Immediately, she thought of Qiaoqiao's deceased grandfather, and then she realized. Her spouse had mentioned that he was very skilled with his hands, capable of sculpting anything.
"Yes, this is for you," Gu Qiaoqiao nodded.
Grandma Qin happily took it and looked it over from all angles. The more she looked, the more she liked it, truly captivated, "It's so beautiful, Qiaoqiao, your hands are like those of a magician, truly so skillful."
"Do you like it?" Gu Qiaoqiao smiled sweetly.
"Like it, love it." Grandma Qin picked up the radish flower and even pretended to smell it, extremely happy, "Qiaoqiao, thank you."
"Thank for what, it's just a little trinket," Gu Qiaoqiao said.
Seeing her smile, Grandma Qin remembered something and quickly spoke, "Qiaoqiao, when you first came here, you used to smile like this all the time, but then you always had a stern face, and this fringe too, keeping it so thick and heavy. I told you about it a few times, but you wouldn't listen. Look how pretty you look today..."
Having said that, she even tilted her head to take a better look.
Gu Qiaoqiao was taken aback, then she curved the corners of her mouth, "Grandma, I'll start cooking now."
"Alright, Xiao Yu and I will go out and set the table first."
Qin Xiaoyu took another look at the flower in grandma's hand, really beautiful, seemingly even prettier than real flowers.
This woman?
She even has this skill?
She snorted, reminded of Sister Bai Yun's words, and then snorted again, pushing Grandma towards the living room.
However, her gaze never left the flower in grandma's hand, she also really wanted to have a look at it.
That was when Gu Qiaoqiao really started to get busy.
It was New Year's Eve, and naturally, there had to be fish, Shen Manru had bought a big carp, so they were going to make braised carp.
Using yam to stew ribs, so grandma could eat more.
A vegetable and julienned cold dish, a large ham platter, chicken stewed with mushrooms, braised pork, and then a minced pork with eggplant—grandma could eat this too, it was not only nutritious but also good for calcium...
Fried several kinds of greens, vegetarian meatballs, dry pot green pepper lotus slices.
And large prawns, better steamed.
By then, Gu Qiaoqiao had already begun stewing the dishes on the gas stove.
Shen Manru, although she was the Qin Family's housewife, was at the end of the day a university professor and quite busy with work, so honestly, her culinary skills were average.
The year was 1986 in the Imperial Capital, even though it was at the forefront of the era, it was incomparable to more than a decade later.
Especially since it was Gu Qiaoqiao who was personally cooking.
When the delicious aroma started wafting from the kitchen, Qin Xuan, who had been sulking in his study, came out with a book in hand. Although such a big incident had occurred at home, as the father-in-law he could not say much.
Having seen that both individuals had no issues, he had hidden in his study to brood.
This New Year's Eve was definitely upsetting for his dear mother.
Only when the scent of the dishes came from the kitchen did he know that his wife had gotten up, and he hurriedly came out.
He was also worried about whether his wife's health could withstand it.
When he saw the figure in the kitchen, he was stupefied.
It was Gu Qiaoqiao.
At that moment, she was skillfully stir-frying the vegetables, and then a dish of vibrant and tender scrambled eggs with garlic shoots came off the stove.
The fragrance followed.
Thus, Shen Manru also came out, standing at the kitchen doorway, watching the busy Gu Qiaoqiao, with an equally incredulous look.
The calmest in the entire Qin family was Qin Yize.
He merely glanced at the radish flower that grandma showed off as if it was a treasured possession, then continued to read his book.
Her expression was calm, without a trace of fluctuation.
Surprised as they were, the children were already setting off firecrackers outside.
The atmosphere of New Year's Eve was growing stronger.
Even with numerous displeasures, they couldn't show it at this time.
So, both of them glanced at their son, who appeared nonchalant, then exchanged a look silently and sighed slightly. Shen Manru called to Qin Xiaoyu, "Xiao Yu, come here, set the bowls and chopsticks."
Xiao Yu knew how to do this task.
Seeing her mother getting up from the bed also made her happy, and she ran over bouncing, holding Shen Manru's hand, "Mom, are you feeling better?"
"Yes, much better." Shen Manru made a face towards the kitchen, "What happened?"
"How would I know? When I wheeled Grandma out here, she was already in the kitchen." Qin Xiaoyu frowned, "She even carved a radish flower for Grandma..."
"A radish flower?"
"Mom, wait, I'll get it for you." Qin Xiaoyu, being only sixteen, naturally showed her youthful spirit and quickly approached Grandma Qin.
At this moment, Grandma Qin was chattily talking with her eldest grandson.
Qin Yize, with the book set aside on the tea table, listened to his grandmother attentively, bowing his head and occasionally nodding or uttering a hum.
This behavior had become customary.
Grandma Qin didn't mind at all.
Playing with the radish flower in her hand, she suddenly sighed, "In my life, this is the first time someone has given me flowers."
Qin Yize's eyes flickered, intensely gazing at it.
In the sunlight, the radish flower, carved to translucence, had petals thin as cicada wings, so lifelike it seemed one could smell the fragrance, a veritable marvel of craftsmanship.
Carved by Gu Qiaoqiao?
After searching through the scant information about her, the corners of Qin Yize's mouth lifted slightly, "I'm glad you like it."
"Grandma, give me the radish flower, my mom wants to see it." Qin Xiaoyu stood beside Grandma Qin, sounding slightly urgent.
Grandma Qin glanced at the little girl who had been eagerly looking at it, constantly wanting to touch it but too shy to do so, so she pretended not to notice.
She wondered how long the little girl could hold out.
Seeing the eagerness in Qin Xiaoyu's eyes, she didn't tease her further and graciously handed it over, instructing, "Look but don't touch, and bring it back to me once you have shown her."
"Grandma, you're so stingy." Qin Xiaoyu, holding the radish flower, doubted anyone's ability to carve such delicate petals unless seen with her own eyes. She certainly wouldn't believe that the wicked woman could carve like this.
Just as Qin Xiaoyu was about to show the radish flower to her mother, the door of the Qin Family's home was pushed open.
A girl with fair skin and waist-length hair stood at the doorway, speaking softly, "Xiao Yu."
At that moment, Qin Xiaoyu was standing right across from her, happily exclaiming, "Sister Bai Yun, you've come."
"Yes, I came to see how Aunt Shen is doing." Bai Yun, familiar with the house, walked into the living room, her gaze first landing on Qin Yize. He sat on the sofa, dressed in a black turtleneck sweater, his dignified and elegant demeanor reminiscent of a nobleman from the Republic of China era.
Meanwhile, he continued to listen quietly, bowing his head to Grandma Qin's chatter.
Bai Yun's heart fluttered.
Qin Xiaoyu came over and warmly grasped her arm, "Don't worry, my mom is doing well."
"Bai Yun, come, join us for some peanuts and candy pieces," Shen Manru warmly invited.
This child was thoughtful and good-natured; she really deserved the affection.
Qin Xiaoyu pulled Bai Yun to sit on another sofa.
At that moment, the aroma wafted from the kitchen.
Bai Yun frowned, all the Qin Family members were in the living room, so who was in the kitchen?