for them.

The only exception was when it came to physical training; Grandpa was especially strict with him then.

Sometimes, even in winter, he would make him exercise in thin clothes.

However, Chen Mo was also very grateful for his grandfather’s guidance, which had given him such a strong physique.

After moving to the living room to watch TV while they digested, Su Yuqing suddenly noticed the game console under the TV stand, one that Chen Mo hadn’t played in a very long time.

’She was immediately reminded of the history between Chen Mo and Chu Mengyao.’

"Is that a game console?" Su Yuqing asked, pointing to the machine under the TV stand.

"Yeah, it’s a Subor. I used to play it when I was a kid. It’s been almost ten years since I last touched it," Chen Mo said with a smile.

"I heard about those when I was a kid, but I’ve never actually played one. Can I try it?" Su Yuqing’s interest was piqued.

’She wanted to know what it would be like to play a game with Chen Mo.’

"You want to play?" Chen Mo looked at Su Yuqing, a little surprised.

She just didn’t seem like the type of girl who was into gaming.

"I’ve just never tried it before and I want to see what it’s like. Does this thing still work?" Su Yuqing asked, looking at Chen Mo with anticipation.

Just then, Grandpa walked over. "It should still work. We’ve always taken very good care of Momo’s things."