Sister, can I be a maid too?

Jiang Pinglan subconsciously hummed in agreement, then belatedly realized that her heart ached again.

How could this not taste good! Look at the tea leaves floating in the tea soup...

He wouldn't even put in more than enough for one cup!

Thinking this, Jiang Pinglan swallowed the last bite of egg, but her hand instinctively reached for the plate—

Why is it empty?

Jiang Yubai chuckled beside him, picked up his untouched tea egg, and handed it to him:

"Here, Dad, you can have this one."

Jiang Pinglan glanced at him, took the tea egg without any politeness, and continued to slowly peel and eat it.

This kid is probably doing it on purpose—he'd already tried it himself, but he had to drag him along for another round.

You don't feel bad about tea leaves that aren't your own, right?

But you know what, these eggs actually taste pretty good.

It's just a bit expensive...

On the other end.

Seeing that Uncle Jiang and Aunt Qin were enjoying their meal, Lin Jianxia's anxiety gradually subsided.

She never expected that her tea eggs would be so popular; Uncle Jiang even asked for a second one.

It seems that the information Jiang Yubai gave this time was quite reliable... Before, seeing his mysterious demeanor, she thought he was hiding something from her.

Hmm, maybe I should give him a reward...

Meanwhile, Qin Huiyi, while eating her meal, kept glancing at her husband Lao Jiang's expression, finding it somewhat amusing.

My husband is a tea enthusiast, and he treasures those few packets of fine Longjing tea. He only drinks them if he's in a good mood.

There's a whole set of rules and regulations, from "one infusion, two steepings, three tastings" to specifying the water temperature, steeping time, and even the use of special teaware. It's all very particular.

Now, the little girl has used the tea leaves to boil eggs, and instead of saying anything, she's eating them with a serious expression.

Before he could voice his inner teasing, he heard Jiang Pinglan put down his chopsticks and speak gently:

"The tea aroma permeates the egg, making it clear yet flavorful, and the braising sauce is just right... It's quite delicious."

His tone was clearly approving, and after speaking, he casually picked up a piece of spicy chicken, as if his previous tasting was just a casual remark.

Qin Huiyi blinked, swallowing back the joke that was on the tip of her tongue.

Wow, such a high rating?

It seems that my husband, Mr. Jiang, has a really good impression of these two kids.

With that thought in mind, Qin Huiyi picked up another piece of boiled beef, and spoke casually, her tone gentle:

"By the way, Jianxia, ​​Jiang Yubai has been living next door for a while now, hasn't he? Are you getting used to it? Has he been bullying you?"

Lin Jianxia quickly shook her head:

"I'm used to it, Auntie. Jiang Yubai is very good to us sisters..."

"Hmm, Jiang Yubai hasn't owed you any wages, has he? If he dares to bully you or neglects anything, you'd better tell me directly."

Jiang Yubai glanced at his mother, knowing that they were about to get down to business.

As expected, after asking some trivial questions, Qin Huiyi smiled and continued:

"So how do you usually arrange your meals? We can't expect you to work so hard to prepare such a big meal every day, can we?"

"The auntie doesn't work hard... She usually doesn't cook this much; she just eats simple food."

Lin Jianxia answered honestly.

"Oh, I see..." Qin Huiyi turned to look at her son and said reproachfully, "Why didn't you help them out?"

Jiang Yubai chuckled:

"Mom, we're both clean and honest, one of us gets paid and the other gets paid to do things, so what do you need my help with?"

He deliberately emphasized the word "pure and innocent".

Just kidding, trying to trick me into revealing anything? No way.

As long as Lin Jianxia is smart enough, no—

"No, no," Lin Jianxia quickly waved her hand to explain, "Jiang Yubai... he usually helps me wash vegetables and hand me dishes or something..."

Jiang Yubai: "......."

He silently picked up a piece of spicy chicken and began to chew it.

I said, Lin Jianxia, ​​isn't this the time for you to speak up for me?!

as predicted.

Upon hearing this, Qin Huiyi's eyes lit up, and the smile on her lips deepened unconsciously.

"Really? That kid never helps out at home, but he's become much more sensible since moving out."

Her tone carried a hint of relief, and she leaned forward to probe further:

"By the way, besides cooking, what else do you two usually do together? I heard Jiang Yubai mention that you and Tingwan tutor him in English, is that right?"

Lin Jianxia assumed that Aunt Qin was just concerned about her son's recent situation, so she answered honestly:

"It's nothing much... Usually, after school I cook, Jiang Yubai talks to my sister, and after dinner we do our homework together."

"Well, it's not just me tutoring him in English; he also teaches my sister and me math and physics."

"Sometimes after tutoring, we'll go downstairs together—"

"Cough cough cough cough cough cough cough!"

Just as he finished speaking, Jiang Yubai, who was standing next to him, suddenly coughed violently as if he had choked.

He patted his chest to catch his breath while secretly kicking Lin Jianxia's chair under the table.

Oh my god, sis, they only asked you one question, and you just blurted it all out like a floodgate of beans!

Qin Huiyi glared at her son and said irritably:

"What's wrong? Why are you coughing like that all of a sudden? Have you suddenly fallen ill?"

Jiang Yubai patted his chest, his face full of injustice, and said:

"Mom, they say you shouldn't talk while eating or sleeping. Your conversation distracted me and made me choke. Can't I cough a couple of times?"

Qin Huiyi chuckled but didn't press the matter further. Instead, she placed a piece of food in each of Lin Jianxia's and Lin Tingwan's bowls.

"It's my fault, I was too busy chatting—you must be starving, right? Come on, have some more."

"High school seniors are having a tough time these days. How can they have the energy to study if they don't eat more?"

She chattered on and on about everyday things, occasionally mentioning amusing anecdotes from her travels, quickly drawing Lin Jianxia's attention.

Qin Huiyi's teasing laughter and Lin Jianxia's embarrassed but gradually relaxed responses could be heard from time to time during the meal.

Jiang Yubai watched from the sidelines while eating, silently sighing to himself.

At this rate, I'm afraid I won't be long before my mom wins me over.

It was a pleasant meal.

After the meal, Qin Huiyi habitually got up to clear the dishes, but Lin Jianxia quickly stopped her:

"Aunt Qin, please sit down, I'll wash the dishes!"

This time, Jiang Yubai, who was standing to the side, didn't argue, but chuckled along.

"Mom, please don't go into the kitchen and make things worse. If Lin Jianxia gets nervous and breaks a bowl, I'll have to pay for a new one."

Qin Huiyi glared at him:

"You make it sound so simple. You're just going to let this girl wash all the dishes by herself?"

"...I'll help her wash later, okay?"

Upon hearing this, Qin Huiyi looked him up and down as if he were an alien:

"Wow, the sun's risen in the west? Our young master can do housework now, huh?"

Jiang Yubai didn't argue with his mother, but he shamelessly reminded her:

"Mom, we've finished eating. What do you think...?"

"I know."

Qin Huiyi glanced at her son with annoyance, but when she stood up, her tone towards Lin Jianxia had returned to gentle:

"Alright, alright, then Auntie won't bother you any longer. The food is delicious today."

Realizing that this meant they were taking their leave, Lin Jianxia quickly stood up as well.

Sitting to the side, Lin Tingwan looked up at her sister, then slowly stood up and gently tugged at Lin Jianxia's clothes with her small hand.

Qin Huiyi looked at the two sisters, nodded in satisfaction, took out two red envelopes she had prepared beforehand from her bag, and handed them to the two sisters:

"Come on, Xia and Tingwan, this is a small token of my appreciation from your aunt. Please take it."

Lin Jianxia was taken aback, and quickly waved her hand:

"No, no, Aunt Qin, I can't accept this—"

"Why can't I accept it?" Qin Huiyi deliberately put on a stern face. "You all take care of Jiang Yubai, cooking for him and helping him with his studies. Auntie remembers it all."

"If you refuse this small token of appreciation, it would be like you're being too polite to your aunt."

Lin Jianxia still didn't want to accept it, but Qin Huiyi's hand was already outstretched in front of her. For a moment, she was at a loss and subconsciously looked at Jiang Yubai beside her.

Jiang Yubai met her gaze, chuckled, and began to make up a story:

“Just accept the money my mom gave you. She has a habit of never accepting red envelopes that she has given away, saying it will cut off her good fortune.”

Hearing him describe it as so serious, Lin Jianxia opened her mouth, but obediently accepted it.

Lin Tingwan looked at her sister and then reached out to take it, just like her sister.

As soon as she received the red envelope, Lin Jianxia felt that the thickness of the envelope was a bit strange, and subconsciously wanted to refuse it.