Rebirth: A Cinderella's Counterattack

Chapter 162: Chapter 151: New Year

”Luo Qianqian, is that supposed to be a dumpling?” Luo Shufan was making New Year’s dumplings with Grandma Luo, the Eldest Aunt, and the Second Aunt, but Luo Qianqian’s dumplings were either revealing the filling or oddly shaped, looking bizarre from every angle.

”I’m still a child, don’t be too hard on me,” Luo Qianqian pouted, making excuses for herself. It wasn’t her fault that the dumplings were ugly; the fillings were uncooperative.

”Who says they’re a child and asks others to not be picky?” Luo Shufan resignedly picked up another dumpling wrapper, ”Watch closely, I’ll teach you one more time.” His fingers moved skillfully, and in no time, an ingot-shaped dumpling was made.

Luo Qianqian blinked innocently, ”As long as dumplings are edible, that’s all that matters, right?”

”Alright now, Xiao Fan, don’t blame Qianqian; you’re the one who spoils her.” Grandma Luo knew just how much her grandson doted on his little sister and attempted to smooth things over, ”Qianqian, why don’t you go see what grandpa is up to?”

Exactly, it’s you who spoil her. Luo Qianqian glared at Luo Shufan and, setting down the newly finished dumpling, she washed her hands and went out to play the spy.

”Old Luo, if you make that move, don’t bother coming to my house to eat dumplings this year.” Old Master Luo narrowed his eyes at the Master opposite him, his voice filled with warning.

The Master opposite twitched his mouth, ”Like I’m eager for that.” Yet, he still placed the piece elsewhere on the board.

Old Master Luo nodded in satisfaction, then caught sight of his granddaughter standing to the side; his face reddened, ”Qianqian, what are you doing here?”

”Good day, Grandpa. My brother thinks my dumplings are ugly, so Grandma sent me to check on what you’re doing.” Luo Qianqian blinked her eyes, feigning a pitiful look but greeted the guest first.

”Haha, your granddaughter caught you in the act, didn’t she?” The old Master across the board burst into hearty laughter upon seeing Luo Qianqian’s act and Old Man Luo’s embarrassed expression.

Luo Qianqian maintained an ’I know nothing’ expression as she looked at the Master, while Old Master Luo nodded in satisfaction, ”My granddaughter does not soil her hands with menial work; Grandpa will teach you chess instead.”

Is he teaching her how to be thick-skinned? Luo Qianqian dared not say it aloud and after a moment said, ”Grandpa, I’ll get you and the other Master some snacks and brew some tea. The true gentleman watches chess without comment, and I’m not one to stay quiet.”

”That old man loves the Pre-Qingming Festival Longjing tea,” the Master deadpanned. Watching Old Master Luo’s twitching facial muscles and thinking about the Da Hong Pao tea leaves they had in abundance at home—unsure if they had any Longjing—Luo Qianqian really hadn’t paid attention. However, she had her own ideas.

She took out the soft cookies that Grandma Luo had bought her the day before, tore open the package, and arranged them on a plate, two of each kind for a total of four. She then heated some milk that had been bought for making a painting scroll, dropped a tea bag into a coffee cup, poured the hot milk over it—milk tea is tea too—and soft cookies go great with milk tea. Carrying a tray with a plate of cookies and two cups of milk tea, she placed it before the two old Masters.

Old Master Luo, looking at the milk tea his granddaughter drank every morning, almost burst out laughing. Milk tea is also tea, after all, but he held it in, feigning confusion, ”Qianqian, didn’t you go to brew tea?”

”Grandpa, brewing tea requires specific water temperatures, and as a child, how would I know that?” Luo Qianqian said innocently, ”Milk tea is tea too, and it tastes great with the cookies. Grandpa, please try some.”

”Cough, cough.” Old Master Luo mentally gave his granddaughter a thumbs up. Clearly, making tea was not something a child could easily do.

”Grandpa, you don’t like it?” Luo Qianqian looked at the old Master, wearing a face full of sorrow, ”Then tell me what you like, and I’ll prepare something else.”

The Master almost spat out a mouthful of old blood, hadn’t he just stated his preference for Pre-Qingming Festival Longjing tea? How had it suddenly become as though he was bullying her?

”No need, this is fine.” The Master took a sip from the coffee cup, tasting the strong flavor, which indeed was not to the liking of an old Master like him.

”If you don’t like it, remember to tell me, I have other flavors too,” Luo Qianqian said with a harmless smile, eyes narrowing.

Old Master Luo dared not look at the expression of the Master opposite him, fearing he would burst out laughing. True to his granddaughter, she knew how to avenge him.

”Qianqian.” Luo Yanran pushed open the big door, ”Come give your brother a hug.”

”Cough, cough.” Old Master Luo watched his grandson bustle in and coughed sternly; there were guests present. What kind of behavior was this? If not for the fact that he had been unable to return earlier due to filming, he would have flung his shoe at him by now.

”Grandpa, hehe, ah, hello Grandpa Zheng, you truly remain vigorous in your old age, as strong as ever.” Seeing the strong physique of Old Master Luo’s chess opponent, Luo Yanran expressed his admiration.

”You sure have a way with words, lad,” Grandpa Zheng finally managed to recover from the milk tea episode, his complexion looking much better.

”Fourth Brother.” Luo Qianqian threw herself into Luo Yanran’s arms, ”Qianqian has been rejected by brother; he says my dumplings are ugly.” She pouted pitifully, melting the heart of Luo Yanran, who had just rushed back tired and dusty.

”Hmm, his dumplings don’t look good either, I’ll avenge you in a bit, Fourth Brother.” Luo Shufan poked his head out of the kitchen, just in time to hear his sister’s complaints, his mouth twitching before he went back to making dumplings.

”Who’s here?” Grandma Luo only heard the sound of the door opening and closing, that’s why Luo Shufan went to take a look.

”The person who stands up for Qianqian, he’ll come over for revenge soon.” Luo Shufan bent his head down and continued to wrap dumplings. Luo Yanran, who had just entered the kitchen intending to greet everyone, couldn’t stop his mouth from twitching uncontrollably.

Why was his luck so bad? He got caught by Grandpa as soon as he walked in, and now his brother caught him trying to coax his sister.

Luo Qianqian followed behind and, fearing the world was not in enough chaos, said, ”Fourth Brother, look, these are the dumplings Brother made, you have to say they look ugly.” Luo Qianqian tugged at Luo Yanran, pointing at the neatest row of dumplings on the table.

Luo Shufan turned his face away, not wanting to see his sister’s deliberately provocative manner, while Luo Yanran’s face was full of difficulty; why didn’t his sister mention that their mom was also there?

”Hmm, well wrapped.” Luo Yanran muttered vaguely.

”Go change your clothes.” Jia Ning looked at her son’s guilty little look, thinking that it had indeed been a long time since she last saw him, and didn’t make things hard for him.

Luo Yanran beat a hasty retreat, while Luo Qianqian was seized by Luo Shufan, ”Come on, say how good your dumplings look compared to the ones you wrapped.” Luo Shufan pointed to Luo Qianqian’s dumplings, some of which had opened up at the seams and were oddly shaped to the point of hardly resembling dumplings.

”They’re creative, postmodern style, a modern Van Gogh.” Luo Qianqian praised her own work, her mind racing, as she dared not look directly at them.

”Haha, Qianqian and Shufan are so funny when they square off, that’s why they say you should have a daughter.” Jia Ning softly said to Ye Qianying while watching.

”You’re young, you do it.” Ye Qianying tossed the responsibility without hesitation.

The two of them fell silent.

”Alright, you two go join Xiao Si and play, we’re going to put stuff away now and you can’t watch anymore.” Grandma Luo shooed Luo Shufan and his sister away as she spoke.

”Hahaha, I win again, you can’t beat me even by cheating, you lousy player.” Old Master Zheng sat at the table, laughing triumphantly.

Old Man Luo had a gloomy face: ”Let’s have a fight.”

”Let’s go, I’ll spar with you, cure that arrogance of yours.” Old Master Zheng said, rolling up his sleeves.

”Grandpa.” Luo Qianqian stepped forward, stopping Old Man Luo who was about to roll up his sleeves: ”Grandma says that staying calm is the secret to a long life.”

”Hmph, I have a granddaughter to keep me company, you don’t.” Old Man Luo picked up Luo Qianqian and glared at Old Master Zheng.

—

”Qianqian, come quick.” Luo Yanran was setting off little fireworks in the car-free residential area for his sister to watch.

Luo Shufan followed behind his sister with a cool face, acting as her protector, although he wanted to play too, his sister’s safety was more important; playtime could wait.

”Xiaowu, come play too.” Luo Yanran didn’t forget to call over their mature-looking younger brother.

Luo Shufan subconsciously glanced at Luo Qianqian first, who said with a smile, ”Brother, go ahead, I’ll stay right here and won’t go anywhere.”

Luo Shufan nodded before he went over to Luo Yanran’s side and took some fireworks, lighting them happily.

’Buzz, buzz...’ Luo Qianqian noticed her phone vibrating; she opened it to see a message from Xu Tianyi: Happy New Year.

Luo Qianqian paused, realizing it was just past ten, why was he wishing her Happy New Year already? She hurriedly called back, but the call didn’t go through, so she could only reply with a text: Happy New Year, I’ve grown another year older.

Xu Tianyi, who had turned off his phone, looked at the sleeping comrades beside him, stepped outside, and gazed at the starry sky: ”Wait for me to come back.”