"Silly girl, why are you crying?"
Seeing Luo Tianyi in tears, Chen Xiaowan sighed, wondering how her daughter-in-law had managed all these years to be so severely lacking in paternal and maternal love. It seemed her relationship with her parents wasn't as harmonious as her own with her son.
"Come, tell Mom how you've been this past year. Anything you've felt wronged about or have bottled up, tell Mom. Look at what a state my daughter-in-law has been put in."
Under the gentle, nurturing maternal love, Luo Tianyi felt a peculiar maternal impact for the first time. "Mmm."
And so, mother-in-law and daughter-in-law talked, one pouring out her heart, the other listening, creating a harmonious and beautiful scene in the living room.
Ten-odd minutes later.
Chen Xiaowan felt even more affection for Luo Tianyi, gently holding her fair, delicate hand. "It's okay, everything will get better."
"Right, I haven't even seen my granddaughter who's a set of triplets yet."
Chen Xiaowan suddenly remembered something and paused. She had been so engrossed in her conversation with her daughter-in-law that she had forgotten about the three little ones. What a shame.
"Mom, I'll take you."
"Heh heh, okay~~"
Luo Tianyi and Chen Xiaowan then went to where the three little ones were sleeping soundly nearby. The eldest, Mengmeng, had her tiny fists by her sides on her crib, while the second, Nuonuo, was sucking her little hand. The third, Hanhan, had one hand gripping her hair, her head turned to the side as she slept.
The three babies' adorable sleeping postures immediately captivated Chen Xiaowan.
"Such cute little triplets! These… are my three granddaughters? Tsk tsk~~"
Chen Xiaowan looked at the three adorable babies with emotion. "The Ye family has really had an extraordinary streak of good fortune; to have triplets like these, their ancestors' graves must be practically burning."
"Dada dada dada~~"
Just then, the sound of rapid chopping came from the kitchen. It was faint, but clear enough to be heard. Chen Xiaowan looked over curiously and, upon seeing her son's actions in the kitchen, was drawn in.
"When did that brat's cooking get so good?"
An expert can tell the quality of work upon seeing it. Chen Xiaowan, who had been cooking for over twenty years, knew this very well.
"Mom, you didn't know Ye Xuan cooks amazingly?"
Luo Tianyi was startled by her future mother-in-law's words and looked at Ye Xuan busy in the kitchen, a little surprised.
Chen Xiaowan shook her head with a wry smile. "That brat really kept it hidden deep."
"Made me cook for twenty more years. If I'd known, I could have been idle for twenty years."
Hearing her future mother-in-law's words, Luo Tianyi smiled slightly. Idle for twenty years? Did that mean he would have been cooking for his mother since birth? The thought… was hard to bear.
"You brat, what are you cooking? So many dishes!?"
Chen Xiaowan looked at the sea cucumbers, abalone, and shark fins in the kitchen, as well as ribs, ham, and lamb shanks. There were at least dozens of dishes.
However, under Ye Xuan's skilled hands, everything was proceeding in an orderly fashion.
Luo Tianyi also looked over with curiosity, but then seemed to realize something, her eyes alight with disbelief. "Ye Xuan, you… aren't you making Buddha Jumps Over the Wall!?"
"Oh, it seems my wife has had it before."
Ye Xuan smiled slightly, unsurprised. After all, his wife's family background was considerable. While Buddha Jumps Over the Wall was difficult to come by, it wasn't impossible for the wealthy.
"Buddha Jumps Over the Wall?"
Chen Xiaowan was taken aback at her daughter-in-law's words, clearly hearing the name for the first time.
Seeing her reaction, Luo Tianyi patiently explained, "Mom, Buddha Jumps Over the Wall, also known as 'Man Tan Xiang' or 'Fu Shou Quan,' is a famous local dish from Fuzhou, belonging to the Min cuisine. The ingredients for Buddha Jumps Over the Wall number in the dozens…"
"Most importantly, the method for making Buddha Jumps Over the Wall varies with each chef, and it demands extremely strict requirements for a chef's knife skills and heat control. In some seven-star hotels, this dish alone can cost tens of thousands."
"A dish costing tens of thousands!!"
Chen Xiaowan was stunned. That was more than half a year's salary! Good heavens!
As Luo Tianyi continued her explanation, Ye Xuan began preparing another dish, which, as expected, elicited another gasp from Luo Tianyi.
"Wen Si Tofu! This… is actually Wen Si Tofu!!"
"This… Xiao Luo, what is Wen Si Tofu?" Chen Xiaowan obviously hadn't encountered this dish either and asked her daughter-in-law curiously, realizing that her daughter-in-law's background was far beyond her imagination.
"Mom, Wen Si Tofu is a top-tier dish in terms of knife skills in the culinary world."
Luo Tianyi watched the man's incredible movements in the kitchen with disbelief. "Wen Si Tofu is famous for its exquisite flavor and astonishing knife work."
"Usually, tofu is cut on a cutting board, but Wen Si Tofu is cut in water to prevent sticking."
"A small piece of tofu, cut horizontally and vertically, can be transformed into thousands of fine threads…"
Listening to her daughter-in-law's explanation, Chen Xiaowan's gaze towards her son changed. This was at least the skill of a five-star chef. When had that brat learned such a craft? She had never known.
Just as Luo Tianyi had said, before long, the threads of Wen Si Tofu were clearly visible in the water, uniform in thickness and visually appealing!
Half an hour later.
A feast of fragrant, appetite-whetting dishes filled the air. Chen Xiaowan and Luo Tianyi's stomachs rumbled in protest.
"Alright, the last dish, Buddha Jumps Over the Wall, is finished."
Having prepared the entire meal, Ye Xuan smiled slightly, his mother's and wife's expressions clearly visible to him. "Oh, right, and chilled watermelon juice!"
With that, Ye Xuan took out the remaining six bottles of chilled watermelon juice from the refrigerator. "Paired with these dishes, this should be a delicacy for mortals."
"Also, Mom, wife, this chilled watermelon juice I made has the magical effects of refreshing the mind and beautifying the skin when consumed in moderation. It's very beneficial for the body."
"Really? You're spouting nonsense, you brat."
Chen Xiaowan looked at the table full of dishes but couldn't quite process her son's words. True or not, she'd take a sip first. Luo Tianyi, after pursing her lips, also started to eat.
"Impressive, brat!"
Eating the meal her son had prepared, Chen Xiaowan couldn't help but admire his culinary skills, which were far superior to hers.
"Just so-so. It's all thanks to Mom's good teaching."
Ye Xuan said flatteringly, earning a roll of his eyes from his mother. Was her brat mocking her? If she could teach such a student, she wouldn't be here.
"The watermelon juice is also very good, sweet and refreshing with a pleasant aftertaste, completely different from ordinary watermelon juice. How did you make it, brat? Teach your mom when you have time."
"Heh heh, no problem with that."
Ye Xuan smiled. Of course, to make such chilled watermelon juice, one had to use system-specific watermelons. Otherwise, no amount of skill would be useful.
With the houses lit up, the outside of the villa was pitch black. Joyful laughter occasionally rang out, adding a unique warmth to the quiet night. Luo Tianyi would never forget this day, for it was on this day she felt profound maternal love, which completely changed her life.