The younger sister mistakenly identified her brother when visiting relatives and was kissed by the c

Mr. Bai walked at the very back. He carried a large bowl, bigger than a washbasin, filled with pork rib and yam soup. He carefully walked to the table and placed the soup steadily in the center.

"Alright, the dishes are all ready, let's eat!" Mr. Bai took off his apron.

Lunch was even more lavish than breakfast.

Mother Bai first picked up a soup ladle and served each person a bowl of rich, creamy pork rib soup.

Then, she picked up her chopsticks and specially placed a round, bright red lion's head meatball in the small bowl in front of Lu Baizhou.

"Bai Zhou, try this!" Bai's mother greeted him warmly. "This is a new recipe your father just learned. I secretly tasted it in the kitchen just now, and it's definitely much tastier than the original way of making it, and not greasy at all."

Lu Baizhou thanked him, picked up the lion's head meatball, and took a bite.

It truly lived up to its reputation. The meatballs were minced incredibly soft and tender, and the sauce was rich and glossy. It also contained diced shiitake mushrooms and water chestnuts, which gently crumbled between the teeth, adding a delightful texture. The savory flavor of the meat and the delicate aroma of the ingredients blended perfectly, without being greasy at all.

"Delicious!" Lu Baizhou nodded repeatedly. "With Dad's cooking skills, he could easily open a big restaurant."

Mr. Bai, who was listening nearby, was overjoyed and took out a bottle of liquor with a smile.

He poured himself half a glass of baijiu and then poured Lu Baizhou a full glass.

"Come on, Baizhou, have a drink with your father." Father Bai picked up his glass. "The Moutai you brought last time was quite good. I went to the supply and marketing cooperative today and bought a bottle of similar Xifeng liquor. Let's try it."

"Okay, I'll toast you." Lu Baizhou picked up his glass, clinked it with Bai's father's, and took a small sip.

Bai's mother turned her head and glanced at Bai Zhengyuan sitting next to her.

Bai Zhengyuan didn't touch the soup bowl in front of him. He was holding chopsticks and quickly picking up fried peanuts from the plate and putting them into his mouth, eating with great concentration.

"Zhengyuan!" Mother Bai slammed her hand on the table. "Why aren't you drinking the soup I served you? These ribs have been stewing all morning! And why are you staring at that plate of peanuts? Those are for your father to have with his drinks!"

Bai Zhengyuan was startled by his mother's sudden shout.

He quickly put down his chopsticks, picked up the bowl of still steaming soup in front of him, tilted his head back, and gulped down a big mouthful.

"Hiss—" The soup was too hot, making him smack his lips and gasp for breath.

Seeing this, Bai's mother was both angry and amused. She picked up the serving chopsticks, took a large piece of the fattest fish belly meat from the fish plate, removed the bones, and put it into his bowl.

"Look at you! You're so hasty even when you're drinking soup. Slow down, no one's going to take it from you!" Mother Bai scolded. "With your impatient nature, you do everything in a rush. What will you do when you get married? If a girl sees you wolfing down your food, she'll think you're trying to steal it and will be scared away!"

Bai Zhengyuan hissed from the heat in his mouth, but he still couldn't bear to spit it out. He chewed the piece of fish in a muffled voice, swallowed it, and then looked up at his mother with an innocent expression, trying to explain.

"Mom, what's wrong with my eating manners? This is just a habit I developed during military training," Bai Zhengyuan said, feeling aggrieved. "When we're on field training exercises, there's no time to sit down and eat slowly. That's war! We often finish our rations in five minutes and then have to immediately grab our backpacks and move on. It just becomes a habit!"

"That was field training, this is at home!" His mother persisted, refusing to listen to his excuses. "Can't you behave properly at home? You should eat like you're eating!"

As Bai's mother spoke, she suddenly pointed to Lu Baizhou sitting opposite her.

"Look at Bai Zhou! He's a regimental commander too, and he's fought just as many battles as you! He eats so elegantly, chewing his food slowly and carefully!"

Lu Baizhou was holding a bowl, head down, drinking soup.

He was taken aback when his mother-in-law suddenly praised him, and he stopped drinking his soup.

He looked up at Bai's mother, whose face was full of admiration, and then at Bai Zhengyuan, whose face was full of helplessness. How did this fire suddenly turn on him? For a moment, he didn't know what to say, and could only awkwardly maintain the posture of holding the bowl.

Qiao Xinxin sat next to Lu Baizhou and saw his unusually bewildered and helpless expression. She couldn't help but lower her head and secretly smile.

Bai Zhengyuan was completely speechless after his mother compared him to Lu Baizhou.

He sighed resignedly and slowed down the speed at which he picked up food. He picked up a piece of green vegetable, put it in his mouth, and chewed it slowly and deliberately, showing his "refined" side.

Seeing this, Bai's mother nodded in satisfaction. She turned around, picked up the soup spoon, and added a spoonful of pork rib soup to Qiao Xinxin's bowl.

"Xin Xin, eat more meat, you've lost so much weight lately."

The atmosphere at the dinner table was relaxed and lively, filled with the warmth of family.

Mr. Bai was drinking his wine and in high spirits, chatting with Lu Baizhou about all sorts of things.

We talked about how the food standards in the military canteen had recently improved, and how the price of vegetables at the market had recently increased by two cents; from the national policy situation, we also talked about how the big tabby cat downstairs had given birth to five kittens last night.

Lu Baizhou listened quietly, occasionally nodding in agreement or offering a toast to Bai's father.

Bai's mother listened while picking out fish bones, occasionally interjecting to correct minor errors in Bai's father's memory.

Bai Zhengyuan learned his lesson and focused on eating. Only when his mother occasionally scolded him for not finding a partner would he give a vague reply.

The family chatted and laughed, enjoying themselves immensely. The homecoming dinner was extremely pleasant, lasting almost an hour before it ended.

After finishing the meal.

Qiao Xinxin stood up and quickly helped Bai's mother stack the empty bowls and chopsticks on the table, preparing to take them into the kitchen.

Seeing this, Lu Baizhou also stood up, rolled up his sleeves, and wanted to go over and help carry the plates.

"Oh dear, Bai Zhou, put it down quickly!" Mother Bai hurriedly stopped him, snatching the plate from his hand. "How can you make your new son-in-law wash the dishes on his first formal visit home? If word gets out, people will think our family has no manners! Go sit in the living room and have some tea!"

Bai Zhengyuan, having eaten and drunk his fill, was sitting sprawled out on the living room sofa, picking his teeth contentedly with a toothpick in his hand.

He heard what Bai's mother said and was about to speak in agreement.

Suddenly, through the glass door of the kitchen, Bai's mother glared at him fiercely, her eyes seeming to say, "What are you still sitting there for?"

Bai Zhengyuan shuddered. He quickly threw down the toothpick and sprang up from the sofa.

"I'll do it! Mom, I'll get the leftovers!" He quickly ran to the dining table, picked up the remaining plates, and fled into the kitchen.