By three o'clock in the afternoon, Qin Tian said goodbye to his elders and left with the sisters Xia Nuannuan and Xia Xue.
Upon returning home, his mother was sitting on the sofa in the room, watching television while sorting through the vegetables in the basket.
"Mom, we're back."
Qin Tian called out as he entered the house.
Hearing the sound, Tang Xiuxia quickly got up and walked to the doorway of the room.
"Auntie, Happy Minor New Year."
Xia Nuannuan sent her blessings with a sweet smile.
Beside her, Xia Xue also politely followed suit.
"Oh, yes, yes. Nuannuan, is this your sister?"
Tang Xiuxia smiled as she sized up Xia Xue.
"Yes, she's my cousin from my third uncle's family. Her name is Xia Xue."
"Auntie, you can just call me Xiao Xue."
"Yes, yes, Xia Nuannuan, Xia Xue. Those are beautiful names. They sound like sisters just by hearing them."
Tang Xiuxia praised them with a smile.
Hearing this, the two girls' smiles grew even wider.
"Come, come, come inside and sit down. We have the air conditioning on inside, it's cold outside."
Tang Xiuxia beckoned them with a beaming smile.
After entering the room, Tang Xiuxia pulled the two sisters and sat them down on the sofa, one on each side.
"Auntie, you're picking vegetables? I'll help you."
"I want to help too."
"Good, good, so well-behaved!"
Tang Xiuxia's face bloomed with joy as she picked vegetables with the sisters.
Qin Tian sat beside Xia Nuannuan and picked up a clementine from the coffee table, peeling it and eating a segment.
Tang Xiuxia poked her head out and glared at him, scolding, "Why are you still sitting there eating? Hurry up and go prepare dinner in the back!"
"It's not even late yet!"
Qin Tian ate another segment of orange and said while watching TV.
"Not late? It's already half past three. Don't you need to prepare the ingredients first? The fish and chicken wings we bought need to be marinated, right? Can't you see we're all busy, and you're just sitting here eating oranges?"
Tang Xiuxia said with a touch of exasperation.
"Fine, you're right. I'll go to the kitchen."
Qin Tian agreed helplessly and offered a segment of orange to Xia Nuannuan's mouth.
Xia Nuannuan smiled sweetly and opened her mouth to eat it.
"Ahhh, brother-in-law, I want to eat an orange too."
Xia Xue, seeing this, pouted and protested.
"Here, here, it's all for you."
Qin Tian stood up and handed her the rest.
"You peeled one for my sister, but you won't peel one for me!"
"If you want to eat, you have to do it yourself. Do you want it or not? If not, I'll take it back."
"Hmph, of course, I want it!"
Xia Xue took the orange indignantly.
Qin Tian clapped his hands and walked out of the room.
Tang Xiuxia smiled and looked at Xia Xue peeling the orange, then at Xia Nuannuan on the other side, and asked slyly, "Brother-in-law?"
"I told her to call him Brother Tian, but she insisted on calling him that."
Xia Nuannuan's face flushed, and she explained somewhat flusteredly.
Xia Xue popped a segment of orange into her mouth and said matter-of-factly, "Your parents have met, and you'll be calling him brother-in-law sooner or later. It's better to call him that now, to avoid getting used to it and then finding it hard to change."
"You really know how to talk!"
Xia Nuannuan glared at her in embarrassment and annoyance.
"That's right!"
Xia Xue stuck out her tongue and swayed her head smugly.
"Haha… Xiao Xue is right. Whatever you call him is fine, it's great!"
Tang Xiuxia nodded her approval with a bright smile.
Hearing this, Xia Nuannuan's face turned even redder.
"This orange is so sweet. Here, Auntie, you eat one too. Sister has her brother-in-law feeding her, so I'll feed you."
"Good, good, so well-behaved!"
"Is it sweet?"
"Yes, it's sweet. This batch of oranges you bought today is good."
"Yes, I think they're delicious too, sweet and juicy."
"Then eat a couple more, there are plenty!"
"Mhm, thank you, Auntie."
Xia Nuannuan, while picking vegetables, looked at her future mother-in-law and sister chatting happily with a complex expression. She then glanced at the oranges on the coffee table.
Should she peel one too?
"Nuannuan, you eat too. We also have winter jujubes and these snacks. Take whatever you want!"
Tang Xiuxia didn't forget her future daughter-in-law, saying to Xia Nuannuan with a smile.
"Mhm, okay."
Xia Nuannuan nodded repeatedly.
"Auntie, here, have another one."
"No, no, you eat it yourself!"
"It's fine, you're picking vegetables, I'll peel it for you. It tastes better when we eat together."
"Alright!"
"This little flatterer. I've never seen her be so nice to anyone. Could she have some ulterior motive?"
Xia Nuannuan's eyes flickered as she mused to herself.
...
...
"Wow, oh my gosh, brother-in-law, what are you cooking? It smells so good!"
Xia Xue's exclamation came from behind.
Qin Tian, who was stir-frying at the stove, turned his head and saw Xia Nuannuan and Xia Xue walking into the kitchen together.
"I'm pan-frying fish, braised fish!"
Qin Tian replied with a smile.
"It's really too fragrant. Just smelling it makes me crave it. Brother-in-law, you really can cook that well!"
Xia Xue ran over with a giggle, eagerly peeking into the pot.
"Step back a bit, be careful not to get oil splashed on you."
Qin Tian reminded her with concern.
"Oh, oh!"
Xia Xue swallowed and hid behind him, stretching on her tiptoes to look.
Xia Nuannuan's eyes twitched, and she said loudly, "Xiao Xue, don't disturb him there, come here!"
"I'm not disturbing brother-in-law!"
"Come here!"
Xia Nuannuan slightly increased her tone.
"Oh!"
Xia Xue pouted and reluctantly stepped back.
"Brother, can the dishes on the stove be taken out to the front now?"
Xia Nuannuan asked.
"Yes, be careful, don't burn yourself."
"Okay, where are the bowls and chopsticks?"
"In that cabinet."
"Okay, Xiao Xue, I'll take the dishes, you get the bowls and chopsticks."
Xia Nuannuan instructed her sister.
Xia Xue nodded, went to the cabinet, and found four sets of bowls and chopsticks.
The sisters, one carrying dishes and the other carrying bowls and chopsticks, returned to the front room and placed them on the dining table.
Tang Xiuxia came out of the room carrying a basket full of vegetables.
"Stir-fried mushrooms with meat, and braised chicken with potatoes. They look good!"
"Yes, Auntie, brother-in-law's cooking is too good. It's so fragrant, I want to sneak a bite."
Xia Xue nodded like a pecking chicken, looking at the two dishes on the table with a face full of longing.
"Xiao Xue!"
Xia Nuannuan called out, signaling her to be more polite.
"It's okay, if you want to eat it, just try a bite!"
Tang Xiuxia smiled, walked closer, put down the vegetable basket, picked up a pair of chopsticks, took some stir-fried mushrooms with meat, and offered it to Xia Xue's mouth.
After Xia Xue ate it, her eyes lit up. She covered her mouth with her hand and exclaimed excitedly, "Delicious, delicious, mmm… Auntie, this is so delicious."
Seeing this scene, Xia Nuannuan felt inexplicably a little sour.
It made her not understand herself. If it was Qin Tian, it would be one thing, but why would she feel jealous when her future mother-in-law fed her sister?
"That's good then. Nuannuan, would you like some?"
Tang Xiuxia looked at Xia Nuannuan and asked.
"No, thank you. I'll eat it later."
Xia Nuannuan hurriedly shook her head with a smile and refused.
"Alright, I'll take this to Xiao Tian!"
Tang Xiuxia picked up the vegetable basket and headed directly to the kitchen in the back.
"Sister, you said brother-in-law's cooking was very good, I didn't expect it to be this good!"
Xia Xue said to her sister with a radiant smile.
Xia Nuannuan gave her a look, ignored her, and followed her to the back.
"What's wrong?"
Xia Xue blinked her eyes in confusion.