A reborn mother longs for her daughter's happiness.

Chapter 27 Liu Yixin visits Li Yuan's home

It was an ordinary yet heartwarming day. Li Yuan, her parents, and her younger brother were nestled on the sofa in the living room, engrossed in watching a family drama. The cheerful laughter coming from the television and the actors' exaggerated performances brought bursts of laughter from the family every now and then.

Li Yuan's daughter, Shi Qing, a mischievous little girl, was excitedly running around her room. It turned out she had invited her best friend, Liu Yixin, to come over. Liu Yixin was Shi Qing's close friend at school; the two were inseparable, as close as sisters.

"Mom, Yixin will be here soon, I'm going to prepare lots and lots of delicious food for her!" Shi Qing spun around in front of Li Yuan like a little whirlwind.

Li Yuan smiled and patted her daughter's head, "Okay, little darling, what do you want to prepare for Yixin?"

"Hmm... I'm going to take out my favorite chocolate, and those little cakes, oh right, and the fruit!" Shi Qing counted on her fingers carefully.

Li Yuan stood up, ready to go to the kitchen with her daughter to get busy.

Just then, her younger brother teased from behind, "Wow, our Shiqing is such a hospitable little hostess! She's going to bring out all the family's treasures to entertain her guests!"

"Hmph, Uncle talks too much!" Shi Qing made a face at her younger brother.

The family was laughing and joking when the doorbell suddenly rang. "It must be Yixin!" Shi Qing cheered and ran to open the door like a happy little rabbit.

As soon as the door opened, Liu Yixin's lovely smiling face appeared before her. "Hello, Auntie!" she greeted Li Yuan politely.

"Yixin's here! Come in quickly, is it cold outside?" Li Yuan warmly welcomed Liu Yixin in.

Liu Yixin walked into the house, looking at everyone a little shyly. "It's not cold, Auntie, Uncle, Grandpa, and Grandma!" she greeted the others in the house politely.

Li Yuan's parents responded with smiles, while her younger brother secretly sized up Liu Yixin and whispered to Shi Qing, "Your friend is quite cute."

"Of course!" Shi Qing proudly puffed out her little chest.

Li Yuan pulled Liu Yixin to sit down on the sofa. "Yixin, play with Shi Qing for a while. Auntie will go cut some fruit for you."

"Thank you, Auntie!" Liu Yixin replied sweetly.

Shi Qing grabbed Liu Yixin's hand and said excitedly, "Yixin, let me tell you, I recently discovered a super fun game, let's play it together!"

“Great!” Liu Yixin immediately became interested.

The two little girls ran into the room, and soon their cheerful laughter and chattering voices could be heard.

Li Yuan was cutting fruit in the kitchen when her younger brother followed her in. "Sis, you're really good at entertaining our guests."

"Of course, it's Yixin's first time visiting our home, so we have to make her feel our hospitality," Li Yuan said with a smile.

"I think Shi Qing has made a good friend and has forgotten all about us." The younger brother sighed, feigning helplessness.

"Don't be jealous of children," Li Yuan said with a smile as she plated the cut fruit.

When Li Yuan carried the fruit into the room, she saw two little girls lying on the floor, laughing so hard they were doubled over at a comic book.

"What are you looking at? It's so funny!" Li Yuan asked curiously.

"Mom, this comic book is hilarious! The little animals in it are so funny!" Shi Qing looked up, her eyes sparkling with laughter.

"Auntie, come and take a look too!" Liu Yixin handed the comic book to Li Yuan.

Li Yuan took the book, flipped through a few pages at random, and was amused by the humorous parts. "It's really interesting."

At this moment, Li Yuan's father called out from the living room, "You guys, don't just stay in your rooms, come out and watch TV with this old man."

"Coming, Dad!" Li Yuan responded, leading the two little girls back to the living room.

Everyone sat around the sofa again, eating fruit and watching TV. A funny variety show was playing, and the guests' comical performances made everyone laugh until they almost cried.

Liu Yixin whispered to Shi Qing, "Your home is so nice, everyone seems so happy together."

"That's right, I also think my family is awesome!" Shi Qing said proudly.

At noon, Li Yuan and her mother were busy preparing lunch in the kitchen. "Mom, let's make some of Yixin's favorite dishes today," Li Yuan said.

“Okay, I know that child likes braised pork, so I specially bought fresh meat,” the mother replied with a smile.

"Mom is so thoughtful," Li Yuan praised.

Before long, a sumptuous meal was ready. "Dinner's ready!" Li Yuan called out to everyone.

Everyone sat around the dining table. Looking at the table full of delicious food, Liu Yixin exclaimed in surprise, "Wow, Auntie, this is so lavish!"

"Eat up, Yixin, it's all homemade, don't be shy." Li Yuan put a piece of braised pork on Liu Yixin's plate.

"Thank you, Auntie!" Liu Yixin's eyes lit up immediately after taking a bite of the braised pork. "It's so delicious! Auntie, your cooking is amazing!"

"Eat more if you like it," Li Yuan's mother said with a smile.

The younger brother laughed and said, "Yixin, we're all so lucky to have you here. We don't usually get to have such a lavish lunch."

"You're such a chatterbox!" Li Yuan glared at her younger brother with a smile.

Everyone ate their meal and chatted happily. They talked about everything from funny things at school to the latest news, and laughter filled the air.

After the meal, the two little girls offered to help clear the dishes. "Auntie, let us help wash the dishes," Liu Yixin said.

"No need, no need, you guys go and have fun, Auntie will do these chores," Li Yuan quickly said.

“Auntie, let us do it, we can do it!” Shi Qing added.

Seeing the two sensible little girls, Li Yuan had no choice but to agree. "Alright then, be careful."

The two little girls were washing dishes diligently in the kitchen. Although their movements were a bit clumsy, their serious attitude was admirable.

In the afternoon, sunlight streamed through the windows into the living room, making it feel warm. Everyone sat in the living room, feeling a little drowsy.

At this moment, the younger brother suggested, "How about we play a game? That will help us stay alert."

"Okay, what game should we play?" Shi Qing perked up.

"Let's play a riddle game. I'll go first," the younger brother said after thinking for a moment. "A winding vine climbs the trellis, strings of pearls hang below. Guess the fruit."

"I know, it's grapes!" Shi Qing answered immediately.

“You got it right! Now I’ll give you another one…” The younger brother gave another riddle.

Everyone actively participated in the riddle-guessing game, filling the living room with a lively atmosphere. Liu Yixin was not to be outdone, guessing several riddles correctly and winning rounds of applause from everyone.

Before she knew it, the sun was gradually setting in the west. Liu Yixin's father called to say he was coming to pick her up and take her home.

"You're leaving so soon?" Shi Qing said, a little reluctant to see him go.

“It’s okay, you can come and play often in the future,” Li Yuan comforted her daughter.

Liu Yixin was also a little reluctant to leave, "Auntie, I had a lot of fun at your house today, thank you!"

"You're welcome, and you're welcome to come again next time," Li Yuan said with a smile.

A short while later, Liu Yixin's father arrived.

"Yixin, did you cause any trouble for your uncle and aunt today?" Liu Yixin's father asked.

"No, Uncle and Aunt are very kind to me," Liu Yixin replied.

Liu Yixin's father exchanged a few pleasantries with Li Yuan's family, and then left with Liu Yixin.

Watching Liu Yixin's departing figure, Shi Qing muttered, "I'll miss her."

"Okay, don't be sad. You can see each other at school again tomorrow." Li Yuan hugged her daughter.

This day, though ordinary, was filled with laughter and warmth. The Li family's hospitality made Liu Yixin feel the warmth of home; and Liu Yixin's arrival added much joy to the family.