Chapter 146: Playfulness

Yan Guofeng, sensing that the presence of the elders was preventing the young ones from truly relaxing, took his leave. Yan Hejun and Song Man soon followed suit.

With the elders gone, only the younger generation remained. Zhong Yuxiu asked, "Do you want to play cards, chess, read, or do something else?"

"Sister-in-law, do you have a deck of cards?"

"I don't believe I do," Zhong Yuxiu replied, shaking her head.

"I have some at home! I'll run and get them." Wu Chao jumped up from the sofa and bolted out the door.

"That second one is still as restless as a monkey," Lin Kai sighed helplessly.

When Wu Chao returned, he hadn't just brought cards; he had brought chess, checkers, and a mahjong set. "Come on, come on! I brought everything I had at home. Everyone, pick what you want to play!"

"You really brought the whole lot," Cao Zheng said, rushing over to help him carry the load—the mahjong set being the heaviest.

"Since it's all here, let's pick something. Sister-in-law, Dashan, what would you like to play?" Cheng Minglang asked, his face expressionless as he calmly walked over to grab the cards. "Who's in for a game of cards? Let's form a team."

Cao Zheng and Wu Chao answered in unison, "Me!"

"Alright." Cheng Minglang sat down on the sofa. "Sister-in-law, Dashan, you two choose for yourselves."

"Number Five, let's play Chinese chess." Luo Lijun grabbed the chess set and beckoned Lin Kai to play nearby.

With Zhong Yuxiu and Yan Rushan left, Yuxiu smiled. "It's just us two. Let's play checkers."

"Alright." Yan Rushan retrieved the checkers and took her hand, leading her to the dining table to play.

The afternoon passed in a lively bustle at the Zhong residence. Though they were playing different games, the room was filled with constant chatter and laughter, bringing a long-absent warmth to the quiet home.

When dinner time arrived, the elder Yan, Yan Hejun, and Song Man declined the invitation to join them. With the three elders absent, Luo Lijun and the others felt much more at ease. They were far more boisterous than they had been at lunch, and by the halfway point of the meal, they had already consumed a third more food than at noon—a testament to how much they had truly let their guard down.

As Zhong Yuxiu set down her bowl, the others were still eating and laughing heartily. She headed to the kitchen, where Gou Dan was standing by in standby mode.

"Gou Dan."

"Beep." Gou Dan activated, its frame instantly straightening.

Zhong Yuxiu walked over and patted it. "Thank you for your hard work."

"Beep, beep, beep." It was all part of the job, the robot signaled.

"They're still eating, and the beef, mutton, potato slices, greens, and radish slices on the table are running low. Prepare some more for them, especially the meat."

"Beep, beep, beep."

Zhong Yuxiu smiled. "Go ahead and get to work. I'm heading back out."

Once she left, Gou Dan got to work in the kitchen, slicing the remaining beef and mutton and arranging them on plates before serving them.

Luo Lijun and the others felt a bit embarrassed when they saw the fresh plates; their faces flushed. They hadn't eaten this much even when there were more people at lunch.

"Gou Dan prepared plenty, so please, eat up. It would be a waste if it weren't finished, and leaving it outside to freeze might ruin the flavor," Zhong Yuxiu urged.

"In that case, thank you for your hospitality, Sister-in-law. Brothers, let's not be shy!" Wu Chao laughed heartily and was the first to dump a plate of beef into the spicy red oil broth.

Cao Zheng, Lin Kai, Cheng Minglang, and the others thanked her with smiles, eating and drinking without restraint. Why be formal at the Boss and Sister-in-law's house? That would just be distant.

By the end of the meal, all the meat and vegetables they had bought were gone, leaving only the supplies Hao Nan and the others had brought, which were more than enough for Zhong Yuxiu to last a week or two.

Stuffed and satisfied, the men lounged on their chairs, chatting in high spirits.

"Sister-in-law, this meal was so good I don't want to leave."

"Number Five is right. I don't want to leave either."

"Same here."

Lin Kai's exclamation drew nods of agreement from the others. Wu Chao added with a fawning grin, "Sister-in-law, can we come over often?"

"Are you trying to eat your sister-in-law out of house and home?" Before Yuxiu could speak, Yan Rushan looked at them with a smirk, his words sharp.

Wu Chao shrank his neck, feeling a chill down his spine, and took a step back. "Well, uh, we'll bring our own food."

The amusement faded from Yan Rushan's eyes, and Cao Zheng quickly stepped in. "Boss, if we come over often, you'll be able to see Sister-in-law and eat with her more often, right?"

"Besides, with so many of us, it's lively. Look at how much Sister-in-law ate today; she definitely doesn't eat this much usually." Girls were always concerned about their figures—that was a safe bet.

Zhong Yuxiu shook her head, laughing, and lowered her head to adjust her glasses.

"Yuxiu has a great appetite. She can eat this much even when you aren't here."

"Impossible! How can she stay so slim if she eats that much?" Wu Chao retorted.

Cao Zheng nodded. "Exactly! Look at the young ladies in our compound; none of them eat more than two bowls of rice at a meal. Three is rare—they all want to keep their figures to marry into good families. But if you ask me, what kind of good family chooses someone just based on their figure?"

Zhong Yuxiu couldn't hold back and let out a soft laugh. "Excuse me, I couldn't help it. Cough—actually, I have a very good appetite, and I eat quite a lot—more than all of you, in fact."

"When your sister-in-law was at the educated youth station, she was the biggest eater among us," Yan Rushan said, sounding unexpectedly proud.

"How could that be..." Wu Chao and the others scrutinized Zhong Yuxiu, their disbelief written all over their faces.

"Eating well is a blessing. What, is your sister-in-law not allowed to eat?"

As soon as Yan Rushan said this, Wu Chao and the others quickly averted their gazes, some lowering their heads, others offering sheepish smiles or trying to curry favor.

"Look at what the Boss is saying! Sister-in-law is such a wonderful person, how could I not wish her well?" Cao Zheng said with a loyal, simple grin. "We didn't mean anything else by it! We just wanted to bask in your glow, Sister-in-law, and maybe get to eat a bit more ourselves. Eating is a blessing, after all!"

Yan Rushan: "..."

What was it like to be choked by your own words?

Yan Rushan laughed in spite of himself. Yuxiu suddenly tucked her arm into his, silencing any further retort he might have had.

"If everyone wants to come over, just give me a heads-up in advance so I can have the ingredients ready for Gou Dan to cook. The house is indeed a bit quiet, so having you all over to liven things up is a good thing." Zhong Yuxiu paused, then added, "But, when you come, you must bring Rushan with you."

Wu Chao winked. "That's a given! From now on, if the Boss wants to come and keep you company, leave the logistics to me."

They were certainly going to great lengths just for a meal.

"Count me in," Cao Zheng raised his hand.

Luo Lijun laughed heartily. "Me too. The Boss must have accumulated great merit in his past life to find such a wonderful girl as Sister-in-law. Look at how stingy he usually is; it's a good thing you're here, otherwise, he might never have found a wife at all."

The group continued with their outrageous remarks. Zhong Yuxiu couldn't stop laughing. "Alright, that's enough. If you keep going, he really won't let you come over for meals anymore, and I won't be able to help you."

"We'll listen to you, Sister-in-law. We'll stop," Lin Kai said, glancing sideways at Yan Rushan. "Boss, you and Sister-in-law are a match made in heaven. A perfect pair."

Wu Chao and Cao Zheng burst out laughing. Yan Rushan glanced at them. "For the sake of that nice comment, and since your sister-in-law has spoken, I'll let it slide for now."