"Ani sister is back! Come here for a hug!" A little boy rushed out. It was Zhu Yanyi’s younger brother, Zhu Zhibin, nicknamed Little Bean Sprout.
"Bean Sprout, you are getting so fat. I can hardly hold you," Zhu Yanyi said, lifting her up. In truth, Zhu Yanyi practiced martial arts daily, so her brother’s weight was nothing to her. But she liked to tease her five-year-old brother. She looked so cute and silly.
Zhu Zhibin pouted. "Ani sister, you are bad. How can you dislike such a cute brother?"
"Oh? Who is this cute brother?" Zhu Yanyi played along.
Zhu Zhibin patted his small chest proudly. "It is me, of course."
"Really? Then who are you?" Zhu Yanyi asked with a smile.
"I am Bean Sprout. Ani sister’s Bean Sprout brother." Zhu Zhibin hugged Zhu Yanyi tightly and gave her a sweet kiss, acting spoiled.
"So it is my cute Bean Sprout." Zhu Yanyi laughed and kissed her back. The siblings were very close.
"Mhm." Zhu Zhibin just nodded. Her silly, cute expression made Zhu Yanyi laugh non-stop.
"Ani, look who is here." Xie Xinlian came out upon hearing Zhu Yanyi’s voice, though not as fast as Zhu Zhibin. Behind her walked a young woman who looked thirty percent like Xie Xinlian. However, this woman had more of a scholarly, artistic air.
"Auntie, you are back?" It was indeed Xie Xinyan. She rarely returned, usually only once every two or three years. Her last visit was two years ago.
Xie Xinyan smiled at Zhu Yanyi. Both the Xie and Zhu families had changed, largely thanks to this niece. "Ani, are you done with school?"
Zhu Yanyi nodded, then looked around. "Has Sister come back yet?"
"Your sister is in her final year. Teachers are adding extra classes. She said she would be late today. Did you forget?" Xie Xinlian walked over and took Zhu Zhibin from Zhu Yanyi.
Zhu Yanyi tapped her forehead in realization. "I really forgot. I will cook today. I will make brain-boosting food for Sister. Auntie, please stay for dinner."
"I will definitely stay. Auntie has a favor to ask you," Xie Xinyan said with a smile.
Zhu Yanyi nodded. "Okay. I will go cook first. We can talk tonight." It seemed Xie Xinyan would stay at the Zhu house. The current house was still livable, but Zhu Yanyi thought her father should apply for a larger plot of land to build a small multi-story house.
Since Zhu Yanyi started cooking five years ago, she did most of the cooking when free. After tasting her food, other meals seemed bland.
Zhu Yanyi made sweet and sour pork ribs, pickled cabbage fish, tomato and egg stir-fry, scallion oil mud snails, stir-fried crown daisy, and winter melon soup. Five dishes and one soup were plenty. In rural homes, dishes were served in large bowls, so the portions were generous.
When Zhu Yanyi finished cooking, Zhu Yanli had returned and was reciting English words.
Zhu Yanli was now in her third year of middle school, facing the high school entrance exam soon. The sisters were doing well. One was entering middle school, the other facing the high school exam. When Zhu Yanyi took her exam, Zhu Yanli would take the college entrance exam. Although Zhu Yanli’s grades were not top-tier, she ranked in the top ten of her class. Getting into high school and an ordinary university was no problem.