novelraw Chapter 15 Jealous Xiaotian
Chapter 15 Jealous Xiaotian
The dinner table was piled high with food; just looking at it made one's mouth water.
Lin's father rummaged through the cabinet and pulled out a bottle of baijiu (Chinese liquor), pouring himself a glass: "I'm happy today, I'll have a couple of sips."
Lin's mother pushed the orange juice towards Tian Xiwei and Liu Haochun, saying, "You two drink this."
"Let's eat! Don't wait for the food to get cold!"
"Haochun, don't be shy, make yourself at home, take whatever you want to eat." Lin's mother first put a piece of sea bass belly on Liu Haochun's plate, "This one has no bones, it's very tender."
Liu Haochun quickly thanked her, "Thank you, Auntie, I can do it myself." She took a small bite and found the fish to be tender and smooth with a hint of soy sauce flavor. It was indeed delicious, and she whispered, "Delicious."
Tian Xiwei had her eye on the braised pork for a while. She picked up a piece and stuffed it into her mouth. It was fatty but not greasy, with a perfect balance of sweet and salty. Her eyes lit up, and she mumbled, "Auntie, this is the taste! It's so delicious!"
"Eat more if you like it." Lin's mother put another piece on her plate. "Eat slowly, no one will take it from you."
Tian Xiwei picked up another bite of the chilled cucumber salad. The tangy and spicy flavor was appetizing. She gave him a thumbs up: "Brother Feng, your cucumber salad is delicious too, much better than what you get outside!"
"That's right, look who made it." He added a spoonful of pork rib and radish soup to her bowl as well. "Drink some soup, don't just eat spicy food."
Lin's mother's gaze fell on Liu Haochun again, and she picked up a slice of sausage and put it in her bowl: "Haochun, try this. It's homemade from our hometown. It's made with local pork, and it's very fragrant."
The sausages were perfectly marbled with fat and lean meat. Liu Haochun held the bowl with both hands and said softly, "Thank you, Auntie." She took a small bite and found it was indeed more flavorful than the ones she bought outside. She looked up and said earnestly, "Auntie, it's really delicious. It's much more fragrant than what I eat outside."
"Eat more if you like it." Lin's mother smiled even more. "There's more in the pot if you're not full."
Lin's father chimed in, pointing with his chopsticks at the cold pig's head meat: "Haochun, try this. There's no chili in it, just vinegar and soy sauce. You'll definitely be able to eat it."
"Thank you, Uncle." Liu Haochun picked up a small piece; the pig's head meat was tender and not greasy at all.
Tian Xiwei had been observing the whole time. Aunt Wang put a sea bass and a sausage on Liu Haochun's plate, and Uncle Lin even offered her some pig's head meat. Her words were full of care and consideration.
In the past, all this concern would have been directed at her. Aunt Wang would have kept asking her about school, and Uncle Lin would have talked to her about his and Brother Feng's childhood. But now, their attention is all on Liu Haochun.
She deliberately picked up a large mouthful of shredded green peppers and pork, eating it noisily, hoping to attract attention. Sure enough, Wang Hui looked over, but only said, "Eat slowly, are you feeling the spiciness? Have some orange juice."
"Not spicy!" Tian Xi said, her neck slightly stiff, but she felt a little uncomfortable. She took another bite of the braised pork, which she usually found delicious and melted in her mouth, but now it seemed a bit greasy.
The conversation at the dinner table almost entirely revolved around Liu Haochun. Lin's mother asked her, "Haochun, where in Northeast China are you from? Is it especially cold in winter?"
"Yeah, it's all below zero, you have to wear a down jacket when you go out."
Lin's mother chimed in, "Do you often eat stews in winter where you're from? Stewed in one pot until it's very soft, it's convenient."
"Yes, my mom often stews sauerkraut and pork belly, which is especially delicious when eaten with steamed buns."
"Can you eat rice? We didn't prepare steamed buns today. And are you used to living on set? Is the food alright?" Then she asked, "Xiaofeng hasn't bullied you, has he? He used to bully Weiwei when they were little. I don't know if he's changed now that he's grown up."
"I usually eat rice and steamed buns. Feng Ge was very kind to me on set and even helped me with my scenes." Liu Haochun quickly waved his hand, "The food on set was pretty good too, and Weiwei always brought me snacks."
Tian Xiwei listened from the side, poking at her rice with her chopsticks. "Hmph, as if you know so much, even giving me acting advice..." The more she listened, the more annoyed she became, and even her favorite dish tasted bland.
They continued chatting, from the snow in Northeast China to the fun things that happened on set. Although Liu Haochun didn't talk much, she answered every question politely and was very well-behaved. Lin's mother nodded in approval and whispered to Lin's father, "This girl is so quiet and sensible."
Tian Xiwei, with her sharp ears, heard it. Liu Haochun is sensible? Am I not sensible? I didn't do anything wrong, did I?
A wave of grievances washed over her, her nose stung, and her eyes reddened. She took a big gulp of orange juice; the icy liquid slid down her throat, but it couldn't suppress the bitterness in her heart.
"Um... Uncle, Auntie, I'm feeling a little unwell. I'll go lie down in Brother Feng's room for a while." Tian Xiwei put down her chopsticks, her voice a little hoarse.
"What's wrong?" Lin's mother immediately stood up and reached out to touch her forehead. "Did you eat something bad? You were fine just now."
"No, I'm just a little tired." Tian Xiwei leaned back slightly. "I'll go lie down for a bit."
"Then let Xiaofeng go with you." Lin's father frowned. "This child was just jumping around a moment ago, how come he suddenly feels unwell?"
"Go, go, see what's wrong with her." Wang Hui nudged Lin Feng.
He told Liu Haochun and his parents, "I'll go take a look," and quickly followed them.
As soon as I entered the room, I saw Tian Xiwei lying on the bed, her shoulders trembling as if she were crying.
"Hey, what's wrong?" He walked over, sat down on the edge of the bed, and gently patted her back.
Tian Xiwei didn't turn around, but buried her face in the pillow, her voice muffled.
He sighed, reached out and turned her around. Only then did he see that her eyes were red, tears were falling like broken beads, and her lips were bitten tightly. She looked extremely aggrieved.
"Brother Feng..." she sniffed, her voice trembling with tears, "Nobody likes me anymore, not even my aunt and uncle..."
His heart softened, and he reached out to cup her face, wiping away her tears with his fingertips: "What nonsense are you talking about? How could I not like you?"
"Yes, they did!" Tian Xiwei retorted, her voice trembling with tears. "During dinner just now, they ignored me and kept talking to Liu Haochun, asking her all sorts of questions, but they didn't ask me a single one!"
She became increasingly aggrieved as she spoke, and her tears fell even harder. "They weren't like this before. They used to always chat with me and even put food on my plate..."
He felt a pang of pity for the girl, but also a bit amused. She was such a grown woman, yet she was still acting like a child, vying for his attention.
"Haochun is visiting our home for the first time, he's a guest, so it's only natural that my parents take extra care of him." She patiently explained, "You're different. You're family, you know my parents like the back of your hand. Do they need to be so polite to you? Have you forgotten how, when you were little, you would come to our house for meals, and my mom would always say, 'Eat more, you need to grow,' and my dad would always secretly slip you pocket money to buy snacks?"
Tian Xi was slightly taken aback. It seemed to make sense. When she was little, she used to stay at his house, and Aunt Wang always liked to cook her favorite dishes. Uncle Lin would also carry her on his shoulders and spin her around...