Chapter 404 – Warm Daily Life
“Big sister, this smell…” Xu Jinning turned to Xu Fanghua to confirm.
After eating their mother’s cooking for nearly twenty years, even without seeing her, Xu Fanghua could tell immediately just from the smell.
“It’s the smell of mom’s cooking.”
“It must be mom.”
“I think so too.”
The two sisters quickly made their way towards the kitchen.
“Sister, slow down, you’re pregnant.”
“It’s fine.”
Xu Jinning reminded Xu Fanghua as they walked, and soon they arrived at the kitchen door, where they saw the two people busy inside.
One of them was unmistakably their mother—Comrade Zhang Ailian!
“Mom~” they both called out in unison, then excitedly went up to hug Zhang Ailian, who was making sweet and sour fish.
“Ah,” Zhang Ailian responded, her eyes full of joy.
She also looked her daughters up and down, and seeing their healthy, rosy complexion, she felt relieved.
“Mom, as soon as I smelled the cooking outside, I knew you were here.”
“Yes, mom, big sister and I missed you so much.”
The two daughters looked at their mother with full reliance and affection.
Once they hugged her, they were reluctant to let go.
“You girls only think about your mother and forgot about me, your father?”
“Well, if no one remembers me, I might as well go back home.”
Standing at the door, Xu Aiguo watched the scene with a mix of envy and a bit of mock hurt.
When Xu Jinning and Xu Fanghua heard the voice and turned around, they saw Xu Aiguo standing at the door.
“I even heard your voices and hurried out of my room. I didn’t expect… these ‘little cotton-padded jackets’ are drafty; both of them are drafty,” Xu Aiguo said with a hint of sadness, even wiping away an invisible tear.
“Dad, you’re here too!” Xu Jinning was thrilled once again to see Xu Aiguo.
She quickly ran over and hugged his arm. “Dad, now that you’re here, you can’t leave. I’ve been wanting to show you and mom around Beijing, including our university.”
“Dad, I’ve missed you so much, really missed you.”
“Big sister also misses you.”
“So, your ‘little cotton-padded jackets’ are still tightly sealed and airtight.”
Xu Aiguo was immediately amused by Xu Jinning’s words.
“All right, all right, I’m just teasing you. Do you think I would get jealous of your mother? Silly girl.”
“You girls should go and chat with your father and aunt. I still have some work to do in the kitchen, and soon you’ll get to taste my cooking,” Zhang Ailian said with a smile, watching the scene with amusement.
“Mom, do you need us to help?”
“No, no, there’s your mother-in-law here. You two go on out.”
…
Thus, Xu Jinning and Xu Fanghua were ushered out of the kitchen.
When they followed their father to the living room, they found that Aunt Ning Di and Uncle Hans were also there.
They later learned that Aunt Ning Di had come to Qinghe Village to reunite with their father.
Aunt Ning Di had stayed in Qinghe Village for a few days and then remembered their eldest aunt in Tianjin.
So, their parents had gone to Tianjin with Aunt Ning Di first.
They had stayed in Tianjin for three days before finally coming to Beijing.
The main reason for the visit was to see their two daughters.
They had arrived in the afternoon.
Zhang Ailian had been thinking about how long it had been since her daughters had last enjoyed her cooking, so she immediately went to the kitchen to get busy after buying the groceries.
As a mother, she always wanted to do her best to ensure her children were well-fed and warmly dressed. She was always concerned with providing them with the best, no matter how hard it might be for her, and she did so willingly.
The group sat down and chatted away until Zhang Ailian called them to dinner.
After several months, enjoying her mother’s divine cooking once again brought immense satisfaction to both Xu Jinning and Xu Fanghua.
After eating their fill, their faces showed contentment.
If it weren’t for her rationality, Xu Fanghua almost wanted to pull her mother’s arm and persuade her to stay.
…
That night, Xu Aiguo and Zhang Ailian, along with Ning Di and Hans, naturally stayed at the small courtyard.
Although it was called a “small courtyard,” it was actually quite spacious.
There were plenty of rooms, and even with them staying there, there were still some rooms available.
The next morning, after enjoying another delicious breakfast prepared by Zhang Ailian, Xu Jinning and Xu Fanghua took their parents to the school.
Upon arriving at the school, Xu Fanghua went to her classroom for lessons.
As for Xu Jinning, she had no classes that day, so she took the opportunity to show her parents around Beijing University.
Exploring the university, with its grand, classical architecture and rows of students sitting in classrooms, was undoubtedly impressive for Xu Aiguo and Zhang Ailian.
During the tour, Xu Jinning also took her parents to the back of Huang Minyue’s classroom so they could catch a glimpse of their future daughter-in-law.
At this time, Huang Minyue was still in class, and it was too early for her to finish, so they couldn’t disturb her lesson.
So, Xu Jinning led them to peek at Huang Minyue from the back of the classroom and then guided them through the corridor to see her from the front. They walked back and forth, taking in the sight of Huang Minyue’s face.
The older couple maintained a calm demeanor while occasionally glancing toward the classroom as Xu Jinning had described. They did indeed spot Huang Minyue.
Of course, their recognition was partly because they had seen photos of Huang Minyue before.
With her doll-like face and charming appearance, Huang Minyue stood out even among the many students in the classroom. The older couple easily recognized her.
Afterward, they returned to Xu Jinning’s side, their faces beaming with satisfaction.
“By the way, Ningning, your father and I plan to find a time to visit Yueyue’s family,” Zhang Ailian said.
Whether it was their youngest son’s relationship with Huang Minyue, the numerous items Huang’s family had sent back with Xu Xiangbei, or the fact that the Huang couple were Xu Jinning’s godparents, they wanted to visit while they were in Beijing.
“That’s fine. We’ll have lunch at the cafeteria and finish our tour of the university. After that, we can go to the department store for shopping.”
“I’ll call my godparents later to inform them, and we’ll visit them tomorrow. How does that sound?” Xu Jinning suggested.
“Sounds good! Let’s do that.”
So, Xu Jinning continued to show the older couple around the university. Each time they passed a building, the couple expressed their amazement and awe.
After all, a place of learning with several hundred years of history naturally inspired respect.
Around lunchtime, Xu Jinning took them to the cafeteria.
Instead of mingling with the students, they went to the faculty dining hall, where it was quieter and less crowded.
There, they also encountered another person—Xie Ting’an.
