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Chapter 4: It's good to be young

Lin HeYuan just came to give Jiang Xiao a warning because of his sister, but Jiang Xiao reacted a lot better than he expected. Maybe he'd change his mind in the future, but all he did then was take the gift back and apologize with a serious expression. When Lin HeYuan didn't say anything, Jiang Xiao turned around and left.

Lin HeYuan stood in place for a while, frozen, then returned to his sister, Lin QingYu.

She was a bit nervous and asked, "He won't bother me again, will he?"

"No," Lin HeYuan assured her, "He..."

He wanted to comment about Jiang Xiao, but he frowned, thought about it for a while, and decided not to say anything. In the end he had an impression of a somewhat unique person.

Jiang Xiao rushed back at noon. In the morning he didn't have much time, so over lunch he went home to sort through the textbooks in his room, especially the ones for first and second year. If he wanted to relearn what he'd forgotten, the first thing he had to do was find his books.

Xia WanWan had gone to work, and her lunchtime was a little later. Jiang Xiao usually had to wait a while for her to return. Lunch for two people didn't have to be complicated, so when she came back she would quickly stir-fry one or two dishes, and by half past twelve they'd eat.

Today when Jiang Xiao got home his mother wasn't back yet. He opened the refrigerator and saw vegetables and meat inside, so he picked a few ingredients and fried some celery, beef, and shredded potatoes.

He'd learned how to take care of himself long ago. He wasn't a teenaged boy who only knew how to eat ready-made meals, he actually had some skill.

Today Xia WanWan was delayed in the office because of urgent business. When she hurried through the door, Jiang Xiao was just bringing the steaming food to the table.

"You're just in time. Let's eat." Jiang Xiao greeted her naturally and took off the apron.

... When did my son learn to cook?

Ms. Xia thought today was really magical. She stood there for a while like she was in a dream, then she sat down nervously. At first glance, the food didn't look too bad. She decided that even if it was inedible, she'd close her eyes and say it was delicious. When she brought her chopsticks to her mouth, she was astonished to find the food was genuinely good.

The shredded potatoes were refreshing, and the celery and beef served with rice were downright delicious. The cooking was even better than her own.

"NianNian, when did you learn to stir-fry?"

"It's not hard. I did it once or twice when you worked overtime before," Jiang Xiao said lightly. "After you watch someone do it a few times, you'll pick it up."

His mother was quite easy to deceive, so she believed him. She didn't ask too much, just gazed at him like she was moved. She praised Jiang Xiao several times in succession.

After eating, she happily helped Jiang Xiao find the textbooks scattered around the house. She hummed as she washed the dishes, and when she came out of the kitchen she saw Jiang Xiao sitting quietly at the desk in his room, reading a book.

Reading a book! Seriously!

Xia WanWan doesn't know how long it was since she'd seen such a thing.

She didn't dare disturb this quiet scene. Without making a sound she went back to her room. She sat blankly on the bed and wiped her face, forcing back her tears.

She didn't know why her son had suddenly returned to his previous dutiful, obedient self. It was a huge and pleasant surprise.

Jiang Xiao found the books from his first year of junior high. Back then, he was serious about studying, and his notes were still with the books. After looking through them a bit, he found the summarized information was easy to understand.