CHAPTER 434: CHAPTER 436 SEVERAL LITTLE FOODIES

"Grandma and Grandpa," Xia Xiao and Gao Jiaxing both smiled upon seeing Old Man Xia and Mrs. Xia.

"Feiyang, Feiyue, and Feiyi, call out to your great-grandpa and great-grandma."

"Great-grandpa, great-grandma," obediently called out Feiyang, Feiyue, and Feiyi.

The two elders were even more delighted, "Good, good, good, all so well-behaved."

"When did you get back? Why didn’t you send a letter ahead, so I and your granddad could prepare some dishes?" Mrs. Xia couldn’t help but squat down to hug this great-grandchild and then that one, speaking to Xia Xiao and Gao Jiaxing.

"Grandma, there’s no need for you and Grandma to prepare dishes for us; we’ve brought everything." Xia Xiao pointed towards Gao Jiaxing’s hand, where Gao Jiaxing was holding a chicken.

"All right then, let’s have chicken for dinner," Mrs. Xia said to Old Man Xia, "You take the chicken to the kitchen and start on it; I want to spend some time with the great-grandchildren."

Old Man Xia replied, "You go, I want to spend time with the great-grandchildren."

Xia Xiao laughed and said, "Let me do it. Grandma and Grandpa haven’t tasted my cooking for a long time, right? Today you’ll have a good taste."

With that, Old Man Xia and Mrs. Xia both agreed.

Xia Xiao then took the chicken to the kitchen, while Gao Jiaxing went to sit in the courtyard with the children, Old Man Xia, and Mrs. Xia to chat.

After a while, Gao Jiaxing said, "Feiyang, Feiyue, and Feiyi, you keep Great-grandpa and Great-grandma company; Daddy will go help Mommy with the chicken."

"I want a chicken drumstick," Feiyue immediately said.

"I also want a chicken drumstick," Feiyang stated.

"Drumstick, drumstick," Feiyi held up one finger, then another, indicating he wanted two.

Old Man Xia and Mrs. Xia laughed heartily, "Yes, yes, yes, there will be drumsticks for everyone."

In the kitchen, Xia Xiao boiled water, ready to butcher the chicken. Since the water wasn’t boiling yet, she started by washing rice for cooking.

Seeing Gao Jiaxing enter, Xia Xiao asked, "Why did you come over? Aren’t you supposed to be out keeping Grandpa and Grandma company?"

"I came to help you with the chicken," Gao Jiaxing said.

Xia Xiao chuckled, "Come off it, as if I need your help butchering a chicken. Go outside and watch the kids, don’t let them get into mischief."

"It’s fine, the kids are behaving," Gao Jiaxing then took the knife and carried the chicken out to slaughter.

Xia Xiao took a bowl to collect the blood, and when the water boiled, she poured the hot water into a basin to take outside.

Feiyang and Feiyue and Feiyi all crowded around, but since the water was scalding, she didn’t allow the children to get too close for fear of burning them. However, it wasn’t long before father and sons were plucking feathers together.

Old Man Xia and Mrs. Xia simply watched from the sidelines, everyone chatting and laughing in high spirits.

Mrs. Xia went to pick vegetables and garlic in the small garden, while Feiyang, Feiyue, and Feiyi finished plucking the feathers and went to help her.

Gao Jiaxing handed the chicken over to Xia Xiao and then sat outside talking with Old Man Xia.

Xia Xiao made chicken soup and stir-fried chicken with garlic and onions. As soon as the delicious aroma drifted out, Feiyang, Feiyue, and Feiyi ran into the kitchen, craning their necks.

"Feiyang, go wash the dishes; Feiyue, wipe the table and set up the chairs," Xia Xiao ordered, and Feiyang and Feiyue immediately got to work.

Feiyi was clinging to Xia Xiao’s legs, stretching his neck to look into the pot, and occasionally calling out for chicken drumsticks from Mommy.

The sight of them salivating made not just Mrs. Xia laugh, but Xia Xiao couldn’t help but be amused as well.

If she had a camera, she really wanted to capture the kids’ faces; she didn’t know how she ended up with a bunch of foodies.

Mrs. Xia was ready to give Feiyi the drumstick when Xia Xiao said, "Grandma, let him eat it with his meal."

Feiyi immediately hugged Mrs. Xia’s legs, chanting, "Grandma, drumstick, grandma, drumstick." Mrs. Xia burst out laughing while Xia Xiao was left speechless, "Call her Grandma, not ’grandma.’ You should say ’Grandma.’"

Feiyi did call out "Grandma," and then repeated it, his hopeful, gleaming eyes fixed on Mrs. Xia, melting her heart completely.

"It’s okay, he’s still young. Besides, all kids are like that." Mrs. Xia then handed a small drumstick to Feiyi.

Feiyi joyously accepted it and immediately took a bite.

Xia Xiao said, "Aren’t you going to thank Grandma? You should say thank you when Grandma gives you a drumstick."

"Thank you, Grandma," Feiyi mumbled unclearly, his mouth still full of meat.

Compared to Feiyi, Feiyang and Feiyue were also longing for it, but they had better manners.

Feiyue wiped the table clean, Xia Xiao said, "Go call Old Man Xia and Daddy Gao for dinner."

Feiyue promptly went to call Old Man Xia and Gao Jiaxing for dinner. Feiyi followed out, and after Feiyang finished washing dishes and brought them to the table, he came back to say to Xia Xiao, "Mom, let me help you with the dishes."

"Good boy, no need. You take your little brother to sit at the table. Mom and Grandma will bring them over." As soon as Xia Xiao finished speaking, Feiyang took off as well.

Mrs. Xia smiled, "These kids are well-behaved, obedient, and sensible."

Xia Xiao smiled, "Grandma, you haven’t seen them when they’re naughty. That’s when they really give me a headache."

"Every child is like that at a young age. Boys should be lively, that’s good. If they are too quiet and introverted, that’s not good either."

As soon as Mrs. Xia finished, Xia Xiao nodded in agreement. She worried that children who were too quiet and introverted might get bullied at school.

However, thinking of her sons, trained by Gao Jiaxing to box and yell daily, she considered it a miracle they hadn’t started tearing the roof tiles off. They probably avoided picking on others just by chance.

The family sat at the dining table, Feiyang and Feiyue had washed their hands and were sitting nicely, while Feiyi was still nibbling on his drumstick.

Xia Xiao placed two big drumsticks in Feiyang and Feiyue’s bowls, and they started eating happily.

Feiyi looked enviously at Feiyang and Feiyue’s big drumsticks, but when Xia Xiao put a small drumstick in his bowl, he instantly gave Xia Xiao a big, bright smile.

Old Man Xia and Mrs. Xia, being elderly, preferred their food soft and tender, so Xia Xiao cooked it a bit softer, which suited the kids as well. As for Gao Jiaxing, he was even easier to please.

Xia Xiao’s favorite thing about Gao Jiaxing was his lack of pickiness; he would eat whatever was offered, eating more if it tasted good and enough to be satisfied even if it didn’t.

Xia Xiao herself was a bit picky; she would eat a lot if it was delicious and less if not.

"The meals Xiaoxiao cooks are always delicious," Mrs. Xia said with deep affection.

Old Man Xia took out his hidden alcohol to drink with Gao Jiaxing, but Mrs. Xia wouldn’t let Old Man Xia drink too much. Old Man Xia said, "My son-in-law is visiting, let me enjoy a few extra sips."

Mrs. Xia said to Xia Xiao, "The doctor told your grandpa he can’t drink too much. He never listens; once he starts, he can’t stop."

Xia Xiao laughed, "Grandma, just for today. Let grandpa drink to his heart’s content. But Grandpa still needs to have soup."

Xia Xiao had added spring water to the soup, a thoughtful effort to nourish the bodies of Old Man Xia and Mrs. Xia.

"Alright, alright," Old Man Xia agreed.

Xia Xiao served a bowl of soup to Old Man Xia, "Grandpa, finish this bowl of soup before you drink alcohol, and Brother Gao should too."

As she spoke, she also poured a bowl of soup for Gao Jiaxing. Gao Jiaxing took it and nodded, with an experienced air, he earnestly said, "Grandpa, you should eat something before drinking alcohol, it helps prevent getting drunk too quickly, I’ve tried it."