Sister, can I be a maid too?

"No, no need..."

Jiang Yubai, pushing his parents through the door, complained:

"I told you, you're too lazy to change into slippers at home, but now you're coming here to ask me for shoe covers, huh?"

Qin Huiyi glanced at him, but didn't comment on his "here" statement, only letting out a leisurely "heh".

She and Jiang Pinglan followed the two sisters into the living room, and when they looked up towards the dining table, they were both stunned.

The small square table was surprisingly full of dishes—in the center was a pot of bright red boiled beef, next to which was a plate of golden spicy chicken, with the aroma of Sichuan peppercorns and dried chilies wafting through the air.

On the other side is a refreshing dish of tofu with scallions, the snow-white tofu garnished with finely chopped scallions, which looks very appetizing.

There were also stir-fried bok choy, tomato and egg soup, and sweet and sour pork ribs on the side. The combination of meat and vegetables, steaming hot, looked quite appetizing.

There were five dishes and a soup in total, and the portions were quite generous.

Five sets of bowls and chopsticks were neatly set out on the dining table, and the white rice was steaming warm.

Qin Huiyi glanced at it a few more times, and finally couldn't help but ask softly:

"Jianxia...did you prepare all these dishes by yourself?"

She had no doubt that this five-dish-and-one-soup meal was the limit of what the table could offer, and certainly not the limit for this young woman.

If the table were bigger, we could probably serve a few more dishes.

"No, no, Wanwan helped me out..."

Lin Jianxia was clearly a little uncomfortable, and stammered as she spoke.

"Actually, I didn't make much... I don't know if it will suit your tastes, everyone. Please sit down, the food is best eaten while it's hot..."

Jiang Yubai was the first to pull out a chair and sit down, jokingly saying in a lighthearted tone:

"Mom and Dad, I'm really benefiting from your generosity this time. This table is full of delicious dishes."

Jiang Pinglan and Qin Huiyi sat down, both looking somewhat amazed.

Seeing the two of them sit down, Lin Jianxia secretly breathed a sigh of relief and pulled her younger sister to sit down as well.

But as her gaze swept over the seats, she froze.

Jiang Yubai didn't know what he was thinking. There were five seats, but he didn't sit next to his parents. Instead, he left one in the middle empty.

In this way, one of the remaining two seats is closer to Jiang's parents, and the other is a little further away, with Jiang Yubai sandwiched in the middle.

Jiang! Yu! Bai!

Normally it would be fine, but now that our aunt and uncle are here, what do you mean by sitting down between us sisters?

Lin Jianxia felt bitter inside, but she could only bite the bullet and sit down next to Qin Huiyi, leaving the slightly farther seat for her younger sister.

Jiang Yubai actually sat down subconsciously, since that was his usual seat, and he didn't think too much about it.

He first scooped a spoonful of light and refreshing scallion and tofu mixture into his father's bowl, then picked up a piece of bright red and oily spicy chicken and handed it to his mother:

"Here, this is your favorite food. How about trying Lin Jianxia's cooking?"

Qin Huiyi didn't touch her chopsticks, but instead looked at her son with a half-smile:

"Jiang Yubai, the dishes were made by Jian Xia, what are you so smug about?"

Lin Jianxia's ears burned slightly upon hearing these words.

But Jiang Yubai chuckled and said matter-of-factly:

"This is my classmate, my neighbor. They cook well, so can't I show off a little and benefit from it?"

Qin Huiyi stopped teasing him and picked up the spicy chicken from her bowl, putting it in her mouth.

The chicken was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, with a rich, spicy and numbing flavor that spread across her tongue, instantly brightening her eyes.

"Mmm, it tastes really good!" She looked at Lin Jianxia with some surprise. "Jianxia, ​​where did you learn this from?"

Jiang Pinglan, who was standing to the side, swallowed the tofu and nodded in satisfaction.

"It really is delicious."

Hearing their praise, Lin Jianxia blushed slightly and replied softly:

"I learned it online..."

As soon as she finished speaking, she seemed to remember something and hurriedly stood up:

"Oh, right, there are still some tea eggs simmering in the pot. I'll go get them for you."

Tea eggs?

Jiang Pinglan's eyes lit up upon hearing this.

Strangely enough, he wasn't particular about food, but he had a special fondness for tea.

Because he loved the house so much, even tea eggs became one of his favorites.

Although Jiang Pinglan was somewhat surprised to see tea eggs in a main meal, she couldn't help but feel a sense of anticipation.

Jiang Yubai, who was standing to the side, suddenly coughed twice as if he had choked. After catching his breath, he turned his head and said seriously:

"Dad, Lin Jianxia knows you like this kind of food, so she made it especially for you—even if the taste is just average, please don't be disgusted by it."

Jiang Pinglan glared at her son, annoyed.

What kind of person does this child think he is?

Not long after, Lin Jianxia hurriedly returned to the dining table with a small porcelain plate.

Five tea eggs were neatly arranged on the plate. The light brown eggshells were covered with ice cracks, and there was a little tea soup at the bottom with a few loose tea leaves stuck to them.

Jiang Pinglan stared intently, and couldn't help but be slightly taken aback.

The color of these tea eggs is noticeably lighter than that of the ones sold by street vendors, giving them a refined and elegant feel.

Instead of the usual rich aroma of braised spices, a delicate and lingering fragrance of tea wafted in, emanating from the air...

The smell...

Jiang Pinglan blinked, suddenly sensing that something was amiss.

These tea eggs... why do they smell so familiar?

? Chapter 121 Fiancée(?)

Jiang Pinglan looked at the tea egg suspiciously for a few seconds, then picked one up and smelled it.

The aroma is light and lingering, with a hint of roasted beans and tender chestnuts, and a subtle freshness reminiscent of a tea garden after the rain.

very familiar.

There's a familiar feeling I dare not think about.

No way....

Jiang Pinglan was silent for two seconds, then looked at Lin Jianxia in a gentle tone:

"Jianxia... what kind of tea did you use to cook these tea eggs? They smell quite delicious."

Upon hearing Uncle Jiang's question, Lin Jianxia naturally did not hide anything and answered truthfully:

"Uncle, the tea leaves were given to me by Jiang Yubai before. I thought they were particularly fragrant, so I thought... I'd try making tea eggs with them."

"Jiang Yubai also thought it was good, saying that you especially liked it, so he asked me to make some to try."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Pinglan stiffly turned her head and silently looked at her son who was eating rice beside her.

But Jiang Yubai seemed oblivious to everything around him, focusing solely on eating his meal, as if he were deaf.

"Uncle Jiang?"

Seemingly sensing that the atmosphere was a bit off, Lin Jianxia cautiously spoke up.

Is there a problem?

Jiang Pinglan snapped out of her daze and forced a gentle smile at her:

"It's nothing, it's nothing. I just thought the tea smelled nice and I was a little curious, so I asked casually."

My heart is bleeding...

Hearing him say that, Lin Jianxia breathed a sigh of relief, her face slightly flushed as she softly replied:

"That's good......."

"Jiang Yubai said before... this tea was specially given to me by you."

Upon hearing this, Qin Huiyi, who had been enthusiastically showing off her spicy chicken, suddenly raised an eyebrow and exclaimed in surprise:

"Oh, Lao Jiang, you sent me some tea? I'll have to try it out."

She knew perfectly well what kind of tea her ungrateful son had taken.

Jiang Pinglan gave his wife a disgruntled look, but didn't say anything more, and reached out to take a tea egg.

Carefully peel it open to reveal the moist egg white inside, with light brown lines seeping in at varying depths, making it quite beautiful to look at.

As you get closer, a faint aroma of braised meat mixed with a delicate fragrance of tea wafts up.

As Jiang Pinglan watched, she suddenly felt conflicted.

He really couldn't bear to eat it.

Although this Longjing tea isn't the top-grade, first-harvest kind from before the Qingming Festival, it would still cost several thousand yuan per kilogram...

The thought had just formed when he suddenly heard Qin Huiyi beside him hum in agreement, and his eyes lit up.

"Wow, this is delicious! It's completely different from what you get outside."

That's obvious, this is genuine West Lake pre-Qingming Longjing tea, how could it be the same...?

Suppressing his heartache, he didn't hesitate any longer, brought the egg to his mouth, and gently took a bite.

The egg white is tender and smooth, with a delicate tea aroma, just the right amount of saltiness, and the egg yolk has a smooth and moist texture that is neither dry nor choking.

"It's delicious, isn't it?" Jiang Yubai chuckled from the side. "Why would I lie to you?"

"Ah."