Chapter 60, a three-in-one chapter: Boss He...!
"Beep! Beep beep! Beep!"
In the morning, the family was having breakfast when they heard two car horns outside.
Immediately following was Xu Sannian's loud and clear shout: "I'm here, open the door for me!"
“It’s Niannian,” Lou Lan said.
An Fusheng stood up. "I'll go open the door."
"Why are you here so early?" An Fusheng opened the door.
Xu Sannian stuck half his head out of the car window and said, "Hey, have you guys had breakfast yet?"
"Eating now."
"Is there any more?"
"have."
"Very good!"
Xu Sannian drove the car into the welfare home, parked it, jumped out of the car, and hopped straight into the kitchen.
The orphanage served wood ear mushroom and shredded pork rice noodles for breakfast today. There were also soaked rice noodles and various ingredients for cooking the rice noodles on the counter.
Rice noodles are a popular snack in An Fusheng's hometown. A bowl of rice noodles may seem simple, but not everyone knows how to make it. Most people eat rice noodles their whole lives but can't make a good bowl of rice noodles. But An Fusheng is not one of the majority. He can make all kinds of rice noodles with ease, and everyone praised him the first time he made rice noodles.
Sure enough, as soon as Xu Sannian entered the kitchen, he screamed, "Wow, it smells so good!"
Actually, there wasn't much of the lingering aroma left in the kitchen.
Xu Sannian had bravely helped An Fusheng twice in the street, establishing a very tall and heroic image in An Fusheng's mind. But then she suddenly came to An Fusheng to learn how to cook, following him around all day: Master, Master, Master, where is Master? Master!
By the end of the day, his tall and heroic image had vanished completely.
An Fusheng calmly scalded Xu Sannian with hot rice noodles.
Xu Sannian took a large bowl out of the sterilizer and grinned as he placed it in front of An Fusheng. "Master, give me a lot, I'm starving, hehe!"
An Fusheng asked in surprise, "Why are you so hungry so early in the morning? Didn't you eat last night?"
"Sigh, you have no idea. After eating your cooking, I just can't stand anything else. I can't eat anything else at all."
There wasn't much rice noodle left, and Xu Sannian's large bowl was only half full. Fortunately, there was still plenty of toppings. In the end, Xu Sannian carried the half-full bowl of rice noodles with added soup and toppings to the table.
Wow! It's so delicious!
...
Xu Sannian brought his luggage to work today.
Two days ago, she unexpectedly got another internship. She vowed that she would never let down her mentor who had recognized her talent, and that she would work hard even if she had to work 24 hours a day. Then she casually asked if the orphanage provided accommodation, and Wen Min said yes.
So, Xu Sannian took a day off yesterday to go home, pack his luggage, and buy daily necessities. He came to work early this morning with his luggage.
Xu Sannian looks like the kind of child who grew up carefree and loved by her family. Wen Min just said it casually to tease her, but he didn't expect her to actually come. Besides, the orphanage was in chaos yesterday, and there was no time to prepare a room for Xu Sannian in advance.
"It's okay. I'm here to work, not to relax. I should clean my own room anyway," Xu Sannian said nonchalantly.
"Shall I help you take your luggage upstairs?" An Fusheng said.
“Sister, I can help you too,” Bai Miaomiao said.
Bai Mangmang: "I'll help you too!"
Wen Xingmou: "I'll help you too!"
Wen Xinglin & An Shisi: "Me too!"
...
The whole family pitched in to help Xu Sannian move his luggage, clean his room, and set up his room. In less than an hour, Xu Sannian's room was all set up.
"Sister, that's great! We can play together all the time," Wen Xingmou said happily.
"Yes, I'll tell you stories every night from now on."
"Okay, okay, I love listening to stories."
...
While they were tidying up the room, Fang Wangxi's family was preparing to head to the welfare home.
"Dad, is our whole family going to An Shisi's house?" Fang Wangxi asked incredulously and excitedly.
“Yes, don’t you love going to An Shisi’s house the most?” Fang’s mother said.
"Yes, yes!" Fang Wangxi nodded repeatedly, then ran off to put on his schoolbag.
"What are you doing with your backpack?" Mr. Fang asked.
"I brought my own bowl! The An family doesn't have any extra bowls for me to eat from!" Fang Wangxi asked, puzzled, when she saw her parents' empty hands. "Aren't you bringing bowls? How are you going to eat without bowls?"
Mr. Fang & Mrs. Fang: Have some shame, thank you!
...
A few days ago, after Mr. and Mrs. Fang discussed it, Mrs. Fang asked Wenmin the welfare home if they needed volunteers. Wenmin said that the welfare home did not need volunteers for the time being, but they could bring their children to play, and if possible, they could help dig the vegetable garden.
Fang's mother then arranged with Wen Min to go to the welfare home to dig soil on Saturday morning.
Fang Wangxi's home is about one kilometer away from the welfare home, and the family chose to walk there.
Throughout the journey, Wang Xi kept asking, "Mom and Dad, are you really not bringing any bowls?"
When Fang Wangxi's family arrived at the welfare home, everyone had just finished helping Xu Sannian tidy up his room and was coming downstairs.
"An Shisi, I'm here at your house again. My whole family is here. Do you want some?" Fang Wangxi shouted at the door.
As soon as An Shisi came downstairs, he heard Fang Wangxi calling him. He quickly ran out to greet her, "Fang Wangxi, you're at my house again? What are you all doing here?"
“My dad said we’re here to help you dig the vegetable garden.”
“Yes,” An Shisi said, “My family’s vegetable garden is huge.”
Lou Lan came over from behind to open the door for them. Seeing the two children shouting at each other through the door, she couldn't help but laugh: "It's just a door, a fence door, but you two are acting like there are two mountains between you."
"Come in." Lou Lan opened the door and said to Fang's parents, "Dean Wen is working on something."
"It's alright, we just came here to have fun, we're sorry to have bothered you," said Mrs. Fang.
Lou Lan: "I won't disturb you. It's more lively when everyone is having fun."
As soon as Fang Wangxi rushed in, he started yelling that he wanted to dig the ground and plant vegetables.
"Growing vegetables?" Xu Sannian's eyes lit up. "I want to participate too!"
"Go and have fun," Lou Lan said.
Since An Fusheng opened the land, the children have been running to the fields almost every day. Lou Lan didn't have time to follow them around and stop them from lying on the ground, so she simply bought them all one-piece smocks and put them on before they went to the fields, letting them roll around in the dirt as they pleased.
"Wow, these are my clothes from when I was little." An Shisi helped Lou Lan put on the kangaroo-style onesie. "It's so cute."
"I just bought these last week, they're clothes you wore when you were little," Lou Lan laughed. "How little were you when you were little?"
"I was three years old when I was a child."
Wen Xingmou was already wearing a bunny-themed smock. The bunny had two long ears, and Wen Xingmou loved it. "I'm three years old. I love being little!"
Xu Sannian changed his shoes and ran over. He saw Lou Lan putting a cartoon smock on An Shisi. There was a little rabbit standing next to him, and a giant panda and a little dinosaur lying on the ground. He was almost overwhelmed by how cute they were.
Fang Wangxi's family was already fully armed at home. After Lou Lan put smocks on the children, the group rushed to the vegetable garden.
“The seeds we bought before have all been planted, and we don’t have any new seeds at home, so we’ll start by digging the ground today.” An Fusheng took a hoe from the tool shed behind the kitchen and handed it to Fang’s father.
Mr. Fang took the hoe and said, "No problem. Turn the soil over and let it dry in the sun to kill the bacteria. Then there will be far fewer pests and diseases when planting vegetables."
Hearing what Fang's father said, Fang's mother exclaimed in surprise, "How come I didn't know you knew about these things?"
Mr. Fang laughed and said, "Don't you know I come from the countryside? When I was little, my grandparents refused to take care of me, so my mother carried me to farm when I was only six months old. During the summer after I graduated from high school, I helped my mother plant radishes before I went to university."
With limited tools, including only two hoes, An Fusheng and Fang's father were responsible for digging, while the others helped clear away small stones and some dug-up tree roots.
In the large field, there were many people, two of whom were digging the ground with great effort, while the others were also busy.
Xu Sannian led the children to frolic in the field for a while, and unsurprisingly, they discovered bean sprouts. "Wow! What's this?"
“They’re peanut sprouts, we all planted them together.” An Shisi ran over proudly and explained, “We’ve all eaten them, one bite at a time, they’re super delicious.”
Xu Sannian was very interested in the delicious peanut sprouts and shouted to An Fusheng, who was digging in the ground, "Master, can we have peanut sprouts for lunch today?"
"Sure, you can pull them all out, otherwise they won't taste good when they get old."
The mung bean sprouts have all been picked, and the peanut sprouts grow slowly. I tried them once and haven't eaten them since, but there are still many left.
"Yay! I love picking vegetables!" Xu Sannian cheered, gathering the children to pick peanut sprouts.
The children responded immediately to his call.
Xu Sannian pulled the black plastic film covering the peanut sprouts and slowly peeled it off, gradually revealing the dense, plump sprouts.
"Wow!" the children couldn't help but exclaim, "So many buds!"
Normally, when An Fusheng takes the children to pick bean sprouts, he only lifts a small corner of the plastic film. Although they try their best to stick their heads in to look, the plastic film is black and blocks out the light, so they can't see anything inside except for the small area that is lifted.
Xu Sannian threw away the torn plastic film, handed each child a bag, and shouted, "Pull it off!"
The children eagerly pulled up the peanut sprouts.
The peanut sprouts were plump and had grown quite tall, making them very easy to pull out. They could be pulled out whole with a simple tug, giving the children a great sense of accomplishment.
"Sister, my bag is full."
"If you put them in a neater place, you can put them in more."
"All right."
"Plastic bags are amazing! They can do so many things. They can hold trash, vegetables from the market, and even the sound of the wind." Thinking of the sound of the wind, Fang Wangxi asked An Shisi, "An Shisi, did Wang Xiaohei make you cry yesterday?"
“No, it’s because my little ear is missing. I can’t hear anything, that’s why I’m crying.” An Shisi said indignantly, “I would never be made to cry by Wang Xiaohei. Wang Xiaohei is only in first grade. He can’t beat me at all.”
"Ah?" Fang Wangxi asked worriedly, "Have you found your little ears yet?"
“My little ear is broken, it hurts my ears, I can’t use it anymore.” An Shisi was still a little disappointed when he thought about this. “Grandma Doctor installed a new little ear for me, so I can hear again.”
"Are those new little ears on your ears?" Fang Wangxi asked.
"yes."
"It's exactly the same as your original one."
"Because they are all my little ears."
...
Xu Sannian picked a whole bag full of peanut sprouts. No matter how he looked at them, he thought they were really pleasing to the eye. He couldn't resist taking out his phone and taking nine photos of the plump, white peanut sprouts from every angle. He then posted them on his WeChat Moments: "The joy of a bountiful harvest."
It quickly garnered numerous comments and likes.
Mrs. Xu: I brought back vegetables at noon.
Xu Sannian: Mom, I'm just a worker.
Mother Xu: I raised my daughter for a thousand days, only to use her for one.
Xu Sannian: ...
...
Although Fang Wangyue, Wen Xingrui, and Wen Xinglan were also equipped, everyone rushed to the fields at that time, and the three of them couldn't keep up and were left behind. So, Lou Lan tricked and lured them to the elevated floor.
Fang Wangyue brought a toy phone car. It was shaped like a car, but it had phone buttons on it. Each button played a different tune. The three of them gathered around the phone car, pressing the buttons one by one, and chuckling every time they heard a different sound.
However, a "wow" from the vegetable-picking team caught their attention. They dropped their toys and ran to the fence of the elevated floor to see what was happening, only to find the missing people picking vegetables in the field.
They all wanted to go, but there was a fence in the way, and they couldn't get through. They were all getting impatient and crying out.
"Little sister, do you want to come too?" Fang Wangxi was chatting with An Shisi when he suddenly heard his sister scream, so he quickly ran over to ask.
“Little sister…” Fang Wangyue stretched her hand out through the gap in the railing, feeling wronged. Her hand reached her brother’s side, but she couldn’t get through, making her feel even more aggrieved.
“You can’t get here; you have to come from over there.” Fang Wangxi pointed towards the kitchen. “We all came from over there.”
Wen Xinglan looked in the direction Fang Wangxi was pointing, and as if suddenly inspired, she stumbled toward the kitchen with her short legs.
Seeing that Wen Xinglan had left, Fang Wangyue followed her. When Wen Xingrui saw that everyone had left, he also scrambled to follow.
The orphanage's initial design took into account all aspects of children's needs. Where the ground could be paved, steps were avoided as much as possible, making it very friendly to toddlers who were unsteady on their feet or crawling.
Lou Lan and Fang's mother saw the children heading towards the kitchen and assumed they were going to play on the slide outside the kitchen, so they ignored them and continued chatting about the children's growth and education.
In this way, the three children, whose combined age was less than 10, successfully crossed the kitchen and arrived at the vegetable garden in the backyard, where they began to rummage through the seedlings.
The seedlings have grown quite a bit in the field after more than two weeks. After a rain a few days ago, they look very vibrant.
Wen Xingrui reached out and grabbed a lush green seedling, pulled hard, and the seedling was in his hand.
He seemed to have discovered something particularly interesting, and with his other hand, he grabbed another one and pulled it up. "Hehe!"
The other two children joined in, and the three of them took turns pulling out 1 tree each, occasionally exchanging knowing smiles.
An Fusheng stretched his back, and his peripheral vision inadvertently swept over the vegetable planting area. He felt like the sky had fallen. "Hey, hey, hey, you three, don't pull up the seedlings!"
Fang Wangyue and Wen Xingrui stopped what they were doing upon hearing the sound, and looked up at An Fusheng, puzzled. Wen Xinglan, however, didn't even raise her head, and reached out to pull up another tree...
"Wen, Xing, Lan!"
...
The three children were expelled from the vegetable garden.
...
Around 10:30, An Fusheng went to make lunch.
Xu Sannian followed eagerly, "Master, can I make the peanut sprouts?"
An Fusheng nodded: "That's fine."
"I can't even imagine how amazed my parents will be when they see me cook, hehe!" Xu Sannian said he couldn't even imagine it, but in reality, he had already thought about it way too far ahead.
"Look, this woman is about to become the only culinary master in the entire family!" Xu Sannian, acting like a drama queen, started acting while holding up a handful of peanut sprouts. After he finished acting, he found it funny and laughed so hard that he bent over backwards.
"Can't any of your family members cook?" An Fusheng asked. If Xu Sannian can become a culinary god in his current state, then his family members must be completely unable to cook.
“My dad can’t cook, and I don’t know if my mom can either. She says she doesn’t like cooking, and I’ve never seen her cook,” Xu Sannian said.
"Then how do you eat at home?" An Fusheng asked, puzzled.
"My family has a chef."
An Fusheng: "..."
Xu Sannian said, "Actually, when my dad was pursuing my mom, he also thought about learning to cook, but unfortunately he just didn't have the talent."
"How so?" In An Fusheng's eyes, cooking was like a child learning to talk and walk; anyone could learn as long as someone taught them. He was surprised to find that there were actually people who couldn't learn it. He was quite curious.
"According to my dad's good friend, my dad spent more than a month learning from a professional chef and felt he was good enough. So on my mom's birthday, he went to my mom's house with great pride and insisted on making longevity noodles for her. My mom couldn't refuse, so she let him make them. He spent the whole afternoon in the kitchen making a bowl of noodles, thinking that my mom would be so moved that she would burst into tears and immediately offer herself to him. But after my mom took one bite, she told my dad that it was not appropriate for the two of them not to be together, hahaha."
"Why?"
"Because my dad didn't add salt and added too much vinegar, it was bland and extremely sour. My mom didn't know my dad couldn't cook. Seeing his confident look, she thought he was a great cook and liked that kind of flavor. She felt that my dad and I had very different tastes and that living together might affect family harmony, so she rejected him."
An Fusheng also found it hilarious and became interested, so he continued to ask, "So how did your dad win over your mom?"
“My mom rejected my dad, so my dad kept asking why. After he found out the reason, he immediately knelt down and admitted that he couldn’t cook. He even swore that whatever my mom ate, the family would eat. So everything we eat at home is based on my mom’s taste.”
"Does it suit your taste?" An Fusheng asked. It's too domineering for the whole family to cater to one person's taste.
"Actually, my mom isn't a picky eater; she's just a bit picky about taste. She grew up in a very remote rural area, and her family was very poor. Poor families are busy making a living and dealing with trivial matters every day, so they don't have the energy to focus on things like eating. They just cook whatever they can to fill their stomachs, without paying any attention to the taste. My mom ate terrible food for more than ten years. After she went to university and started earning her own money, she began to eat all sorts of things as revenge, but she couldn't bear to eat anything expensive. Cheap food can't be made with good ingredients, so they just add a lot of seasonings. It tastes rich and delicious at first, but after eating it too much, it gets cloying. Then my mom started to lose her appetite, often going hungry one day and overeating the next, which ruined her stomach."
"Huh?" An Fusheng hadn't expected that not eating properly would have such a big impact. "Is your mother feeling better now?"
“After my dad and mom got together, they hired a professional chef and nutritionist to take care of her. Now she eats well and her stomach is fine, but she has become quite picky about food.”
An Fusheng: "Eating is a major event in life. If conditions allow, it's okay to be a little picky."
“That’s right, so my dad’s motivation for going to work every day is to earn money to support my mom.”
Doesn't your mother have a job?
"Yes, my mother earns just as much money as my father, but she donates it all. She comes from a remote rural area and knows how difficult it is for girls in rural areas, so she donates all her money to those rural girls who can't afford to go to school."
"Your mom is amazing!"
"That's right!" Xu Sannian said proudly. "You don't know, some families in the countryside favor boys over girls. They make girls do the work but don't let them go to school. My mother was like that when she was a child. Her younger brother was clearly not very smart and didn't like to study, but her parents still wanted my mother to work to earn money for her brother's schooling. However, my mother said that she used to be very fierce, and her parents were a little afraid of her, so she didn't want to work and insisted on going to school. Her parents couldn't do anything about it."
An Fusheng knew perfectly well that his sister Chunyi was a living example. Chunyi didn't even have her own room at home. Although there was an empty room in her house, her uncle and aunt said they wanted to use it to store grain.
What An Fusheng still resents most is that his sister Chunyi had her first period. When she came home from school, her pants were covered in blood. She cried and went to her aunt, who scolded her for being shameless and ignored her. Fortunately, her grandmother happened to be playing at the neighbor's house that day. After hearing the commotion, she took Chunyi back to her own home and helped Chunyi change her soiled clothes.
Grandma wanted to help her older sister wash clothes, so she asked An Fusheng to bring her some brown sugar water. It was the first time An Fusheng had ever seen his older sister cry so sadly. One moment she said she didn't want to live anymore, the next she said she was so unwilling to accept it, and then she asked why she couldn't grow up faster.
At that time, An Fusheng was confused. When he saw that his sister's clothes were covered in blood, he thought that his sister was really going to die. When his sister cried, he cried along with her.
Later, An Fusheng learned that menstruation is just the most ordinary and natural thing in a girl's life, and can even be considered a good thing. However, this good thing was like a collapsing mountain, pressing down on his older sister at the age when she was most powerless.
...
Digging is hard work, especially for people who have done farm work for a long time. After digging for half a morning, Mr. Fang felt his back ached and his palms were burning.
An Fusheng and Xu Sannian were cooking in the kitchen. The kitchen door was not closed, and a fragrant aroma wafted out of the kitchen.
Mr. Fang suddenly felt extremely hungry.
After finishing her work, Wen Min went downstairs to chat with Lou's mother and Fang's mother. Seeing that Fang's father was still digging, she told him to take a rest.
After putting away his tools, Mr. Fang said, "It's almost noon, we should go home for lunch."
Wen Min said, "Fu Zai said he would cook lunch together. If you don't mind, why don't you eat here with us before going home?"
Mr. Fang hesitated a bit, after all, his mother had signed up for a day tour to pick fruit at a farm, and they would have to cook for themselves when they got back, and besides... the food at the orphanage was really delicious!
Last time he came to the welfare home to pick up Fang Wangxi, he waited outside for Fang Wangxi to eat. He thought he was hungry because of the aroma of the food at the welfare home. But when he got home for dinner, he didn't eat much because the food at home was not as delicious as the food at the welfare home!
However, Mr. Fang wasn't one to be so impolite. Just as he was about to refuse, Fang Wangxi popped over and said, "Okay, okay, I brought a bowl. It's in my schoolbag."
Fang's mother, who happened to be walking by, was speechless.
Mr. Fang turned to look at Mrs. Fang, his eyes innocent: "It was your son who said it, it has nothing to do with me."
Fang's mother also smelled the delicious aroma wafting from the kitchen and couldn't help but say, "Great!"
...
Since they had decided to stay for lunch, it wouldn't be right to just sit there and wait to eat, so Mr. Fang went to the kitchen to help.
In the kitchen, An Fusheng was cooking at the stove, while Xu Sannian, holding a pot lid, craned her neck and watched from afar, clearly trying to steal his skills. If it weren't for her constant use of "Master," everyone would know she was apprenticing to learn from a master, otherwise they would have thought she was secretly learning from someone else.
"Is there anything I can help you with?" Mr. Fang asked as he walked into the kitchen.
The dishes were almost ready. An Fusheng said, "After this dish is finished, we can make a stir-fried pork with peanut sprouts. There's nothing else I can help with."
The peanut sprouts were something Xu Sannian insisted on making himself, but he was afraid of fire and oil, so he didn't dare to start, and the task was postponed step by step.
Seeing that the prepared dishes were still on the kitchen counter, Mr. Fang said, "Since they're almost done, shall I move these dishes to the dining room first?"
An Fusheng: "Okay, thank you for your hard work."
"What's so hard about it? You cook all the meals, and we all just eat what's ready." He then burst into laughter.
As Mr. Fang moved the dishes, An Fusheng taught Xu Sannian while cooking.
We're using free-range chicken now.
An Fusheng didn't use free-range chicken to make soup; instead, he stir-fried it directly. This method is common in rural areas when cooked over firewood, but it's rare to see it done this way in the city. If it's not done well, it's a waste of a good chicken, but if it's done well, it tastes especially delicious.
"The chicken must be stir-fried until the moisture is gone. After that, sauté it in oil until the surface of the chicken is fragrant," An Fusheng said while stir-frying the chicken.
"OK."
Although Xu Sannian is a little afraid of fire, he has a very positive attitude towards learning.
"That's about right." An Fusheng used a spatula to pick out some chicken, which was slightly browned from being fried. "Now you can add the seasonings."
An Fusheng added a little soy sauce to the chicken, then two dried chilies, and continued to stir-fry.
"Master, do we need to add any other seasonings?" Xu Sannian asked.
An Fusheng: "No need. Free-range chicken is naturally fragrant. Adding too many seasonings will mask its natural aroma."
"oh."
The aroma of soy sauce intensified as soon as it was added, and even the high-speed range hood couldn't remove the full fragrance.
Dried chili peppers burn easily at high temperatures, so An Fusheng simply stir-fried them a few times and added two bowls of water to the pot, "just enough to cover the chicken."
Xu San nodded vigorously, like a chick pecking at rice, "Mmm-hmm-hmm!"
Today's groceries were bought by Lou's mother. She asked the vendor to kill the free-range chicken on the spot, and she also asked for the chicken's blood back.
An Fusheng cut the congealed chicken blood into pieces and cooked it together in the soup.
"Gulp~ Gulp~"
The soup in the pot quickly began to boil over high heat.
About ten minutes later, An Fusheng lifted the lid of the pot, and steam rose up from the pot with a "whoosh," along with an even richer aroma that lingered in the kitchen for a long time.
"Ah! Master, it smells so good!"
An Fusheng gently stirred the vegetables in the pot a few times, letting the top part go to the bottom to fully absorb the broth without breaking up the chicken blood. After stirring, An Fusheng washed the bowl containing the chicken blood and put it in the pot to cook together.
"Master, why do we boil the bowls too? Will it taste better that way?" Xu Sannian asked curiously.
"No, the bowl just contained blood, so even if it's washed clean, it will still have a fishy smell. Boiling it will remove the fishy smell."
"Wow~" Xu Sannian said that he had learned something new.
As Mr. Fang moved the dishes around, he couldn't help but watch An Fusheng cook.
An Fusheng cooks with composure and confidence. He flips the vegetables over and over with his spatula according to his intentions, without any deviation, just like his most devout believer.
When the soup in the pot was almost cooked, An Fusheng added the chopped garlic leaves, sprinkled in salt, stir-fried it evenly, and it was ready to serve.
At that moment, Mr. Fang handed over a large bowl of vegetables.
"Thank you," An Fusheng said.
After cooking the chicken, An Fusheng washed the pot and placed it on the stove, then looked at Xu Sannian and asked, "Would you like to do this?"
"Ah... okay."
Xu Sannian took small, quick steps forward. "Master, could you please watch the fire for me?"
"Can."
"Can you turn the heat down to low first?"
"Okay." An Fusheng turned the stove on and turned the heat down to the lowest setting. After watching the pan dry, he said, "You can add the oil now."
Xu Sannian carefully poured the oil into the pot, holding the oil jug.
"A little more."
"Ouch."
After adding oil three times, there was finally enough.
"Next, I'm going to turn the heat up a bit." With that, An Fusheng turned up the heat and, seeing that the oil was hot, said, "Put the meat in."
Xu Sannian then shakily poured the meat into the pot again.
With a "rip," Xu Sannian was almost scared out of his wits.
An Fusheng helped her stir-fry the meat until it was almost cooked, and then told her to add peanut sprouts.
Xu Sannian boasted that he would cook the dish independently, and he added all sorts of ingredients throughout the process. However, this was already quite remarkable for a novice who was afraid to even approach the fire just a second ago.
An Fusheng turned off the heat and let Xu Sannian cook the dish himself. Xu Sannian put the dish on a plate, and after tasting just one peanut sprout, he exclaimed, "Delicious! It looks, smells, and tastes amazing!"
...
The food was served, and the children had just finished washing up.
A large group of people sat around the dining table, their mouths watering uncontrollably.
Wen Min's cry of "Dinner's ready!" sounded like a battle cry, and as soon as he said it, chopsticks started clattering together.
"Mmm~ So delicious..."
"This chicken smells so good!"
"Right? I couldn't help myself while we were doing it."
"Mom, I want to eat more chicken."
"Wow, the peanut sprouts I made myself taste so good..."
...
After the meal, Fang's mother finally understood why her son was so insistent on coming to An Shisi's house. With such delicious food, who wouldn't want to eat it? Even Fang Wangyue, who usually ignored her when chased around to be fed, was now holding her own bowl and feeding herself spoonful by spoonful. If Grandma Fang saw this, she would be so gratified.
Mr. Fang felt the same way, and was already wondering whether he should come back to dig the ground again next weekend.
Xu Sannian patted his bloated stomach and sighed, "My belly is three layers deep; this isn't something I've been craving all day!"
Mr. Fang laughed and said, "If there were restaurants that tasted this good, I would definitely work overtime day and night to earn money so I could eat out every day."
Everyone laughed along, and when the children saw the adults laughing, they looked up and laughed too.
An Fusheng glanced at Wen Min, wondering if Wen's mother would agree if he told her he wanted to open a restaurant.
After dinner, Mr. Fang helped An Fusheng clean up the restaurant kitchen, and the family happily went home, taking with them a bag of peanut sprouts that Fang Wangxi had picked herself.
...
afternoon.
Elementary and middle school students do their homework at home.
Xu Sannian, An Fusheng, Wen Xingmou, and An Shisi took Afu to the pet hospital for a check-up and vaccinations.
We had already checked and confirmed the location of the pet hospital on our phones before setting off. Xu Sannian drove everyone directly there, and the journey was smooth, taking only half an hour.
The pet hospital was crowded with pets on the weekend. An Fusheng got a number for Afu, and the group of people held Afu while waiting in the waiting room.
"Afu, are you scared?" Wen Xingmou asked Afu, tilting her head.
Afu lay calmly on Anfusheng's lap.
"This is a hospital," Wen Xingmou said in a low voice. "The doctor will give you an injection."
Afu didn't care at all.
Wen Xingmou originally wanted to comfort Afu and tell her not to be afraid, but it turned out that Afu didn't need any comforting at all, so she could play without worry.
"Wow, a big dog!" Wen Xingmou's eyes scanned the waiting room, pointing out any unusual animals she saw.
“Yes,” An Shisi replied.
"That cat is huge!" An Shisi also joined in the animal viewing.
Wen Xingmou: "Its fur is so long, does it trip over its feet when it walks?"
An Shisi: "I don't know."
"There's a beautiful bird there!" Wen Xingmou exclaimed excitedly. "Ah, it can even talk!"
An Shisi: "Was it transformed from a human?"
Xu Sannian: "That's a parrot. It's very smart and can mimic human speech."
Wow! The parrot is amazing!
An Fusheng was also looking at the pets. It was the first time in his life that he had seen so many animals in one place. In the corner, there was a person carrying a small glass cage with a snake inside.
"It would be great if my older brother and sister could come too, they could see so many animals." Wen Xingmou asked An Shisi, "Really?"
“Yes, but they all have to do homework.” An Shisi asked again, “Why do my older brothers and sisters have to do homework every day? What exactly is homework? And why can’t they ever finish it?”
Xu Sannian patted An Shisi: "Good boy, you'll understand when you start elementary school. You'll suffer as much as you're supposed to."
"Please ask Afu to go to consultation room number two."
"Please ask Afu to go to consultation room number two."
“She’s calling for Afu,” Wen Xingmou exclaimed.
"Yes, we've arrived at Afu's place. Let's take Afu there."
The four people took Afu to clinic number two and handed him over to the nurse.
The nurses wouldn't allow parents to accompany their children, so the group continued to wait outside.
"Big brother, will the nurse give Afu the injection?" Wen Xingmou asked worriedly. "What if Afu is scared?"
As it turned out, Wen Xingmou's worries were unnecessary. Afu remained very calm throughout the process, and even when it was getting the injection, it didn't seem afraid at all. It wasn't until it felt the pain when the needle went in that it belatedly realized what was happening and paused for a moment. Before it could struggle or resist, the injection was already done.
The doctor performed a series of physical examinations on Afu, gave him a vaccination, and dewormed him. Everything went smoothly, except for a small accident.
When the nurse returned Afu to Anfusheng, Wen Xingmou asked in a childish voice, "Nurse, was Afu scared?"
The nurse smiled warmly and said in a gentle voice, "No, Afu is a super brave little man."
"What?!" The three were shocked. "Isn't Afu my sister?"
Nurse:? ? ?
...
"Did Afu turn into a boy at the hospital?" Even as they approached home, Wen Xingmou still refused to accept the truth.
An Shisi gave her a whack: "Yes."
An Fusheng sighed heavily.
...
When they got home and learned that Afu was a boy, two more people were heartbroken.
Bai Mangmang: "Is Afu really a boy?"
Wen Xinglin: "It would have been better if we hadn't gone to the hospital."
...
Xu Sannian glanced at the group of heartbroken people, shook his head, and ran off to play with Wen Xingrui and Wen Xinglan.
Lou Lan was teaching Wen Xingrui and Wen Xinglan how to speak.
Wen Xinglan was like a little repeating machine, while Wen Xingrui could only say "ah ah ah".
Lou Lan had a terrible headache.
“Aunt Lou, let me try!” Xu Sannian joined in smoothly.
"She doesn't quite understand human speech yet, so she'll be difficult to teach," Lou Lan said.
Xu Sannian said confidently, "I have a way."
Lou Lan asked suspiciously, "What method do you have?"
Xu Sannian: "Kids are like children. If you lure them with toys and suppress them with force, they will be completely under your control."
Lou Lan laughed and said, "Alright, alright, you can come."
Xu Sannian ran off and grabbed a bunch of toys, waving each one in front of the two children. "Hehe, want one?"
The child's eager eyes clearly showed: He really wanted it!
Xu Sannian was quite proud of himself. "Recite the poem with me."
"Goose, goose, goose."
The two children looked at her in surprise.
Xu Sannian: "Read along."
Wen Xinglan: "Read it."
Wen Xingrui: "Ah."
Xu Sannian: "..."
"No, there are no toys."
Twenty minutes later, Xu Sannian collapsed to the ground, exhausted. "It's too hard, too hard!"
"Is it really this difficult on your first day of work?"
"ha?"
Xu Sanzan sat up abruptly on the ground. "Dad! Mom! What brings you here?"
Mr. Xu laughed and said, "Of course I came to see how my daughter did on her first day of work."
"It doesn't seem very good," said Mrs. Xu.
"What?" Xu Sannian protested, "I've never seen you guys see me at work before, and I'm doing a really good job. I pick vegetables and learn how to cook in the morning, take the kitten for a check-up in the afternoon, and when I get back I teach these two kids to recite poems."
"You two, tell me, isn't that right?" Xu Sannian asked, seeking the help of his two young witnesses.
The two witnesses sat on the ground, staring blankly at the two people they had never seen before.
On the other side, a person got out of the black sedan.
An Fusheng saw it first, "Mr. He... Mr. He!"
Xu Sannian turned his head: "Hehehe..."
The gaze shifted from An Fusheng to Xu Sannian: These two together somehow looked... strangely harmonious?
-----------------------
Author's note: I've set up the lottery. Anyone who subscribes to 30% of the sites by 7 PM next Monday (the 24th) will be entered into a random draw. There are 100 Jinjiang coins and 10 slots available. (I originally wanted to do more, but the system limited my collections... but I doubt there will be that many participants anyway, hahaha~)
Ten thousand words is a lot! It took me ages to write, and checking for typos took just as long.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com