Rebirth: A Cinderella's Counterattack

Chapter 178: Chapter 166: A Day of Longing for Meat and Sighing

Luo Qianqian had been doing homework with Li Qi and the other five for just over a month when they faced the first monthly exam of the semester. The nice thing about monthly exams is that they only cover what was studied that month, nothing before and nothing after.

”Qianqian, if I make it into the top three hundred of our grade, I’ll treat you to a meal,” Li Qi said, tugging at Luo Qianqian’s arm. ”So Qianqian, bestow upon me your strength!”

Luo Qianqian was taken aback and then, with a cry-laugh, patted her own head before patting Li Qi’s: ”May Euclid bestow upon you strength.”

”Me too.” Xia Qi leaned in, and Luo Qianqian, with a cry-laugh, patted Xia Qi’s forehead: ”May Gauss bestow upon you strength.”

”You guys are so childish,” Pei Yuhao muttered under his breath as he looked at Li Qi and Xia Qi, then he dashed to Luo Qianqian with a speed that would surprise Pei Yutian: ”I want a part in this too.”

With a twitch at the corner of his mouth, Pei Yutian also stepped forward, and Shen Yan, dragging Han Lei, joined in the fun as well.

”May Euler bestow upon you strength.” She made a water-splashing gesture with her hands, and seeing the confident expressions on the faces of what were usually mature individuals, Luo Qianqian eyed her own hand skeptically, then patted her forehead, whispering low: ”May Xu Tianyi bestow upon me strength.” After saying this, her lips curled into a happy smile.

Exams were not a difficult task for Luo Qianqian, so she was quite relaxed. After the exams, she happily went home. There was no homework during the exam period, so there was no need to stay at school to do homework. She messaged her brother and then blissfully went to the vegetable market to buy groceries and waited at home to cook dinner for Luo Shufan. However, by the time she got home, Luo’s Mom was already there.

”Qianqian, you’re back,” Luo’s Mom said, seeing her daughter carrying things, and guilt washed over her. These days she had been busy with work and dating, and besides breakfast, the two children had been taking care of themselves: ”Mom cooked dinner.”

Luo Qianqian blinked, her face filled with surprise: ”Mom, why are you so early today? And you already made dinner? Is something up?”

”We’ll talk about it when your brother comes back,” Luo’s Mom said, her face reddening. ”Do you want to eat now, or wait for your brother? Or do you want to start on your homework first?”

”I’ll do my homework first, and wait to eat with brother.” Luo Qianqian didn’t mention that there was no homework that day. There was no need to make her mom feel more guilty, especially since it seemed clear that her mom had something important to discuss.

”Okay, I’ll cut you some fruit in a bit,” Luo’s Mom said with a nod, watching her daughter enter her room. She thought to herself, when did that cuddly little child become so impassive? And what about the doctor’s comment on excessive pondering? She couldn’t understand what kind of troubles a junior high school student could have, but it was obvious that her daughter didn’t want to talk about it. When did the distance between her and the children grow so wide? Was it because she was too assured? Luo’s Mom felt a surge of self-reproach and her eyes started to well up with tears.

Sitting at her desk, Luo Qianqian didn’t open her schoolbag but took out some papers that Elder Zhang had given her to start working on, so she would have something to show when her mom came in.

When Luo’s Mom entered the room and saw her daughter studying seriously, she didn’t say anything, just placed the fruit down and left. Luo Qianqian, hearing the door close, dropped her pen and her face was a picture of helplessness: ”If Brother gets into college and Mom gets married, won’t I be left alone at home?”

Her face showed all her fears for the future: ”Staying at a stranger’s home is definitely not an option, and living alone won’t work either, so what will I do?” She then patted her forehead, thinking that perhaps she was worrying about this too soon. After all, she was in junior high, and her brother was only in his first year of high school. It seemed a bit premature to worry about college.

”Qianqian, what did you buy?” Then the front door opened to the sound of unlocking and Luo Shufan’s voice, who spoke before even entering the house. Upon opening the door and seeing Luo’s Mom at home, he too was startled: ”Mom, you’re home.”

”Yeah, let’s eat first. I’ll go call Qianqian.” Luo’s Mom looked at her son, who also wore a face of surprise, and felt even more guilty.

Hearing the noises, Luo Qianqian opened the door: ”Brother, you’re finally home, my stomach has been growling.” She said, rubbing her belly with a pitiful look.

”That’s your fault for not eating earlier. What if I had duties at school and you starved?” Luo Shufan snorted coldly at his sister’s pitiful appearance. It wasn’t like there was no food; why wait for him? She deserved to be hungry.

”All right, wash your hands and come eat,” Luo’s Mom said, smiling and waving at her son and daughter. ”I made your favorite dishes.”

Luo Qianqian paused for a moment and then cheered, rushing into the bathroom to wash her hands; soon after, Luo Shufan followed: ”Aren’t you laying it on a bit thick?”

”Brother...” Luo Qianqian looked at the half-closed bathroom door and hesitated for a moment before whispering quickly and softly: ”No matter what Mom says later, don’t make a face.”

Luo Shufan was about to say something, but his sister had already come out of the restroom. Shaking her head and heaving a sigh, how could he not know what his sister was worried about? However, just as his sister had said, their mother also deserved her own life; she couldn’t just compromise everything for them. Anyway, he could take care of his sister by himself, no problem.

The dishes on the table were all favorites of Luo Qianqian and Luo Shufan, which took a lot of time and effort to prepare. Yet today, she had made an extensive spread, and with one look between themselves, the siblings had already confirmed in their hearts what their mother was going to discuss.

”Eat some more, won’t you?” Seeing her daughter put down her chopsticks after one bowl when there was still plenty of food left, Luo’s Mom was puzzled. Normally, her daughter would keep eating even if it meant bursting her belly.

”Mom, eating too much at night isn’t good. Normally, we just have vegetables in the evening for better digestion,” Luo Shufan said as he watched his sister’s desire to eat but holding back, nodding inwardly: ”Put it in the fridge, we can eat it tomorrow.”

”Oh right, it isn’t good; they say we should eat less for dinner.” Seeing her son also put down his chopsticks, Luo’s Mom put hers down as well: ”Mom has something to tell you.”

Both siblings assumed a listening posture.

”Mom has talked it over with Uncle Lin and your grandparents, and we think May eighteenth is a nice day,” Luo’s Mom said without looking at her son and daughter, her gaze drifting around as she stared at the empty rice bowl on the table.

”It is nice,” Luo Qianqian nodded in agreement firmly. It was close to her birthday, proof that it was indeed a good choice.

”Is that where it’s been decided?” Luo Shufan looked at his mother as he sighed softly in his heart and asked gently.

”Yuanfan International Hotel,” Luo’s Mom replied, startled, her face blushing as she looked at her son.

”Is there anything we need to do?” As Luo Shufan suddenly realized why his sister had admonished him earlier, hearing this news still unsettled him. It was their mother, his and his sister’s mother, and soon she would become someone else’s wife, a stepmother to a boy who was even older than him—this was something he struggled to accept.

”Mom, do you want Qianqian as your bridesmaid? Qianqian wants to walk with you,” Luo Qianqian said with a beaming smile looking at Luo’s Mom.

Luo’s Mom was startled, then turned to look at her daughter with eyes brimming with tears: ”Okay.”

Luo Shufan looked at his sister’s eyes that were seventy percent sincere, twenty percent longing, and ten percent sad, and he held back the desire to cry. Yes, this was their mother, and wasn’t it a good thing that someone would care for her and love her more? His mother had been the person he admired the most since their father left when they were young. She was a frail woman who nevertheless shouldered a whole family.

”I won’t be the one to be the best man,” Luo Shufan said with a smile, having come to an understanding: ”But I will dress up real sharp to make Mom proud.”

Luo’s Mom was taken aback, and her tears that were on the brink fell all of a sudden: ”Xiao Fan, Qianqian.” She hugged a child with each arm, crying freely: ”Mom is sorry.”

”Mom, by giving us life, you’ve already done us the greatest kindness. You’ve raised us for so many years, and you’ll continue to watch over us. So what reason do we have to stop you from pursuing your own happiness? We’re not brats, so don’t worry,” Luo Qianqian comforted softly, gently patting Luo’s Mom’s back.

”There is really something you owe us an apology for,” Luo Shufan blurted out from Luo’s Mom’s embrace, his face red.

Luo’s Mom was startled and let go of them, as Luo Qianqian repeatedly made faces at her brother. Shufan cleared his throat twice: ”Making so many delicious dishes for dinner, which we can’t eat our fill of, only to long for them with a sigh—doesn’t that mean you owe us an apology? Don’t you think so, Qianqian?”

Seeing her brother’s crafty look, Luo Qianqian nodded wordlessly: ”Yeah, yeah, yeah, you’re the boss, whatever you say goes.”

”Pfft—” Watching the children’s antics, the sad atmosphere dissipated in a moment, and laughter filled the home.

Luo Qianqian pesters Luo’s Mom with questions about wedding photos, the new house, the dowry, and then quietly makes note of all the details.