Duan Li’s home only had four to five bowls. She scooped the congee from the pot into three bowls before bringing Yun Jian and Yun Zhu chopsticks, then took two trips to serve them the bowls of congee individually. It was only after that that Duan Li gave her sister a bowl.
Duan Ya had not said anything since she was a little afraid of Yun Jian and Yun Zhu. Due to her shy nature, she stayed quiet until the end.
When Duan Li passed the bowl of congee to her, Duan Ya picked it up with her hands and pushed the content using the chopsticks clumsily into her mouth, devouring the meal.
Yun Jian felt a pang to her heart but she emptied the bowl, finishing all the congee, anyway under Duan Li’s anticipating gaze.
“It’s delicious!” Yun Zhu gave Duan Li a big thumbs up as he smiled at her.
He did not think much about the living conditions here, not feeling that he could not live here nor coming up with excuses to refuse to stay for dinner due to the environment.
Actually, Yun Zhu had been staying in an orphanage before Yun Jian found him in their past life. The orphanage was supported by a charity but it did not make much of a difference unless there was a huge sum of donations. The orphans could only sleep in the most worn-down places and barely kept themselves fed, just enough to not die.
Yun Zhu had lived like that and could empathize with a hard life, so he would never despise Duan Li’s home.
The boy’s compliment delighted Duan Li as she grinned and told Yun Zhu, “Have more then. I’ll scoop more for you when you finish.”
“What about you? Chessie, you haven’t eaten!” Yun Zhu asked when he had finished the congee but did not see Duan Li ever picking up a bowl for herself.
“I’m fine. I’m not hungry. You can have more,” Duan Li shook her head and told Yun Zhu with a beam.
There was only so much rice for her to cook per day. If she made more than that, her father would beat her and her sister up saying that they were greedy if he came home and discovered it. Moreover, she had added their only side dish, the vegetable, into the meal today. She did not add too much. However, Duan Li knew that her father would definitely give them a wallop if he came home and noticed the reduced greens.
“No way, I’m not eating if you’re not eating too!” Little Yun Zhu was resolute.
Duan Li was moved. Picking up Yun Zhu’s bowl to give him another serving, she spoke while she walked, “Okay, we’ll have half each!”
Duan Li gave Yun Zhu half a bowl of congee that was hers from the pot and scooped the remaining half to herself. She was finally picking up her bowl to eat.
Yun Jian wore a small smile at that.
In spite of it, Duan Li had only managed to take two mouthfuls of the congee before footsteps could be heard from downstairs. The girl felt her heart lurch while Yun Jian frowned.
From the door, a man who was in his thirties and looked rather handsome walked in with a rich woman who was around her forties and accessorized herself with a lot of jewelry tailing him.
“Dad…” Not expecting her father to come home, Duan Li dropped the bowl she was holding from fear with a loud crash.
The man who was quite good looking seemed half alike to Duan Li and Duan Ya. Duan Ya, who had been sitting on the bed, shrunk into herself the moment she saw the man.
Duan Li’s father was named Duan Shi. He looked decent—a huge hint that he had been a dashing man in his younger years—but there was a looming air of dejection around him. His frown was locked deep when he saw Duan Li and Duan Ya.
When he noticed Yun Jian and Yun Zhu, Duan Shi bellowed at Duan Li immediately without any question, “Duan Li! Didn’t I tell you not to bring outsiders to our house? And how dare you break our house’s bowl? Do you have a death wish?!”
Duan Shi bolted out of the house to pick up a broom from the corridor as he spoke to dart back in and swing the broom at Duan Li.