Wan Ru didn't speak, sighed, and shook her head helplessly.
"Oh, Tong Tong, it's been such a long time, do you miss your grandpa?" As they reached the doorstep, Su's father was waiting. Upon seeing Tong Tong, he could barely look at anyone else.
Tong Tong, in response, ran straight to hug his grandpa. "I do, of course I do! Tong Tong missed Grandpa so much! And Grandma too, I want to eat Grandma's sweet and sour pork ribs!"
When Tong Tong mentioned Grandma, Su's father's expression instantly changed.
"Dad, what's wrong?" Su Wan Ru sensed something was amiss. It seemed like something had happened with her mother.
Su's father, holding Tong Tong, looked towards the bedroom. "Your mother, you know, she called Duo Er before the New Year, and she hasn't answered to this day. She's upset and didn't even cook today. Let's not bother her, we'll eat at a restaurant."
With that, he was about to leave with Tong Tong when Liu Yifeng stopped him.
"Uncle, why don't I cook? Auntie always cooks, and I feel a bit bad about it. It'll be a chance for you all to try my cooking."
Liu Yifeng understood. Everyone wants family to be together during the New Year. It seemed like Yun Duo Er still harbored some misunderstandings towards the Su family, so not answering the phone was understandable.
"That won't do. You're a guest, how can we let you cook? I'll go call her." He put Tong Tong down and went to Su mother's room.
Su Wan Ru looked at Liu Yifeng, feeling a little embarrassed. "Yifeng, I'm sorry. You know the situation. I've called her too, but she doesn't answer or reply to messages. However, she's still active on Weibo and updates her Moments. I knew then that she definitely didn't want to come home. I've tried to comfort her, but she's still very sad."
"I understand, it's alright. Tell Mother Su that I'll cook today, and let Tong Tong go keep her company. Maybe that will help." He handed Tong Tong to Su Wan Ru and rolled up his sleeves to head to the kitchen.
Tong Tong looked at Su Wan Ru, his big eyes blinking. He felt that this was indeed Yun Duo Er's way of behaving, but it also had something to do with her work. He used to spend New Year's alone too. It was only when he was with Liu Yifeng that he felt a sense of home.
"Auntie, Grandma is my responsibility. I'll go and cheer her up." Tong Tong's eyes showed no trace of childlike innocence, only a maturity that made Su Wan Ru's heart ache.
He definitely knew what they were talking about, but his young mind was deep, and he said nothing.
Su Wan Ru smiled and took Tong Tong to Su mother's room. Upon seeing Tong Tong, she couldn't help but shed tears.
"Tong Tong's here? Come, Grandma will cook for you, I'll make your favorite sweet and sour pork ribs." Su mother, feeling wronged, pulled Tong Tong along and walked out, giving Su Wan Ru no chance to speak.
When they reached the kitchen, they saw Liu Yifeng, wearing an apron, already preparing the pork ribs.
At this point, Su mother couldn't hold back any longer, tears streaming down her face. Tong Tong, by her side, held her hand. "Grandma, don't cry anymore. If Grandma cries, Auntie will be sad too. Let Daddy cook today, and we can all try Daddy's cooking. I'll tell you a secret, Daddy's cooking is very good too."
Hearing Tong Tong's tender voice, Su mother's tears flowed even more uncontrollably. "Okay, Grandma won't cry anymore. Grandma is crying because she misses Tong Tong so much. Then, Grandma will accompany Tong Tong to play, okay?"
Tong Tong nodded and took Su mother to the living room to play.
"I'm sorry for making you witness this," Su Wan Ru said as Su mother and Tong Tong went to play. It seemed her mood had improved, so she went to help in the kitchen.
Liu Yifeng, while preparing the pork ribs, said, "It's nothing. It's been a while since I've been in the kitchen, so it probably won't be as delicious as Auntie's cooking. Please don't mind if it's not up to par."
"I believe you, your cooking will definitely be delicious." Su Wan Ru's manner of peeling garlic suggested she was quite used to assisting in the kitchen.
"Do you need any help?" Liu Yifeng looked at Su Wan Ru. Seeing the tear stains on her cheeks, he assumed she must have been saddened by her mother's tears as well.
At first, she didn't fully grasp what Liu Yifeng was asking. It took her three seconds to understand. "No, but thank you anyway. Only the two of us can resolve her resentment, right? Don't worry. It's just that my mother occasionally feels very sad. She was fine today, but perhaps she argued with my father again when I went to pick you up, which is why she's like this."
Su Wan Ru already felt like she was troubling Liu Yifeng enough. If she troubled him further, she would feel too embarrassed. Moreover, she didn't want them to have any more contact, not just for Liu Yifeng's sake, but also for Tong Tong's.
"Don't feel like you're bothering me. If you need anything, you can tell me anytime. I'll help with whatever I can." Liu Yifeng knew she didn't want to trouble him and was aware of the issues between her and Yun Duo Er. He thought it was best to help if he could, as she was Tong Tong's aunt and treated him very well, for which he was grateful.
Su Wan Ru handed him the peeled garlic. "I know. What you need to do now is to make this meal look, smell, and taste delicious. Don't worry about anything else."
After hearing Su Wan Ru's words, he suddenly remembered his pork ribs and quickly turned off the heat. "Good thing you reminded me. If you had been a moment later, they probably would have burned."
Seeing Liu Yifeng's flustered reaction was quite amusing. "Alright, you focus on your work. I'm going out to buy some things." Seeing his panicked look, she thought it would be best to buy some things. If the meal really didn't turn out well, then lunch would be completely ruined for today.
Su Wan Ru bought a few dishes from a small restaurant downstairs. On her way back, she saw a familiar figure, but she wasn't entirely sure she could recognize her, especially since the person hadn't answered her calls before.
"Duo Er?" The closer she got, the more she was sure it was her, so she called out. When the person turned around, she was certain.
Just as she was about to flee, Su Wan Ru grabbed her. "Since you're here, come up and sit for a while. Mom misses you very much. You haven't been answering her calls. It's the New Year, why aren't you coming home?"
Su Wan Ru pulled Yun Duo Er towards home, but she shook her hand off. "Go home? That's not my home, it's your home. I was just passing by today and wanted to take a look. Don't misunderstand."
She knew that Yun Duo Er was just too proud to admit it, and she still wanted to go home. But to save face, she could only speak such firm words, otherwise, she wouldn't have encountered her here today.