Sheng Yan smiled gently and stroked her daughter’s head.
“Daddy will come home after he finishes his business trip…”
Whether Jiang Hongyan would ever be able to return, Sheng Yan didn’t know.
But deep down, she never stopped hoping they would meet again someday.
As long as he was alive, there was hope.
Even if they could never meet and remained separated by two different times and spaces, it was still better than losing him forever.
Sheng Yan went into the kitchen, measured out some flour, added the right amount of water, and kneaded it into a smooth dough.
She also prepared some vegetables and finely chopped them into a filling.
While she was rolling out dumpling wrappers, Jiang Yueyao climbed off the sofa and ran over.
“Mommy, give me a little piece. I want to make a puppy.”
Sheng Yan pinched off a small piece of dough and handed it to her. That tiny lump alone was enough to keep the little girl entertained for quite a while.
Although there were only the two of them at home, Sheng Yan prepared enough wrappers and filling for a family of three.
Once the dumplings were cooked, she could send a portion to Jiang Hongyan.
He loved dumplings too.
Back when they had all lived together, she would roll out the wrappers while Jiang Hongyan wrapped the dumplings. Working together, they always finished very quickly.
Glancing at the time, Sheng Yan temporarily set aside what she was doing. She went into the kitchen, filled a pot with water, and placed it on the gas stove to boil.
Then she sent Jiang Hongyan a message.
Sheng Yan: Have you eaten yet?
Jiang Hongyan: Not yet!
Sheng Yan: I’m making dumplings, I’ll send you a portion in a little while.
Jiang Hongyan: Okay! 😁
Seeing the smiling emoji, Sheng Yan couldn’t help but smile as well.
She returned to the table and continued wrapping dumplings.
Once the water came to a boil, she dropped the dumplings into the pot.
Jiang Yueyao remained on the sofa, happily molding the small lump of dough in her hands into different shapes.
Three plates of different sizes sat on the countertop.
When the dumplings were done, Sheng Yan used a slotted spoon to scoop them out and filled a large plate for Jiang Hongyan.
Out of the three members of the family, he had always eaten the most.
As soon as Jiang Hongyan received the photo, he opened it immediately.
The next moment, a steaming plate of dumplings appeared on the table.
Picking up his chopsticks, he lifted one dumpling to his lips.
The instant he tasted that familiar flavor, his eyes became moist.
For a brief moment, it felt as though he had returned home.
Jiang Hongyan: They’re delicious!
Sheng Yan was also sitting at the table eating dumplings with her daughter. As soon as she saw his message, she replied at once.
Sheng Yan: Is that enough? There are still more in the pot.
Jiang Hongyan: That’s enough.
Sheng Yan: From now on, I’ll send you food often. It’ll be just like when the three of us used to eat together at home.
Although they were in different places, eating the same food made it feel as though they were sharing the same meal.
When Jiang Hongyan read that message, he couldn’t hold back his tears.
Jiang Hongyan: Yanyan, as long as you and our daughter are doing well, I’ll have peace of mind. You don’t need to go to so much trouble for me. You’re carrying this whole family by yourself already, and the pressure on you is heavy enough.
Sheng Yan: It’s not really extra trouble for you. Yaoyao and I have to eat every day anyway. Making one more serving doesn’t make much difference. The only extra step is taking a photo and sending it to you. Besides, I’m going to become a food blogger in the future, making all kinds of dishes every day. You and our daughter will naturally have to help me taste everything.
Jiang Hongyan: I miss you.
Seeing those three simple words, Sheng Yan suddenly felt her nose sting.
“Mommy, why did you stop eating?”
Hearing her daughter’s concern, Sheng Yan quickly came back to herself.
“I am eating, I was just checking my phone.”
“Oh! Hurry and eat, or they’ll get cold and won’t taste as good.”
“Mhm.”
Sheng Yan replied with a simple, I miss you too, then picked up her chopsticks and continued eating her dumplings.