The sky collapsed, and in the blink of an eye, I found myself transported to Nanluoguxiang.

I watched as my parents went into the inner room.

Li Kaixin then turned her head and looked at her younger brother, Li Kai. She hadn't forgotten what her sister had just said.

Li Kai felt uneasy under his older brother's gaze and unconsciously shrank back, quickly admitting, "Brother, I... I just spoke too quickly."

Li Kaixin thought he couldn't let this kid off easily.

He deliberately put on a stern face and said in a mock fierce tone, "Since you dare to betray your elder brother, then tonight you can only smell the braised pork and stew."

Li Kai became anxious upon hearing this.

He still couldn't forget the braised pork he had eaten at noon, and he rushed forward to hug his older brother's leg.

Her voice trembled with tears as she cried, "Big brother, big brother, I was wrong! I promise I'll keep my mouth shut from now on, and if you tell me to go east, I'll never go west!"

Li Kaixin was almost bursting into laughter at her younger brother Li Kai's antics. Suppressing her laughter, she winked at her younger sister Li Xiaoxiao beside her and said:

"Xiaoxiao, come on, let's go help your older brother cook."

As he spoke, he picked up the two wrasses, two crucian carp, and the monkey head mushroom from the table and went into the kitchen.

Li Xiaoxiao, the younger sister, suppressed a laugh and followed her older brother into the kitchen.

Just as he was about to squat down to start a fire.

Li Kai, the younger brother who had followed her in, ran up to her and pulled her up, saying, "Xiaoxiao, I'll start the fire!"

As she spoke, she didn't forget to give Li Kaixin a fawning smile.

Li Kaixin wasn't really angry.

I just thought that I would inevitably bring some nice things home in the future, and if my younger brother spread the word carelessly, it would inevitably cause trouble. This time, I'll teach him a lesson.

Smoke gradually rose from the kitchen.

Li Kaixin skillfully prepared the fish and grouse. After the water boiled, he first put the crucian carp into the pot. When the soup turned milky white, he added the prepared grouse, sprinkled salt, covered the pot, and simmered it slowly.

I walked to the grain bin again and found that the rice I bought last time had hardly been touched except for the first meal. After thinking about it, I washed the rice and cooked a big pot of white rice.

Time passed slowly.

The moment Li Kaixin lifted the lid, a rich aroma immediately filled the entire kitchen.

Li Kai's eyes widened immediately, and even his usually quiet sister Li Xiaoxiao couldn't help but move closer.

Next, Li Kaixin reheated the braised pork, and dinner was all ready.

When all the dishes were served, Li Kaixin noticed that the Moutai liquor, White Rabbit milk candy, and the stack of money that had been placed on the table earlier were all gone, presumably put away by his mother.

Seeing this, a hint of regret flashed across Li Kai's face; he had just witnessed the milk candy with his own eyes.

The younger sister, Li Xiaoxiao, obediently went to the inner room to invite her parents to dinner.

A short while later, Qin Xiuli, the mother, and Li Mingde, the father, came out one after the other.

The mother's expression had softened considerably, but when she saw Li Kaixin, she deliberately put on a stern face again.

The father secretly gave his son a wink.

Li Kaixin immediately understood and quickly stepped forward to support her mother's arm.

He said sincerely, "Mom, I know I was wrong. From now on, I will always put safety first when I'm out and about, and I will never let you worry again."

Looking at her son's expression, Qin Xiuli, the mother, finally nodded.

Father Li Mingde stepped in to smooth things over, saying, "Come, come, wife, come and see what delicious food our son has prepared."

When he got to the table, he was speechless when he saw the large pot of stewed meat and the box of braised pork.

Qin Xiuli, the mother, opened her mouth as if to say something, but remembering her son's attitude when he admitted his mistake, she swallowed her words.

"Sit down and eat," Li Kaixin said.

After their parents sat down first, Li Kaixin and his two brothers sat down in turn.

Li Kai watched his parents start eating with longing eyes. Just as he was about to reach out, Li Kaixin stopped him with a look, and he withdrew his hand in grievance.

Qin Xiuli, the mother, assumed Li Kai had let something slip and said somewhat displeasedly, "What's wrong? Can't your brother even talk about your affairs?"

Seeing that her mother was about to get angry again, Li Kaixin quickly explained.

"Mother, you've misunderstood."

"I don't blame Xiao Kai for telling on me. It's just that I might bring some things home again in the future. It's fine if they're at home, but if Xiao Kai accidentally tells others, I'm afraid it will cause trouble."

"I'm doing this to teach him a lesson."

After hearing this, Qin Xiuli, the mother, thought about the current state of affairs and realized that she should indeed be more cautious, so she accepted the explanation.

Father Li Mingde nodded in agreement and said sternly to Li Kai, "Xiao Kai, remember your older brother's words. From now on, you can't tell anyone what your older brother brings back, understand?"

"I understand, Dad." Li Kai nodded vigorously, then looked at Li Kaixin expectantly.

Li Kaixin knew it was about time and said, "Let's eat."

After everyone has tasted the stew.

Father Li Mingde was the first to ask, "How wonderful! This pheasant smells so good!"

Then, his younger brother, Li Kai, curiously asked, "Big brother, what are these white, wispy things? They're delicious!"

Faced with questions from his father and younger brother, Li Kaixin explained one by one.

"Dad, this isn't an ordinary pheasant; it's a pheasant, a specialty of Northeast China."

"Xiao Kai, this is a monkey head mushroom. It grows on trees and is very nutritious."

Upon hearing this, the corner of Li Mingde's mouth twitched involuntarily.

Seeing the silence, Qin Xiuli, the mother, asked her husband in confusion.

"What's wrong, Mingde? It's just wild game."

Seeing his wife's puzzled expression, Li Mingde explained, "I heard when I went on a business trip to Northeast China a few years ago that this kind of dragon costs at least five yuan."

Qin Xiuli, the mother, widened her eyes and looked at the pot of stewed meat with heartache, then glared fiercely at Li Kaixin.

But the food had already been cooked, and it was too late to say anything.

Li Kaixin quickly changed the subject: "Dad, why don't you have a drink today? I brought back some good wine."

A fleeting look of pain crossed Li Mingde's face. How could he not know that Moutai was a fine liquor? He had tried to hide it while clearing the table, but his wife had seen through it at a glance.

He could only cough awkwardly twice: "I won't drink today, let's eat our vegetables."

Li Kaixin understood and knew that his mother had hidden the wine, so he stopped mentioning drinking.

At this moment, Qin Xiuli, the mother, took out the stack of money that had been on the table and pushed it in front of Li Kaixin, saying, "You should keep this money."

Li Kaixin pushed it back without thinking.

"Mother, please accept it."

"I still have some; I specifically took these out to supplement my household income."

Looking into her son's eyes, Qin Xiuli, the mother, finally nodded gently: "Then I'll keep it for you. Just let me know if you need any money."

The atmosphere at the table eased.

Father Li Mingde cleared his throat and said to Li Kaixin:

"Isn't tomorrow the weekend? Your mother and I were discussing it, and we're thinking of going to visit your grandparents."

"We can give some of these things you brought back to your grandparents. Do you want to come?"

Li Kaixin thought about it and figured he didn't have anything to do tomorrow anyway.

So he nodded and said, "Father, I'll go back with you tomorrow."

As she spoke, she recalled the last time she went back to her hometown, where her grandparents' clothes were all patched, and now her younger siblings' clothes also have patches on them.

On a sudden thought, she added, "Dad, Mom, I have some things I left with a friend. I'll go get them now and bring them to Grandpa and Grandma tomorrow."

Upon hearing this, Qin Xiuli, the mother, frowned slightly: "What are you carrying so late at night?"

Li Kaixin deliberately kept everyone in suspense, smiling mysteriously: "They're just everyday items, I guarantee Grandpa and Grandma will find them useful."

After finishing his meal in a few bites, he got up, grabbed a large bag from home, and headed outside.

Father Li Mingde watched his son's retreating figure, shook his head helplessly, and muttered with a low laugh, "That brat."