NOVEL NEXT
Chapter 74
Liu Hua came over carrying a large plate: "Why are you kids all running upstairs? I just baked some pastries, come have a snack to line your stomachs first."
Sui Yu stood up and dusted off his clothes: "Mom, are the uncles and aunties from next door all celebrating Christmas at our house today?"
When Liu Hua heard this, she scrunched her face in distaste: "Yes, they're all here. An Ning's mom is here too."
They're all just here to mooch food!
Qiao Ze picked up a small cake and handed it to Sui Yan, who was walking over: "Auntie, does that mean Uncle Sui is home alone?"
Liu Hua couldn't help but smile: "Yeah, your Aunt Ye said she'll send him food later, so we don't need to worry about him for now."
Sui Yan held the small cakes in both hands and tilted her little head: "Mom, poor Dad then."
Having to spend Christmas all alone without food!
Liu Hua glanced at her kid: "Then why don't you go keep your dad company for Christmas?"
The kid froze for two seconds, then smoothly inched away: "...It's okay for Dad to spend Christmas by himself."
Liu Hua let out a cold snort: "I knew it."
Her kid is always all talk!
Sui Zhi sat on the floor, slowly nibbling on a cake: "Mom, is Uncle Xu coming too?"
Liu Hua rolled her eyes: "Yeah, he's here to mooch food too."
Qiao Ze smiled gently: "Auntie, I guess we'll head downstairs then."
To give Uncle Xu some support!
Sui Yan, tired from playing, also clamored to go downstairs: "Downstairs! Charge!"
Liu Hua leaned against the wall, her voice languid yet carrying an inexplicable threat: "Stay right there! Finish your cakes. I just brought them up for you and you're already trying to go downstairs?"
Not giving her any face?
The little short-legged kid, who had already taken a few steps, immediately scurried back and meekly joined her brothers to grab more small cakes.
Thankfully, Liu Hua hadn't brought up too many, so two or three per person was more than enough to finish them.
Liu Hua looked at the group of little friends, her gaze gradually softening. Suddenly, she seemed to notice something and immediately reached out to grab her precious daughter's collar from behind.
"Ah Yan, how many have you had?"
Sui Yan, who had been quietly trying to sneak another small cake, was caught by the scruff of her neck, flailing her little short arms: "Mom, Ah Yan only had two!"
Liu Hua pulled her out from the group of children: "You had two yourself, and your brothers and sisters gave you two more. Did you think I wouldn't notice?"
She poked Sui Yan's round, chubby cheeks: "Look at how round your face has become! You're still so young, yet you've eaten the most!"
The little kid looked aggrieved: "But I need to grow!"
Liu Hua put the kid down and pinched her soft little arms: "But you haven't gotten any taller after eating all that... Your dad and I are both quite tall, so why are you so short?"
Sui Yan's eyes widened: "Mom's lying, Ah Yan can grow really tall!"
Liu Hua thought for a moment, then looked up at Sui Zhi and Qiao Ze: "When you picked up your sister from kindergarten, did you notice how tall the other kids were?"
Sui Zhi pondered: "I didn't really pay attention, but Ah Yan is definitely the shortest one."
As soon as he said that, he realized his mistake and was about to correct himself, but then he heard Liu Hua mocking the little kid: "See, Ah Yan really is the shortest!"
Sui Yan covered her ears and ran around: "Not listening, not listening, Ah Yan can't hear you!"
Liu Hua silently looked up at the ceiling, wondering whether she should call her kid smart or just silly.
Sui Yu picked up the empty plate to rescue his sister: "Mom, let's head downstairs."
Liu Hua looked at the obedient little friends and nodded in satisfaction: "Okay, let's go."
As she spoke, she casually grabbed the little kid running past her by the collar: "Stop scurrying around. We're going downstairs to be with everyone."
Sui Yan was pulled by the collar, crossing her arms and letting out a disgruntled huff.
Liu Hua just pretended not to hear.
Even the quiet Ti Zi, who had followed along, didn't dare act up again.
They thought the adults downstairs would still be lounging on the sofas, but when they went down, everyone was helping out!
Qi Linhan looked at his own mother using an electric mixer to whip cream, utterly shocked: "Auntie, my mom is actually helping out too?"
This worldly demon was actually being suppressed for once?
Liu Hua raised an eyebrow: "Otherwise, did you think they'd just eat and drink for free?"
Qi Linhan silently saluted her in his heart. He had underestimated her - this was the true worldly demon.
Sui Yan had escaped her mother's clutches at some point. She scampered down the stairs first, then turned around triumphantly holding up one finger: "Ah Yan was the first one downstairs!"
Liu Hua looked disdainful: "How childish?" Yet she honestly took two or three steps down the stairs, "Then I'm the second."
Sui Yu and Qi Linhan exchanged a glance, simultaneously jumping down a few steps, vying for third place.
An Sitong looked around, then quietly moved to the corner without making a sound. After confirming no one was watching, she sneakily placed the whipped cream on the counter, preparing to slack off.
But she hadn't even rested for two seconds before the little kid's curious voice came from behind: "Auntie, what are you doing?"
An Sitong was startled, but when she realized it was just Sui Yan, she smiled: "Auntie is whipping the cream so we can make cakes later."
Sui Yan's eyes lit up: "The cream for the cake? Can Ah Yan have a taste?"
An Sitong readily handed over the large bowl: "Of course, Auntie has already tasted a lot. We can use a clean spoon."
Sui Yan's eyes brightened even more: "Great!"
The two of them, one big and one small, hid in the corner and tasted the whipped cream together, taking turns with the spoon.
Until Liu Man's voice came from next door: "An Sitong, our cake bases are baked. Is the whipped cream ready?"
An Sitong instinctively replied: "It's ready."
But as soon as she said it, she felt something was off. She looked down at the little kid beside her, deep in thought: "Kid, where's our whipped cream?"
Sui Yan looked up from the bowl with a dazed expression, her little face smeared with cream.
She bit the spoon uncertainly: "Ah Yan doesn't know."
Liu Hua sauntered in lazily: "What's going on over here? The whipped cream still hasn't been sent over to Liu Man's side... What are you two doing?"
The big and small figures in front of her each held a spoon, their faces and mouths more or less covered in whipped cream.
And the large bowl that was originally full of whipped cream was now half empty.
Liu Hua took a deep breath: "You two!"
An Sitong trembled: "Sister Hua, let me explain!"
Sui Yan scratched her head and smiled innocently at her mother: "Mom, the whipped cream is yummy!"
Liu Hua felt like she might have raised two daughters. She gritted her teeth: "You two, go wait in the living room!"