Huí Guāng Fǎn Zhào - 回光返照

Chapter 9 - Between Him and I

A small square table was set in the kitchen courtyard. A variety of dishes were laid out and prepared for the small gathering. Lin Ming, who usually would be excited to see so many dishes in front of him, stared at the entrance, lost in thought. On the other two sides, Lin Yuan and Bai Lihua sat, leaving one side with two bowls of rice, waiting for their guest.

Lin Yuan, noticing his brother's odd behavior poked at his side to get his attention. When Lin Ming gave him no reaction, he could only shrug his shoulders at Bai Lihua. Before either of them could start their questioning, the two guests of honor arrived and they all stood from the table ready to greet them. However, the sight that greeted them made everyone present unable to say a word.

Pink bubbles began to drift around the couple that walked in, with Gao Guiren in the forefront. Behind him, like a loyal puppy following their owner, Jiang Yuming was beaming as he looked at Gao Guiren. His face lit up even more when Gao Gurien looked back at him, before breaking out into a smile that shot straight through everyone's heart. As they reached the gate, everyone inside watched as Gao Guiren dropped the hand of Jaing Yuming and stared at them like he was caught doing something he shouldn't.

"Shijie and Shixiong, apologies for making you wait."

"No, we just sat down, come and join us." Lin Yuan said.

Gao Guiren was debating how to introduce Jiang Yuming to his siblings when Jiang Yuming beat him to the punch.

"Sister-in-law and brother-in-laws, I am Jiang Yuming, Ren-ge's husband. I am happy to meet you all." Jiang Yuming said, saluting the three.

The atmosphere was instantly chilled and the chopsticks in Bai Lihua's hands snapped. Lin Yuan looked between the two, while Lin Ming could only sigh. Their cabbage that they all had painstakingly cultivated had been dug up by a pig. Not knowing what to do and seeing the broken chopsticks, Lin Yuan stepped up to salvage their meeting.

"Ah, welcome little brother-in-law," Lin Yuan said, "Since this meeting was so sudden, I do apologize that we didn't prepare any first meeting gifts for you."

Jiang, thickest face in the world, Yuming smiled and replied, "No need, your blessings are enough."

Nothing Gao Guiren could say would fix this disaster of a first meeting in front of him. He could only pull Jiang Yuming forward and urged everyone to sit down. His face was as red as a cooked shrimp and he refused to look at any of his siblings in the eye. He had thought he had prepared himself but could not stop himself from being embarrassed when he heard Jiang Yuming call them his in-laws.

"Shidi, come with me to the kitchen, help me get another set of chopsticks." Bai Lihua said, slapping down the broken pair of chopsticks in her hand.

Her tone left now room for argument and Gao Guiren stood from the table and obediently followed after her to the adjacent kitchen. Out of all the students in Conglong Valley, the only one that could beat Bai Lihua in swordsmanship was Yu Liwei. Although outgoing and playful, Bai Lihua had a good temper but when something set her off, they all avoided her until she had vented or cooled off. 

Stepping into the dark kitchen Gao Guiren spoke first trying to preserve his life, "Shijie, I..."

"Our family's Xiao Liang has really grown up." Bai Lihua said, picking up another pair of chopsticks. "Gone for so long and didn't even send word back to his worrying family."

"Shijie, like I said before I was injured and..."

The light from the window glinted off the knife that Bai Lihua picked up and started twirling it in her hands.

"Does your husband have any birthmarks?"

"...what, Shijie, you..."

"I'm going to go out there and you better name off every mark that he has on his skin or I will skin him alive."