Chapter 93: Food for Commoners

Chapter 93: Food for Commoners
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Ah, so this was He Zhou!
He Jing treated everyone equally and greeted him with the same sweet smile she flashed at He Yuan when she was first accepted into the family. “Hello, Third Brother. I’m He Jing,” she responded politely.
He Zhou took off his apron, wiping his dirty hands on a clean rag. “Come in, come in. It’s great that you’re back; dinner is almost ready.”
He Sui sprang to action, dumping the heavy groceries on the ground and worming his wav Dast He Zhou and into the kitchen. “What are vou cooking? It smells amazing!”
“I brought a few things from our aunt’s house. It isn’t much, but there are beef and chicken drumsticks, so I thought of making a bell pepper stir-fry for the former and roast chicken for the latter,” He Zhou said.
He removed the lid covering the chicken drumsticks and helped himself to a piece. It was fresh out of the oven and piping hot, yet He Sui did not seem to mind, stuffing as much as he could manage into his mouth. “This is great!” he cried. “Why aren’t Fifth and Sixth Brother back, though?”
He Zhou glanced at He Jing. His lips twitched, forming a faint smile without any warmth. “Fifth Brother and Sixth Brother still have things they need to handle back at our aunt’s place. As for Xiaoguo, I picked him up from school since it was on the way back. It’ll be Second Brother’s birthday in two days, so Fifth and Sixth Brothers will return by then.”
He Jing felt uncomfortable under He Zhou’s considering gaze; it felt like needles prickling her skin. She could not tell if it was He Zhou’s default demeanor or whether he was being hostile. Since she could not tell, it was best to go with the flow. “Is it that good? Let me try some, too!”
He Sui swiped another chicken drumstick and stuffed it into her mouth. Before she had time to savor the flavor, He Sui crowed, “How is it? Isn’t it amazing…?”
Whether it was before she transmigrated and became the fake heiress or the time she spent inhabiting her new body, He Jing had always been fortunate enough to sample excellent food.
He Zhou had not controlled the heat in the oven well nor considered how long the chicken drumsticks had been frozen. It left much to be desired, in He Jing’s opinion. Still, He Jing did not want to pick on Third Brother’s cooking and leave a bad impression on him; they had just met!
She finished her drumstick with as much care as she could muster and smiled. “It’s delicious; Third Brother is an amazing cook. How did you marinate the chicken
He Zhou returned the smile with a faint upturning of his lips. “It was not anything special. Coming from a wealthy family, you might not be used to it.”
He Sui did not think He Jing looked like some rich young lady. Besides having good skin and a nice appearance, nothing else might indicate she had come from a wealthy background. Nonetheless, He Sui sensed something strange about He Zhou’s mood and intervened before anything happened. “Third
Brother, how long till dinner is ready? I’m starving!”
Success! He managed to steer He Zhou’s attention away from a sensitive topic. He Zhou peered out into the sitting room and, upon seeing He Xiaoguo on the sofa, called for him to scoop out the rice from the rice cooker.
He Jing followed He Zhou out of the kitchen and looked him straight in the eye as she said, “Third Brother, I know a little about cooking, but I’m not very good at it. Can you teach me?”
“Are you sure you want to learn how to cook?” He Zhou quirked a brow. “It’s hard work.”
“Yes, I know,” He Jing replied.
He Ning could not take it anymore. “Lessons later; food now! There’s no time for you to learn how to cook. You should focus on your schoolwork. The college entrance exams are approaching; you need to be prepared.”
He Jing cocked her head to one side, bending like a lilting flower. “Does it matter? Our Third Brother is also a student, yet he takes time out of each day to cook for everyone. If I learn to cook, I can help ease his burden.”
A short silence ensued, which He Jing broke by joking, “I’m sure Third Brother won’t make things difficult for me, will you?”
The air thickened, freezing those present.
He Zhou’s smile faded, and his eyes narrowed into pinpricks as he appraised He Jing. He Jing just calmly and generously accepted his judging looks.
He Jing had nothing to go by regarding He Zhou’s personality. Yet, she doubted she had imagined his hostility when he talked about his food.
A woman’s intuition was never wrong!