" Grandpa, why are you so angry? Tell me who made you upset. I will chop him off into mincemeat!" Jun Lan spoke in such a righteous tone that Xu Zian would also have been convinced by her words if he didn't witness her actions by himself earlier.
Xu Zian choked on his breath and stared at the little girl with an incredulous expression on his face. Jun Lan obviously noticed his expression and raised her brows at him provocatively. This one before him is a cute little fox. He smiled at this thought and looked forward to her next actions.
" Oh! Lan'er, some unscrupulous thief stole my money." Jun Yuan was visibly distressed and the little girl found it hard not to laugh at his face.
" Grandpa, here's your purse." Jun Yuan stared at the purse in her hand for a moment before breaking into a huge grin. Thinking that she caught the thief and returned victoriously with the money pouch, the naive old man started to praise her wholeheartedly " Lan'er, you are really the jewel ah! You even managed to catch the thief. Here, take this purse as your reward."
" G-Grandpa, the truth is that " she was rudely interrupted by the old man who rebuked her with a stern voice " Don't be so humble. Just take it and buy what you want."
She is humble? Jun Lan's lips twitched. This old man is a fool. How did he manage the clan all these years? She was now truly starting to doubt his ability.
" Grandpa, are you sure that you want me to have this purse no matter what I say?" she raised her eyebrows at her old man.
" Yes!" the answer was obvious. Seeing the resolute look on his face, she grabbed the purse from his hands. Xu Zian looked at the old man before him with pity in his eyes. He was clearly getting played in the hands of his granddaughter, and the poor man did not have the slightest idea of what exactly is happening around him.
" Oh! Grandpa, I've forgot to tell you that the thief is me." Jun Lan spoke in a languid tone as she made her way towards Chu Lian who was observing everything with brimming interest.
" No problem. What? You stinky brat!" Jun Yuan's voice reflected doting and it was nowhere near to a harsh tone. But, he was nevertheless shocked that his naive and spotless granddaughter resorted to theft.
What naive and spotless girl? Grandpa, your little girl is a sly fox! Jun Lan would have laughed in his face if she knew his thoughts.
" Sis Lian, can I accompany you?" Jun Lan was really bored with all the male specimens around her. She wanted to chat a little with this adorable big sister. Chu Lian smirked as she observed the naughty petite girl in front of her " Well, you can. But, can you cook?"
" Of course I can." Jun Lan was very confident of her skills " Sis, you can rest now, for I will take charge over the kitchen today." The leisure time in her past life was entirely spent on mastering cooking, go and reading books. Now, she knew various recipes which can make one's mouth drool. She used to cook for herself as her so called husband was too busy to accompany her during the meals. It can be said that no one tasted her exquisite cooking. It's time to display her skills.
Chu Lian obviously did not believe that this seemingly fragile girl could start a fire; not to speak of cooking. But, she did not want to dampen her spirits. So, she decided to stay with her. If the little girl was not able to handle all the cooking, then she will step in. So, she clapped her hands in anticipation " Good, then I will keep you company."
Jun Lan could tell that this young lady did not believe her words. She did not blame her as no one would believe that a thirteen year old kid who rarely stepped out of her home could cook. She did not speak anything to convince her. Actions speak louder than words; she will convince them with her cooking.
After cleaning her hands, she rolled up her sleeves and took out all the necessary ingredients.
Mixing the flour with water, preparation of the filling, making the dumplings. She then proceeded to steam cook them. Chu Lian was genuinely surprised on seeing her skilled way of folding the dumplings. But, now she was rendered speechless on seeing this little girl start fire with ease. Not noticing the stunned beauty beside her, Jun Lan was immersed in her own cooking world.
After putting them on steam, Jun Lan then proceeded to prepare some braised pork noodles. Now, the only thing that is missing is a sweet dessert. Thinking for a moment, she decided to go for the traditional sweet red bean soup. Not finding the required ingredients, she turned to ask Chu Lian " Sis Lian, Where are red beans and lotus seeds?"
" Eh?!" Chu Lian snapped out of the daze and replied in a flustered voice " J-Just a moment!". She then sprinted towards the cupboard and brought out two porcelain jars and handed them to Jun Lan.
" Ah! What an aroma…" Jun Lan couldn't help but take a sniff of her completely cooked red bean soup. She was sure that these dishes are more than enough for the dinner and she made sure to cook large quantities of each dish so that everyone can satisfy their appetite. Nodding her head in satisfaction, she turned off the fire and turned towards the dazed girl behind her.
She was about to speak, but her words stopped in her throat when she noticed another three dazed figures behind Chu Lian.
" Grandpa? What are you doing here?" she asked her old man who was gaping at her. She noticed Xu Zian's and Ye Fang's bewildered gazes but she decided to ignore them.
" Ahem!" Jun Yuan cleared his throat awkwardly " Girl, when did you learn cooking?"