Going home for Chinese New Year, I squeezed onto a bus with three energetic young women.

The white centrifuge head tasted slightly sour.

Back then, my grandparents did the same thing.

During holidays and festivals, they would cut off a piece of meat to make dumplings. The elderly couple would eat the dumpling wrappers and vegetable scraps in the kitchen.

He piled all the minced meat into a bowl, served it on the table, and said with a smile that he was already full.

They're reluctant to eat good food, and reluctant to wear new clothes.

This is probably the survival rule ingrained in the bones of all older people from the lower classes.

Bai Li did not point it out on the spot.

The old man has his own pride, and he would lose face if he shouted loudly in front of these girls.

Furthermore, Chen Tingting is a girl who appears tough on the outside but is soft on the inside; if she saw this scene...

The celebration dinner had to turn into a family reunion, and the tears had to keep flowing.

Bai Li picked up a tissue and wiped the ends of her chopsticks a few times.

Then, he carefully selected two pieces of cooked beef.

The chopsticks crossed half the table and landed on the edge of the two elderly people's porcelain bowls.

"Grandpa and Grandma."

Bai Li's tone was gentle, as if he were chatting casually:

"The beef was prepared well by the owner, cooked to perfection, and tasted delicious."

The elderly couple paused for a moment in mid-air while holding their chopsticks.

They looked up at Bai Li, a hint of hesitation flashing in his weathered eyes.

At this age, with his keen intellect, how could he not understand the young man's actions?

This is because they saw through the plain water and bread soaked in water in their bowls, and found an excuse to add meat to their food.

The old man smacked his dry lips twice and gave his reason, taking the opportunity to elaborate.

"The young man is sensible."

The old man touched his chin with his rough, large hands:

"It's not that we don't want to eat it, it's just that we're getting old and our teeth are failing. This beef is delicious, but our old bones can't chew it."

Chen Tingting, who was sitting to the side gnawing on half a white-shelled egg, was completely unaware of the undercurrents swirling on the table.

Upon hearing her grandfather say that he was too old to chew, the eldest sister immediately objected.

Chen Tingting tossed her red ponytail back and stood up directly from the long wooden bench.

"Grandpa! What discouraging things are you saying!"

Chen Tingting, with her large floral arm tattoo, braced herself against the edge of the table.

"You're only in your seventies! That's the prime of your lives!!"

Chen Tingting pointed outside the earthen wall:

"Right? Look at old Wang next door, didn't he go to the town's billiards hall yesterday to play against some people..."

He had only spoken halfway through his sentence.

Because Chen Tingting stood up straight, she also saw the porcelain bowls in the hands of the two elderly people.

Her voice got stuck in her throat.

"Grandpa...Grandma..."

Chen Tingting's tone was off, and even her breathing was disordered:

"What's in your bowls? Why are you eating this?"

Three energetic young women nearby were drinking soup from large bowls when they heard Chen Tingting's words. They put down their bowls and peered over.

Lin Xiaoshuang blinked her big eyes, her baby face scrunching up like a bun.

"oops!"

Lin Xiaoshuang pointed to the large iron basin in the middle of the table:

"We bought so much food for the table, and there's still half a pot of mutton soup left!"

Seeing that she couldn't hide it any longer, the old lady simply put the bowl on the table and reached out to tug at Chen Tingting's clothes.

"Kids, don't make a fuss."

The old lady spoke in a very calm tone:

"We'll just eat what's in our bowls. It's soft, easy on the throat, and easy to digest."

Zhang Qian sat opposite her. Having never had a full meal since childhood, she couldn't stand this kind of scene.

"But this has absolutely no nutritional value!"

Zhang Qian's blue hair fell down, and she said urgently:

"Just soak the steamed bun in plain water, and you won't see a single drop of oil."

Li Jiaxin's cool and sassy face was taut, and her purple bangs couldn't hide the sadness in her eyes.

She continued:

"This is just enough to fill you up with water; at best, it fills your stomach and temporarily appesizes you. What good is that?"

Listening to the girls chattering and offering their advice.

The old man slowly leaned back in his chair, rubbing his trouser legs with his hands under the wooden table.

"You young people don't understand."

The old man's voice was tinged with sadness:

"My old bones are too weak to do anything else."

"The crops in the fields can't be planted, so we can't earn a single penny."

The old man's gaze swept over the glistening, red-brown cold beef salad and the milky-white mutton soup with scallions floating on top.

"Such precious meat and vegetables are wasted if they end up in our stomachs."

The old man turned to look at Chen Tingting, then at Bai Li:

"You young people should eat more good food. If you have oil in your body, you will have strength. Only with strength can you work and earn money."

You don't deserve to eat meat if you don't work.

This is the ironclad rule that the old man has summarized over the long years.

Only by saving the best resources for the younger generation who can go out and earn money can this family continue to survive.

These words were like adding fuel to the fire for Chen Tingting.

Normally, when she encounters a thug wielding a bottle of liquor, this female gang leader can't hold back on the spot.

"Grandpa and Grandma!"

Chen Tingting raised her voice, her tone clearly trembling with tears:

"Our family was poor before, so we had no choice but to save money by eating frugally!"

Chen Tingting slapped her thigh, urgently correcting the old woman's misconception:

"Don't force yourself to suffer now, okay?"

"I can earn money now! We have legitimate jobs in the city, we don't have to go around messing around anymore!"

The other three energetic young women immediately stood up and surrounded him.

"Exactly!"

Lin Xiaoshuang waved her pink fist:

"Sister Tingting earns so much more each month now than she did fixing screws in an electronics factory!"

"I just want you two to be able to live a good life with meat at every meal!"

Li Jiaxin also chimed in:

"That's right. If we can't even let you eat meat, what's the point of her working so hard to earn money outside?"

The elderly couple were surrounded by four girls with brightly colored hair.

Although it warms my heart, the stubbornness in my bones is not so easy to change.

They sat on the stools without moving, only saying that they were full.

Bai Li took a sip of tea and naturally took control of the situation.

"Don't worry, old man."

Bai Li's tone was calm:

"With Tingting's current abilities, having enough to eat and wear is not an expense for her at all."

He tilted his head slightly, looking directly into the old man's eyes:

"Besides, even if we take a step back and say the worst, I'm still your partner, aren't I?"

These words were spoken crisply and decisively, giving Chen Tingting a strong boost.

Upon hearing this, the elderly couple's expressions finally softened.

Chen Tingting was not about to give them a chance to refuse.

This tough woman from the underworld took a direct approach, striding forward and using both hands to lift the two bowls of plain steamed buns soaked in water in front of the elderly couple.

"Xiao Shuang! Jia Xin!" Chen Tingting gave the order without turning her head.

The two immediately went into battle mode.

"Go to the kitchen and wash two clean large soup bowls!"

Chen Tingting gave the order:

"Go make two more bowls of mutton soup for Grandpa and Grandma! Make sure the meat is very tender!"

"Roger that!" Upon receiving the order, the two girls turned and ran towards the kitchen.

"Oh no, no need, don't go and cause trouble..." The old lady was so anxious that she wanted to stand up and stop her.

What happened next completely stunned the audience.

Chen Tingting held the two porcelain bowls and ate large mouthfuls of steamed buns into her mouth.

He chewed it twice and swallowed it, then walked to the edge of the yard and poured out the remaining boiled water at the bottom of the bowl.

"These steamed buns have been soaking in water and fermenting. It looks like a big bowl, but after scooping them out, there's probably only half a bun left!"

Chen Tingting slammed the empty bowl upside down onto the square table.

"From now on, we can eat and drink whatever we want at home. Don't skimp on a single penny!"

Chen Tingting widened her big, round eyes:

"Stop putting on this show of forcing yourself to suffer without actually experiencing it!"

"If the villagers see this, they'll think I, Chen Tingting, have gone astray in the city and have lost all my conscience."

"Not only do they disrespect their elders when they return to the village, they also mistreat you!"

The elderly couple were speechless after their granddaughter's words.

At this moment, Lin Xiaoshuang and Li Jiaxin each came out carrying a bowl.

Those were truly two bowls of substantial food.

The bottom was full of lamb offal and lamb ribs, stewed until even the bones were tender.

A layer of rich mutton fat and fragrant scallions floats on top, the aroma wafting straight into one's nose with the rising steam.

"Eat up, Grandpa and Grandma."

Lin Xiaoshuang placed the large bowl in front of the elderly couple, her baby face beaming with a bright smile.

Chen Tingting sat back on the long bench and leaned closer to Bai Li.

"This meat doesn't need to be chewed; it just goes down into your stomach with a slurp."

The two elderly people looked at the steaming mutton soup in front of them.

Then I glanced at the row of energetic young women standing next to me.

Finally, the gaze settled on the sulking Chen Tingting.

It was obvious that if this granddaughter didn't get her hands on some meat today, she was likely to throw a tantrum.

The old man slowly picked up the bowl and the chopsticks.

He moved his hands slowly, picking up a piece of soft, tender mutton with the skin still attached, and put it in his mouth.

It really doesn't take any effort; it melts in your mouth with just a flick of the tongue.

The rich aroma of meat filled my mouth as I swallowed it down my throat.

The anxiety and worry in Chen Tingting's heart completely vanished as she swallowed the mutton.

The wrinkles on the old man's face gradually smoothed out, revealing a contented smile:

"It smells so good...it smells so good."

He turned his head and looked at the red-haired girl sitting there.

"Our Tingting has really grown up so quickly... all of a sudden."

Upon hearing this...

Chen Tingting sniffed hard and turned her face to the side.

"Of course!" Chen Tingting replied stubbornly, but her voice was hoarse and barely audible.

"But you can't stop spoiling me like a child just because I've grown up..."

【Ding! 】

A crisp system notification sounded in Bai Li's mind right on time.

[Target goddess Chen Tingting deeply feels the powerful emotional value and family care provided by the host!]

[Excellent investment judgment.]

[Chen Tingting's affection level +4.]

[Current total affinity score for the target: 96.]