41 Yi family dinner


    For the first time in a long time, the Yi family table wasplete. That’s because the head of the family and his favourite son who were mostly away had found their way back home in a rare moment.


    From the variety of dishes on the table, it seemed Lin Ruoxi was celebrating this moment by making food that her husband and son liked. Well, mostly what Yi Chen liked. She wanted him in a rxed mood so she could continue their conversation from before.


    She couldn’t say it directly so she could only wait for the perfect opportunity. “Ah-Chen,” called out Lin Ruoxi as she ced a piece of ck pepper beef stir-fry in his bowl.


    Hearing her call his name Yi Chen’s breath hitched and he subconsciously nced over in his father’s direction. The man who had just said that he had his back was lowering his head like he hadn’t heard anything.


    Yi Chen had expected it but not this soon. The man didn’t even put up a fight. Like the saying goes ‘one man for himself, god for us all’ his father had already abandoned the titanic and left him to save himself.


    Ming Ming who had been sitting quietly next to Yi Chen nced over at her older brother’s bowl when their mother ced that tantalising juicy piece of meat on top of a small mountain of rice. She nced over at her bowl devoid of meat and suddenly felt disgruntled.


    She stared back at her older brother’s bowl with big watery eyes while salivating. Yi Chen obviously noticed it so he picked up the piece of meat with his chopsticks intending to put it in her bowl.


    Just before he could do that Lin Ruoxi interrupted him with a stern look aimed at her daughter. “Uh uh..... that’s your brothers. You know the drill. Finish off eating your vegetables first then you can eat meat,” she said before staring in Yi Chen’s direction, “eat up. I made it especially for you..... You know what, here.”


    What did she mean by ‘here’ was that she was cing the entire serving dish with ck pepper beef stir-fry right in front of him for his convenience. He suddenly felt like the piece of meat pinched between his chopsticks was ten pounds heavier.


    .....


    Under Lin Ruoxi’s expectant gaze he ced the delicious piece of meat in his mouth but instead of enjoying it, it now tasted like coercion with a dash of tenderness. More like ck pepper and guilt.


    Seeing him eat she smiled gleefully and asked, “Did you register for pre-enrollment training?”


    Yi Chen nodded his head while his father added, “He registered the same day it opened. Remember, your target is the top of the ss. I know you can do it.”


    As he said this he picked up a few vegetables and ced them in Yi Youxi and Ming Ming’s bowls with a look that seemed to say ‘you won’t leave this table until you eat it’.


    Ming Ming almost nted her face on the dining table looking like she had been given a death sentence. Yi Youxi on the other hand ate happily like a true veganmitted to the cause.


    “Stop giving him pressure,” she said before ncing over in her son’s direction and continuing, “I know it’s a lot of weight on your shoulders but..... there are some things that can help you rx..... Like getting a girlfriend.”


    As soon as she said this the atmosphere froze for a moment with the youngest members of the family confused. Yi Chen who was slowly chewing suddenly felt the beef in his mouth had lost its vour and now tasted like sawdust. When he swallowed it felt like dry chalk was scratching his throat.


    “Honey,” said the Marshal while Yi Chen simultaneously called out, “Mum.....”


    “What? I am genuinely concerned about your well-being over here. I think you should consider it.”


    “I am only seventeen,” said Yi Chen while Ming Ming stared at him curiously asking, “What’s a girlfriend?”


    Yi Youxi nudged her and said, “it’s a girl who will marry Dage and be his new favourite person. Soon there will be hatchlings calling you auntie.”


    Yi Chen, “.....”


    “You! Where on earth did you learn that?” asked Lin Ruoxi her foot itching to take off her slipper and throw it. Unfortunately, it was at the dinner table and she still had to convince her son to give it a try.


    “Hatchlings?.....” murmured the Marshal as he reached over to grab his ss of wine. He was seriously concerned and knew he needed to spend more time with Yi Youxi.


    “Auntie Ming Ming,” Yi Youxi continued to say despite his mother giving him a re so venomous you would think he offended a viper.


    That was the difference between a favoured child and a regr child. A regr child would have cowered by now but Yi Youxi being the favoured child could test the boundaries and that’s exactly what he did.


    “So I won’t be Dage’s favourite? Wuwuwuwu,” cried out Ming Ming like she had been told she is not loved.


    “Youxi, stop messing with your sister. Ah-Chen, give her some meat. That will surely solve the problem,” she said only for Yi Chen to pick two pieces, “Uh-uh only one. One is enough.”


    Ming Ming stopped crying but stared at her mother with pouting lips and a tear hanging at her lower eyelid.


    Unfortunately, this look still didn’t sway this veteran at selling meng (cuteness). Still, Ming Ming had conned her way into getting a small piece thus she ate with relish.


    “You can just go for a blind date before you officially enlist,” Lin Ruoxi continued to say as peace was restored, well, temporarily.


    “What’s a blind date?” asked Ming Ming intending to stir up trouble and hopefully get two more pieces out of her mother. She really hated vegetables.


    As always Yi Youxi rushed to answer the question like Alexa though in this case, he answered without being summoned. It’s like having dinner with a stranger with the lights off. You can’t see the person in the darkness. Who knows, they might be as ugly as a frog. And if you kiss it you will be just like the princess and the frog. Ah, maybe you should go in ce of Dage.”


    This time Ming Ming cried for real. She didn’t want to kiss a frog. She was terrified of anything tiny that hops.


    “Wuwuwuwu I don’t want to kiss a frog. Ah, I don’t want Dage to kiss a frog,” she cried looking at Yi Chen with a pitiful expression.


    “You really shouldn’t discuss this here,” whispered Marshal Yi but his wife wasn’t listening. Instead, she pinched Yi Youxi. The kid yelped in pain and shut his mouth soon after that.