Chapter 184: Birthday Banquet

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

“Really?” Grandma Lu’s eyes lit up when she heard that there was braised pork knuckle.

Grandma Lu looked a little anxious and could not help but want to go over and take a look. When she saw the plate of braised pork knuckle, Grandma Lu’s eyes turned slightly red. She was really touched.

That day, when Meng Chuyuan asked her what she wanted to eat, she subconsciously said braised pork knuckle. Originally, Grandma Lu did not take this matter to heart. She did not expect Meng Chuyuan to really make braised pork knuckle for her.

This dish had a special meaning to Grandma Lu. Since she was young, she had followed Grandpa Lu around. At that time, their living conditions were not that good and they were relatively poor. He had saved up for a long time to buy a pork shoulder and make braised pork shoulder for her.

Ever since her husband passed away, she could no longer find the familiar taste. Hence, Grandma Lu had not eaten this dish for more than twenty years.

When she was chatting with Meng Chuyuan that day, Grandma Lu really did not think too much about it. Now that she saw the plate of braised pork knuckle in front of her, it actually made her recall the past.

“Grandma, let me pick up some for you to try.” Lu Qianling took a pair of clean chopsticks, pried up some pork shoulder meat, and slowly brought it to her grandmother’s mouth.

Just as Lu Qianling was about to bring the pork knuckle to her lips, Grandma Lu opened her mouth and took the meat into her mouth. The skin was smooth and soft, and she did not taste or feel any pork fur pricking her mouth. The sauces had also completely seeped into the meat, making it soft and delicious.

Lu Qianling looked at Grandma expectantly and asked gently, “How does it taste?”

As Grandma Lu had not eaten braised pork knuckles for too long, she had almost forgotten the taste of this dish. Now, the taste of this dish had awakened her precipitated memories.

Although it was still a little short of the taste in her memory, it was close enough.

Meng Chuyuan had her own unique method. She paid attention to removing the fishy smell. She would add more seasonings like that of sun-dried mandarin orange peels so that the pork shoulder meat that was cooked would have a refreshing fragrance.

Grandma Lu was so excited that she could not speak. After a while, she nodded. “It’s delicious.”

While the two of them were chatting, Meng Chuyuan had already started to stir-fry the last dish.

“We can eat now.” Meng Chuyuan placed the fried Dutch beans on a plate and washed the pot.

Lu Qianling first brought her grandma to the dining room, then came back to help serve the dishes.

Meng Chuyuan scooped out the yam pork ribs soup from the pot and placed it on the dining table.

Seeing that Lu Qianling did not take Grandma to wash her hands, Meng Chuyuan put down the soup and specially found a clean wet towel.

“Grandma, let me wipe your hands.”

The old lady was not that nimble. As soon as she sat down, Meng Chuyuan was too embarrassed to ask her grandmother to get up and wash her hands.

“Okay.” Grandma Lu was very cooperative. She turned to face Meng Chuyuan and stretched out her hand.

Meng Chuyuan bent down and held Grandma Lu’s hands. She placed them on her palm and carefully wiped them clean.

She had soaked the towel in warm water so that it would not burn her hands when she wiped them, and it was especially comfortable.

After a long time, Meng Chuyuan finally wiped the back of Grandma Lu’s hand. “It’s done.”

Grandma Lu looked up at her. The more she looked at Meng Chuyuan, the more she liked her. She was very likable.

She was young, but she was good at cooking. She was considerate and polite to her elders.

What touched Grandma Lu the most was that Meng Chuyuan specially woke up early to go to the market to buy groceries and make braised pork knuckles for her.

Madam Lu had a birthday banquet to attend tonight. Coincidentally, Grandma Lu was going back this afternoon, so she decided to stay at home.

After lunch, Madam Lu sent the driver to send Grandma Lu back home. As Lu Qianling had to attend evening self-study today, she followed Grandma back to the city.

Meng Chuyuan was in charge of sending Grandma Lu to the car and fastening her seatbelt.

While waiting for Lu Qianling, Grandma Lu even chatted with Meng Chuyuan for a while in the car.

Lu Qianling took her time to pack up her textbooks and slowly followed behind her mother.

“Mom, can you bring me to your birthday banquet? I really don’t want to go back to school so early.”

Madam Lu told her that she was bringing Meng Chuyuan to her friend’s birthday banquet tonight. Lu Jinsen had been leaving early and returning late these few days and did not eat at home. That was why Lu Qianling had to leave now.

Lu Qianling tried to persuade her mother, hoping that she would agree to her request.

However, Madam Lu had long persuaded Meng Chuyuan to accompany her, so she did not soften her heart towards Lu Qianling. “I”m just asking you to go back to your apartment in the school district. I’n not telling you to go back to school now. If you don’t leave now, not only will there be no food for you later, but no one will be here to send you back.”

“Then I’ll leave tomorrow?” Lu Qianling looked up and carefully observed Madam Lu’s expression.

“No!” Madam Lu glared at her and said, “Can’t you do me a favor? No matter how useless your second brother is, he’s still a reputable university student. Look at yourself… What do you look like?”

Lu Qianling looked well-behaved. She looked especially obedient in her school uniform, but there was a big contrast between her appearance and personality.

“I just want to stay at home for a while longer…” Lu Qianling tugged at her mother’s sleeve and started to act like a spoiled child.

There was a hint of disdain in Madam Lu’s eyes. She slapped her hand away and exposed her ruthlessly. “Stay a little longer? I think you want to play a little longer. ”

Unable to make her mother relent, Lu Qianling could only go back obediently.

Seeing that Lu Qianling was about to get into the car, Meng Chuyuan stopped talking to Grandma Lu and got out of the back seat.

Meng Chuyuan looked at Lu Qianling’s reluctant expression and reached out to touch her head. “Go to school obediently.”

Lu Qianling complained unhappily, “What’s so good about going to school…”

Meng Chuyuan narrowed her eyes and looked at her calmly. She said softly, “Then do you want to be the last among the other students? They won’t be grateful to you. They might even laugh at you behind your back.”

“Don’t look down on me like that, okay? My grades are alright. There are a few people behind me.”

“You said yourself that there are only a few of them behind you. Doesn’t that mean you’re close to the bottom? Every time after an exam, there should be a ranking of everyone’s results, right? Can you even find your name?”

..lf I can’t find my name, then so be it.”

“Don’t make excuses for your lack of effort.”

Meng Chuyuan lowered her eyes and looked at her. She said, “You said that the teacher is biased and that the other students don’t like you. Don’t you want to beat them all? When you get a good ranking, you won’t have to waste any effort finding your name. Everyone else will be able to see it when their eyes sweep across the rankings. How cool would it be to fight fire with fire?”

Lu Qianling was silent for a few seconds, and she couldn’t help but admire her. “What you said makes sense. I can’t refute it.”

“You’re not working hard for others.” Meng Chuyuan smoothed out the hair on her forehead. Her gaze paused and she said lightly, “Studying is your current goal. Don’t forget to be good to yourself but at the same time, be hard on yourself.”

She had also fallen into depravity before. She knew that the feeling of being deeply lost was very suffocating and oppressive..