Make Her Heart Flutter - Chapter 44

Everyone was taken aback by the warm hospitality of the elderly, exchanging uncertain glances.

“Um…” Jiang Ran ventured cautiously, “Grandma, we can’t possibly eat this much.”

“Just eat as much as you can, dear,” the elderly woman replied kindly, her eyes softening with affection as she looked at her.

Behind the camera, Xiao Lin whispered to the director, “She’s a bereaved parent. Her daughter passed away at around this girl’s age, what a tragedy!”

He shook his head sadly. “She had just received an acceptance letter from a top university. The couple had her late in life. When her husband heard the news, he followed not long after. Ah!”

Hearing this, even the director, who had witnessed countless partings and was well-versed in life’s hardships, sighed and shook his head helplessly. “Misfortune always strikes the most vulnerable.”

By the time they arrived, it was already late. After being warmly treated to plenty of food, they hurried to the kitchen.

Chi Shuang looked over the ingredients inside and nodded in satisfaction.

A slight smile also tugged at Jiang Qi’s lips. “The production team finally did something right.”

Although the kitchen was a bit run-down, it was a relief that it used gas instead of a traditional stove.

“Ranran!” Chi Shuang called out.

Jiang Ran raised her hand. “Here!”

Chi Shuang rolled up her sleeves, preparing to chop vegetables. “Help me ask if the elderly have any dietary restrictions.”

Jiang Ran nodded and left. Chi Shuang then shooed out the others: Tang Qiluo, Shang Chumu, and Yan Xu saying, “The kitchen is small. Xiao Qi can stay and help me.”

The remaining three nodded and stepped out of the kitchen.

Soon, Jiang Ran returned. “No restrictions, but Grandma usually eats meals with less oil, sugar, and salt at home. It’s better for the cardiovascular health of the elderly.”

Chi Shuang nodded and made an “OK” gesture.

Jiang Ran peeked in again. “Are you sure you don’t need help?”

Chi Shuang nodded. “Go keep the elderly company. We’ve got this here.”

“Alright then.” Jiang Ran turned away, a pleased expression on her face.

Tang Qiluo watched Jiang Ran grinning inexplicably and asked in confusion, “What’s going on? Did you run into a ghost?”

Jiang Ran clicked her tongue twice and sighed. “Ah! You wouldn’t understand~”

“I wouldn’t understand?” Tang Qiluo raised an eyebrow, then turned and hugged Yan Xu. “Yanyan, she’s bullying me!”

Yan Xu quickly broke free. “What are you doing? We’re filming! No hugging and clinging!”

Jiang Ran glanced back, her eyes shifting between the two: Shipping couples, I’m always on the front line!

In the kitchen, Jiang Qi was cracking eggs into a bowl, whisking them evenly, and adding a small amount of salt.

Chi Shuang glanced at her. “You seem particularly attentive to the elderly?”

Jiang Qi nodded, her smile open and sincere as she looked up. “I was raised by my grandmother.”

Chi Shuang was taken aback, not expecting her to share this. Even in their first life, it wasn’t until after marriage that she had revealed basic details about her family.

“But she passed away when I was seven. To be honest, it’s no exaggeration to say that my feelings for my grandmother were as strong as most children’s feelings for their parents.”

Jiang Qi was comparing her bond with her grandmother to other children’s bonds with their parents, not claiming her feelings for her grandmother were equal to those for her own parents, nor implying they were stronger.

Chi Shuang caught the nuance and deduced from it: Jiang Qi’s relationship with her parents was strained, perhaps even hostile.

But she didn’t press for details, quietly keeping everything about Jiang Qi in mind.

Jiang Qi didn’t speak again afterward. Perhaps the memories were too painful, and Chi Shuang could tell her mood wasn’t great.

As Chi Shuang finished stir-frying the first dish, a kindly old man strolled over with his hands behind his back: “Girls, are you sure you don’t need any help?”

Chi Shuang and Jiang Qi shook their heads simultaneously.

“Don’t worry, we can handle the cooking,” Chi Shuang said with a gentle smile, the kind elderly folks tend to adore.

“Good kids.” The old man slipped another piece of fruit candy into Chi Shuang’s hand. “Eat, go on.”

After smiling at Chi Shuang, he gave one to Jiang Qi as well.

Jiang Qi was busy chopping meat filling when something was unexpectedly stuffed into her pocket. The kind-faced old man beamed at her: “No need to be polite, no need. Eat up. You’ve come all this way to take care of us and cook for us, we’re grateful to you.”

Jiang Qi glanced over and gave a brief, sincere smile, her voice soft and genuine: “Thank you.”

Chi Shuang helped the old man to the door: “It’s hot out. Why don’t you wait in the living room? We’ll be done soon.”

The old man ambled away with his hands behind his back, only to return shortly after, handing Chi Shuang a large palm-leaf fan. “If you get hot, fan yourselves. You two little ones are working hard.”

Chi Shuang was already a fast cook, and with Jiang Qi’s help, they prepared a full table of dishes in just an hour and a half.

Everyone praised the food after tasting it.

In the afternoon, they accompanied the elderly to watch Huangmei opera and Kunqu opera, the melodic and delicate singing drifting through the air.

While the elderly were engrossed in the performances, the group exchanged glances, and Chi Shuang and Jiang Qi quietly slipped away.

It was a cloudy day, with the sun peeking in and out. When the two stepped outside, the sun happened to be hidden.

Chi Shuang walked over to Xiao Lin: “Could we borrow your electric scooter?”

Though Xiao Lin didn’t know what they were up to, after half a day of observing how kindly they treated the elderly, his impression of them had greatly improved, and he agreed without hesitation.

“Thank you,” Chi Shuang said with a heartfelt smile.

Xiao Lin scratched his head sheepishly: “No problem… it’s the least I could do.”

Jiang Qi narrowed her eyes, stepped forward, and wrapped an arm around Chi Shuang: “We still want to thank you.”

Xiao Lin: “? It’s no trouble.” Though it felt a bit odd, since they were being so polite, he felt he should respond politely too.

After getting the keys, Chi Shuang removed the arm from her shoulder and tugged Jiang Qi’s sleeve toward the scooter: “Will you drive?”

Jiang Qi took the keys: “Of course.”

The scooter was slightly larger than the one at home. Jiang Qi swung a leg over to test it out, then raised an eyebrow at Chi Shuang: “Hurry up and get on!”

Following the navigation, the two wobbled their way onto the street and bought some of the seasonal fruits that could last a little while.

Though candies and such were indeed delicious, too much wasn’t good for health, whereas eating more fruit was beneficial.

After buying plenty of fruit, Jiang Qi and Chi Shuang thought it over and also bought a few pounds of candy. In the old days, when life was hard, such small treats were something to look forward to.

The trip out went smoothly, but on the way back, the scooter suddenly gave up, it ran out of battery!

Stranded in the middle of nowhere with no village in sight!

The cameraman who caught up from behind ignored their miserable state and filmed them.