Play?
Back in the kitchen.
Without Xu Huo, the “annoying pest,” the old man and Han Xiao chatted exceptionally happily.
Xu Huo was hesitating whether to step forward and break the atmosphere when the old man’s peripheral vision caught sight of him, beckoning him to “work like an ox.”
“If you don’t come soon, Xiao girl will have finished everything.”
Xu Huo stepped forward with a smile, helplessly saying, “Isn’t it because you two ganged up on me that I couldn’t do anything?”
Han Xiao’s face was full of “mocking” smiles, adding insult to injury, “Grandpa Chen said you’re quite good at cosplaying monsters? All those kids are happy to play with you.”
“What? Are you going to cosplay as Cang Yue?”
“What’s that?”
Han Xiao didn’t understand, but still patted Xu Huo’s shoulder to comfort him, “Don’t worry, I won’t laugh at you. Who hasn’t ‘become light’ when they were young? Oh, by the way… Grandpa Chen, send me the video later. I want to properly evaluate Brother Xu Huo’s gentleness.”
Han Xiao laughed unrestrainedly.
Xu Huo could see she was happy.
It was an unmasked, hearty laugh, unlike the “smile” she had before, a reserved laugh that had a considerable amount of perfunctoriness.
“So you finally found a chance for revenge, huh?”
“Where?”
Han Xiao looked smug, her voice low and sexy, incomparably cute and charming.
She carried the dishes to the front hall.
Because she was in a good mood, she walked on the small path made of two-colored floor tiles, always playfully stepping only on the squares of one color.
Sometimes, when two squares were a bit far apart, she would take a big stride.
Xu Huo, following behind, raised an eyebrow and asked, “Didn’t you injure your knee? You can still play like that?”
“My legs are long, I’m fine.”
With words like that, no matter how long, weren’t they still carried on his shoulder?
If you weren’t grimacing, maybe I’d believe you.
***
Tonight’s dishes were particularly abundant.
Of course, what attracted the children the most were definitely the large, clawing crabs on the table.
Each one, when opened, was bigger than their heads, sticking to their faces like facehuggers.
“Ah! Big crabs!”
“Everyone gets some, no fighting. There’s plenty, I’m just worried you won’t be able to eat it all… Oh, by the way, take a picture for me first.”
Han Xiao stood by the table, set up her phone’s angle, and snapped three quick photos, “Grandpa Chen’s cooking looks, smells, and tastes amazing. It would be a waste not to take pictures to remember it.”
“Thank you, Grandpa Chen.”
A chorus of chirping voices.
The old man waved his hand, then pointed at Han Xiao, “Sister Han bought them.”
“Thank you, Sister Han.”
To conquer a person’s heart, you must first conquer their stomach.
Clearly, Han Xiao was the biggest beneficiary of this saying.
Because that plate of crabs was so eye-catching, they didn’t even need to eat them to become the undisputed heroes in the children’s eyes, and even the old man benefited from the glow.
This made Xu Huo feel quite unpleasant. I’m not as good-looking as Han Xiao, but am I not better looking than the old man?
Why no thank you to Brother Xu Huo?
You guys leaving me standing here all alone is really awkward, okay?
Ranran has been watching the whole time.
What if she thinks I’m less popular than the old man?
Don’t I deserve some face?
Jiang Ran, however, was unaware of Xu Huo’s inner turmoil.
After scalding bowls and chopsticks for a table full of people, she moved her small chair and sat next to Xu Huo, deliberately pressing her arm against her brother’s, and chuckled, “Brother, thank you.”
“Shut up and eat your crab, it’ll get fishy when it’s cold.”
“Oh.”
When the old man passed by the siblings, he suddenly patted Jiang Ran’s shoulder and said with a smile, “Ranran, your brother was talking a lot of bad things about you in the kitchen just now.”
“Really?”
Jiang Ran blinked her innocent big eyes at her brother.
\Xu Huo blinked, catching a hint of something unusual.
“Would I lie to you? How about this, before dinner starts, I’ll help you hold him down… A gentleman’s revenge, it’s never too late in ten years. But you’re a girl, so finish today’s grudge today!”
“Okay!”
Jiang Ran immediately made a soft pounce like a hungry tiger from the side, and Xu Huo, going with the flow, was pushed down by his sister, accompanied by several wails and laughs.
The little kids all clapped and watched the show.
But this “lesson” was not as intense as Xu Huo had imagined.
A brother who completely refused to resist, and bystanders (A, B, C, D) who watched the entire process, left Jiang Ran slightly at a loss.
It was clearly a joke; she couldn’t actually hurt him, otherwise, she’d be the one getting strung up and beaten at home.
But looking up, Jiang Ran suddenly saw her brother’s slightly warning gaze.
Hmm?
Still dare to glare at me?
Hmph!
She hardened her heart, raised her delicate hand, and brought it down fiercely.
“Let’s see if you dare next time?!”
Xu Huo dramatically cried out “Ow!” sat upright, rubbed his backside, and said helplessly, “You believe what the old man says? He even said when he was young, he…”
“I believe him.”
“So you’re an idiot.”
Open provocation?
What audacity!
“Sister Ranran, stop bullying brother, teach me how to peel a crab.”
“Coming, coming… I’ll settle accounts with you when we get home!”
Jiang Ran couldn’t be bothered to argue with her brother.
She tossed out a threat and then took a crab to teach the children how to eat it, and the children mimicked her.
When they encountered stubborn bits, they’d use the complimentary small hammers to ding-ding-dang away.
It must be said, human talents are very strange.
Some people excel at studying, some excel at gaming, some excel at sports.
But when it came to eating, this group of children had exceptional talent.
Given the orphanage’s financial situation, they usually didn’t get to eat crab, but after watching for a while, they quickly peeled the crab meat clean.
On the other hand, Jiang Ran encountered a small problem.
She was so busy helping others that she forgot about herself, so Xu Huo stepped in to assist her.
Seeing this, Han Xiao smiled and said, “You’re a very responsible older brother.”
Xu Huo glanced at her, and seeing that she was also helping, he smiled back, “You’re not bad either.”
Grandma Qin was being looked after by the old man, so there was no need to worry.
Although she didn’t say much, it was clear that she was genuinely happy and content today.
Having finally dealt with one, Jiang Ran glanced around and stealthily pushed the greens in her bowl aside when her brother wasn’t looking.
She only ate meat; she didn’t like vegetables.
“Hey! Leading by example in picky eating, are we?”
Xu Huo saw Jiang Ran discard the cabbage and quietly glared at her.
Jiang Ran pouted, then quietly picked the greens back up.
Finally, having cleared all the food from the table, Han Xiao lightly coughed twice, signaling for everyone to be quiet, then spoke, “Everyone, guess what special day it is today?”
The children whispered among themselves, heads together.
Han Xiao said proudly, “Can’t guess, can you? Heh heh~ Today is Grandma Qin’s birthday…”
Hearing this, Xu Huo thoughtfully got up, holding Ranran’s hand, and went to the kitchen to bring out the cake.
They didn’t dare do it earlier, fearing the children would get too excited.
As the lights dimmed, the children became excited, their eyes shimmering with a gentle light.
Han Xiao clapped her hands and smiled, “Does everyone know how to sing ‘Happy Birthday’?”
“Yes!”
“Good, then I’ll start, and everyone sing it together for Grandma Qin, okay?”
“Okay!”
“Happy Birthday to you… Ready, begin.”
“Happy Birthday to you…”
It was a bit of a chaotic chorus, but Han Xiao’s voice was particularly striking, possessing the unique pure youthfulness of her age, an indescribable gentleness.
This was the first time Xu Huo had heard Han Xiao sing.
Her voice was captivating, like celestial music.
There was no cool, dazzling stage, no backing track, no backup dancers, no harmony… just the simplest words of “Happy Birthday,” and these small listeners in front of her.
But she was so moving.
On the exquisite cake, colorful candles were lit.
Grandma Qin wore a paper birthday hat, and amidst the birthday song around her, she clasped her hands together, closed her eyes, and devoutly made a wish.
The old man watched silently from the side.
Singing can bring joy, and group singing can bring people closer.
When Xiao girl sang, old Qin listened with great interest to everyone.
When it came to such an easy song, she would subconsciously hum along a few lines herself, though her voice was very soft and she wasn’t holding a mic, so even the old man next to her couldn’t quite hear what she was singing.
But after all these years together, the old man knew that she loved listening to music.
With her quiet and introverted personality, she had loved it since she was young.
Even when sleeping alone, she would fall asleep listening to soothing songs.
As the group singing got into full swing, Han Xiao quietly lowered her voice, merely complementing the children, singing more like an accompaniment and a murmur.
When the song finished, the children clapped wildly.
“Grandma Qin, blow out the candles!”
“Yeah, quickly blow out the candles.”
“Make lots and lots of wishes…”
The old man watched from afar, smiling, and asked, “Xu Huo, aren’t you going to sing a song?”
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