"Alright, Mom, there's enough food. Why don't you come sit down and eat with us?"
"Exactly. I'm supposed to be a youthful beauty, Mom. Are you planning on fattening me up like a little pig by making so much delicious food?"
Du Fei and Du Yunyun spoke one after another.
Liu Shishi then stood up, intending to help out in the kitchen.
"Oh, no, no, Shishi, you just sit. There's only one soup left, and it'll be ready in two minutes."
Wu Chunmei, from the kitchen, immediately waved her hand, indicating it wasn't necessary when she saw Liu Shishi coming.
Then she glared at Du Yunyun, "You little brat, you've been eating my cooking for so many years, and I've never seen you turn into a little fatty. How can one meal make you fat today?"
Du Fei and Liu Shishi, seeing Du Yunyun looking wronged by Wu Chunmei's scolding, couldn't help but laugh.
"Brother! You're actually laughing at me!!"
Du Yunyun turned around and saw Du Fei amused at her expense. She immediately put her hands on her hips, pretending to be angry.
Du Fei pointed at Liu Shishi, "Little girl, you're picking on the easy target. Shishi-jie is laughing too, why are you only targeting me?"
Liu Shishi gave Du Fei a sidelong glance at his words.
She didn't actually mean to laugh at Du Yunyun; she just found the family atmosphere very comforting.
"Tch, you're not a good person. Shishi-jie is different from you. Don't think you can ruin our relationship!"
However, Du Yunyun looked as if she knew exactly what he was thinking. She then hugged Liu Shishi's arm and leaned her head closer, acting very affectionately.
If a stranger saw them, they might mistake Du Yunyun and Liu Shishi for sisters, with Du Fei being the outsider.
Du Fei could only shrug helplessly and sigh at his sister's betrayal.
Seeing his reaction, Liu Shishi and Du Yunyun burst into laughter together.
Soon, as the soup in the kitchen finished cooking, Wu Chunmei also came out of the kitchen and sat at the dining table.
Du Yunyun's admission letter from Beijing University had arrived some time ago, and she was due to report in two days.
Therefore, this meal was prepared as a farewell for Du Yunyun.
When Wu Chunmei wasn't present, Du Fei and the others were still chatting and laughing. But as soon as she sat down, everyone fell silent.
"Okay, everyone's here. Little sister, why don't you say a few words first?"
Seeing that everyone was quiet, Du Fei initiated the conversation.
Du Yunyun cleared her throat, "Um, in a few days, I'll be reporting to school. I won't be back for a long time. Mom, Mom, why are you crying?"
As she spoke, Du Yunyun noticed her mother Wu Chunmei's eyes reddening and tears welling up.
Du Fei and Liu Shishi also looked at Wu Chunmei.
Feeling a bit embarrassed under their gaze, Wu Chunmei quickly wiped the tears from her eyes with the back of her hand.
"Mom's fine, Mom is just happy for you. My daughter getting into Beijing University is unique in Du Village. If only your father could know..."
As Wu Chunmei mentioned her husband, the tears she had managed to hold back finally flowed uncontrollably.
"Mom."
Du Yunyun's eyes also turned red. She stepped forward and hugged Wu Chunmei's neck.
Du Fei felt a pang of sadness.
The Du Fei family used to be so happy and joyful.
Although their circumstances were much better now, their father was gone forever, a fact that could never be changed.
"Hoo."
Du Fei let out a long sigh, trying to calm his emotions.
At that moment, he felt someone grasp his hand.
He looked and saw Liu Shishi beside him. Her gaze was full of tenderness and concern. Du Fei patted her hand with his other hand, signaling that he was alright.
As the only man in the family, Du Fei naturally couldn't be as tearful as his mother and sister.
"We have so much good food, and we're just talking. Come on, let's eat before it gets cold. Everyone, let's eat."
Du Fei deliberately tried to get everyone to eat.
Wu Chunmei also realized her words had made everyone gloomy. She forced a smile and echoed Du Fei's suggestion.
Du Yunyun returned to her seat, tidied herself briefly, and then joined everyone in attacking the dishes on the table.
"By the way, Yunyun, I bought you some daily necessities. Take a look later and see if you like them. If you do, you can take them to university."
After a while, when everyone's mood had slightly improved, Liu Shishi spoke to Du Yunyun.
As Du Fei's girlfriend and having a good relationship with Du Yunyun, Liu Shishi felt concerned about her future sister-in-law going to university in Beijing, thousands of kilometers away. Although she couldn't help much, she thoughtfully prepared some daily necessities for her.
However, she wanted Du Yunyun to personally inspect the items to ensure they were suitable.
"Oh, Shishi-jie, your taste is so high and refined, the things you buy must be perfect. Thank you, Shishi-jie."
Hearing that Liu Shishi had bought her something, Du Yunyun's face lit up with joy.
Du Fei chimed in, "Of course, your Shishi-jie has impeccable taste and is exceptionally refined."
Du Fei's words were actually innocent, but coupled with his smug look, everyone present understood that he meant more.
Wu Chunmei, though aware of her son's intentions, merely smiled and said nothing.
Liu Shishi, the subject of his remark, blushed deeply and nudged Du Fei with her hand, muttering, "What are you talking about?"
However, her voice was very soft due to her shyness.
As for Du Yunyun, she looked disgusted, "Ugh, Brother, can you grow up? Do you feel no shame saying that!!"
Facing his sister's disdain, Du Fei grabbed Liu Shishi's hand, which was pushing him away, and looked at Du Yunyun condescendingly.
Although Liu Shishi and Du Fei had been in a relationship for some time, she had never displayed any intimate gestures in front of Wu Chunmei and Du Yunyun.
Being held so tightly by Du Fei at this moment, Liu Shishi felt both shy and flustered.
However, after trying several times to pull her hand free, she eventually gave up.
Du Yunyun was about to continue teasing Du Fei when Wu Chunmei stopped her, "Alright, alright, you two aren't children anymore, yet you bicker all day long."
"Mom, you can't blame me for this. Brother started it."
Du Yunyun immediately shifted the blame to Du Fei.
Wu Chunmei smiled and stroked her head, "Right, Yunyun, you've never traveled far in your life. So, your brother and I discussed it, and we're planning for him to go with you and return only after you're settled in at university."