Chapter 7 – Sui Xi’s Dreams Can’t Become Real (I)

"Sit here, baby. Mom will fry pork slices." Lady Guan settled little Sui Xi in the little stool, which was next to the kitchen door, and quickly started the kitchen stove.

This was easily achieved by throwing the thin sticks into the stove to feed the fire and make it grow quicker. When it was at an acceptable strength, Lady Guan quickly threw the dry wood in. Before that happened, Lady Guan quickly washed the rice and placed it onto the stove, letting it cook as she prepared the pork. Cutting the palm-size lean meat into pieces and beating two eggs for the soup, frying some fresh vegetables without oil, and cutting a plate of dry salted vegetables - she did all these in quick succession.

The rice fragrance came out in bursts and Sui Xi swallowed it with pleasure.

Lady Guan put all the food on the tray. Just as she was about to take it out, Matron Guan came in with a smile and took the tray from her hands. With a tilt of her head towards the rice pot, she said, "'ll take this out. You can take some bowls of rice."

"All right, mother." Lady Guan answered with a weak sigh.

The late Old Master Guan used to be a gentleman of the Academy. Although his family was poor, they were considered as a family with a literary reputation. He had set a lot of rules - when eating, the elder ones and the husband were the first ones to eat, and then it was the woman's turn to clean up the food and go to the kitchen to eat.

The Second Lady Guan gave birth to a boy which the family readily named Tai Yu. So, Old Lady Guan held more affection for the Second Lady Guan and allowed her to eat in her old room. As for Madam Luo, she needed to provide food for the whole family. Only after they ate was she and her child allowed to do so.

All this time, Sui Xi obediently sat at her stool with her head down. When Matron Guan came and took the food, Sui Xi could not help but raise her head, swallowing back some saliva. The fragrance of rice and meat was really too rich. I'm hungry… Sui Xi thought to herself as she wrapped her arms around her waist. Too bad that she could do nothing but wait. After all, she and her mother were not allowed to dine with them.

When Old Lady Guan and her two sons were finished with their dinner, there was no more fried pork left; especially after sending some to Second Lady Guan. What was left for Sui Xi and her mother were some soup and a bit of vegetable.

As the Second Master Guan helped his mother back to her quarters, Lady Guan turned to stare at Sui Xi, a small warm smile on her face. Her child had not eaten meat for so many days and now was the time where her body should be developing. Moving towards her child, she stroked her head before going out of the kitchen and to the place where the family ate. Inside the room, her gaze met with her husband's.

While motioning with one hand, Lord Guan used the other to place two pieces of pork that he had secretly hidden in his bowl back into the serving plate. "The food is still hot. It's not much, but still. Quickly, go eat." He said as he stood and walked towards her, placing a quick kiss onto her cheek before leaving.

Aiming a gentle smile at his retreating form, Lady Guan could not help but chuckle before going further into the room and to the table. Picking up the dishes and the chopsticks then placing them onto the tray, Lady Guan walked back to the kitchen with a lighter mood. With a sigh, she randomly thought, Ah… my husband is a good man. If only he wasn't that lazy and so mean to our child…

Upon reaching the kitchen, Lady Guan placed the tray onto the small table in the middle of the room before going over to Sui Xi and snatching her up, smiling when the little child's bell-like laughter rang out.

"Your father has left you some pork, eat it quickly." Lady Guan chirped happily as she placed Sui Xi onto a chair. As Lady Guan took the seat beside her child, she reached out and placed the egg soup and meat slices in Sui Xi's bowl. Then, she took the leftover sauce and mixed it into her plain rice. Thinking of her husband's considerate behavior, she felt warmness in her heart. Even if there were no meat slices for her, she also ate well.

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