Chapter 330 : You Really Do Have Wife-Like Skills~
“Ugh, this weather is unbearable!”
Ling Ning and Xu Qing had just returned from grocery shopping, feeling like they had entered paradise as soon as they stepped indoors. The heat outside was stifling—even a quick trip to the nearby market had left them drenched in sweat. And that was with an umbrella! Without it, Ling Ning was sure she would have been completely wiped out.
“It can’t be helped. It’s the hottest time of year. Things will get much better once this heatwave passes.”
“Ah, don’t you think this weather is just perfect for a trip to the beach? Or maybe a water park would be great too,” Ling Ning mused. In her past life, she used to spend her summers at the beach, though later, as the water quality worsened, she had switched to a nearby pool instead.
She suddenly realized that she and her daughter had never been to the beach together. She’d have to find an opportunity to take her there sometime.
“The beach, huh? That does sound fun. But it’s too bad I can’t swim,” Xu Qing said with a touch of regret. She was what people called a “landlubber”—no matter how many swimming lessons she’d taken, she could never manage it. After several failed attempts, she had finally given up.
As a result, every time she went to the beach, she could only play in the sand or splash around in the shallow water, which always felt a bit disappointing.
While they were chatting about beach trips, Xu Xiaoxiao’s bedroom door opened, and Ling Ye came bouncing out, skipping over to her mother. “Mom, I’m hungry!”
At her daughter’s reminder, Ling Ning realized she hadn’t started making lunch yet. Caught up in her conversation with Xu Qing, she had almost forgotten.
Gently patting her daughter’s head, Ling Ning said, “Mom will start cooking right now. Go play a little longer; it’ll be ready soon.”
Ling Ye nodded happily and returned to Xu Xiaoxiao’s room, where guitar music soon resumed.
“I’ll help you out!” Xu Qing offered.
Though she wasn’t much of a cook herself, she was perfectly capable of lending a hand in the kitchen.
“Thanks for the help.”
With Xu Qing assisting, Ling Ning was able to cook much faster, even finding time to explain some recipes and techniques to Xu Qing.
Watching Ling Ning’s skillful movements, Xu Qing couldn’t help but marvel, “You’re so good at cooking, Ling Ning.”
“Well, I’ve just done it a lot. It’s like anything else—the more you practice, the better you get,” Ling Ning replied nonchalantly.
Xu Qing paused, remembering that Ling Ning’s parents had passed away in a car accident when she was very young, leaving her to grow up caring for her younger sister on her own. It must have been tough for her, handling everything alone.
“Xiao Qing Qing, what’s up?”
Seeing Xu Qing suddenly lost in thought, Ling Ning waved her hand in front of her face.
“Oh… it’s nothing. I was just thinking about a few things,” Xu Qing replied, her gaze softening as she looked at Ling Ning with a hint of sympathy.
“We’re just about done here. Could you call the kids and remind them to wash their hands before we eat?”
“Got it! You really do have wife-like skills, Ling Ning~”
“Wait! Xiao Qing Qing, hang on a second!”
Xu Qing had already set one foot out of the kitchen when she heard Ling Ning call her back, so she turned around, puzzled.
“Well… could you come with me this afternoon? I want to buy a guitar for my dau… er, sister, but I don’t know how to pick one.”
“Of course, I’d love to help~”
“Oh, and don’t tell Ye Ye. I want it to be a surprise for her.”
“Understood!”
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“I feel so bad, dragging you out in this heat,” Ling Ning apologized, glancing at Xu Qing walking beside her as she braved the sweltering weather.
Xu Qing shook her head. She had been wanting to go out with Ling Ning for a while now but hadn’t found a good excuse. Today was perfect, and the hot weather didn’t bother her as long as she had Ling Ning by her side.
“So, where’s the nearest music shop?”
“I don’t think there’s one nearby. We could go to the shopping district—there are a few music stores there,” Xu Qing suggested after some thought.
The shopping district was a bit far, so they opted to take a taxi. Walking there in this heat would be unbearable.
Ling Ning rarely visited the shopping district since it was quite a distance from her usual routes, so she wasn’t very familiar with the area. She followed Xu Qing closely, looking around curiously.
“Wow, so many instruments!”
Looking at all the instruments in the store, Ling Ning felt a spark of excitement. It was her first time in a music shop, as she’d never had much exposure to musical instruments before.
“Hello, are you here to purchase an instrument?”
“Yes, we’re looking for a guitar.”
“A guitar? Right this way, please.”
Following the store assistant, they arrived in the guitar section. Ling Ning was quickly overwhelmed by the variety—she couldn’t tell one guitar from another and could only rely on Xu Qing to choose.
“Well, since Ye Ye is currently practicing on an acoustic guitar, we should look for something similar. Do you have a budget in mind?” Xu Qing asked.
“Budget? I don’t really have one. I just want Ye Ye to like it. The price doesn’t matter as long as it’s not ridiculously expensive,” Ling Ning replied without hesitation. She never hesitated to spend on her daughter.
“You really do dote on your ‘sister,’ don’t you?” Xu Qing remarked with a smile.
“Of course! She’s my only… sister, after all,” Ling Ning replied, laughing awkwardly.
Xu Qing chuckled, then spoke with the store assistant about testing a few guitars. After getting the go-ahead, she picked one up, strumming a few chords to test the sound.
She repeated this with several guitars before nodding and turning to Ling Ning.
“Alright, let’s try another store~”
“Huh?” Ling Ning blinked in surprise. “What’s wrong with the guitars here?”
“Oh, nothing’s wrong with them. They’re pretty good. But there are a few other music shops around here, so it wouldn’t hurt to check them out. If we don’t find anything better, we can come back for one of these.”
“Oh, got it~”
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Author’s Note:
Haha, Lazy Fish got totally absorbed in a game and lost track of time. I suddenly feel so lazy!