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Chapter 38
Oh my god, please let her be destroyed.
He actually recognized her.
In novels and TV dramas, misunderstandings lead to eventual truth, yet for her this trope is useless.
Is it because she doesn't live in fiction but in reality?
This is so awkward it's cringe worthy. The awkwardness is off the charts.
If only she hadn't come to grandpa's in a huff, she wouldn't have run into Pei Jing.
Xia had no idea that the reason Pei Jing was there was to look for her.
It also meant that even if she wanted to hide, there was no escape.
The chopped meat on the cutting board was ready. Pei Jing looked deeply at Xia again.
He wanted to say more but Mrs. Zhou came in with washed vegetables so he had to abandon the thought.
The awkwardness wasn't only for Xia but for Pei Jing too.
After all the generational divide between them was a big issue.
Although they weren't related by blood, the two families had been close for decades, since the days when grandfather An was still alive.
Once the two of them got together, it would mean the hierarchy of the two families would be disrupted.
Old Pei and An had addressed each other as brothers for decades. Their hierarchy would suddenly be elevated. How would they address each other going forward? Truly a headache.
But Pei Jing felt that because of the bond between the families and what happened between him and Xia, he should take responsibility.
If he avoided it, never mind if that was unmanly, could he face the care Grandpa An had shown the Pei family over the years?
When Mrs. Zhou came in, Xia was already mixing the filling.
Making dumpling filling is key, the same ingredients can taste different based on technique, mixing time and steps. It decides the ultimate flavor.
Xia first added water soaked with spices into the meat filling, then added seasonings and mixed thoroughly to let the filling absorb the moisture and seasonings to become sticky and flavorful.
Chopping meat was tiring already, mixing the filling was even more tiring for her arms.
She'd mix for a bit then rest, Pei Jing took over the bowl of filling from her. "Let me mix, just tell me when it's ready."
With Xia squeezed aside watching, she simply told him she'd sneak out for a break, Mrs. Zhou could add vegetables when the filling was ready.
Sensing Xia was actively avoiding him, Pei Jing just smiled amusedly.
He was used to being chased since childhood, this was the first time someone ran away from him.
Mrs. Zhou didn't know what he found funny but smiled too. "Xia is a nice girl, though she's only been here twice. I can tell she's gentle, thoughtful and hardworking. It's just a pity..."
With her background, though she's found her birth parents now, they have a daughter they've raised over ten years who is still theirs by birth. The difference between a daughter by your side from birth and not is still there after all.
Pei Jing, "She is good, but let's not speak of pity..."
Only then did Mrs. Zhou realize her mistake and hurried to correct herself. "Pardon my loose tongue. Xia is the old master's granddaughter and a good girl, with the old master and madam caring for her, she'll surely have a good future."
Pei Jing didn't fuss over a domestic helper's words. He mixed the filling to the consistency Xia specified and handed it to Mrs. Zhou. "This should be good, please add the vegetables, Mrs. Zhou."
"Alright, you go rest too. I'll take it from here." Then she remembered, "Oh yes, please call Xia to come help with the dumpling wrapping, she said earlier it'd be faster with two people."
Worried Pei Jing would misunderstand her getting Xia to work, Mrs. Zhou explained.
Pei Jing nodded and went out calling.
But he didn't leave, intending to help too. Wrapping with one person rolling skins and two packing would be even faster.
With Pei Jing calling her so loudly, Xia couldn't not go in.
But when she entered the kitchen, she saw he hadn't left.
"I'll help with the wrapping, it'll be even faster this way." Pei Jing saw her questioning look and explained, raising a brow.
Now the girl knew to avoid him. Back then when she threw herself at him...
Sensing his thoughts growing improper, Pei Jing hurriedly steadied his attitude.
Despite an intimate encounter, their current relationship didn't permit disrespect even in thought.
"I don't think you can help." Xia said directly.
Mrs. Zhou started rolling out skins. She had just finished one when Xia took it, added filling, and with thumbs and index fingers on both hands, pinched out a plump dumpling.
Mrs. Zhou rolled one, Xia wrapped one. Only then did Pei Jing understand what Xia meant about him not helping.
Indeed, Xia was very fast. It wasn't traditional wrapping with inner and outer pleats. There was no room for him to cut in.
Realizing Xia was intent on avoiding him, Pei Jing helplessly left the kitchen.
An ZhiAng rode in on his bike carrying wine, chattering nonstop as soon as he entered.
Xia and Mrs. Zhou worked efficiently together. In just over half an hour, all dumplings were wrapped.
Mrs. Zhou busied herself preparing snacks while the two old masters put away the chess set outside.
In the dining room, the two old masters sat together. Xia sat beside Old Madam. After Old Master poured wine for Old Pei, An ZhiAng enthusiastically brought out two bottles of beer from the cabinet. "Uncle, Uncle, forget the white wine with the old masters. Too harsh on the throat. Let's crack open some beer?"
Seeing the bottles, Old Master smiled at Old Madam. "This rascal's done his research again. I bet he used up our beer ration tickets again?"
An ZhiAng was shameless. "You and Pei drink white wine. The tickets would just expire unused. I'm helping grandfather out here."
"Glib tongue!" Old Madam laughed at him, then said to Xia, "Have some beer too, Xia. The alcohol content is low, a bit won't get you drunk."
Xia nodded and nudged her glass forward for An ZhiAng to pour her some.
A common saying she'd heard about in the future, barbecue, beer and crawfish. No barbecue or crawfish here but beer was still good.
Xia took a small sip. The flavor was strong but tasty.
Mrs. Zhou served the dishes, all vegetarian since there was already meat in the dumplings.
Peanuts and snap peas, the drinking snacks, were placed before the two old masters. Xia had laughed when grandma said the two could drink a whole afternoon with one plate of peanuts.