Chapter 25 (Barbecue (Part 2)…)

The bell signaling the end of classes at Imperial College rang.

The teacher stood up and left.

The other children also filed out.

After being cooped up in school all day, they felt like birds set free.

Dongdong, who usually left right on time, lingered at the door for a moment. When he saw the tall, thin figure of Zhou Zhaoheng from the yellow class appear last, he rushed over. “Ah Heng, Sister Shu is making barbecue for me tonight! Do you want to come to my house for dinner?”

Zhou Zhaoheng’s eyes brightened. “I…” He was about to agree but then remembered he couldn’t just go out whenever he wanted. His expression fell as he said, “I don’t know; I need to ask my parents first.”

Dongdong nodded understandingly. “Go ask, and come if you can!”

“Yeah!” Zhou Zhaoheng smiled, “You guys eat first; don’t wait for me.”

“Okay!” Dongdong nodded, and Zhou Zhaoheng quickly headed back.

He wanted to return home early to ask his parents if he could visit his good friend’s house.

Dongdong was also getting ready to leave. 

However, before he could take two steps, several classmates from the introductory class called out to him, “Xiao Pingzhou! Can we come to your house to play?”

When he turned around, his classmates looked at him with eager eyes.

They were all around five years old, still too young to master the calmness of adults.

Worried that he might say no, a little boy chimed in, “Your sister Shu makes the most delicious cakes. My family’s cook has tried but still can’t get them right!”

“Yeah, my chef’s cakes can’t compare to your sister Shu’s!” 

“And the egg tarts too!”

The children’s enthusiasm was infectious, something Dongdong had never experienced before. As they gazed at him, he puffed out his chest with pride.

Of course, Sister Shu’s cooking was delicious!

Still, he hesitated to invite so many friends over. After all, Zhou Zhaoqin had already left, and he was unsure if there would be enough food prepared at home.

So, Dongdong frowned and said, “No, I don’t have enough prepared at home. Your own cooks can make some, so just go back and eat there.”

All the kids were nobles with their own sense of pride, and they felt disappointed by his rejection. They couldn’t pester him further and had to leave, looking dejected.

Dongdong felt a twinge of guilt and whispered, “I’ll ask Sister Shu tomorrow if I can bring you some snacks.”

The children, who had just been disappointed, brightened up: “Okay, okay!”

“Thank you, Pingzhou!”

“I’ll bring you some milk cake made by our chef. It’s really delicious.”

“And I’ll bring…” 

After this exchange, Dongdong hopped into the carriage to go home. The nanny who came to pick him up noticed he was late and asked casually, “Dongdong, why are you back so late today?”

“Aren’t they all my classmates? They wanted to come to my house for dinner, but I said no,” Dongdong replied, pouting in annoyance. “There are too many of them, and Sister Shu must not have prepared enough food.”

“So you just turned them down like that?” The nanny raised an eyebrow, worried that her young master might have offended someone.

Dongdong shrugged and answered confidently, “Of course not! I told them I’d ask if I could bring them some food tomorrow to make up for it. They looked a bit pitiful when I turned them down.”

He remembered how their shoulders slumped when he refused, which made him feel a bit embarrassed.

The nanny sighed in relief and pretended to be surprised. “Dongdong is so thoughtful; they should all be happy about that!”

Pleased with the praise, Dongdong beamed. “Yes, they were really happy! They said they would bring me some food too. I’ll give it to Sister Shu when I bring it back tomorrow. This way, she won’t be upset.”

The nanny nodded with a smile. “Dongdong, you’re really considerate.”

Dongdong smiled shyly, then urged, “Let’s hurry! I want to get back early!”

With Dongdong’s insistence, the carriage ride that usually took thirty minutes was cut down to just over fifteen.

As soon as they returned home, he darted toward Yan Qiushu like a little cannonball.

At that moment, Yan Qiushu was reading a book and nearly dropped it.

She pinched his chubby cheek in mock annoyance. “What’s the rush? Why are you in such a hurry?”

Dongdong allowed her to pinch him but felt a bit guilty in front of the real owner of the house. “Sister Shu, I invited Ah Heng to eat with me.”

“That’s fine. Just one child is enough,” Yan Qiushu replied, waving her hand.

Dongdong added, “But other classmates also wanted to come after hearing about it.”

Yan Qiushu narrowed her eyes at him.

With so many children wanting to come and nothing prepared, what if they ran out of food?

Dongdong quickly reassured her, “I said no!”

Yan Qiushu smiled, satisfied. “What else?”

“But I told them I’d ask you to make some snacks for them. Is that okay? If not, I can ask Aunt Xu and the others to make something.” Dongdong blinked at her, hopeful.

In fact, everyone else in the house who cooked was learning Yan Qiushu’s methods.

Now, every big kitchen had an oven.

But only Yan Qiushu’s creations were truly to his liking. He always felt something was missing when other people made treats. So, he wanted Sister Shu’s snacks first.

Yan Qiushu looked at him, speechless, before nodding. “Of course.”

Dongdong sighed in relief and clasped her hand, exclaiming, “Sister Shu, you’re so kind!”

“I told them, and they said they’d bring some delicious food too. I won’t even take a bite and will bring it all back for you.”

“Sister Shu, what do you want to eat? Dongdong can cook for you! The cooks at my classmates’ homes can’t compare to you…”

Yan Qiushu didn’t expect Dongdong to be so thrilled just because she agreed to help. But after looking at him for a moment, she realized he wasn’t just excited about the cooking; it was also about his friends.

Even if he didn’t show it, he clearly enjoyed being included.

So, Yan Qiushu let him continue talking.

Just then, the little girl Wan’er, who had been picked up by Shui Yu, walked in. Her brother teased her, “You look like Ah Fu.”

Ah Fu was a friendly guard dog raised by the manager who wagged his tail excitedly for food.

Dongdong’s face fell, and he pouted.

Yet, he quickly forgot his annoyance and started smiling again.

His grin disappeared completely when Shen Ping entered.

The serious young boy walked over slowly, greeted Yan Qiushu first, then frowned slightly and commanded, “Stand still!”

Dongdong stood tall, no longer clinging to Yan Qiushu.

Shen Pingyu was pleased and asked, “What did your teacher teach you today?”

Feeling a bit indignant, Dongdong glanced at him and answered truthfully.

The two exchanged questions and answers. As Shen Pingyu delved deeper into the topic, Dongdong struggled to keep up and began to hesitate.

Frustrated, the young boy sighed at his brother, “How can you not meet my second grandfather’s standards?! You must not have completed the tasks I set for you after I left!”

Dongdong felt very wronged, responding, “I’m already so tired from school, and my teacher praised me for being so good!”

He then whispered, “I don’t want to live up to your second grandfather’s standards either…”

Shen Pingyu didn’t catch the latter part since it was too quiet, but he heard the first part. He smirked and said coldly, “I learned everything you know when I was three.”

Dongdong: “!!!”

That was too much!

Anger puffed up his cheeks, and he wanted to scold Shen Pingyu. However, since he was his brother, he didn’t dare to be too confrontational. Instead, he lowered his head, his eyes red with grievance, and said nothing.

Yan Qiushu felt sorry for him and offered a few comforting words.

Shen Pingyu regarded her as an elder and listened without further comment. He found a seat and sat down with a serious expression. Ignoring her small stature and youthful face, he looked like an adult disciplining a disobedient child.

Yan Qiushu couldn’t help but smile slightly but decided not to linger there any longer. She hurried off to the kitchen, and Wan’er quickly said, “Sister Shu, I’ll go with you.”

In fact, the dishes were already prepared. In winter, there’s no need to worry about ingredients going bad, as they can stay fresh in the snow. It’s easy to carry them over on a tray.

As the time approached, Yan Qiushu called, “Come and sit down. Let’s put school aside for now and focus on eating, okay?”

Shen Pingyu nodded reluctantly, and Dongdong perked up immediately. However, he looked outside to make sure no one was watching before saying, “Sister Shu, can you save some food for me? I don’t know if Heng can come, so I want to leave some for him.”

“Of course,” Yan Qiushu replied with a smile.

Feeling relieved, Dongdong took a seat across from Shen Pingyu.

Shen Pingyu stared at Dongdong for a couple of seconds, sighed, and sat down with a reluctant expression.