Chapter 56: Visiting Relatives

Chapter 56: Chapter 56: Visiting Relatives

Chen Jingle’s second aunt could be said to be a bit slow on the uptake.

"Not only does he look more handsome and carry himself better, but he’s also learned a lot of new things," Chen Xiuyun said.

Aside from pruning flowers, he now knew how to make steamed buns. Oh, and that pot of potato and beef stew probably wasn’t bad either. He was practically developing a career in culinary arts.

His second aunt instinctively replied, "Hiding at home all day without going out or working, of course he’s going to get paler. Once his skin lightens, it naturally makes him look better."

Chen Xiuyun was speechless. Was this just a matter of getting paler? His entire being—from the fine details of his appearance to his overall aura—was completely different now!

To be honest, Chen Jingle’s looks used to fluctuate wildly. When he put in a little effort, he looked decent enough, but when he didn’t, he was just an average guy in the crowd. Now, although his facial features hadn’t undergone any major changes, he was a little paler here, had a few fewer acne scars there, groomed his eyebrows, and changed his hairstyle. In an instant, he had transformed into a certified hunk.

"If I didn’t see him every other day, I’d honestly suspect he got plastic surgery. Can lifestyle habits really have such a massive impact on a person?" Chen Xiuyun wondered aloud, half-believing and half-doubting.

Undoubtedly, compared to those artificial, surgically altered faces, Chen Jingle’s subtle, quiet transformation starting from the smallest details was much easier to accept. For a moment, even Chen Xiuyun couldn’t help but feel envious. If only she could also achieve such a drastic change in her appearance just through a simple, disciplined diet and lifestyle!

This time, Chen Jingle didn’t need to run to each household to deliver gifts to his uncles and aunts. His youngest uncle and his two maternal aunts were also gathering at his eldest uncle’s house, so he just had to bring everything directly there.

His eldest uncle’s home was in the southern part of the city. It was beyond the suburbs, falling into the rural area, and took about twenty minutes to reach by electric scooter. The only ones gathering today were his two uncles, their wives, and his two maternal aunts. Both of his aunts’ husbands had other matters to attend to and weren’t free.

His cousins were all working away from home. His eldest aunt’s oldest grandson was on school break at home, but he hadn’t come either; he was probably too lazy to tag along for family visits. This was a common reality in modern rural villages: a combination of the elderly and left-behind children. Chen Jingle was quite the anomaly in this regard.

"Eldest Uncle! Aunt! Eldest Aunt!" Upon arriving outside the house, Chen Jingle saw his eldest uncle placing a freshly cleaned chicken into a large stainless steel basin, while his aunt and eldest aunt were washing vegetables. He quickly raised his voice to greet them.

Hearing his voice, his eldest uncle looked up. "Le, you’re here? Drive it in. Park your scooter over here under the tree so it doesn’t get baked in the sun."

There was an unnamed tree by the front door with a thick trunk and lush foliage, providing the perfect shade.

His eldest aunt, a small, thin woman whose face was lined with wrinkles from years of hard work, beamed brightly. "Le, you’re here so early?"

"You’re much earlier than me, Eldest Aunt. Where’s Second Aunt? Not here yet?" Chen Jingle responded with a smile.

"Right, she should be arriving soon."

"What did you buy this time?" His eldest uncle quickly washed his hands, habitually complaining, "You’re just a kid living at home, why be so polite? You could have just come empty-handed. It’s just a meal."

"It’s nothing much, just some ordinary things. Not a lot," Chen Jingle said with a smile. After parking his electric scooter, he began pulling out the items one by one. "This is for you, Eldest Uncle. This is for Youngest Uncle. This is for Eldest Aunt and Second Aunt... Oh, right, I made some soy-sauce meat buns for everyone to try. And this potato and beef stew—Eldest Uncle, take this into the kitchen first. We can heat it up later when it’s time to eat."

"And you said it wasn’t a lot... Eh? You made all this yourself?"

"Yeah, I’ve been learning to cook at home recently."

His eldest uncle nodded. "That’s good too. If you get good at it, you can open a breakfast shop in the future."

Chen Jingle chuckled, remaining noncommittal. Visiting relatives was essentially just mimicking his parents—interacting with the elders and shooting the breeze.

"By the way, where are Youngest Uncle and Youngest Aunt?"

"They went to pay respects to the ancestors. It’ll be a while before they’re back."

His eldest uncle had been in the military in his earlier years, serving in the Navy. Now, he farmed at home, raising some chickens and ducks, but it didn’t bring in much money. Fortunately, his two younger cousins were quite capable and could now help support the family. His youngest uncle, on the other hand, taught at a primary school in the neighboring town center. After so many years, he had worked his way up to a directorial position. His children had also graduated and were working, so their situation was quite comfortable. His two maternal aunts’ families, however, were worse off.

"Come inside and sit down. Have a cup of tea first," his eldest uncle’s wife offered.

"I’ll pour it myself," Chen Jingle said, hurriedly taking the teapot. The tea had already been brewed. He poured himself a cup, though it was a bit too hot and needed some time to cool.

"I actually haven’t had breakfast yet," his eldest uncle said. "I’ll eat one of these steamed buns first." He smiled and first put the meats back into the refrigerator to keep them fresh; in this weather, he wouldn’t dare leave them out.

"It’s already ten o’clock and you haven’t eaten breakfast?" Chen Jingle asked in surprise.

His aunt chimed in from the side, "He got up early to buy groceries, then came back to let the chickens and ducks out of their cages. He had to feed them, handle all sorts of chores, and then slaughter the chicken. Before he knew it, he’d been busy until now."

"Then you should hurry up and eat one."

His eldest uncle came out after putting the food away in the fridge, washed his hands again, grabbed an old towel from the sofa to casually wipe them dry, and finally picked up a soy-sauce meat bun. He was truly starving.

However, upon taking the very first bite, he was instantly astonished. "Eh? This meat bun... smells amazing!"

Uncertain, he took another bite. Feeling the rich aroma spread throughout his mouth, he was even more shocked. "I thought it would be like the regular pork buns you buy outside."

As someone who did manual labor, he burned a lot of energy. Coupled with his habits from his younger days, he always ate in large, hearty bites. In just a few mouthfuls, he polished off an entire bun.

Chen Jingle smiled and explained, "No, it’s a soy-sauce meat bun. The meat filling is marinated in sauce beforehand, so it’s much more flavorful. During the steaming process, the sauce from the meat seeps into the bun itself. That’s why it smells and tastes so much better."

"Delicious!" His eldest uncle nodded emphatically after finishing the bun. He grabbed some more, handing one to his eldest sister and another to his wife. "Come, come, come! You guys try it too. It’s Le’s homemade soy-sauce meat bun. I just had one, and it’s incredibly fragrant and tasty—way better than the meat buns you buy outside!"

His eldest aunt and his uncle’s wife originally hadn’t been interested, but hearing his praise, they curiously took a bite. Instantly, they were blown away.

"Mmm, it really is delicious!"

Right then, his youngest uncle and youngest aunt returned. Everyone hurriedly beckoned them over to have a taste as well.

"Oh? Le made these himself?" his youngest uncle said, walking over. Seeing how much everyone was enjoying them, he couldn’t help but reach out and grab one, even though he had already eaten breakfast. Before he even finished it, he was singing its praises. "Not bad! This is seriously good. The meat filling is so fragrant, and it’s juicy without leaking everywhere. You never see these kinds of buns sold around here. I’ve only seen similar large meat buns from the north on short video apps, and those cost seven yuan a piece."

"Seven yuan a piece?! Seven yuan can buy half a pound of meat!" his eldest aunt exclaimed.

His eldest uncle, accustomed to physical labor, devoured three buns in one breath, still wanting more. Then, he turned to Chen Jingle and said solemnly, "Lezai, listen to your eldest uncle. With this level of skill, if you open a breakfast shop, you’ll definitely make a killing!"

"Hmm, I’ll think about it," Chen Jingle smiled, remaining noncommittal.