Yun Cheng was worried about returning too late, and since the weather forecast predicted possible snow in the afternoon, he decided to leave early for safety reasons, skipping the meal.
That left only the grandparents, Liu Yutong, and Gao Min—four people in total—for lunch.
The grandparents had prepared a lavish spread of authentic home-style dishes.
There was braised rooster, braised pork ribs, stir-fried cabbage with vinegar, homemade bean pancake with pork, and Grandma’s signature sour soup.
The bean pancake was a local specialty from Liu Yutong’s hometown. Grandma made them by hand every year, drying them for long-term storage. When cooked, they absorbed the rich broth, becoming soft, sticky, and incredibly flavorful.
"Eat up, Xiao Gao! Don’t hold back."
"Yes, yes, treat this place like your own home. No need to be shy."
The elderly couple kept piling food into Gao Min’s bowl as they spoke.
Usually, Liu Yutong was the only one who enjoyed this kind of attention, but now Gao Min was included—though mostly because they saw her as a guest.
This was Gao Min’s first visit to the grandparents’ home, so she was a little reserved and didn’t dare refuse.
When the grandparents weren’t looking, she whispered to Liu Yutong, "Go for a run with me this afternoon."
Liu Yutong refused without hesitation. "Sis, I didn’t eat much. I’ll pass."
She really didn’t want to run outdoors in the middle of winter. Her usual workouts were either in her office or the gym downstairs.
Gao Min didn’t push her. Instead, she silently started adding more meat dishes to Liu Yutong’s bowl.
Before Liu Yutong could cover her bowl, Gao Min struck again. "Little sister, you’re way too thin. You need more meat. Right, Grandpa? Grandma?"
The grandparents nodded in agreement. "That’s right, Tongtong. You really are too skinny. You should eat more meat."
From their perspective, they wanted their granddaughter to gain a little weight. To them, Liu Yutong’s 90-pound figure was far too thin—almost "unhealthy."
Gao Min smirked triumphantly. "See? Even Grandpa says you should eat more."
Ignoring Liu Yutong’s warning glare, she pried her hand away from the bowl and added several thick slices of fatty pork.
Liu Yutong felt like numbers were flashing before her eyes: "300 cal, 300 cal, 300 cal..."
Being fitness-conscious, she could estimate the calorie count of each piece at a glance. Based on Grandma’s cuts, each slice was roughly 300 calories.
With this much meat in her bowl, the calorie count was about to explode.
"Sis, please stop. Fine, I’ll go with you!"
Gao Min finally relented. "Good. It’s settled then."
But just then, Grandpa delivered the ultimate assist.
Seeing Gao Min serve his granddaughter, he chimed in, "Tongtong, look how thoughtful Xiao Gao is, helping you like this. And she’s the guest! Shouldn’t you be serving her instead?"
He meant it purely out of politeness—it wasn’t proper for a guest to be the one serving.
Gao Min’s expression instantly changed, and she quickly raised a hand to refuse.
But Liu Yutong wasn’t about to let her off the hook. With a sweet smile, she picked up her chopsticks and said, "Sis, Grandpa’s right. You’re our guest—I should be serving you. Here, have some more meat."
Then she proceeded to pile Gao Min’s bowl high with fatty pork.
Gao Min: "......"
Was there even any hope of burning this off later?
From then on, the scene completely shifted.
"Little sister, you’re too thin. Have some more meat."
"Sis, you’re even thinner. Here, eat up."
"......"
Back and forth they went, calling each other "sister" sweetly while mercilessly loading each other’s bowls.
Before long, the meat on the plates was gone.
Neither of their bowls had any rice visible anymore—just towering mountains of meat.
In the heat of their little battle, Gao Min gradually shed her initial reserve.
With no more meat left, she zeroed in on a large chicken leg, skin still attached, and plopped it onto Liu Yutong’s already-overflowing bowl.
Luckily, the countryside bowls were big enough to hold it.
"Little sister, eat the chicken leg. It’s the most nourishing part, especially the skin—it’s stewed until it’s soft and full of flavor. Make sure you eat the skin first!"
Liu Yutong stared at the fatty chicken leg in horror, feeling like she might suffocate.
Oh, it was on now.
With an angelic smile, she retaliated. "Sis, since it’s your first time here, Grandma and Grandpa said we should treat you well. Here, let me get you some soup with rice."
She grabbed a ladle and scooped up a thick, glistening layer of oily broth from the bottom of the bean pancake dish, pouring it straight into Gao Min’s bowl.
Gao Min gritted her teeth. "Thanks, little sister. You’re so thoughtful."
Liu Yutong smiled back. "No need to thank me, sis. It’s my pleasure."
The grandparents watched the two girls exchanging food so warmly and couldn’t help but chuckle.
"Young people these days—they’re so close!"
"Ah, it’s such a joy to see!"
Grandpa poured himself half a cup of liquor—a rare aged Moutai that Liu Yutong had specially bought for him, worth tens of thousands on the market.
As he sipped, he watched Gao Min and Liu Yutong with growing fondness. The way they called each other "sister" felt so natural and heartwarming.
After a slow sip, he suddenly asked, "Tongtong, I notice you two keep calling each other ‘sister.’ Is that how young people address each other now?"
What he meant was—shouldn’t they add a surname or given name if they weren’t actually sisters? Like "Sister [X]" or "Little [X]"?
The question caught them both off guard.
Gao Min hesitated, unsure how to respond.
Liu Yutong set down her chopsticks and decided to come clean.
"Grandpa, Grandma… What if I told you that one day, you might suddenly have two granddaughters? Would that make you happy?"
Grandpa answered without thinking. "Of course! How could we not be happy?"
But then he paused, realizing something was off. From the moment Gao Min arrived, he’d noticed she looked a little like Liu Yutong, though he hadn’t dwelled on it.
Their constant "sister" talk, combined with Liu Yutong’s cryptic question…
Suddenly, a startling thought crossed his mind.
Could it really be true?
Granny looked utterly bewildered. "Yutong, what nonsense are you talking about? You're our only granddaughter. Where did another one come from?"
Liu Yutong didn’t beat around the bush. "Grandma, Grandpa, I’ll tell you the truth—Gao Min is my biological sister. She’s your granddaughter, just like me."
The moment these words were spoken, the elderly couple froze in shock.
"Our granddaughter? Her?"
"Yutong, are you sure you’re not mistaken?"
Liu Yutong nodded firmly. "Grandma, Grandpa, would I lie about something like this? I had a DNA test done. We’re definitely related by blood."
Hearing this, their minds reeled, and they stumbled over their words. "This… how on earth did this happen?"
The revelation was overwhelming—a sudden, unexpected granddaughter appearing out of nowhere left them struggling to process it all.
Liu Yutong pressed on cheerfully. "Grandma, Grandpa, what happened in the past doesn’t matter now. What’s important is that you’ve gained another granddaughter! Aren’t you happy?"
"Oh, and by the way, my sister is a police officer—she graduated from the police academy."
She had no intention of explaining further. Some things were better left unsaid. After all, she would always be their beloved granddaughter, and nothing could change that.
Besides, if she didn’t clarify, they’d likely assume Liu Jianyi had done something terrible—perhaps secretly selling off or abandoning their eldest granddaughter.
Such things weren’t uncommon in the past, especially when it came to baby girls.
Sure enough, their minds immediately went there. Grandpa, in particular, was so furious that he slammed the table and roared, "That unfilial son! That disgrace! If he dares to show his face today, I’ll skin him alive!"
Just then, Liu Jianyi hurried back from town. As soon as he pushed open the gate and stepped into the courtyard, he faintly caught his father’s words and chimed in casually, "Dad, what do you need skinned? I’m great at that—let me help!"
