Chapter 29
Liang Jinyi: “…”
After Jiang Mi sent Liang Jinyi back to the Liang house, he drove himself back to Qiuxin Garden. They had a holiday these two days, so he could spend more time with his parents.
After keeping his family company for two days, Jiang Mi went to the firm and worked overtime for another two days. Soon, it was September 7th. That evening, he returned to his parents’ home. When he was going to sleep at night, he called Liang Jinyi.
He first asked how Liang Jinyi had done on the monthly exams. Hearing Liang Jinyi answer that he probably wouldn’t be scolded by him as an idiot, Jiang Mi pushed open the bay window in his room and said with a smile, “Then what are your plans for tomorrow?”
Liang Jinyi sat at his desk, currently working on a chemistry paper. Of course he wasn’t stupid, but in Experimental High School, where there were experts everywhere, he wasn’t the sort whose brain was so good that he could casually read a book and easily rank in the top five of the grade either.
Hearing Jiang Mi ask him this, Liang Jinyi’s grip on the pen tightened slightly. He curved his lips, revealing the dimple on the right side of his face that didn’t quite match his temperament. “What exactly does Brother want to say?”
Jiang Mi said, “I mean, do you have any plans tomorrow? If Uncle Liang doesn’t have time to spend the holiday with you tomorrow and you don’t have any other plans, do you want to come to Brother’s house for the holiday?”
Tomorrow was the Mid-Autumn Festival on the lunar calendar. Experimental High School wasn’t heartless enough to make students attend extra classes even on Mid-Autumn Festival, so little Liang Jinyi had another day off.
“Of course I want to come.” Liang Jinyi immediately asked, “Brother, what time are you coming to pick me up tomorrow?”
Since it was a nationally mandated statutory holiday and also coincided with Mid-Autumn Festival, this holiday lasted eight days. Many workers in Bei City had returned to their hometowns or gone traveling. In short, there were far fewer cars on the road these days than usual, and morning and evening commutes weren’t crowded either. So even if Jiang Mi went to the firm to work overtime, he would still return to his parents’ home to sleep at night.
Jiang Mi wasn’t at Shimao Tingfang, and Liang Jinyi didn’t want to stay alone in that empty apartment either.
Counting it up, he hadn’t seen Jiang Mi in four days.
Jiang Mi came to pick Liang Jinyi up at ten the next morning.
When they arrived at Jiang Mi’s house, it was ten-thirty. Today was Mid-Autumn Festival, a day of reunion, so there were many people at Jiang Mi’s home. Grandpa and Grandma Jiang, Jiang Mi’s parents, Jiang Mi’s uncle and aunt, and Liu Peipei were all there.
The last time Grandpa and Grandma Jiang saw Liang Jinyi was two years ago, when Jiang Mi came home on vacation and Liang Jinyi followed Jiang Mi to the Jiang house. Seeing Liang Jinyi again, Grandma Jiang said in shock, “Jinyi is already this tall? I remember last time you came to our house, you only reached Little Mi’s shoulder. Now you’re actually a little taller than Little Mi.”
Mother Jiang also hadn’t seen Liang Jinyi in a very long time. She sincerely praised him, “But Jinyi is still as pretty as before.”
When Liang Jinyi wanted to be polite and cultivated, he was a very well-bred youth. He greeted Jiang Mi’s family, and when Jiang Mi’s parents asked him questions, such as about his grades and school, he answered obediently.
At that moment, Grandpa Jiang was going to fry crispy pork.
Logically speaking, there were quite a few young people at home, so they shouldn’t let Grandpa Jiang, who was already over seventy, do the cooking. But Grandpa Jiang was in robust health, and he liked cooking, so everyone else could only help him.
Seeing this, Liang Jinyi stood up and said, “Grandpa, I’ll help you.”
Grandpa Jiang waved his hand. “Why would I need a child like you to help? Go watch TV, play games, or play with Little Mi and the others.”
Grandpa Jiang retied the loose apron strings behind him and walked toward the kitchen.
Liang Jinyi followed behind him. “I want to learn how to cook.”
Jiang Mi was sitting in front of the sofa leisurely eating grapes. Hearing this, he pulled out a napkin and wiped his mouth. “Grandpa, just let Jinyi help you. He’s quite interested in cooking. After school at night, he even learns cooking from the chef at home.”
These past few days, Liang Jinyi hadn’t gone to Shimao Tingfang, but that didn’t mean the two of them hadn’t kept in contact. Every day after school, Liang Jinyi sent him messages to show off what he had learned that day.
It had to be said that Jiang Mi felt Little Brother was very talented at cooking. His progress was simply rapid.
“Hahaha, is that so? Then Jinyi, come in with me,” Grandpa Jiang said. After saying that, Grandpa Jiang walked a few steps toward the kitchen, then suddenly turned back to look at Jiang Mi, who was sitting on the sofa, opening his phone with a relaxed expression. “Little Mi, you come in and learn how to cook with me too. After you get married in the future, you can’t expect your wife to cook for you for the rest of your life, right?”
Grandpa Jiang was very worried about his grandson, who couldn’t distinguish grains from crops. “And times have changed now. No one looks down on girls who don’t know how to cook. I heard your Second Aunt say that boys who can’t cook are the ones who get disliked.”
Liu Peipei was playing Anipop on the side. Hearing this, before Jiang Mi could open his mouth, she refuted on behalf of her brother first. “Grandpa, don’t worry. A boy who’ll be disliked for not knowing how to cook definitely won’t be someone like my brother.”
Liu Peipei and Liang Jinyi had been at odds since childhood. Even though they could maintain surface harmony now, when there was a good opportunity, she wouldn’t forget to step on the other party. “The one who needs to learn how to cook is following beside you. Teach him.”
Grandpa Jiang didn’t hear the sarcasm in Liu Peipei’s words. He thought she meant Liang Jinyi liked cooking and needed him to teach him, so he laughed heartily twice. “All right, all right.”
Liang Jinyi had a certain degree of tolerance toward Liu Peipei. Of course, the premise was that Jiang Mi couldn’t be involved. Hearing this, he pretended not to hear it.
Over the years, Jiang Mi had already gotten used to Liang Jinyi and Liu Peipei going tit for tat. Children’s matters, as long as they weren’t serious, should be solved by the children themselves.
Grandpa Jiang was in charge of cooking, while Liang Jinyi and Jiang’s father helped him. They had actually prepared the ingredients in advance, so about an hour and a half later, a sumptuous meal of seven dishes and one soup came out of the kitchen.
Jiang’s uncle had come to the Jiang house today carrying a bottle of Maotai. He went to get wine glasses, while Jiang Mi helped his parents bring out the dishes.
A few minutes later, those drinking alcohol, those drinking beverages, and those drinking milk all raised the cups in their hands and first celebrated Mid-Autumn Festival before they began eating.
Before Jiang Mi even had time to pick up food for himself, a piece of glossy, red sweet-and-sour pork rib landed in his bowl first. Liang Jinyi smiled and said, “Brother, try this. For this dish, Grandpa gave the instructions the whole time, and I did the work the whole time.”
Jiang Mi had eaten several meals cooked by Liang Jinyi, but they were all simple, easy-to-make home-style dishes, such as stir-fried greens, scrambled eggs, and steamed fish.
Sweet-and-sour pork ribs counted as a dish that required some skill. Liang Jinyi had never made it before.
Jiang Mi lowered his head, picked it up with his chopsticks, and after tasting it, his eyes brightened. “Not bad, Little Brother.”
Hearing this, Liang Jinyi reached out and picked up a tomato-sauce prawn for Jiang Mi. “Brother, try this too.”
Jiang Mi lowered his head and tasted it too. He praised, “Much better than the last time you made it.”
Jiang Mi liked eating shrimp, so Liang Jinyi had once challenged himself with tomato-sauce prawns. However, the final flavor hadn’t been satisfactory.
The dining table at the Jiang house was a large round table that could easily accommodate twelve people. Jiang Mi sat on the side of the round table near the window, Liang Jinyi sat on his right, and Liu Peipei sat on his left.
Liu Peipei heard this sentence. She asked in confusion, “Ge, you’ve eaten food made by Liang Jinyi before?”
Mother Jiang was sitting beside Liu Peipei and also heard what the few of them were saying. She also asked curiously, “Little Mi, Jinyi has cooked for you before?”
Jiang Mi swallowed the shrimp in his mouth and answered, “Jinyi’s school is close to where I live. Sometimes Jinyi goes to stay at my place, and at night he cooks.”
Hearing this, Mother Jiang was shocked. She looked at her own son in a shirt and suit pants, then looked at Liang Jinyi in a hoodie and jeans. Disapprovingly, she said, “Even if that’s the case, Jiang Mi, you can’t let a high school student cook for you, a grown man who’s almost thirty!”
When Liang Jinyi was little, he often came to the Jiang house with Jiang Mi, and his personality had been obedient and cute. Even without a blood relation, Mother Jiang still had some elder affection for this child she had watched grow up.
Of course, it was also because what Jiang Mi did was too excessive. How could there be a minor cooking for a man approaching thirty?
Grandma Jiang had always been open-minded, but hearing this, she also disapproved. “Little Mi, your little brother is still in high school, and his studies are so busy. How can you let him cook for you?”
Jiang Mi felt wronged. “Grandma, Mom, it’s Jinyi who wants to cook. He likes cooking.”
He had suggested eating out or ordering takeout. Liang Jinyi was the one interested in cooking.
Liang Jinyi spoke up for his brother. “Auntie, Grandma, it really is because I want to cook.”
He thought for a moment, then said sincerely, “Studying is too tiring. Sometimes cooking is quite stress-relieving. I feel very comfortable doing it.”
Just now, Liang Jinyi had answered everyone’s concerned questions, with the main focus naturally being his studies. Everyone therefore knew that Liang Jinyi’s grades were quite good. Experimental High School was also a famous key high school in Bei City, with a first-tier university admission rate close to sixty percent.
“Hahaha.” Grandpa Jiang laughed heartily and loudly, then praised, “Not bad, not bad. Jinyi is not bad. Grandpa has also felt that cooking is interesting since childhood. Come to Grandpa’s house often in the future, and Grandpa will teach you how to cook.”
Hearing this, Liang Jinyi obediently thanked him.
At this moment, Liu Peipei narrowed her eyes and stared at Liang Jinyi and Jiang Mi for a moment. She leaned closer to Jiang Mi and asked, “Ge, does Liang Jinyi often go stay at your place?”
Jiang Mi served himself a bowl of matsutake chicken soup. The chicken soup had been slowly simmered on low heat for three hours and had completely absorbed the freshness of the chicken and the fragrance of the matsutake. He took a spoon and drank a mouthful. Hearing this, he turned his head and asked, “What’s wrong?”
Liu Peipei said directly, “I want to stay at your place too.”
“Sure,” Jiang Mi said. “If you come stay at my place in the future, I can supervise you doing two papers every day.”
Liu Peipei was shocked. She pointed at Liang Jinyi and asked Jiang Mi, “Ge, when he stays at your place, how many papers does he do every day?”
Before Jiang Mi could answer, Liang Jinyi raised his brows, glanced at Jiang Mi from the corner of his eye, and answered with a smile, “If Brother supervises me doing papers, I can do ten in one night.”
Liu Peipei: “…”
Impressive. She admitted defeat!
Even if Jiang Mi supervised her doing papers, for the sake of their deep sibling affection, she could at most do half a paper!
Jiang’s aunt hated hearing this kind of topic the most. She couldn’t help starting to criticize Liu Peipei. “Liu Peipei, the moment we mention doing papers, look at your face. Think about what rank you got in the last exam. You still think about playing every day. Do you know that with your score…”
“Auntie, it’s a holiday today.” Seeing Liu Peipei’s expression suddenly become very ugly, Jiang Mi quickly interrupted Jiang’s aunt.
“Exactly. Can’t you let the child have a proper holiday? Why talk about grades?” Grandma Jiang and Mother Jiang saw the atmosphere turn subtle and came out to smooth things over.
With everyone at the table persuading her, Jiang’s aunt could only temporarily suppress that resentment, but she still looked at Liu Peipei with dissatisfaction.
Jiang Mi looked at Liu Peipei and saw that she had lost her mood to eat. Her head was lowered, and she was gloomily poking the rice in her bowl with her chopsticks.
Jiang Mi reached out and picked up a piece of fried crispy pork with his chopsticks, placing it on Liu Peipei’s plate. “Come on, try Grandpa’s fried crispy pork. Isn’t this your favorite?”
Liu Peipei forced a smile at Jiang Mi and said okay.
Jiang Mi withdrew his gaze, but from the corner of his eye, he saw a gaze staring at him without blinking. Jiang Mi sighed inwardly and also picked up a piece of fried crispy pork, placing it on Little Brother’s plate. His tone was gentle. “Jinyi, you try some too.”
Liang Jinyi glanced at the fried crispy pork on Liu Peipei’s plate, then lowered his head and glanced at the fried crispy pork on his own plate. After confirming that the piece on his plate was bigger than the one on Liu Peipei’s and that its color was even brighter and more golden, he finally withdrew his gaze in satisfaction.
**
After lunch, once the kitchen was cleaned up, the family came to the courtyard. In early October, Bei City wasn’t cold outdoors yet. In the afternoon, there was sunlight, and when it fell on a person, it felt warm instead.
Grandpa Jiang, Grandma Jiang, Mother Jiang, and Jiang’s aunt played mahjong in the courtyard. Grandpa Jiang had the worst skill and lost everything within a few rounds. He then invited a helper. Jiang Mi stood behind his grandfather and offered advice. At that moment, he noticed Liu Peipei, who had been sitting alone in the corner in a daze, leave by herself.
Jiang Mi guided Grandpa Jiang through two rounds. After Grandpa Jiang won back all the chips he had lost in those two rounds, Jiang Mi begged for mercy under the dissatisfied gazes of his mother, aunt, and grandmother. Then he left from behind Grandpa Jiang and turned to enter the villa.
There was no Liu Peipei in the first-floor living room or dining room.
Jiang Mi went up to the second floor, and as expected, he saw Liu Peipei in the study on the second floor. Liu Peipei sat cross-legged in the chair before the desk, lowering her head and poking at her phone expressionlessly.
But judging from her movements, she wasn’t seriously playing on her phone either. Her gaze on the screen was unfocused.
Jiang Mi pushed open the door and walked in with a smile. “Peipei, still unhappy?”
Hearing this, Liu Peipei lifted her head, looked at Jiang Mi, and listlessly called, “Ge.”
Liu Peipei was currently studying at a key high school that was fairly good in their district. But she hadn’t gotten in through her own exam results. Jiang’s aunt had paid a school selection fee for Liu Peipei to successfully enroll. Now Liu Peipei’s grades at their school couldn’t be said to be among the worst group, but they definitely couldn’t be called good.
Jiang’s aunt had always felt that it was because Liu Peipei didn’t work hard, was too playful, and lacked self-discipline.
Jiang Mi admitted that Liu Peipei was a child who wasn’t self-disciplined enough. If she could study as hard as he had back then, then not to mention ranking in the top hundred of the grade—after all, reaching the very top group in academics required a bit of exam-taking talent—but improving by one or two hundred points from where she was now would be no problem.
But Jiang Mi wasn’t here today to lecture her. Everyone knew the principles, but even adults had a hard time carrying them out, let alone a sixteen-year-old girl.
“Peipei, come on. Open your shopping cart.” Jiang Mi looked at the gloomy Liu Peipei and rubbed her head.
Liu Peipei froze for a moment and called in confusion, “Ge?”
Jiang Mi smiled and said, “Brother will clear it for you today.”
Hearing this, Liu Peipei’s negative emotions instantly vanished without a trace. She abruptly jumped up from the chair and hugged Jiang Mi tightly, saying excitedly, “Ge! My best ge in the whole world! Tell me, what kind of incense did I burn in my previous life to meet a ge like you in this life?”
Author’s Note
I’ll be honest. I really want a brother like Jiang Mi.
If Heaven can’t give me one brother like Jiang Mi, then ten is fine too. I’m not picky!!
