The sky had already turned dark when Chen Yu left the Famous Imperial Kitchen with his younger sisters.
"It's not an easy task to demand payment," Chen Yu lamented to Chen Yike while carrying Chen Sanke in his hands. "I can't believe it took the entire afternoon. I had planned to visit more restaurants today."
"..." Chen Yike was at a loss for words when she heard Chen Yu's complaint. Her brain was currently a jumbled mess.
"Here. Take the money. It's for your school trip." Chen Yu pulled out four bills from the huge stack of red notes and shoved them into Chen Yike's hands.
Chen Yike took the money blankly, feeling the sense of touch that was unique to a 100 yuan note. "Brother, since when were you so amazing? How can you jump so far?" she couldn't help but ask.
"I told you that I'm not an ordinary person. Do you believe it now?"
"Big Brother is so awesome!" On the side, Chen Erke raised her hands high up, shouting excitedly.
"Low-key." Chen Yu caressed Chen Erke's head, grinning from ear to ear.
"Big Brother is awesome!" Chen Sanke in Chen Yu's hands raised her hands too.
"Low-key, low-key, ahahahah!" Unable to hide his pleasure anymore, Chen Yu threw his head back and started laughing heartily with his mouth wide open. From that angle, his throat could not be seen…
As an elder brother, the most blissful thing that could happen to him would be to have his younger sisters look up to him.
Double the sister, double the happiness.
Chen Yu had three sisters, so he was currently on cloud nine.
Buzz! Buzz Buzz!
Buzz!
At this moment, Chen Yu's phone vibrated. He put down Chen Sanke immediately and pulled out his mobile phone to pick up the call. "Hello, who is it?"
"Your mother."
"Ah, Mom." Chen Yu then remembered to take a look at his mobile phone screen. It was indeed Mother Chen who called.
"Where are your sisters?"
"With me."
"I want you back home. Immediately."
Du…
After a simple and short five-second conversation, a tone rang over the phone.
Chen Yu kept his phone and turned to his younger sisters sternly. "This matter should be kept as a secret from Mom and Dad. When we get home, say that the food is all from a wedding banquet."
"I don't think we should lie to Mom and Dad." Chen Yike hesitated.
Chen Erke: "I don't think we should lie to Mom and Dad."
Chen Sanke: "I don't think we should lie to Mom and Dad."
"If we are honest with them, I'll be faced with plenty of troubles. I'll also need to provide them with proof, witnesses, and many more. This is a white lie. Keep this secret well and I'll bring you guys for another round of good food next week," Chen Yu explained patiently.
"Okay." Chen Yike nodded.
Chen Erke: "Okay."
Chen Sanke: "Okay."
"Don't tell Mom and Dad about this sum of money either. Next time, just ask me for your school fees, pocket money, and other expenses. Stop burdening Mom and Dad any further."
"Okay."
"Okay."
"Okay."
"Don't get exposed! Just agree with what I say later on when we get home."
"Yes."
"Yes."
"Yes."
"Especially you, Second Eldest. Keep your mouth shut."
"Okay…"
…
Creak…
Chen Yu arrived home with his three younger sisters. He pushed open the entrance door to see Mother Chen in the kitchen, busy with her chores.
"Mom!" Chen Yu shut the door tightly and changed into his slippers. He then walked into the kitchen and said, "You don't need to cook. We brought back some food."
Mother Chen turned back to see Chen Yu walking in with about ten bags of food. "What are those?" she asked, slightly stunned.
"Food that I brought back." Chen Yu said and placed the bags on the table. He opened them up, revealing the food inside. "Let's have this for dinner."
"Where… Where did you get that?"
Chen Yu turned back, giving his sisters a wink. "I brought them out for a walk just now and came across a hotel hosting a wedding, so we went in to get some food. This was left untouched, so we brought it back," he explained earnestly.
Hearing him, Mother Chen took a glance at the dishes on the table and turned to her children in disbelief. "You're friends with the newlywed couple?"
"Nope."
"So you went to a stranger's wedding?"
"There's food." Chen Yu reasoned forcefully.
Mother Chen turned to her daughters subconsciously.
Chen Yike nodded. "Yes."
Chen Erke nodded. "Yes."
Chen Sanke nodded. "Yes."
Mother Chen: "…"
"Mom! Look, there's some wine for dad as well." As if doing a magic trick, Chen Yu pulled out a bottle of Ocean Blue and placed it on the table with a bang. "We have dishes and wine. You only need to cook rice today."
"You… You guys…" Mother Chen scratched her head, not sure if she should laugh or cry. "So the four of you openly freeloaded on a stranger's wedding?"
"Yeah." Chen Yu nodded.
"Yeah."
"Yeah."
"Yeah."
Three echoes followed.
Bang!
After some thought, Mother Chen put on an angry face and banged the table hard, pretending to be angry. "Aren't you embarrassed? What if someone we know saw you?"
"These are leftovers. They would've gone to waste if they were thrown away."
"Even if the food goes to waste, it is none of your business! No more next time!"
"Okay, okay. This will be the last time." Chen Yu nodded, taking the out that Mother Chen gave him. "The last."
"Wait and see how your father will punish you when he gets home! All of you, go and wash up!" Mother Chen glared at her children before picking up a piece of meat and placing it into her mouth. "Let me heat the dishes up. Mmm, it's not bad…"
Chen Yu immediately turned around, leaving the kitchen with his sisters. They made their way to the washroom.
Shutting the glass door tight, the Chen siblings stood at the basin. Through the mirror, they looked at each other, smiling slyly at the same time.
About ten minutes later, Father Chen arrived home from work.
Father Chen was stupefied when he saw the piping hot dishes on the dining table through the window. After a short pause, he walked out of the house, looking up to stare at the unit number.
"Why are you standing outside?" Mother Chen came out of the kitchen with a spatula in her right hand and a ladle in her left hand. Frowning, she said, "Come in."
"…Are you divorcing me?" Father Chen burst out with a shocking sentence.
"What nonsense are you spouting?!" Aiming accurately, Mother Chen smacked Father Chen's head hard with a ladle. Ding~ There was a clear and loud ring.
Chen Yu, who was sitting in the living room, saw the scene and turned to Chen Yike. "How does it sound?"
Chen Yike: "…"
"Great!" Chen Sanke raised her hands happily.
In the entrance hall. Father Chen covered his head. "How much did you spend on this?! How are we going to get through the remaining days?!"
"Not a single cent. Your dear son brought it back." Mother Chen glared at Father Chen and went back to the kitchen. "Go and wash your hands."
"Chen Yu!" Father Chen looked over at Chen Yu. "Explain this!"
"I—"
"Not only did he openly freeload on a stranger's wedding banquet, but he also brought these back." Before Chen Yu could explain himself, Mother Chen couldn't help but chip in. "He even brought a bottle of wine back! You must give him a good lecture! This is simply embarrassing! We let him live without punishment for a few years, and he now thinks that the world is his!"
"Dad, this will be the last time." Chen Yu immediately admitted to his mistake.
It was uncertain what Father Chen was thinking, but after taking a glance at the dishes and staring at Chen Yu for a few moments, he stuck out a thumb suddenly. "Damn! As expected of my so—"
Ding!
Father Chen was smacked with a ladle before he could say anything more.