The bundle of joy burst through the door and into the room. "Grandma!" Lin Xi greeted Mrs. Xiu before he started wandering around the countryside home with endless questions, "Grandma, what is that? Why is that thing on the wall? What is the use of that thing hanging by the window?"
The last time Mrs. Xiu saw Lin Xi, he was still a little babe in her arms. Of course, she had talked to Lin Xi on the phone before whenever she had phone conversation with Xiu Ling but that could not beat seeing her grandson in person.
Lin Xi continued to bombard Mrs. Xiu with questions and the old lady chased after the little guy with a bright smile on her face. Her gait had gotten so much lighter that it felt like Mrs. Xiu had reversed aging for at least a decade.
Mrs. Lin knew there was a possibility Mrs. Xiu might stop her at the door thanks to their history so she brought a secret weapon with her. Which grandparents would be able to resist the visit from their grandchildren? Mrs. Lin would not be able to and she believed it would be the same for Mrs. Xiu. Seeing what was happening, Mrs. Lin knew it had been the correct decision to bring Lin Xi with her.
While Mrs. Xiu dealt with Lin Xi, Mrs. Lin turned to glance at the bodyguard-driver that ferried them to Mrs. Xiu's place that morning. The man nodded wordlessly and wandered back to sit inside the car. Mrs. Lin stepped through the door into Mrs. Lin's house and closed the door. She needed some privacy to discuss with Mrs. Xiu certain things.
Lin Xi was almost racing out the backdoor and into the house garden when Mrs. Xiu caught up to him. "Grandma, why can't I go outside? I want to look at the garden and stuff."
Mrs. Xiu explained patiently, "Lin Xi, there are many dangerous and sharp garden tools out there, i don't want you to get accidentally injured. Plus, it's dirty out there. Why don't you just play inside the room?"
"Okay..." Lin Xi surrendered with a sad pout. Seeing that reaction on her grandson, Mrs. Xiu tried to change the subject by asking, "Lin Xi, have you had your breakfast? Do you want to have some papayas?"
"Okay! I like fruits!" Lin Xi said with good cheer. Mrs. Xiu smiled at her grandson's sweet innocence.
Right then, Mrs. Lin walked into the kitchen. She probably overheard their conversation because she told Mrs. Xiu, "In-law, there's no need to trouble yourself. Lin Xi has already eaten his breakfast before we came. Please don't trouble yourself."
Lin Xi groused as he turned to look at Mrs. Lin, "But, grandma..."
Mrs. Xiu smiled good-naturedly, "It's no trouble. Plus, it's just fruits. Please have a seat with Lin Xi at the living room, I'll serve the fruit shortly." Mrs. Xiu turned to Lin Xi to say, "Lin Xi, please help bring your grandmother to the living room for me, okay?"
"Yes, ma'am!" Lin Xi then dragged Mrs. Lin away to the amusement of both his grandmothers.
Minutes later, Mrs. Xiu came out of the kitchen with a platter of toasted papayas. She placed it on the table and Lin Xi looked at it with intrigue, he had not seen something like this before. In his life, papaya had always been served raw so he did not quite understand what was on the plate.
Compelled by curiosity, Lin Xi picked up a slice and chewed on it. The juice burst in his mouth and some even slithered down his lips. "Grandma, this is so good!" Lin Xi praised.
"Don't talk with food in your mouth," Mrs. Lin warned softly while Mrs. Xiu went to take a tissue to wipe the stain from the boy's chin. Between the two of them, Lin Xi enjoyed the treatment of a royal prince.
"In-law, please don't be shy. Do take a slice as well." Mrs. Xiu slid the plate towards Mrs. Lin. With Lin Xi acting as the bridge between them, Mrs. Xiu felt like she could let bygones be bygones. Mrs. Lin probably came with good intention or else she would not have brought Lin Xi along to allow him to reconnect with his other grandmother.
Mrs. Xiu picked up the papaya slice and took a bite, she was surprised by how sweet it was. The toasted papaya was soft and the sweetness took Mrs. Xiu by surprise. It was so sweet that Mrs. Xiu had to ask, "In-law, did you slather the fruit with honey before you toasted it?"
"No, there's nothing like that." Mrs. Xiu explained, "I suppose this is something that is not common in the city. I toasted the fruit directly after taking it out from the freeze. The low temperature did something to the fruit fibres so they'll lock in the sweet juices. Without giving them time to melt at room temperature, if you just toast them over the stove directly out of the freezer, the heat will break down the fibres, thus releasing the fruit's natural sweetness.
"Or at least that's what I assume is happening, this is an old trick taught by my own mother, and that was what she told me, I don't really understand its theory. But it's delicious, isn't it?"
Lin Xi nodded vehemently. The boy already finished his slice and was going for seconds.
Mrs. Lin put the half-eaten papaya down and turned serious as she faced Mrs. Xiu. It was time for the real reason why she was there. She explained the whole situation with Xiu Ling and the challenge to Mrs. Xiu and asked for her to return to the city with her to support Xiu Ling.
Mrs. Xiu was shocked when she heard the news, she was a bit angry at Xiu Ling because her daughter did not tell her about this when they were talking on the phone. Xiu Ling probably did not want her to worry but even so, she deserved to know if something this big was happening in her daughter's life.
The bundle of joy burst through the door and into the room. "Grandma!" Lin Xi greeted Mrs. Xiu before he started wandering around the countryside home with endless questions, "Grandma, what is that? Why is that thing on the wall? What is the use of that thing hanging by the window?"
The last time Mrs. Xiu saw Lin Xi, he was still a little babe in her arms. Of course, she had talked to Lin Xi on the phone before whenever she had phone conversation with Xiu Ling but that could not beat seeing her grandson in person.
Lin Xi continued to bombard Mrs. Xiu with questions and the old lady chased after the little guy with a bright smile on her face. Her gait had gotten so much lighter that it felt like Mrs. Xiu had reversed aging for at least a decade.
Mrs. Lin knew there was a possibility Mrs. Xiu might stop her at the door thanks to their history so she brought a secret weapon with her. Which grandparents would be able to resist the visit from their grandchildren? Mrs. Lin would not be able to and she believed it would be the same for Mrs. Xiu. Seeing what was happening, Mrs. Lin knew it had been the correct decision to bring Lin Xi with her.
While Mrs. Xiu dealt with Lin Xi, Mrs. Lin turned to glance at the bodyguard-driver that ferried them to Mrs. Xiu's place that morning. The man nodded wordlessly and wandered back to sit inside the car. Mrs. Lin stepped through the door into Mrs. Lin's house and closed the door. She needed some privacy to discuss with Mrs. Xiu certain things.
Lin Xi was almost racing out the backdoor and into the house garden when Mrs. Xiu caught up to him. "Grandma, why can't I go outside? I want to look at the garden and stuff."
Mrs. Xiu explained patiently, "Lin Xi, there are many dangerous and sharp garden tools out there, i don't want you to get accidentally injured. Plus, it's dirty out there. Why don't you just play inside the room?"
"Okay..." Lin Xi surrendered with a sad pout. Seeing that reaction on her grandson, Mrs. Xiu tried to change the subject by asking, "Lin Xi, have you had your breakfast? Do you want to have some papayas?"
"Okay! I like fruits!" Lin Xi said with good cheer. Mrs. Xiu smiled at her grandson's sweet innocence.
Right then, Mrs. Lin walked into the kitchen. She probably overheard their conversation because she told Mrs. Xiu, "In-law, there's no need to trouble yourself. Lin Xi has already eaten his breakfast before we came. Please don't trouble yourself."
Lin Xi groused as he turned to look at Mrs. Lin, "But, grandma..."
Mrs. Xiu smiled good-naturedly, "It's no trouble. Plus, it's just fruits. Please have a seat with Lin Xi at the living room, I'll serve the fruit shortly." Mrs. Xiu turned to Lin Xi to say, "Lin Xi, please help bring your grandmother to the living room for me, okay?"
"Yes, ma'am!" Lin Xi then dragged Mrs. Lin away to the amusement of both his grandmothers.
Minutes later, Mrs. Xiu came out of the kitchen with a platter of toasted papayas. She placed it on the table and Lin Xi looked at it with intrigue, he had not seen something like this before. In his life, papaya had always been served raw so he did not quite understand what was on the plate.
Compelled by curiosity, Lin Xi picked up a slice and chewed on it. The juice burst in his mouth and some even slithered down his lips. "Grandma, this is so good!" Lin Xi praised.
"Don't talk with food in your mouth," Mrs. Lin warned softly while Mrs. Xiu went to take a tissue to wipe the stain from the boy's chin. Between the two of them, Lin Xi enjoyed the treatment of a royal prince.
"In-law, please don't be shy. Do take a slice as well." Mrs. Xiu slid the plate towards Mrs. Lin. With Lin Xi acting as the bridge between them, Mrs. Xiu felt like she could let bygones be bygones. Mrs. Lin probably came with good intention or else she would not have brought Lin Xi along to allow him to reconnect with his other grandmother.
Mrs. Xiu picked up the papaya slice and took a bite, she was surprised by how sweet it was. The toasted papaya was soft and the sweetness took Mrs. Xiu by surprise. It was so sweet that Mrs. Xiu had to ask, "In-law, did you slather the fruit with honey before you toasted it?"
"No, there's nothing like that." Mrs. Xiu explained, "I suppose this is something that is not common in the city. I toasted the fruit directly after taking it out from the freeze. The low temperature did something to the fruit fibres so they'll lock in the sweet juices. Without giving them time to melt at room temperature, if you just toast them over the stove directly out of the freezer, the heat will break down the fibres, thus releasing the fruit's natural sweetness.
"Or at least that's what I assume is happening, this is an old trick taught by my own mother, and that was what she told me, I don't really understand its theory. But it's delicious, isn't it?"
Lin Xi nodded vehemently. The boy already finished his slice and was going for seconds.
Mrs. Lin put the half-eaten papaya down and turned serious as she faced Mrs. Xiu. It was time for the real reason why she was there. She explained the whole situation with Xiu Ling and the challenge to Mrs. Xiu and asked for her to return to the city with her to support Xiu Ling.
Mrs. Xiu was shocked when she heard the news, she was a bit angry at Xiu Ling because her daughter did not tell her about this when they were talking on the phone. Xiu Ling probably did not want her to worry but even so, she deserved to know if something this big was happening in her daughter's life.
