Having handed over the head chef position to Gao Shujing, Yu Rujia, no longer needing to work around the stove, carried the prepared fish and followed the children to the restaurant.

As soon as the fish was served, Duolu and Duoxi, smelling the aroma, forgot their tasks and gathered around, their constant drooling filling Yu Rujia with a sense of accomplishment.

Fortunately, there was a more reliable one, Duoshou. Unlike his two brothers, the little guy didn't forget his original purpose when he saw something delicious. He opened the cupboard and took out the bowl.

Upon seeing the bowls, Duolu and Duoxi finally remembered their mission and went over to help, though the two little ones only took their own bowls and spoons.

Duoshou brought up two bowls with her small hands, then turned around and got two more bowls. She then put chopsticks on the sides of Yu Rujia and Gao Shujing's bowls, and spoons in her own and Duofu's bowls.

This series of smooth movements shows that the little guy has done this many times before.

Just as Rujia was ladling soup into each bowl, Gao Shujing had already cooked two vegetarian dishes and brought them over, followed by Duofu.

Several large basins of fish, each with its own distinct color, aroma, and flavor, are arranged together, making one's mouth water at first glance.

Gao Shujing: "Where did Rujia get so many fish? There must be several here, right?"

Yu Rujia: "I was lucky. After talking to Guojing on the phone, I remembered the net I had thrown in before, so I went up and pulled it up. I didn't expect to pull up more than ten fish. I released the small ones and only brought back a few big ones."

"After Guojing left, the rest of them were a bit listless. Bringing back so many fish will be a good way to cheer them up."

She shredded the fish head, tail, and bones into tiny pieces, and judging from the fish on the table alone, it was impossible to tell how many fish she had actually used.

Gao Shujing glanced at the little ones who were focused entirely on drinking soup and eating fish, and couldn't imagine that they looked listless.

Gao Shujing: "This fish is really refreshing." Even he couldn't help but speed up his eating.

He has been working very hard to learn how to cook, but his skill level is still far behind Ru Jia's. It seems he needs to work even harder.

Duoshou finished a bowl of fish soup and reached out to get another bowl, but his arms were too short to reach it.

Seeing this, Gao Shujing put down his chopsticks and said, "Uncle, come on over."

Duo Shou handed the bowl to Gao Shujing: "Uncle, what is Uncle Guojing eating now? Is he hungry?"

Duolu had already finished his soup, and was now enjoying the steamed crucian carp meat placed in front of him. When he heard Gao Guojing's name, he lifted his oily little face from the bowl.

Duolu mumbled, "Yes, Uncle Guojing said there's nothing good to eat in Jiangcheng. Uncle, could you let Uncle Guojing not go to school?"

Well, the idea that there's no good food in Jiangcheng is definitely going to stick in Duolu's mind. Hopefully, he won't say this in front of real Jiangcheng people, or he'll definitely get beaten up.

Gao Guojing, whom the little ones were eyeing, was in Jiangcheng, having a great time fighting with Xia Taishun and his friends over braised meat.

Xia Taishun: "Guojing, you ate so much at Shangfen Brigade, so we can have these."

Gao Xiujuan glanced at Gao Guojing with disdain: "Exactly, look at all that fat on you. I didn't even recognize you at the train station today."

Gao Guojing is indeed a bit chubby, but not fat.

He had grown too thin before going to the Shangfen branch brigade, and without sufficient nutrition, he became as thin as a bamboo pole.

Yu Rujia's family ate well, which not only provided her with the nutrients she needed to grow taller, but also helped her gain a lot of weight.

The contrast before and after was so obvious that Gao Xiujuan always complained that he was fat.

Xia Jingrong kept grabbing the food, saying, "Third Uncle and Third Aunt are right, there's only a little left, Guojing shouldn't eat any more."

Having officially evolved into a foodie, Gao Guojing, who even secretly cried because he couldn't eat delicious food for a while, was naturally unhappy.

Kao Kuo-ching: "Do you think braised meat is so easy to make? It's one thing that meat is hard to come by, but cleaning the meat and braising it takes at least seven or eight hours."

"Sister Rujia has only made braised meat twice in total, once this time and once during the Chinese New Year. I didn't eat much of it."

Xia Jingrong: "That's still one more meal than us. You can eat the other dishes. These dishes were specially bought and made for you by your third aunt to help you recover. Don't let your third aunt's kindness go to waste."

Gao Xiujuan had thought that Gao Guojing would suffer a lot in Shangfen Brigade, so she took leave early in the morning to buy meat and then went to pick him up.

Gao Guojing said with utter disdain, "Can my dad's cooking compare to Sister Rujia's? Even my cooking is better than his."

Gao Xiujuan was busy using the new soap. Tonight's head chef was Xia Taishun, whose cooking skills were mediocre and certainly not as good as Gao Guojing's, who had been cooking under Yu Rujia's supervision for more than a month.

Xia Taishun: "Oh, how good can your cooking skills be, which are just enough to cook the vegetables?"

Xia Taishun doesn't spoil the children, and Gao Shujing and Gao Guojing both do their housework very well.

However, Gao Guojing was the youngest child in his family, and with the military canteen nearby, he hadn't cooked much. Before going to Shangfen Brigade, his only skill was cooking vegetables.

Gao Guojing: "A scholar should be looked at with new eyes after three days of separation. I've been cooking for over a month under Sister Rujia's most discerning mouth. Don't judge me by your old standards."

"I made this braised pork under Sister Rujia's guidance. Weren't you all fighting over it?"

Chewing on the flavorful braised meat, Gao Xiujuan didn't think her silly son had played a significant role in the whole affair. However, having spent over a month in Yu Rujia's lap and grown so much, her silly son must have learned some skills.

Gao Xiujuan casually replied, "Okay, we'll come and try your cooking tomorrow."

In the midst of the scramble, several pounds of hot braised meat were completely devoured.

The group rested on the sofa, clutching their stomachs, when Gao Guojing suddenly blurted out, "By the way, my brother and Sister Rujia got together, and they're planning to get married this summer."

Xia Jingrong felt as if he had been violently struck in the chest. Although he had considered this possibility, he did not expect it to happen so soon.

Yes, a woman as intelligent and loyal as Jia will inevitably inspire feelings in you once you spend enough time with her. It's normal for me to feel the same way, and it's also normal for Shujing to have the same thoughts.

Unfortunately, his position prevented him from staying at the Shangfen Brigade for long, and even visiting her was a luxury. His relationship with Rujia was destined to be fruitless; she had Shujing, someone he knew well, taking care of her, which should have given him more peace of mind.

Xia Jingrong thought this way, but only he knew the bitterness in his heart.

Xia Taishun and the others didn't notice his brief unusual behavior; they were all stunned by the bomb that Gao Guojing suddenly threw out.