My Love, My Whole Life

"Tang Yuran, please go back to your own bed!" came a voice exuding helplessness from above their heads—it was Teacher Zhang.

Tang Yuran looked up, gave Teacher Zhang a dry laugh, and then wriggled her little arms and legs as she climbed back into her own bed.

Gu Yu rolled his eyes at the classroom ceiling, closed his eyes, and prepared to sleep.

"Gu Yu, Gu Yu, what do you like to eat? I'll make it for you after school!" Tang Yuran turned to glance at him, but only after she saw Teacher Zhang returning to her seat and settling down did she lower her voice and whisper to Gu Yu.

...

Gu Yu took a deep breath, paused for a moment, and then blurted out to Tang Yuran, "A Manchu-Han Imperial Feast."

"A Manchu-Han Imperial Feast?" Tang Yuran was startled for a moment, then silently noted this dish in her heart, "Okay, I'll bring you a Manchu-Han Imperial Feast tomorrow!"

Gu Yu turned his head, gave her an odd look, and then closed his eyes again, saying nothing more.

After school that evening, Tang Yuran followed her mom home, where she was greeted by her spirited little brother Nannan's enthusiastic hug.

"Sister, sister, did you manage to marry off successfully??" Nannan asked with a bottle in hand, blinking his large eyes, full of concern as he addressed Tang Yuran.

Tang Yuran pouted a bit and said somewhat unhappily to Tang Nan, "No, I didn't succeed."

"Why not?" Tang Nan asked, tilting his head in confusion.

"Because…" Tang Yuran started to explain, then stopped, turned around, grasped her little brother's shoulders, and said deliberately, "What Dad said yesterday about marrying off didn't work. Sister gave him a kiss, and a rub, and even giggled, but still didn't manage to marry off successfully."

"Why not?"

"Because for marrying off to work, the teacher said both parties have to agree," Tang Yuran said, her voice tinged with frustration.

"Why not?"

"Because the teacher said marrying off means becoming husband and wife," explained Tang Yuran.

"Why not?" Nannan still didn't quite understand his sister's point.

"…" Tang Yuran couldn't help but give Nannan a blank look and said speechlessly, "Why, why, are you a parrot, just repeating the same few words?"

"What's a parrot??" Nannan looked at his sister with a bewildered expression.

...

Tang Yuran was instantly at a loss for words.

"Then..." Nannan was chewing on his thumb and finally managed to say after quite some effort, "What are you going to do, sister?"

Tang Yuran sighed, threw her schoolbag onto the living room sofa, and while changing her shoes, she declared, "Sister has decided, starting today, to learn how to cook!"

"Yo, Youyou is going to learn to cook?" came their dad's voice from upstairs suddenly, "Am I hearing this right??"

The head of Tang Yuran's mom also popped out from the kitchen, saying, "Youyou wants to learn to cook? Then come to the kitchen and help Mom pick the chives first."

"I don't want to pick chives!" Tang Yuran stuck her tongue out at both of them and said earnestly, "I want to learn how to make a Manchu-Han Imperial Feast!"

No sooner had she spoken these words than the entire living room fell silent.

Tang Yuran's parents exchanged glances, and after a long silence, her dad managed to twist a smile onto his face, asking with a tentative look, "You said... you want to make a Manchu-Han Imperial Feast??"