Chapter 64 - 63: Like a Real Mother and Daughter

Chapter 64: Chapter 63: Like a Real Mother and Daughter

Just as she finished serving the rice, Xiao Ran’s vegetable dish was also ready. He called out toward the sofa, "Mom, dinner’s ready!"

At his call, Qiu Yuru quickly stood up and headed for the dining room.

The braised carp on the table was set perfectly in the center.

The entire fish was perfectly intact.

Aside from the score marks from the knife, not a single bit of skin had peeled off.

A rich braising sauce was drizzled over the top, garnished with vibrant green cilantro.

Just looking at it was enough to whet one’s appetite.

The sight made Qiu Yuru exclaim in admiration, "Wow, this fish... it doesn’t just smell delicious, it looks even more so. Xiao Ran, you lucky boy, you’re in for a treat!"

She truly meant it.

Qiu Yuru had one particular quirk: she didn’t eat fish, and she certainly couldn’t cook it.

It wasn’t an allergy; she was just exceptionally prone to getting fish bones stuck in her throat. Out of ten times she ate fish, she’d choke on a bone nine times!

This wasn’t her being dramatic, either. It was the truth.

When Qiu Yuru was born, her family wasn’t well-off.

Something like fish was a rare treat.

Back then, she was a gluttonous child who would always stuff food into her mouth in a hurry.

She would almost always get a bone stuck and be miserable for a day or so afterward.

Later on, after she got married, her life gradually improved.

But for some reason, she still choked on a bone every single time. Eventually, she just gave up eating fish altogether.

For one, it saved her from being laughed at. For another, choking was genuinely miserable.

But that didn’t stop her from appreciating the girl’s skill!

After all, few young women knew how to cook these days, and even fewer were willing to.

’For that alone, she deserved encouragement!’

Hearing the woman’s praise, the girl gave a sincere smile.

"Auntie, you’re too kind. I’ve only just learned how to make this. Brother Xiao Ran is a much better cook than I am; I’m the lucky one who gets to eat his cooking."

’I’ve been eating his cooking for three years.’

’I’ve only cooked for a few days. If we’re comparing, I’m the one who’s truly fortunate!’

Hearing this, Qiu Yuru couldn’t help but beam with happiness.

It’s a common trait among mothers to love hearing others praise their children—it honestly makes them happier than being complimented themselves.

"Mom, let’s eat," Xiao Ran said with a smile, pulling out a chair for his mother.

They hadn’t seen each other in a long time.

To be honest, he had really missed his mom.

Seeing this, the thoughtful girl quickly handed her a pair of chopsticks.

"Auntie, please try the fish. If there’s anything you don’t like about it, please tell me so I can do better next time."

Xiao Ran quickly chimed in, "Um, my mom doesn’t eat fish."

Everyone in the family knew that Qiu Yuru didn’t eat fish.

Hearing this, the girl looked surprised. "Why?" she asked out of instinctual concern. "Is she allergic?"

’I’m starting to regret buying fish!’

’If only I’d bought meat instead, then at least Auntie would be able to eat it.’

’Just having her eat vegetables... I feel like such a poor hostess. The thought alone makes me feel guilty.’

Seeing the disappointment on the girl’s face, Qiu Yuru quickly explained, "It’s not an allergy. And don’t laugh, but even at my age, I get a bone stuck in my throat every time I eat fish. So eventually, I just stopped eating it altogether."

’It’s true, I’m not being dramatic. It’s something I can’t quite understand myself.’

’What a strange constitution. Some people are money magnets, but I’m a fish-bone magnet...’

The girl blinked, her face lighting up with sudden understanding.

"Oh, so that’s why..."

’I thought it was an allergy. As long as it’s not, this is much easier to solve!’

With that thought, the girl quickly straightened up, grabbed a clean plate from the kitchen, and then carefully picked all the meat from the fish’s belly.

She then took a toothpick from the holder and patiently picked out every single tiny bone.

Only then did she place the plate next to Qiu Yuru and say with a bright smile, "Auntie, now you can eat it!"

’She really thought it was just too sad to only eat vegetables!’

Watching the girl’s considerate gesture toward his mom, Xiao Ran’s heart filled with both gratitude and guilt.

He was moved that she would be so kind to his mother.

He felt guilty because, as her son, for all these years, he had simply accepted that his mom didn’t eat fish and never thought beyond that.

But he had never once thought of picking the bones out for her.

’Compared to her, I’m so thoughtless.’

Qiu Yuru was even more moved as she looked at the deboned fish.

"Oh, you really shouldn’t have. Please, you eat. Don’t worry about me."

’I’m a woman in my forties; I should be the one taking care of the younger generation.’

’But today, not only have I not taken care of this child at all, I’m the one being cared for so thoughtfully.’

’Besides feeling moved, all I feel is fondness for her.’

’She’s just so wonderfully considerate.’

’If this girl wasn’t Yan Li’s little sister, I would want her to date my son!’

Smiling, she picked up a piece of fish with her chopsticks and placed it in the girl’s bowl, her eyes full of warmth.

"You eat too. Fish is good for a young lady’s skin."

With that, she picked up a piece of the deboned fish and popped it into her mouth.

As the saucy piece of fish bloomed across her taste buds, the savory flavor made her nod in approval. ’The fish really is delicious.’

She gave the girl a thumbs-up, her expression full of approval. "Excellent!"

The girl was overjoyed to hear that Qiu Yuru liked it.

She quickly reached for the plate, about to debone some more for her.

Embarrassed, Qiu Yuru reached out to stop her. "No, no, that’s not necessary! These two big pieces are more than enough. Don’t just focus on me, you eat too."

As she spoke, she leaned over to get some fish for the girl, but she realized the girl had already given her all the best pieces.

She managed to find a few other good pieces and placed them in the girl’s bowl.

"Come on, let’s eat together!"

The two of them chatted back and forth, looking for all the world like a real mother and daughter, seemingly forgetting all about Xiao Ran, who was sitting right there.

Even so, Xiao Ran felt an inexplicable sense of happiness.

It was a little past six, and the setting sun cast a warm, orange glow throughout the room.

As she ate, Qiu Yuru asked, "By the way, Xici, do you have a boyfriend?"

’A girl this wonderful must have a boyfriend,’ she thought.

’And he would have to be an exceptional and handsome young man!’

’Only a young man like that would be worthy of a great girl like Yan Xici.’

At her question, the girl’s hand froze mid-motion. Her face flushed slightly as she stammered, "I... I don’t..."

She really didn’t have a boyfriend.

Hearing this, Xiao Ran frowned from the side. ’What kind of question is that?’

’Mom, are you sure that isn’t a bit too blunt?’

’It’s one thing for you to worry about me, but why start worrying about Yan Xici!’

Seeing the girl’s bashful expression, Qiu Yuru’s face lit up in a wide smile. "Oh! Well, what kind of boyfriend are you looking for, then? I think it would take an especially outstanding young man to be worthy of you!"

At these words, the girl’s face turned an even deeper shade of red.

’How can she be asking about this right after we’ve just met?’

Perhaps elders, having been through it all, feel that asking about relationships is just a way of showing they care.

But for a younger person, it’s utter social suicide.

Especially for a girl like Yan Xici, who had never even been in a relationship before.

She wished she could find a crack in the floor to crawl into.

After all, it was a truly sensitive topic for her.