Chapter 08: Longing and Guilt

Grandma Qin had eaten a bite of minced meat with eggplant and her brows immediately relaxed, as if she hadn't tasted such delicious food since she herself could no longer cook.

"Delicious, delicious," Grandma Qin urged, her voice eager, "Come on, taste it, don't just stand there."

And she naturally reached for another dish.

Gu Qiaoqiao wasn't worried at all; she knew her own cooking skills.

She had once been an assistant to the head chef at a star-rated hotel, and her cooking skills, as well as her masterful carving techniques, were universally praised.

And since time immemorial, good food has always been something that brings people joy.

No matter whether you are a commoner or a noble, no one can resist the allure of delicious food.

The Qin family, although a distinguished household with abundant wealth, adhered to a family rule set by Old Grand Master Qin: they were not to hire a maid. Thus, under the bland and unappetizing meals cooked by Shen Manru over these past years, this dinner table undoubtedly became a rare treat.

No one would fight against tasty food.

With the delicious dishes, Qin Xuan's drinking also became more enjoyable.

Qin Yize simply smiled and accompanied his father.

Shen Manru had complex feelings, for the first time unsure of how to evaluate her daughter-in-law.

Ignorant, foolish, yet possessing exceptional culinary skills.

Gu Qiaoqiao, that evening, didn't eat much, but she ate slowly. She was still processing the fact that she had been reborn.

The television was also turned on.

It was on a big imported screen set atop the TV cabinet.

The volume wasn't loud, but the music was very festive.

Outside, firecrackers burst forth one after another. The Imperial Capital hadn't started its ban on fireworks yet, so the spirit of the New Year was especially strong.

The Qin family's New Year's dinner was exceptionally harmonious.

Gu Qiaoqiao stood up, deftly picking up the bones from the table, then smilingly looked toward Grandma Qin, "Grandma, you eat first, I'll go feed Da Hei (the dog)."

"Qiaoqiao, there's no rush, you can go after you've eaten," Grandma Qin was genuinely happy today. The atmosphere in the Qin household had been awkward for the last half year, despite her many attempts to improve it.

Today, however, was clearly a good start.

Naturally, she was very pleased.

"I've finished eating," Gu Qiaoqiao said and, taking her bowl, left the dining table. After a moment's thought, she went to the kitchen, picked up two pork bones with chopsticks, and placed them in her bowl.

She went back to her room, put on her down jacket, and left the Qin family's living room.

After Gu Qiaoqiao had left, a brief silence fell over the dining table.

Grandma Qin glanced around and sighed, "A harmonious family leads to prosperity in everything. Qiaoqiao is young and bound to make mistakes; you two are university professors, cultured people. You shouldn't stoop to the level of a child."

"Grandma, it's just your favoritism. She's young, so she's always right? She's two years older than I am," Qin Xiaoyu protested with dissatisfaction.

"Our Xiao Yu is the most sensible," the grandmother said. "So, for the sake of your grandmother, try to get along with your sister-in-law. She has come all this way alone to marry into our family; it's quite pitiable."

"Mom, children will have their own fortune, so don't worry. And honestly, the kid's cooking is delicious," said Professor Qin, scooping a bowl of yam soup for his mother while sitting next to the old lady. "Mom, this soup tastes really good; you can have some more."

Across the table, Shen Manru gave a nearly imperceptible snort but didn't make any further comment.

"I'm planning to take her to the experimental base in Border City when my holiday ends."

Qin Yize, who had been silent until then, suddenly spoke up.

Everyone paused for a moment.

Shen Manru thought of her son, whom she took pride in for his excellence—entangled for a lifetime with this country girl—suddenly lost her appetite.

Gu Qiaoqiao squatted on the blue brick floor, watching the two dogs—one big, one small, one black, one white—depositing the meaty bones from the bowl into the dog food basin.

The big black dog was quick and snatched the largest bone with a howl, while Gu Qiaoqiao placed a smaller bone in front of the little dog Mao Mao.

Unexpectedly, Mao Mao didn't eat it but ran towards the big bone.

After just a few bites, it was swept aside by the big black dog's paw. The big black dog held down two large bones and looked triumphantly at Mao Mao.

Mao Mao whimpered in distress.

Gu Qiaoqiao placed the small bone into Mao Mao's bowl, glared at the big black dog, and while petting Mao Mao's head, sighed, "You see, the big bone is nice, but there are other dogs coveting it. What's the point of fighting over it, provoking the big black and inevitably getting bullied again? Better to just quietly eat the bone I handpicked for you. Don't look down on its size; it's all meat…"

As she spoke, Gu Qiaoqiao felt a piercing gaze lock onto her, alertly lifting her head to find Qin Yize's slim, tall figure concealed in the dim light.

He watched Gu Qiaoqiao unabashedly, with an inscrutable expression and inky dark eyes that revealed nothing of his thoughts.

Gu Qiaoqiao stood up, pursing her lips while suppressing the still somewhat panicked heartbeat, and calmly walked past him into the living room.

The dining table on one side of the living room had already been cleared.

Gu Qiaoqiao stood at the doorway, looking at the several people sitting on the couch, and spoke slowly, "I want to call my parents."

"Go ahead, go ahead, use the study, it's quiet..." Grandma Qin hurriedly interjected, "Qiaoqiao, don't forget to say hello to your parents for us."

"I will, Grandma."

Professor Qin, out of politeness, seemed to want to say something but remained silent.

Gu Qiaoqiao pushed open the door to the study.

Standing in front of the telephone, her hand trembled slightly on the receiver.

Her hometown was in a small town in the Northeast, where her father was a teacher and her mother a housewife, with a younger pair of twins, brother and sister.

The number she knew by heart but no longer had the opportunity to dial caused Gu Qiaoqiao's hand to tremble. She took a deep breath and placed it on the telephone's number buttons.

In a few seconds, a crisp voice came through, "Hello, who is this?"

The speech was rapid, like popping beans in a pot.

It was her sister, Gu Qianqian.

Gu Qiaoqiao's body stiffened, her hand clutching the handset tightly, opening her mouth but unable to utter a single word.

Was this a dream where she was a mute?

"Hello, hello, who is this, why aren't you speaking?" the voice on the other end came again, "Speak up or I'm hanging up..."

"Qianqian..." Gu Qiaoqiao blurted out anxiously.

"Big sister?" Gu Qianqian exclaimed in surprise, "Is that you, big sister?"

Before Gu Qiaoqiao could speak again, Gu Qianqian shouted loudly, "Mom, Dad, big sister is on the phone..."

Gu Qiaoqiao's body froze in place, waiting to hear the familiar voices on the other end, then choked up, "Mom, Dad, I miss you..."

It was a longing and guilt spanning lifetimes, accompanied by the fireworks outside, that made Gu Qiaoqiao cry uncontrollably, tears streaming down her face.

Twenty minutes later, Gu Qiaoqiao and her parents agreed upon a time for her to come home, and she hung up the phone.

At that moment, the heart that had been hanging finally settled down completely.

Heaven had eyes; she had truly returned to the past!