As time passed and the sun gradually climbed to its zenith, everyone began to prepare lunch. Lunch consisted of sweet potatoes, along with various ingredients brought by the kindergarten, so that parents and children could cook together and complete the lunch together.
Many parents were busy with their own things, but Shao Bowen stood with his hands in his pockets, unmoved.
Shao Xiang watched as Chu Fang tossed the wok, the dishes flying everywhere, emitting a fragrant aroma. Other parents were also cooking, and although they weren't very good at it, they still accompanied their children in the process.
He nudged Shao Bowen: "Dad, can you teach me how to cook?"
"No way!" Shao Bowen said calmly. "I spend so much money on kindergarten every month. Do you think your kindergarten would let us go hungry during parent-child activities?"
"But... ..."
Shao Xiang wanted to say something, but Shao Bowen interrupted his son: "I only brought you to this event today because you begged your grandfather to let me. Otherwise, I wouldn't have wanted to come at all. Do you know how much money I'll lose by coming to this event?"
Shao Xiang shut his mouth and remained silent.
Although it had been a long time since she had cooked, Chu Fang's culinary skills had not declined. She used the prepared ingredients to make three dishes and a soup: steamed yellow croaker, stir-fried mutton with scallions, Mapo tofu, and seaweed and egg drop soup.
Compared to other parents, Chu Fang stood out from the crowd.
"Chu Jin, your dad is amazing."
"It looks delicious."
“... ..."
Chu Jin put her hands on her hips and said, "That's right, my dad is a great cook."
"Can I have a taste?" a child asked.
Chu Jin said sternly, "Go find your father."
Nowadays, Chu Fang rarely cooks, but the food he makes leaves a deep impression on Chu Jin, and for a foodie like him, it's impossible to share it with anyone else.
The child looked up at his mother and said, "Mom, can you marry Chu Jin's dad? That way, Chu Jin's dad will be my dad."
As soon as he finished speaking, everyone around him burst into laughter.
The child's mother blushed and patted her son's bottom a few times.
She gazed at Chu Fang's appearance; if she could, she would certainly be willing, but...
well!
Most of the people attending the event today were mothers, with only a handful of fathers. Chu Fang stood out among them, not only being a good cook but also being exceptionally handsome—a truly perfect husband.
It's a pity he's someone else's husband.
As Chu Fang finished cooking, the sweet potatoes buried under the firewood were also ready. Their charred skin was mottled with caramel color. With a gentle break, a 'crack' sound revealed the soft, orange-red flesh inside, and the aroma of the hot potatoes wafted over.
Chu Jin was a foodie and couldn't stand the scene, so she immediately opened her mouth and took a bite.
"Hiss... ...It's so hot..." Chu Jin wiped her mouth with her hand, hoping to lower the temperature of the sweet potato.
"If it's too hot, just spit it out," Chu Fang said.
"No, we can't, that would be a waste of food."
Chu Fang: "..."
My silly, food-loving daughter.
Chu Jin said it was hot while swallowing the sweet potato.
He asked, "How does it taste?"
Chu Jin tilted her head: "I was so focused on getting it hot that I didn't taste it."
Chu Fang took a bite, and the soft, fluffy potato melted on his tongue, its sweet flavor blending perfectly with a caramelized aroma, creating a rich and mellow taste.
not bad.
The three then ate sweet potatoes as their main dish for lunch.
When Chu Fang saw that Shao Xiang was staring at them without blinking, he waved to Shao Xiang, who looked delighted but then glanced at Shao Bowen and shook his head helplessly.
As noon approached, parents and children had all prepared lunch. The kindergarten provided lunch to families who hadn't prepared it, but... only Shao Bowen and Shao Xiang ate it.
Shao Bowen said, "See? I was right. The kindergarten provides lunch, and it's even better than what they eat."
Shao Xiang didn't speak, but his pupils showed frustration.
After lunch, parents can rest for a while, and then the kindergarten teachers take the children to experience various aspects of rural life, such as chopping wood, picking fruit, farming, and raising livestock...
These children were all pampered and had never seen anything like this before; they were having a great time.
Chu Fang looked at his son reading a book and patted his forehead: "Why don't you go and experience it?"
"Haven't I experienced enough at home?" Chu Zhiye said casually.
Chu Fang: "..."
At home, Chu Fang tilled the land and grew vegetables, and he often encouraged his two children to help him, so this was not unusual for Chu Zhiye.
Chu Fang glanced over and saw Shao Bowen get into the car, seemingly working.
He found a deck chair, lay down in the sun, and sunbathed.
The kindergarten teacher led a group of children to experience farm life, and Chu Jin stood out among them. No matter what kind of crop it was, she could name it and knew when it would ripen and what planting methods to use.
Shao Xiang couldn't help but say, "Chu Jin, how are you so amazing?"
"It's nothing," Chu Jin waved her hand, but couldn't stop smiling. "I often help my dad with these things."
"very nice."
Is this okay?
Shao Xiang lowered his voice slightly: "My dad rarely plays with me, I'm always alone. I haven't felt happy since I met you and Chu Zhiye. I'm so glad to have met you. Can you let me be your friend?"
Shao Xiang remained silent for a long time without receiving a reply. When he looked up, Chu Jin had already run far away.
... ...
As the sun sets, the sky is ablaze with crimson clouds.
The parent-child activity organized by the kindergarten came to an end, and everyone packed up to leave. They thought everything was going smoothly, but Chu Fang suddenly realized that the two children who had just been in front of him had disappeared.
"Where's my son? Where's my big daughter?"
He glanced around but didn't see the two of them. He walked up to Shao Bowen's car and asked, "Brother, are my daughter and son with you?"
Shao Bowen shook his head: "No, I don't know where my son went either."
Seeing Shao Bowen's calm expression, he was speechless: "Aren't you worried?"
"I have work to do, I'll talk to you after I finish that." With that, Shao Bowen lowered his head and continued working.
Shao Bowen was so calm, but Chu Fang was anything but calm.
He hurriedly reported the news of the three children's disappearance to the kindergarten teacher, and everyone searched around but found no trace of the children.
This made Chu Fang extremely anxious.
Many thoughts raced through his mind: Could they have been abducted? Had someone kidnapped them for ransom? Three children had gone missing, wandered into the mountains, and been eaten by wild animals...
He shook off those thoughts and frantically searched for the child, along with many parents and teachers.
... ...
On the summit of a hill, Shao Xiang sat with his arms wrapped around his knees, looking down at the view below.
Chu Jin and Chu Zhiye sat to the side, looking at each other in bewilderment.
Chu Jin spoke up: "Shao Xiang, why did you call us here?"
Shao Xiang was silent for a few seconds: "I don't want to live anymore, I want to jump off a cliff."
Chu Zhiye said quietly, "Jumping off a cliff is not a good way to die. The process of dying is extremely painful, and you have to endure tremendous psychological pressure. Moreover, it is not easy to die. It is said that when you land, you will feel intense pain, and you will die a minute later."
"Huh?" Shao Xiang was shocked and shrank back behind the cliff. "Then I won't jump."
Chu Jin asked, "Why would you suddenly want to die? I just want to live, I want to live for ten thousand years."
Chu Zhiye: "Only turtles can live that long."
"What's it to you?!" Chu Jin glared at her twin brother.
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