Chapter 195: Jiang Yu Zan’s family

Around 10.20 am, Bai Yi Chen unexpectedly returned earlier, he is sent back by Uncle Zhou with his truck. Uncle Zhou also help to carry the stuff from the truck and Grandpa Zhou who is also there following behind.

"Grandpa! Uncle Zhou!" It was Bai Yi Fang who called out and went to hold the old man hand as she pull him into the kitchen to sit. As for the stuff, they were directly put near the sink.

"What bring you here Grandpa Zhou and Uncle Zhou?" Bai Yi Yang wash her hand and went to sit with the two men. She and Bai Yi Ling was organising around the kitchen, throwing away the empty plastics and checking the expiry date of the stuff in their fridge and cabinets.

"This morning I met Yi Chen at the bus stop, so we head to the town together. The eldest is returning to the village too today so he return with us." Grandpa Zhou said.

This is one more thing that Zhou Zhu Yao told her before, apparently, Eldest Zhou and Second Zhou is close to Jiang Yu Zan when they were young, especially Second Zhou who is at the similar age as Jiang Yu Zan. Second Zhou is 41 years old and Jiang Yu Zan is 42 years old this year. So, Uncle Zhou returning to the village this time must be because of Jiang Yu Zan.

"Grandpa, why didn't you bring me?" Bai Yi Fang ask. She is now munching on an egg tart given by Grandpa Zhou.

"Next time if you draw a nice picture of me then grandpa will bring you together." Grandpa Zhou said with a laugh. Bai Yi Fang drew a portrait for Grandma Zhou and Zhou Zhu Yao before, this is what Grandpa Zhou is talking about.

"Good! I will draw one later. Grandpa, you promise." Bai Yi Fang said.

"I also know how to draw." Bai Yi Mo who just came from the Main house said. Saying thank you to Grandpa Zhou as he grab an egg tart too. Seeing the two children didn't wash their hand before eating, Bai Yi Ling wanted to scold them but keep it in, she only glare at the two kids.

"I already talk to Yi Chen, he going alone to help is enough. You all are still too small." Uncle Zhou said when they start talking about Jiang Yu Zan moving. Jiang Yu Zan returned to City Shan to pick his family members, they will arrived the earliest at 12.00 pm since he depart after 5.00 am this morning.

"En, alright." Bai Yi Yang agree with the arrangement. Her other siblings is also not that fond of this maternal uncle, it's actually better if they didn't have to go and make things awkward.

"We picked some fresh mushrooms, that will be good to be added in the dishes later." Bai Yi Yang said again. She told Bai Yi Ling to bring the big bags of fresh mushrooms.

"Good, good. You are thoughtful." Grandpa Zhou nod a few times and praise. It's not like they don't know the story between the sibling's mother and Jiang Yu Zan, they have the right to get angry to their maternal uncle.

Uncle Zhou and Grandpa Zhou stay to chat for a while only before decided to leave with the big bag of mushrooms. Uncle Zhou said that he will ask the women to cook chicken with mushrooms, he bought some chicken for his younger cousin brother after hearing his situation from Old Zhou family. It was unfortunate that he lose his fortune, as an older cousin, he need to help as much as he can.

Bai Yi Chen help Bai Yi Yang with cleaning up the meat and seafood, he bought a lot of stuff, knowing that Uncle Zhou will send them back. Bai Yi Yang don't have to order chicken from G Supermarket anymore, the price is cheaper at the butcher shop.

"Ge, eat lunch at home, later you can go." Bai Yi Yang said.

Today, she is making beef tenderloin steak with special sauce and shrimp and fresh pesto pasta. They are not eating rice today, this two meal should be enough because she is cooking a lot of meat. Their family is very used to eating rice, hope her siblings is fine with it too.

"Okay." Bai Yi Chen nod. He also prefer eating at home now. During weekdays, they can't eat lunch at home so he tried to maximise the time he ate food cooked by Bai Yi Yang. No matter what restaurant they go, Bai Yi Yang cooking is always the best. He didn't blame his younger siblings to always have something to comment on other people food, that's because Bai Yi Yang culinary skill is really superior. No one can beat her.

"You should have waited for me to go pick mushrooms together." Bai Yi Chen said.

"We were bored at home and it has been a while since I taught the children new type of mushrooms. We encountered 2-3 new mushrooms that the children haven't seen before." Bai Yi Yang smile lightly.

"Then that's more reason for me to join." Bai Yi Chen feel that he is excluded. Usually it was him and Bai Yi Yang who go to pick mushrooms, but this time he wasn't there.

Bai Yi Yang laugh at this , she didn't talk about it anymore and chat about other things. Bai Yi Chen told her about the current price of raw food at the market, the price of pork has also increased by 3 yuan. Pork price varies, they usually will be going up and down, 3 yuan increase is common since the next day it may decrease again.

Bai Yi Chen return to his room and take a shower as Bai Yi Yang start cooking. Her steak is always made well done since her siblings don't want to eat if it is not totally cooked, basically all of them prefer it like this. As for pasta, she have made it a few times, everyone just love any type of pasta that she make so there are no pressure.

[3 points earned. Total points: 2085]

At 11.30 am, Bai Yi Yang finished making their lunch. Since it's not rice, everyone doesn't mind eating lunch early. It's an entirely western food today, Bai Yi Yang even made a salad to be added in their dish.

"I miss eating fish and chip." Bai Yi Mo said as they were having lunch. He remember the fish and chip they ate at the restaurant in City Nan.

"You should have told me earlier, we have fresh fish today." Bai Yi Yang said.

"Then next time. I want to eat rice at dinner." Bai Yi Chen said. Bai Yi Yang nod and thought that her family are really rice lover, she ask them what they want to eat for dinner? If they wanted something that need to be marinated, she will marinate it earlier.

"Char siu pork." Bai Yi Mo said. Chinese BBQ pork made by Bai Yi Yang is the most delicious, it is one of his most favourite food.

"Meatballs soup, pork meatballs." Bai Yi Chen said. They don't have soup now, so he wanted some warm soup for dinner.

"Chicken nuggets!" Bai Yi Fang said out loud. She is a fan of a chicken nugget brand that Bai Yi Yang bought from G Supermarket. Sometimes, she will ask Bai Yi Yang to fried some for her to bring to Old Zhou house.

"Okay. Consider it done." Bai Yi Yang said. She never disappoint her siblings as long as they told her early. She like it better this way that someone is giving suggestions.

'We are not eating vegetables later?' TongTong look up and ask. TongTong likes eating cooked vegetables but this salad is not to its taste. TongTong is just licking on the salad dressing, at most, it only ate the cherry tomatoes.

'No. Unless you don't finish your salad, then I will make a vegetable dish.' Bai Yi Yang said.

'Then, I wanted to eat vegetables tonight.' TongTong quickly answer.

'You hate salad that much?' Bai Yi Yang laugh.

'En, hate it to the bone.' TongTong said again, continue to lick the salad dressing.

Bai Yi Yang take note, next time she will just give TongTong some tomatoes in the salad, TongTong must have really hate raw lettuce if it is not eating. Usually TongTong is not a picky eater.

That afternoon, Bai Yi Yang and her siblings wash up after lunch then went to take a nap. Bai Yi Chen also took a short nap before heading out to the village at around 1.00 pm. He didn't woke his siblings up so when Bai Yi Yang woke up Bai Yi Chen is gone.

Bai Yi Yang went out of the bedroom to watch TV until 3.30 pm, she and her siblings watch a Disney movie. Then, she went to check out her laptop, sorting out pictures and so on. At around 4.30 pm when the sun is not that strong anymore, them 4 siblings together with TongTong and the two puppies went to climb to the top of the mountain to look around the orchard.

TongTong actually followed Bai Yi Chen to the village in the afternoon. TongTong wanted to see the Jiang family and find out a few things about them. TongTong is just like this, it is a bit nosy and gossip loving.

'How was it?' Bai Yi Yang ask.

'There is a woman in her late 30s, an elderly lady about 60 years old and a 5 years old boy, he looks slightly bigger than Fang Fang, same as Xiao Mo age. As for the character, the woman has a shabby appearance but her character is still very sophisticated, if she dress up, people will say that she is a big madam. As for the elderly lady, she sleep right after the room is tidy up, she is not feeling very well, I think she probably have some kind of illness. The boy is very filial, he is already helping at that age, he even took care of his grandma well. So in my conclusion, maternal uncle family is okay.' TongTong said.

'They used to be rich, when they fall to this level, they must be forced to change and adapt to their situation. Oh right, what's the matter with Jiang Yu Zan's mother-in-law being there, aren't his in laws have money too?' Bai Yi Yang ask.

This is also something that she don't understand, Jiang Yu Zan inherited quite a lot and can be considered rich, but his wife Cheng Qiao from the Cheng family is not bad too, she heard they have a business as well. How come their life is reduced to this level, there is the mother-in-law too.

'I checked it. That mother-in-law is divorced by her husband. Jiang Yu Zan borrowed money from his father-in-law during the crisis, but he cannot repay it. After he is declared bankrupt, they don't even have money to live a decent life so most probably the mother-in-law wanted to help her daughter, so the head of Cheng family finally divorce the wife and she came to live with her daughter's family. The head of Cheng family has remarried, less than a year after the divorce.' TongTong said, telling Bai Yi Yang the info that it got from hacking into systems.

'What?! That's one trashy father and husband if that's the case.' Bai Yi Yang said.

'En, indeed.' TongTong agree.

'What illness does the old lady have?' Bai Yi Yang ask again. Old people, even simple cold can worsen if they are not treated properly. Their maternal uncle situation must be really bad.

'I think it's some kind of lung infection, maybe TB or prolonged pneumonia. She is very skinny and weak, she also cough often.' TongTong describe the old lady condition.

'I hope they will settle down quickly and take the old lady's treatment properly. Don't know what really happened in that family but if she got divorced because of protecting her daughter, she is a good person.' Bai Yi Yang said. A very good mother but also quite a foolish one.

'The child, where did they adopt him?' Bai Yi Yang also ask about the adopted son.

'He is adopted when he was around 16 months old from an orphanage in City Shan. He is younger a few months than Xiao Mo but they will go to school together. His age this year will be counted as 5 years old. Jiang Yu Zan choose a good looking kid, they can pass as your cousin.' TongTong grinned. Quite good looking but a bit malnourished, if TongTong didn't check properly, TongTong would have thought that the boy is the same age as Fang Fang.

'What's his name?'

'Jiang Rui.'

'En.' Bai Yi Yang nod and didn't ask about it again. They will get to know Jiang Yu Zan sooner or later, whether they are really good or not, have to see as the time passed.