Chapter 90: Family Dinner
Seeing her daughter home again, Kim Chi's eyes welled up with emotion. She stood up and gently patted her daughter's arms and face.
"You've lost weight, haven't you? Don't worry, I'll fatten you up while you're home."
Kieu Ly's father, Hoang Binh An, turned off the stove and said:
"Go rest for a bit, we'll eat soon."
Then he turned to Huong Tra and said:
"Stay for dinner with us, make it more lively."
Huong Tra gave a sweet smile.
"Even if you didn't invite me, I'd still stay."
Once all the dishes were set on the table, Kieu Ly didn't stand on ceremony. She dug in like someone who hadn't eaten in days, smiling and showering compliments.
"Oh my God, Mom's cooking is still the best. A whole year without it — I thought I was going to lose my mind."
Huong Tra also praised as she ate:
"Auntie, you really are the ideal wife — successful and a great cook."
Nguyen Kim Chi responded cheerfully:
"You forgot to mention: beautiful too."
As soon as she finished speaking, the whole table burst into laughter.
In terms of looks, Kieu Ly inherited her mother's beauty. Kim Chi had been quite the catch back in the day — many suitors, yet she chose her childhood sweetheart, a poor schoolteacher who became her husband. Still, they had lived a happy and harmonious life together.
Hoang Binh An, who had been quietly enjoying his meal, suddenly chimed in:
"Back in the day, chasing after your mom wasn't easy. Luckily, I was better at studying, so I used that excuse to tutor her — and that's how I beat the competition."
Hearing him talk about tutoring reminded Kieu Ly of Toan Phuong. Except in that case, it was she who tutored him, not the other way around.
Just then, something clicked in her mind, and she asked in surprise:
"Wait… So you and Mom were in love since you were still in school?"
Her brother, Hoang Manh Hung, who had been focused on eating, grumbled:
"Geez, you guys fell in love so early, but you always told us we could only date after college. Or even wait until we're working."
Kim Chi laughed and said:
"Your dad chased me when we were still too young to understand anything. If I'd waited until I knew better, I might've gone for some bald old tycoon instead."
Huong Tra turned to Manh Hung and teased:
"You're in college now. Got your eye on anyone yet?"
Manh Hung let out a dramatic sigh:
"I go to Bách Khoa. It's full of guys. There's no end to this misery."
Huong Tra winked:
"Don't worry. If you're too lonely, I'm always here."
Kieu Ly playfully smacked Huong Tra's thigh:
"Hey! Leave the young and old alone. That's my little brother, you know!"
Huong Tra rubbed her leg, laughing out loud:
"Oops! Slipped out."