Rebirth: A Cinderella's Counterattack

Chapter 375: 357 Chapter: Return

A week had gone by when Luo Qianqian transported all the emergency supplies she had purchased to Qin Nuan’s location. Watching the news on TV, she sighed slightly, wondering when she would be able to return. In the past few days, there had been only two severe injuries resulting in death, and there were no casualties from the aftershocks.

The casualty count from the major earthquake drew high attention domestically and internationally. Many foreign countries found it inconceivable: how could such a massive natural disaster result in so few casualties? Could it be that Huaxia’s astrology really exists? Suddenly, books on divination subjects like the Zhou Yi sold out.

After all, a certain country had experienced a storm for just a few days, which resulted in numerous deaths and injuries, attracting intense international attention. It was another natural disaster of significant strength, yet only a small range was affected, including minor injuries. Seeing this figure for casualties, international media even reported on Huaxia as ’favored by astrology, a darling of nature.’ Luo Qianqian, looking at the online reports, felt speechless; they hadn’t paid much attention before, otherwise, they would have done their best to prevent it.

Glancing at the science comprehensive test that she had finished only partly, Luo Qianqian sighed. Jia Kun had already gone to classes this weekend, not everyone could afford to lounge at home and sleep in lazily like her.

”Qianqian, we’re having spinach and egg noodles today. Go wash your hands.” When Jia Kun was away, Luo Qianqian would nestle by Old Master Luo’s side and do her exercises, proving she was studying. Old Master Luo was very pleased with this behavior; he quietly watched chess strategy, listening to the scribbling noises and feeling immensely content.

However, his wife who delighted in concocting tasty dishes wasn’t willing to see her granddaughter slighted. They used to have three meals a day, but ever since she noticed Luo Qianqian would write exercises for three to four hours straight, she decisively switched to seven meals a day: breakfast, morning snack, lunch, afternoon tea, afternoon snack, dinner, and late-night snack. Referring to them as snacks, they were almost on par with postpartum recovery meals, with cooked dumplings and noodles being a frequent occurrence. Yet, Luo Qianqian hadn’t gained a bit of weight; she seemed to excrete everything before it was digested. Old Master Luo couldn’t match his granddaughter in quantity, but he didn’t skimp on snacks either. The walnuts brought back by his daughters-in-law, he would crack and squeeze idly, saving the intact ones for his granddaughter, and eating the broken or less visually appealing ones himself.

Compared to before, his abs were now nowhere to be seen. Yue Tingyu teased him saying he had achieved a return to ’unity.’

Luo Qianqian cheerfully set down her pen and rushed to the dining table. Although she ate a lot, her food didn’t digest well, which made her get hungry quickly. Hu Si had been out early and back late these days and hadn’t noticed this, otherwise, he would have made sure she learned what it meant not to gorge herself.

After finishing the noodles, Luo Qianqian picked up her bowl and drank all the soup, which was made from pig rib broth Yue Tingyu had simmered. It was so flavorful that even Old Master Luo, who was reading, couldn’t help himself and said, ”I’ll have a bowl too.”

Yue Tingyu smiled and placed the prepared noodles in front of Old Master Luo.

Seeing the bowl full of half vegetables and a plainly cooked egg, which plainly differed from the golden fried egg his granddaughter just ate, Old Master Luo realized his dish was of a buyer’s grade, while his granddaughter’s was of a seller’s.

About to say something, his wife interjected, ”Feeling unfair? Look at your belly. I’m doing this for your own good. Eat more vegetables to slim down. Go exercise more, you haven’t been active these days other than your morning exercises.”

Old Master Luo was speechless; wasn’t he accompanying his granddaughter in her studies?

Then, he pinched his slightly greasy belly and resigned himself to eating vegetables. As a person who loved meat, these days he could only get the scent of it.

Picking up his noodles, to his surprise, he found a piece of pork rib in the bowl and looked up at Yue Tingyu with delight.

Yue Tingyu snorted, ”Eat up, and wash the dishes afterward.”

Old Master Luo grinned and nodded, ”Wife, I love you most.”

Yue Tingyu’s cheeks reddened, and she returned to the kitchen, muttering under her breath, ”Such a flirt, you turn into a good boy as soon as you get some meat.”

Luo Qianqian laughed secretly, holding the fruit platter Yue Tingyu had just cut.

”Eat it later, after dinner. Eating fruits right away isn’t good for the health,” Yue Tingyu reminded.

”Mm-hmm,” Luo Qianqian nodded and carried the fruit platter back to the chessboard, which used to be for playing chess but now served as her space for doing exercises, covered in sheets of exercises.

Suddenly, Luo Qianqian pulled out her phone, looked at the vibrating device with a moment of stunned surprise—the number on the screen was unmistakably Qin Nuan’s?

She immediately answered the phone, ”Nuannuan? Is the communication back?”

”Nope, we’re back, still some distance away, probably two hours until we reach Capital City.” Qin Nuan’s end was filled with noticeable static.

Luo Qianqian was taken aback, ”Who’s with you?”

”Me, your Fourth Brother, my Second Brother, Agent Sun...” Qin Nuan said, and after a pause, explained: ”Those two big names had to leave early due to other commitments, they’ll get in touch once back in Capital City.”

Luo Qianqian frowned, ”What about Boss and my other brothers?”

”They’re still wrapping things up, should be a couple of days late, I think. My Second Brother said the Boss will definitely earn some merit this time.” Qin Nuan sighed, ”Remember to bring roast duck when you pick me up, and hotpot too, oh, and also bring two boxes of fruit. I feel like puking at the sight of instant noodles now...”

Luo Qianqian laughed in response, then glanced at the clock, ”Why don’t you come straight to my place to eat later? I can’t carry that much stuff, plus I have to go buy it...”

”Just bring some food with you. My stomach can hardly take it anymore, smelling instant noodles the whole journey,” Qin Nuan complained.

Luo Qianqian looked around the house, nodded after a moment, and then, remembering that Qin Nuan couldn’t see her, quickly said, ”Okay, I’ll go pick you up in a bit.”

Upon hearing their granddaughter was about to head out, the Luo Family elders poked their heads out from the dining room, ”Who?”

”Fourth Brother and Nuannuan are coming back. Grandma, do we have anything to eat? Something that can be eaten on the go. They called me just to tell me to bring food...” Luo Qianqian smiled and said, ”Grandpa, it’s not that I’m shirking my studies. I’ll pick up Fourth Brother and Nuannuan and then hit the books.”

Old Master Luo raised an eyebrow. Had he even said anything? Why were there so many words waiting in line?

Luo Qianqian stuck out her tongue, dropped her books, and bounced into the kitchen, then saw the ribs in the pot and four large steamed buns. She blinked, ”Grandma, is this all we have?” The ribs were out of the question, impractical to carry. Was she supposed to bring a few large steamed buns???

Yue Tingyu, looking at the food at home, had a brainwave, ”We have a few bags of instant noodles you like. How about taking them to eat dry? Grandma will make a feast for you at home?”

Luo Qianqian shook her head repeatedly, ”They’ll probably vomit at the sight of instant noodles now... I’ll just go buy some bread.”

Old Master Luo looked up from his noodle bowl, ”Bread? Isn’t instant noodles and bread both emergency food?”

Luo Qianqian was instantly dumbfounded, it did seem so...

Yue Tingyu frowned, and directly cut a steamed bun horizontally in the middle. She then sliced off several pieces of meat from the ribs, poured on the sauce usually used for Zhajiangmian, mixed it, and stuffed it into the steamed bun.

Luo Qianqian was delighted, ”Grandma’s brand meat-stuffed steamed bun, hehe, I’ll go find a plastic bag.”

Yue Tingyu stopped Luo Qianqian, ”Using a plastic bag it would leak, wouldn’t it? Here’s an insulated container, let Second Aunt drive you there later.” After stuffing all four buns and not forgetting to toss some washed fruit into the insulated bag, she washed her hands and hurriedly went out the door, ”I’m off to buy groceries.”

Luo Qianqian nodded and then called Second Aunt. Upon hearing of her son’s return, Second Aunt decisively drove back, picked up Luo Qianqian, and they headed straight for the station.