For some reason, it suddenly felt like coming home.
Even though it was a place he hadn't even spent a full day in...
"We're back!"
"Perfect timing!" Chu Chu's father came in through the back door, happily carrying a pot of pork rib soup. "Everything's ready, let's eat!"
"Great!"
Xiao Jin Yu sat at the table and looked around. The table was filled with various meat and vegetable dishes - all ordinary home-cooked meals, yet clearly prepared with great care and attention to detail. The warm, rich aroma filled the entire room, awakening Xiao Jin Yu's usually dull appetite.
Grandma Chu served him a heaping bowl of rice and said with a smile, "There's nothing fancy in our small town, just fresh ingredients... Eat more, there's plenty in the pot if you want seconds!"
"This is more than enough... Thank you..."
Grandma Chu reached out and patted the back of his head affectionately. "Silly child, why so polite..."
"I... I should be."
Chu Chu's father handed Xiao Jin Yu a bowl of pork rib soup piled high with meat. "This soup is my specialty. Try it and see if you like it... If you do, I can teach you how to make it later!"
Chu He laughed. "Dad, he's a big boss from the capital - he's not going to learn how to make soup from you!"
"I'll learn..."
"Learn my foot!" Grandpa Chu rolled his eyes and picked up a large chicken drumstick to put in Xiao Jin Yu's bowl. "Look how thin you are - if you're not careful, someone might mistake you for a pork rib and cook you..."
"...You're right..."
Chu Chu also cheerfully added several vegetable dishes to Xiao Jin Yu's bowl. "You like vegetarian food - our vegetables here are much fresher than those in the capital. Eat more!"
"..."
Xiao Jin Yu looked at the mountain of food piled in his bowl, silently breaking out in a fine sweat on his forehead.
If he ate all this in one go, he probably wouldn't need to eat again until winter passed...
Looking up, he saw all five members of the Chu family watching him intently, as if they wouldn't start eating until he did. Xiao Jin Yu quickly picked up his spoon and drank some soup, then grabbed his chopsticks to hastily eat some rice.
Just as he chewed a few bites, Grandpa Chu asked, "How is it?"
Nervous, Xiao Jin Yu immediately wanted to say "good," but he swallowed too quickly and suddenly started choking, coughing until his cheeks turned red.
Chu Chu quickly moved closer to pat his back. "Slow down!"
Grandma Chu poured him water while scolding Grandpa Chu. "You old man, can't even keep quiet during a meal..."
After drinking some water and catching his breath, Xiao Jin Yu waved his hand, wanting to say he was fine. But before he could speak, an intense pain suddenly shot through his spine. His body trembled as the pain quickly spread along his bones.
This is...
His breathing became uncontrollably rapid. Before the excruciating pain could overwhelm his consciousness, Xiao Jin Yu grabbed Chu Chu's hand and placed it on his belt buckle. "Chu Chu, medicine..."
☆ Chapter 45: Four Happiness Meatballs (Part 4)
Watching Xiao Jin Yu's face suddenly turn deathly pale, Chu Chu was startled. Before she could process what was happening, Chu He jumped up, pulled Chu Chu behind him, and glared angrily at Xiao Jin Yu. "What do you want!"
Grandma Chu drew Chu Chu to her side and looked meaningfully at Xiao Jin Yu, who was leaning breathless in his wheelchair. "Child, this won't do... A marriage proposal is one thing, but it only counts after the wedding ceremony..."Xiao Jinyu's face was pale and dark, sweat streaming down his cheeks as he gasped for breath, unable to speak, let alone undo his belt buckle. He could only stare fixedly at Chu Chu, hoping she would remember something.
Chu Chu's father glanced back and forth between Chu Chu and Xiao Jinyu. Seeing Xiao Jinyu staring intently at Chu Chu, he scratched his head and chuckled, "I never knew our Chu girl could make someone so infatuated..."
Under Xiao Jinyu's intense gaze, Chu Chu suddenly recalled how the guard had once broken his belt buckle to retrieve a pill for him. Looking at his waist, she saw an identical buckle.
Had he come into contact with something unclean again?
Chu Chu rushed over anxiously, "Hold on, I'll help you!"
Thank goodness she remembered...
As Chu Chu reached to undo Xiao Jinyu's belt buckle, Chu He grabbed her hand, his face flushed bright red, "No!"
He never knew his little sister was so bold—daring to do this in front of three generations of the family...
Chu Chu elbowed Chu He hard in the chest, pushing him aside, and urged urgently, "Hurry and get cold water, with ice! He needs to soak in ice water!"
Chu He froze, staring blankly at Xiao Jinyu, who was drenched in sweat and panting heavily. Xiao Jinyu looked as frail as paper and was disabled—how could his kind-hearted sister be so harsh to her own man? Gritting his teeth, Chu He grabbed Chu Chu's arm and pulled her away, his face turning purple with effort before he managed to say, "How about... how about I do it..."
Xiao Jinyu was nearly going mad. Just as he mustered a bit of strength to speak, Grandpa Chu thumped his cane on the ground and said sternly, "Step aside!"
Grandpa Chu walked over and grabbed Xiao Jinyu's wrist. Startled, Xiao Jinyu tried to pull away but couldn't break free. Grandpa Chu felt his pulse, his expression darkening, "Carry him to the bed in the inner room."
Chu Chu's father stared blankly at Xiao Jinyu, then at Grandpa Chu, pursed his lips, and said, "Dad, you're old, this isn't good... If you're worried, how about... how about I do it?"
Xiao Jinyu regretted not having fainted earlier—now he didn't dare to even if he wanted to.
"Enough nonsense!" Grandpa Chu thumped his cane again. "Keep dawdling... Do you want to collect your son-in-law's corpse?"
Chu Chu's father froze, rushed over to check Xiao Jinyu's pulse, slapped his forehead, and exclaimed, "Oh! It's..."
"It's nonsense! Hurry up!"
"Alright... alright!"
Chu Chu's father and Chu He hastily yet carefully carried Xiao Jinyu into the room and laid him on the bed. Grandma Chu kept Chu Chu close by her side, not letting her approach. Chu Chu cried out anxiously, "Quick, take off the belt buckle and break it! Hurry and soak him in ice water! I need to acupuncture him!"
OpenNovel