The Complete Guide to the Use and Care (41-end)

Chapter Sixty-seven

Dinner was congee and dumplings, as Ling Miao had said. But Ling Miao hadn’t made preserved egg and lean meat congee, or corn soup, or green bean soup, or pumpkin congee.

Ling Miao brought the congee and dumplings into Su Yuyang’s room. He put the congee on the nightstand then helped Su Yuyang up. He helped Su Yuyang rest his back against the headboard, then feared Su Yuyang’s back would be uncomfortable and attentively put a pillow behind Su Yuyang’s back.

After doing all of this, Ling Miao pulled the bedside desk over.

Ling Miao positioned the desk, then put the congee and dumplings on it. He had already cut the dumplings into small pieces and put sugar on them. Su Yuyang frowned quietly as he looked at the white sugar in the bowl. A sweetly cloying feeling was spreading in his chest as his stomach gradually rebelled. Su Yuyang kept swallowing, trying to calm his stomach, but it didn’t have any effect.

Su Yuyang didn’t like sweet foods. Dumplings were fine, but dumplings with sugar… he glanced into the bowl again and almost fainted.

Ling Miao had lowered his head to blow on the congee and didn’t see the expression on Su Yuyang’s face. As Ling Miao was bringing the spoonful of congee to Su Yuyang’s mouth, Su Yuyang quickly recovered his calm.

Ling Miao had brought the congee to Su Yuyang’s mouth so Su Yuyang had no reason to refuse. Besides, he didn’t have enough strength to eat on his own.

Su Yuyang slowly opened his mouth and Ling Miao impatiently stuffed the congee into Su Yuyang’s mouth.

Su Yuyang’s eyes widened in confusion: He was so gentle earlier, but suddenly he’s violent?

Ling Miao took another spoonful of congee and brought it to Su Yuyang’s mouth. Su Yuyang opened his mouth and took the spoon in, then Ling Miao pulled the spoon out. Most of the congee had entered Su Yuyang’s mouth but some stained the corner of his lips. Ling Miao took a tissue and wiped the remains from Su Yuyang’s mouth, laughing: “Su Yuyang, even when you eat congee you drip all over the place. Is there a hole in your jaw?”

Su Yuyang stuck out his tongue and licked his lips, saying thoughtfully: “It’s just plain congee, but it’s delicious. I want more.” Su Yuyang opened his mouth and said ‘aah.’ Ling Miao laughed lightly, probably at Su Yuyang’s childishness.

Ling Miao had made only plain congee, but the fragrant softness and the faint sweetness of the sugar on the spoon made Su Yuyang take bite after bite. Soon, he had finished the congee. Looking at the empty bowl, he frowned and pursed his lips in dissatisfaction. “I’m still hungry.”

Ling Miao glanced at Su Yuyang like he resented him for being troublesome, but he didn’t say “I’m not going.”

“I’m getting more congee. Don’t move!” Ling Miao warned, then took the empty bowl and the dumplings out of the room.

Only when Ling Miao left did Su Yuyang notice that Ling Miao hadn’t fed him any of the dumplings.

“How did he know I don’t like dumplings with white sugar?”

Su Yuyang still hadn’t puzzled out the answer when Ling Miao returned, this time with only one bowl.

“Mm?” Su Yuyang let out a surprised sound.

Ling Miao scooped a spoonful of congee and asked, “‘Mm,’ what?”

Su Yuyang laughed, “Mincemeat and cowpeas.”

As Ling Miao got the congee, he had also added mincemeat and cowpeas to the bowl. Now Ling Miao brought the congee to Su Yuyang’s mouth and said in a huff: “If you don’t like dumplings, you should have said so! I made one too many!”