Zhulan smiled, "It's getting late, I'll lend a hand and help you cook."
Lady Li hurriedly waved her hand, confident because of her grandson's progress, but clear about the separation of duties, "I can do it myself."
Zhulan was satisfied deep down, as she was testing the waters. Her smile grew deeper, "I'm bored on my own, so I'll help with lighting the fire and we can chat."
Lady Li responded, "Okay."
Lady Li worked efficiently. With two pots in the kitchen, she prepared two dishes at once. While stewing one dish, she readied the remaining side dishes. In just over half an hour, the food was ready, just waiting for the steamed buns to be ready to eat.
Lady Li was in a good mood, and the dishes she cooked smelled even better than usual.
Zhulan called the children to wash their hands, and when Lady Li brought the dishes out to the front yard, Zhulan also had the dishes in the back yard set up.
