After the mother entered the kitchen, she cut the large watermelon into two halves and came out. She shouted to Tang Ning, "Ning Ning, come over and help me put the watermelon in half."
Tangning quickly walked over and hugged the watermelon. The watermelon was covered with a layer of plastic wrap. Her mother pointed at the red flesh with her chin with a bit of pride, "Red, right?"
Tangning nodded vigorously.
"Your mother is not a self-promoting melon seller. I am very good at picking watermelons. When choosing watermelons, you should look at the grain and the distribution of the grains." Mom said as she opened the refrigerator door. When she saw the refrigerator filled with cakes and water, she twitched her nose and said, "Did you buy durian?"
Tangning hummed.
"Why do you buy durian from a water store?" Mom glanced at the packaging and frowned distressedly, "You should go to the store. I tell you, the water at home is packaged beautifully, the store is beautifully decorated, and the price is very expensive. You still buy a boxed durian, you are really..."
She explained to Tang Ning how to buy durian at the best price, which store to go to, how to choose, and everything in between. Tang Ning held the big watermelon and lowered his head to listen to her.
In fact, I want my mother to put the watermelon down before she nags me. My mother's waist is not in good condition and it will hurt if she holds heavy objects for a long time.
However, if you interrupt your mother, it may make her feel more uncomfortable than a backache.
While her mother was giving her long speech, Su Anyun opened the door and walked out carrying some dishes. She glanced at Tangning and jokingly said, "Auntie, look, Xiaoning looks like an eggplant withered by frost."
"You deserve it!" Mom said unhappily, "Ah, you just don't know how to live at all. What will I do when I'm gone?"
Tang Ning's heart ached.
"Auntie, guess who Xiaoning bought the durian for?" Su Anyun asked mysteriously.
There are only three people in the family. Su Anyun's expression and tone eliminated two options at once, leaving only one correct answer.
The mother, who was taking the upper hand with great momentum, was stuck for a moment. She stammered a little, "You bought it for me?"
Su Anyun smiled and nodded, "I ran out to buy it for you. I was so stingy that I only prepared one for you. Maybe he was worried that I would eat the durian you gave me, so he bought mangoes to stop me from eating it."
In fact, Tangning didn't mean the latter part of the sentence, but Su Anyun obviously knew how to make her happy by telling her half-truths.
"When we buy things, they are meant to be shared by the whole family. Of course, brother should have a share." The mother found a new platform to educate Tang Ning. She took the other half of the watermelon from Tang Ning and took one for herself. "Clean up the refrigerator, otherwise there will be no room for the things."
As Tangning was tidying up the refrigerator, her mother's tone softened. She tried to keep a straight face and said, "Don't buy durian yourself next time. It's too expensive."
Tangning nodded obediently.
The mother asked again: "Why is your forehead a little red? Did you bump into something?"
"I accidentally bumped into the wall while walking." Su Anyun explained for Tangning, "I applied ice, it's nothing serious."
"Hey, you're so big now, but you still bump into things when you walk. It's really worrying." The mother was about to start nagging again, but when she glanced at the box of durian in the refrigerator, she mercifully shut her mouth.
This afternoon, Su Anyun made braised pork, sweet and sour spare ribs, roasted pepper preserved eggs and mung bean soup.
The weather was too hot, so Su Anyun moved the fan to the dining table and turned it on to blow towards everyone.
The family sat down at the dining table. Tang Ning smelled a familiar aroma. In fact, she was inclined to believe that Su Anyun was the prince. However, it was only when Tang Ning picked up a piece of braised pork and put it in her mouth that she could finally confirm her belief.
The fat and lean, fragrant braised pork was right next to his mouth. He took a bite and the long-awaited taste conquered his taste buds again. With the white rice, Tang Ning took several big bites.
"Why do you eat so happily today?" Mom asked, "When I cooked yesterday, you didn't eat so happily. Now, do you like the dishes cooked by mom or your brother the most?"
Tang Ning, who was concentrating on eating, was stunned. Bewilderedly, he raised his head to look at his smiling mother, and then at Su Anyun who was also smiling.
Although both of them were smiling, Tangning felt that they really knew the answer to this question.
The evidence was that the two of them had stopped eating and were staring at Tang Ning, waiting for her answer.
Speaking of the deliciousness of the food, Su Anyun's is definitely the best. Although my mother's cooking skills are generally good, there is a world of difference compared to Su Anyun's level.
But if we only compare Tang Ning's love for the two
"I, I like them all." Tangning said calmly.
"Ah—" Mom said with disgust, "I'm not a child, do I still believe in that nonsense?"
But isn't it childish to keep asking who you like more
Tangning gave a silly smile, trying to get away with it.
"If you like it, eat more." Su Anyun served Tang Ning some food, and Tang Ning immediately picked up the bowl and continued to eat.
Just as Su Anyun finished eating the food she had picked, her mother also picked up a bunch of food for Tangning, so much that it formed a mountain. "Eat more. You get thinner in the summer."
The tone was like that of a pig farmer who was worried that his piglets were losing weight.
Tang Ning ate even harder, until rice grains rubbed against the tip of his nose. As long as he focused on eating, he could avoid communicating with his mother.
Actually, there is nothing wrong with communication, it’s just too disappointing. Every time I see my mother appear so vividly, I really want to cry.
"How is Ningning's job search going?" asked her mother.
"I haven't found a suitable one." Su Anyun said.
"If you ask me, don't work part-time this summer. You want to go to that film school. You'll make a living by your looks. The students there are all very good-looking. What if you go out and hang out during the summer vacation and get a tan?"
It seems familiar. My mother has said the same thing to me in real life.
My mother added, "Ningning, you don't have to worry about money. Although I don't have a lot of money, I have saved it for decades, right? It's enough for you to go to college."
After hearing this, Tangning's chopsticks trembled slightly.
Not enough.
Hear what you say in your heart.
"Xiao Ning, working a part-time job during the summer vacation is also a way to get some exercise." Su Anyun spoke up for Tang Ning, "When you go to college, you'll have to get used to living on your own. Besides, Xiao Ning won't get tanned, and even if she does, she'll look better than others."
The mother said proudly: "That's true, look how beautiful my Ningning is! When Ningning was little, I carried her while shopping, and everyone who saw Ningning would praise her by saying that she was a beautiful child, prettier than a doll."
The atmosphere at the dinner table became joyful again. Tang Ning listened to her mother talking about countless interesting things from her childhood. Her mother had mentioned those things countless times, so familiar to Tang Ning that she could guess the ending just by hearing the beginning. For example, she took Tang Ning to the vegetable market to buy vegetables, and because Tang Ning was so pretty, the boss wanted to give her more vegetables.
They are all trivial things from the past, but my mother never gets tired of them.
She was so proud of Tang Ning.
Tang Ning finished a whole bowl of rice. Perhaps he was really full, and his heart was swollen and swollen.
After dinner, Mom went to take a nap, so Tang Ning and Su Anyun went to the kitchen to wash the dishes. The portions Su Anyun cooked were just the right amount for all three of them to finish. Tang Ning only had to put the dirty dishes in the sink.
The sink was small and it was a bit crowded for two people to stand there. Su Anyun said to Tangning, "Go get some water. I'll do it."
"You cooked, so I should wash the dishes." Tangning said.
"How long did it take you to wash the bowls and pots next to you?" Su Anyun asked himself and answered: "You are slow, it may take half an hour. The sound insulation at home is poor, so it only takes me ten minutes to wash them, so as not to disturb Auntie's rest."
Tangning thought about it and walked away feeling a little disappointed. Then she heard Su Anyun say, "How about you give me a massage for the extra ten minutes?"
Tangning quickly nodded and agreed.
Su Anyun was really fast at washing dishes. After Tang Ning sat for a while, Su Anyun came out to sweep the floor, especially under the dining table. He then skillfully wiped the entire table clean. Tang Ning lay on the sofa and watched Su Anyun work.
One has to be good looking and also pleasing to the eye when doing housework.
The dirt was cleaned up bit by bit, and the sunlight shone into the house. The handsome face matched with the elegant lilies in the vase, and Tangning couldn't help but have an idea -
It would be nice if I could live like this for the rest of my life.
"What are you thinking about?" The smell of dishwashing liquid wafted over. Su Anyun stretched out his hand and waved it in front of Tangning's eyes. Tangning came back to her senses and looked at Su Anyun who suddenly appeared beside her. She whispered, "Nothing."
Su Anyun sat next to Tangning, seemingly concerned about her mother's nap. She spoke softly, "I always feel like you're worried about something. What happened?"
Tang Ning didn't say anything first. She lowered her head, took Su Anyun's hand, and tried hard to practice the massage method she had learned before.
Whether the acupoints were pressed correctly or not was not the point. Su Anyun lowered his eyes, looking at the white and tender fingers constantly pinching, with the corners of his lips slightly raised.
"Brother," Tangning said softly, "Can I eat the food that mom cooks?"
Asked a question that sounded a bit weird.
Su Anyun's expression was calm, "Of course you can eat it."
Before Tangning could even feel happy, Su Anyun said, "You're getting older now. You're going to go to a university outside and will be leaving home soon. You should get used to living without your mom and me."
Tang Ning stared at Su Anyun blankly. When she heard Su Anyun's last words, she suddenly felt very sad. She was so sad that it was difficult for her to breathe.
Leave mom, leave Su Anyun.
The context of Su Anyun's words was that he was going to college in the future, but Tang Ning knew that the real departure was to end the copy.
The mother who will leave this world forever and whom I will never see again.
Even if it's a fake mother, I will never see her again.
Su Anyun reached out and gently touched Tangning's head, "If you always eat the food cooked by your aunt, will you feel reluctant to leave home? If not, it's not a big deal to eat it."
Does Su Anyun mean that after eating the food cooked by your mother, you will be reluctant to leave your mother
Tangning couldn't help but ask, "Brother, what do you think is wrong with Mom?"
Suddenly, there was the sound of a door opening, and the girl walked out of the bedroom. She looked at Tangning expressionlessly. Tangning was so scared that she swallowed the words in her mouth, and couldn't help but look at her mother nervously.
She looked like she had just gotten out of bed, barefoot, with her hair loosely draped over her shoulders. She seemed to be just looking towards the door casually, then quickly retracted her gaze and slowly walked into the bathroom next door.
Tangning sat stiffly on the sofa, listening to the noise coming from the bathroom, which gradually faded away. The woman in a white nightgown walked out of the bathroom again. This time, she did not look at Tangning, but walked lightly into her bedroom.
Summer was very hot and Tang Ning broke out in a cold sweat. It was not until her mother's bedroom door was closed that Tang Ning turned around stiffly and looked into Su Anyun's dark eyes.
"What's your question to Auntie?" Su Anyun softly repeated Tangning's words. Tangning's scalp immediately flared up. She wanted Su Anyun to stop talking. What if her mother came out again? !
"She has indeed reached menopause recently." Su Anyun said calmly: "Every mother will have similar problems, such as the friend's house you visited this afternoon."
"Her mother is actually the same as your mother."
Tang Ning's right eyelid twitched, and she felt that Su Anyun's words were full of hidden meaning.
Xiu waved his finger in front of Tangning and hooked his fingertips on her palm, "Did you agree on a massage?"
Tang Ning hurriedly continued to pinch Su Anyun's breasts, like a working kitten diligently stepping on milk. As she pinched, she unconsciously licked her slightly dry lips.
"Why didn't you eat watermelon?" Su Anyun asked.
"Wait for my brother to come and eat together." Tang Ning was actually a little unsure whether the food her mother bought was edible.
Su Anyun stood up and took the watermelon out of the refrigerator. He scooped out the meat in the middle with a spoon and fed it to Tang Ning's mouth. He used an ordinary spoon, but he was able to scoop out a round ball.
Tang Ning leaned in to take a closer look with admiration. Her eyes were very beautiful, with thick and curly eyelashes. Su Anyun also unconsciously looked at those clear and clean eyes.
"Brother, you dug it so round." Tang Ning was worried about disturbing her mother's rest, so she spoke in a soft voice, like a feather brushing against Su Anyun's ear.
"I can also carve watermelons." Su Anyun passed the meat to Tang Ning's mouth. Tang Ning opened his mouth and ate the sweetest piece of meat. Red juice dripped from his plump lips. Tang Ning licked his lower lip quickly.
Su Anyun pulled out a tissue and wiped the corner of Tang Ning's lips. He then took out another tissue to catch the watermelon seeds that Tang Ning spat out.
"I can do it myself." Tang Ning took the spoon, sat cross-legged on the sofa, scooped a large spoonful and started eating happily. Su Anyun looked at Tang Ning quietly with a gentle gaze.
"Brother, take a spoon too?" Tangning felt a little embarrassed by being stared at.
Su Anyun shook his head. "Are you going out to look for a job in the afternoon?"
"Yeah!" Tangning began to lean on him, "Brother, I want to go to a friend's house as a guest. My parents will cook for me, and if I don't eat, they will kick me out. But their food is not good for my health. If I want to go to their house without eating, what should I do?"
Su Anyun did not help Tangning solve her problem like he did before. He frowned and said, "Xiaoning, it's not that I'm against you making more friends. It's just that the people you've been meeting lately are all weird."
"If eating food is bad for your health, then don't go to our house." Su Anyun looked straight at Tangning, "Isn't our food not as delicious as other people's?"
Tang Ning didn't know how to refute Su Anyun's words. She had noticed before that Su Anyun didn't like visiting friends' homes. From Su Anyun's perspective, the people Tang Ning knew were indeed strange. Su Anyun was like a person who was worried that his own child would be led astray by others. It was difficult for Tang Ning to convince him.
From the perspective of game balance, every time Tang Ning went to a player's home, he would get Su Anyun's advice. That copy seemed too easy for him.
Thinking of this, Tangning followed Su Anyun's instructions and said obediently, "Of course my brother's cooking is better. Brother, I want to have some cold dishes for dinner."
After practicing for a while, Tangning's ability to change the subject improved significantly!
Su Anyun was not so easy to fool, "Are you going out in the afternoon?"
Tangning lied, "I need to go out and find a summer job. I want to use my own money to buy a gift for my brother. I can't always use my brother's money."
The good news is that Tang Ning's ability to sweet-talk has also greatly improved!
Su Anyun's brows relaxed when he heard Tangning's words. His mood visibly improved. He stopped worrying about whether Tangning would go out that afternoon and asked, "Where is the doll I gave you today?"
Tang Ning took out a porcelain doll from his pocket. There were two scarlet cracks on the doll's body.
Su Anyun's pupils dilated slightly, "Broken?"
Tangning noticed Su Anyun's change in expression and couldn't help but sit up straight, "Is it okay if I accidentally broke it? Is it okay not to break it?"
Su Anyun raised his eyes and said, "Things made of ceramics cannot be dropped casually."
Tangning asked cautiously, "Can you fix it?"
Su Anyun said calmly: "No matter how well it is repaired, there will be a crack. If it breaks completely into pieces, it will definitely scratch you."
"If it falls a few more times, will it break completely?" Tangning asked nervously.
"I have no idea."
Tang Ning looked down at the porcelain doll inside. The doll had Su Anyun's face, and although it was smiling, it seemed to be covered with a false appearance of gentleness. The cracked red porcelain white was filled with an unspeakable evil, as if it was pregnant with something terrible.
It seems that if it is not necessary, it is better not to use a porcelain doll.
Tangning took out the blood-stained carnation from her pocket again, "Brother, this is a flower my friend's mother gave me when I was visiting her today. What do you think this flower is for?"
Su Anyun lowered her eyes and looked at the carnation. "It is a very suitable flower to give to mother. Next time if you make mother angry or sad, you can give her a flower."
It is a useful tool! It is also a tool that can please your mother!
Tang Ning put away the flowers, and Su Anyun asked, "Xiao Ning, do you want to take a nap?"
Tang Ning didn't have the habit of taking a nap, and Su Anyun didn't force her. She stood up and returned to her bedroom. She found that Tang Ning was the only one still in the living room. Her mother and brother were resting in their respective rooms. Tang Ning originally planned to return to her room, but suddenly found that this was a good opportunity to explore.
Mom usually takes a 40-minute nap. Although Su Anyun doesn't know how long she will rest, the other party just entered the bedroom and it is unlikely that he will appear in the next second. Besides, it is rare to see him in white. If he misses this opportunity, he doesn't know when he will meet him again.
Tang Ning didn't hesitate for long before deciding to go to the kitchen to see if she could find what her brother and mother had eaten last night.
Because the room was poorly soundproofed, Tang Ning walked very carefully, trying not to make any noise. She walked lightly into the kitchen and slowly opened the sliding door.
The kitchen was cleaned very cleanly by Su Anyun. Kitchen utensils were hung on hooks and bowls were stacked neatly. At first glance, there was nothing special.
Tang Ning opened the cabinet door and saw the rice bag, then opened another cabinet door and found a gas cylinder inside. Tang Ning searched all the cabinets, but found nothing except that the things were neatly arranged.
I can't find anything abnormal.
Tangning's eyes swept across the trash can in the kitchen. The next second, Tangning turned her head back to stare at the trash can.
The trash can has not been cleaned yet and is very full. It seems that the kitchen waste of both families is piled in there. So is it possible that the remnants of food that my brother and mother ate yesterday are also there
Tangning took a deep breath, took out a disposable condom and a new trash can that he had just found in the drawer, then held his breath and squatted next to the trash can.
For living, that's right.
Tang Ning consoled himself and began to pick out the trash, putting the trash that looked normal into new bags.
Preserved egg shells, green onions, napkins
A strange smell lingered around Tang Ning's nose. His entire face was wrinkled as if he was wearing a tool of pain. As he turned the pages, his eyes suddenly froze.
On the palm of the hand covered with plastic lies a dark red solidified substance, like a blood clot
Tangning continued to search and felt more things that looked like blood clots.
Tang Ning ate too much at lunch and squatted in the trash can for too long. His stomach was churning and he felt like vomiting.
Resisting the urge to vomit, Tangning searched the trash can. Apart from something that looked like a blood clot, Tangning didn't find anything unusual. He hadn't figured out how to deal with it. Should he put a piece of it in a bag for the players to appreciate? But would this thing bring any bad curses after being touched
Tangning thought of a lot of random things and couldn't stand the smell of the trash can. He raised his head painfully and tried to breathe some less smelly air.
When Tang Ning looked up, he saw a pale shadow behind the frosted door.
The woman in black and white stood behind the sliding door of the kitchen. It was unknown how long she had been staring at Tangning.