Chapter 90: Unspoken Affections

That evening, after driving away Old Lady Jiang, Old Tan specifically invited Liu Zhoucheng to stay for dinner.

In a farming household, dinner was nothing more than vegetables grown in their own garden, along with home-raised chickens and eggs. It was simple but still quite hearty.

Old Tan had expected that Liu Zhoucheng might not be accustomed to such food, but to his surprise, Liu enjoyed it immensely and kept complimenting Tan Xiaomei’s cooking.

At first, Tan Xiaomei was still shaken from the events with Old Lady Jiang, but hearing his praise, she gradually smiled more and more.

Old Tan, seeing her happiness, almost went to buy some wine.

Liu Zhoucheng quickly stopped him, smiling. “No need, no need. It’s getting late, and after I finish, I need to return to the village.”

Old Tan felt deflated, understanding that Liu Zhoucheng was just trying not to trouble him. He quickly added more food to his plate. “No wine, then eat more, eat more.”

“Alright!” Liu Zhoucheng smiled and responded, putting aside his scholar-like manners and eating heartily.

Under the dim light, he unknowingly blended into the simple, rustic atmosphere of the farmhouse.

Little Qiyue, using her chubby little hands, picked up a small piece of rice and ate it, getting rice grains all over her face.

Tan Sanyuan noticed and quickly put down his bowl. Without hesitation, he gently wiped away the grains of rice from the corners of her mouth, using his sleeve to softly clean her face. “Eat slowly, eat slowly.”

“Ow~” Little Qiyue squinted her eyes, opened her mouth, and flashed a bright smile, showing her tiny front teeth.

Tan Sanyuan smiled in return, picking up a piece of sweet potato from the table and handing it to her.

Liu Zhoucheng, watching this scene, couldn’t help but comment, “You siblings have such a good relationship.”

Tan Sanyuan froze for a moment, then quickly withdrew his hand, smoothing his expression. “We only have this one sister, of course, our bond is strong.”

Beside them, Tan Yiliang also chimed in, “That’s right, Little Qiyue is the apple us brothers’ eyes.”

As he spoke, the fourth and fifth brothers nodded in agreement, their innocent faces beaming with smiles.

“How wonderful!” Liu Zhoucheng sighed with a smile, then picked up a piece of sweet potato and secretly placed it into Tan Xiaomei’s bowl.

Tan Xiaomei was momentarily stunned. She quickly looked up at him and saw that he was eating seriously, his face full of concentration. She didn’t want to interrupt, so she lowered her head to continue eating. However, the piece of sweet potato in her bowl remained untouched, not knowing whether it was because of shyness or simply because she didn’t want to eat it.

After finishing his meal, Liu Zhoucheng stood up to bid farewell. He glanced at Tan Sanyuan and asked, “Big Brother Tan, do your children study?”

Old Tan smiled and nodded. “Yes, yes, the third, fourth, and fifth are all studying in the village school.”

Liu Zhoucheng nodded gently, his expression softening as he smiled. “That’s good. I have some spare ink, brushes, paper, and inkstones that I’m not using. If you don’t mind, Big Brother Tan, I’ll bring them over for the children when I have time.”

These items were not cheap, and Old Tan quickly declined. “No, no, there’s no need. You’ve already helped us so much today. We haven’t been able to repay you properly, so how can we accept your things?”

Liu Zhoucheng smiled warmly, his eyes curving with kindness. “It’s just some things I’m not using. Don’t be so polite, Big Brother Tan.”

He said this and pushed open the door, lifting the jar of pickled vegetables in his hand with a smile. “Consider it my way of thanking you for the pickled vegetables.”

Old Tan, seeing that he was so insistent, didn’t press the matter further. He answered with a hearty, “Thank you, Liu Shiye!”

As Liu Zhoucheng was leaving, he glanced once more at the room before turning and stepping outside.