CHAPTER 26: CHAPTER 26: DISPUTE

Li Xuemei, upon hearing this, agreed it made sense.

Anyway, no matter what, Li Xuemei felt her kids were different now; at least they knew how to improve their own home and protect their parents, which was a good thing.

Compared to Gu Ruhai, they were indeed much better.

Gu Xiaoqing couldn’t stop giggling, mainly because her mom’s face was all covered in flour.

Li Xuemei couldn’t react at first, just wondering why her daughter couldn’t stop laughing.

Then, she suddenly realized and laughed while chasing Gu Xiaoqing, "You naughty girl, bad girl, always thinking about tricking your mom, watch me not beat you up."

Gu Xiaoqing had long run away.

Li Xuemei contentedly washed her face, this was the life of a human being.

Comfortable.

She patted the flour off her body, tidied up the chopping board, and then went to the main room to tidy the table.

Soon, the two sisters finished making the dumplings.

Xiao Jie had been squatting by the stove, drooling, watching the white smoke coming out of the pot, and smelling the delicious aroma escaping from the lid.

He swallowed his saliva from time to time.

"Big sis, second sis, it smells so good."

*Gulp* sounded another swallow.

Gu Xiaoying looked at Xiao Jie amusingly, this younger brother was thin and small, far inferior to Gu Xiaofeng from third uncle’s family. Although Gu Xiaofeng was two months younger than Gu Xiaojie, he was much fairer and plump, tall and sturdy.

But their own brother, sigh, it was all because the grandparents were so biased.

"Alright, it’ll be ready soon, you hungry little thing."

Gu Xiaoqing’s eyes warmed with tears.

The sight of their little brother was so endearing, too cute, yet too pitiful.

In this lifetime, the three of them have hardly gotten a chance to taste dumplings.

Xiao Jie just stayed put by the stove, sniffing and refusing to leave.

Eventually, Gu Xiaoqing said, "Xiao Jie, hurry up and bring a bowl, it’s about to be served."

The little guy, with agile movements, quickly dashed to the cupboard and brought over three large bowls.

These chipping bowls were from when Gu Ruhai and Li Xuemei got married.

Gu Xiaoqing served the cooked dumplings, while Xiao Jie couldn’t wait to take a bite. Thankfully, Gu Xiaoqing noticed and immediately said, "Careful, don’t burn yourself. Bring the dumplings to the main room, sit there, and dip them in vinegar to enjoy."

Otherwise, Xiao Jie would surely burn himself.

Gu Xiaoying carried two bowls of dumplings to the main room.

Xiao Jie looked at the empty pot, feeling a bit disappointed that there were only two bowls, how would that be enough to eat?

He rubbed his little belly, his face already showing it.

Gu Xiaoqing patted Xiao Jie’s head and said, "Don’t worry, today’s dumplings will be enough, sis, later we’ll make steamed dumplings and fried dumplings, ensuring you eat to your fill."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Jie’s eyes brightened, and he happily grabbed Gu Xiaoqing’s hand, saying, "Good second sis, you’re the best, finally, I can eat dumplings."

You should know that these dumplings were the precious treats that only Gu Xiaocheng, Gu Xiaofeng, Gu Xiaomin, second uncle, third uncle, and grandparents could eat every year.

Every time Gu Xiaojie craved them desperately, staring at the dumplings on the table, Gu Xiaofeng would deliberately eat them in big bites, flauntingly only eating the meat stuffing while spitting out the dumpling skin.

Grandma, though scolding him, would still give him another one.

Seeing that made Gu Xiaojie wish he could bite that Gu Xiaofeng to death.

This time, finally, he could eat this dreamlike delicacy himself.

This was Gu Xiaojie’s dream.

Gu Xiaoqing nodded, pushed him out, "Go ahead, eat a little first, but don’t eat too much, sis here will be ready soon, there’s plenty for you."

Gu Xiaojie ran into the main room satisfied.

But the atmosphere in the main room wasn’t all that great.

Gu Ruhai was sitting solemnly with a cigarette in his hand, while Li Xuemei was facing the door, also with a grim expression, and Gu Xiaoying stood in the center of the room, holding a bowl of dumplings, looking troubled.

Gu Xiaojie’s intrusion seemed to break the ice.

Noticing only one bowl of dumplings left on the table.

Gu Xiaojie immediately started crying loudly.

"Second sis, second sis, our dumplings are gone."

Gu Xiaoqing had just started steaming the dumplings, and the other pan had not yet had oil poured, so Xiao Jie’s shout made her rush over.

As soon as she entered the room, she noticed something was off about the atmosphere.

Seeing Gu Xiaoqing enter, Gu Xiaojie quickly hugged her, crying, "Sis, second sis, there’s only one bowl of dumplings left."

Like an accusation, he pointed firmly at the bowl of dumplings on the table.

Gu Ruhai’s face turned awkward, thinking he just wanted to show some filial piety with the dumplings, but it turned into a grievance for the whole family, as if he had done something terribly wrong.

Looking at his teary-eyed son, then at his wife with a puffed-up dark face, and the eldest daughter who didn’t know what to do, and the second daughter silently watching him,

Gu Ruhai felt furious inside.

What was going on?

He said sternly, "Xiao Jie, don’t be ignorant, that bowl of dumplings I asked your eldest sister to take to your grandparents, they are old, eating something nice doesn’t hurt. It’s also a child’s duty to show respect."

Upon hearing this, Gu Xiaojie did not dare to speak, just stared at the bowl of dumplings on the table.

The steaming dumplings.

Li Xuemei slammed the table, glaring angrily at Gu Ruhai, saying, "Gu Ruhai, who’s being disrespectful? The flour for these dumplings I carried from my parents’ place, the money for the dumpling meat was from my older brothers, yet you shamelessly use my family’s things to pay respects to your parents. If you want to show filial piety, use your share. Using my family’s goods to show respect to in-laws, it’s a wonder if the grandparents won’t choke on it."

These harsh words were the most hurtful things Li Xuemei had ever said to Gu Ruhai.

Gu Ruhai’s face turned crimson.

He quivered his lips, wanting to say something, but couldn’t utter a word.

Seeing this, Gu Xiaoqing wondered what was happening.

She came forward and said, "Dad, Mom, what are you guys doing? Dad, just now Grandpa and Grandma lost face at our place, sending dumplings there now isn’t filial piety, Grandparents may think you’re deliberately embarrassing them.

Besides, in front of the whole village, you refused them, and now bringing dumplings, it’s not filial, it’s making grandparents lose face. Don’t you think so?

Also, Mom is right, everything about these dumplings comes from Grandma’s family, and if asked, we can’t lie, right? Grandparents eating things from in-laws, it’s quite a face-saving matter.

Moreover, today’s dumplings have significance for our family’s future grand plan, so I think it’s better if we just eat them ourselves, to avoid aggravating grandparents even more."