"This canned food and malted milk is for Grandma Chen to celebrate her discharge from the hospital."
Grandma Chen was delighted, but she said, "You silly girl, coming over to play is enough, why bring so many things? You’re living alone now, keep good stuff for yourself to enjoy. Giving them to an old lady like me is a waste."
The little fool hurriedly chimed in, "Grandma is not old, Grandma is still young, Grandma will live to be a hundred."
"Hahaha, if Grandma really lives to be a hundred, wouldn’t I be the old undead?" Grandma Chen laughed.
"Grandma isn’t the old undead; Grandma is long-lived," the little fool said earnestly.
Both Grandpa Chen and Grandma Chen were amused.
Grandma Chen accepted the canned food and malted milk.
The other things were put away in the cupboard by Mrs. Chen.
Mrs. Chen was cooking in the kitchen when she heard Yuan Chun’s voice, so she came out to take a look. Seeing that Yuan Chun had brought so many things, Mrs. Chen asked the eldest sister-in-law to add a dish and invited Yuan Chun to stay for dinner.
"You must not refuse. Eating alone at home feels cold and dull; food doesn’t taste good. Stay at Auntie’s house and taste Auntie’s and Eldest Sister-in-law Chen’s cooking."
"Alright, thank you, Aunt Chen."
"Thank you for what? Don’t be a stranger with Auntie."
Aunt Chen chatted a bit, then hurried back to the kitchen to cook.
Being a young girl, Yuan Chun felt awkward sitting with a group of men, so she used the excuse to help in the kitchen.
Since it was the weekend, both Chen and Eldest Sister-in-law Chen were back for dinner. So the Chen Family had quite a spread today, with two meat dishes: stir-fried chili pepper with pork and stir-fried salted pork slices with white radish slices, plus a steamed egg custard for Chen’s just three-year-old son.
The Chen Family was very hospitable towards Yuan Chun. At the dining table, Aunt Chen and Grandma Chen kept serving Yuan Chun dishes. The little fool imitated them and also served her several helpings.
Having Yuan Chun around made the little fool particularly happy, and he ate an extra bowl of rice compared to usual.
After the meal, Yuan Chun helped clear the table and sat for a while before getting up to leave.
Aunt Chen sent her off at the yard gate, urged her, "In the future, when you have the weekend off, come here for meals. Don’t be shy with Auntie."
"Auntie, next weekend I’m going up the mountain to pick mushrooms, not sure when I’ll be back, so I won’t be able to come over." Yuan Chun planned to go up the mountain more often before the cold weather came, to dry some mushrooms.
Aunt Chen’s eyes lit up, "Then I’ll go with you, remember to call me."
"Sure, Manager Wang from the union section will be coming with me too."
"Then invite my second brother-in-law’s wife, the more the merrier."
"Alright, Second Aunt was craving my dry mushrooms the other day. I haven’t dried many, otherwise I’d give her a bunch." As Yuan Chun left the yard, she turned back and said, "Aunt Chen, Sanbao, I’m off now, don’t see me out."
"Sister Yuan Chun, let me walk you home."
The little fool remembered, every time the pretty sister would walk him home.
Yuan Chun giggled and said, "You walk me home, then I will walk you back, and we don’t have to sleep at night, just keep seeing each other back and forth."
The little fool laughed heartily, "Then I can be with Sister Yuan Chun all night."
"That’s not possible. If I don’t sleep at night, I’ll be sleepy at work tomorrow and get scolded."
The little fool quickly waved his hand, "Then I won’t walk you. Sister Yuan Chun, hurry home."
After Yuan Chun left, Mrs. Chen looked at her precious fool son and asked eagerly, "Sanbao, do you really like Yuan Chun?"