Chapter 26 Hating that Dad is a blockhead
In winter, it gets dark early and the temperature drops sharply at night. After returning from grocery shopping, Pei Yiyan immediately went into the kitchen to prepare the ingredients.
First, chop the chicken into pieces, blanch it with ginger, garlic, and cooking wine, then stir-fry it in oil until fragrant. Then pour it into a soup pot, add goji berries, red dates, and cordyceps, and finally pour in boiling water and cover the pot.
Pei Yiyan usually stews it for three hours, but today she was in a hurry, so she only stewed it for two hours.
The kitchen door was wide open, and Meng Zhiyao could see Pei Yiyan chopping vegetables neatly and efficiently with just a slight tilt of her head.
The boy wore a purple apron, which accentuated his slender waist. Every arm movement he made was like a muscle show, making people blush and their hearts race, unable to look away.
Unlike his usual aloofness, he exuded the charm of a good family man at this moment, making him very down-to-earth.
"Mom, you've never eaten Dad's cooking before, have you? Dad's cooking is delicious, you're in for a treat today!"
Meng Zhi smiled and said, "Mom is only able to enjoy this food because of Xixi, otherwise she wouldn't have had the chance to eat it."
Meng Zhiyao could tell that Pei Yiyan was taking good care of Xixi; the little girl had more chubby cheeks than before.
"Mom, you can come over for dinner every day!" Xixi said, seizing the opportunity. "Dad knows so many things! He can even make strawberry cake. All the kids in the neighborhood have tried it and they all say it's delicious!"
That's how the name "virtuous father" came about.
"He can make desserts?" Meng Zhiyao's eyes flashed with surprise.
"I don't have much time lately, let's talk about it after the college entrance exam." Worried that her daughter might be too disappointed, she quickly added, "Mom will cook for you then, okay?"
She has six months to learn and prepare at her own pace.
Sure enough, as soon as she said that, Xixi's gloom vanished, and she readily agreed.
"Come on, let Mommy braid your hair again."
Pei Yiyan is good at everything, except for styling hair, which happens to be Meng Zhiyao's specialty.
When Pei Yiyan came out, her daughter looked like she had a completely different head. Her crooked little bun had transformed into a cute and adorable double bun, which matched her light red jacket and dress perfectly. The difference in style was far greater than that of the two little buns.
"Daddy, does Xixi look good? Mommy did her hair!" Xixi climbed onto her father's lap and pointed at her head like a treasure, being very careful as if afraid of ruining the hairstyle.
Pei Yiyan commented with four words: "Pleasing to the eye."
Xixi translated: "Mom, Dad said it looks amazing."
Meng Zhiyao couldn't help but laugh.
On the second day of the Lunar New Year, every household was ablaze with lights, and fireworks lit up the sky.
Since it was Meng Zhiyao's first time staying for dinner, Pei Yiyan naturally had to treat her well, and a standard five-dish-and-one-soup meal was laid out on the table.
The meal included stir-fried potatoes, eggplant, and green peppers; sweet and sour pork with pineapple; honey-glazed chicken wings; stir-fried spinach; and finally, a blood-nourishing black chicken soup.
Honey-glazed chicken wings are Xixi's favorite, while the rest were made especially for Meng Zhiyao.
While buying groceries, the little girl kept asking her mother what dishes she liked to eat, and Meng Zhiyao, unable to refuse her mother's kind invitation, named a few dishes.
Pei Yiyan didn't say a word at the time, as if he was confident. After buying the groceries and returning home, he skillfully searched for recipes and copied the recipes step by step.
Meng Zhiyao suddenly realized that he was just putting what he had learned into practice.
She concealed her surprise perfectly, but Xixi still saw through her micro-expressions and vouched for Pei Yiyan, saying:
"Mom, don't worry. Dad is a college graduate; nothing can stump him."
Although the father and daughter often have hilarious and chaotic interactions, Xixi is a typical dad-lover.
In front of others, she always gives her father face, especially when her mother is present.
There was no other way; her father was a quiet, reserved person, so she had to seize every opportunity to improve his image.
Meng Zhiyao was amused by the little girl's spirited appearance and murmured, "Your father is indeed studying very hard now. If he can keep it up, he will definitely be able to get into university."
After all, it's quite a challenge to pick up the knowledge again after more than two years of absence, and it's even more difficult to get into a prestigious 985 or 211 university.
Xi Xi didn't understand the deeper meaning in her mother's words; she was just happy that her mother praised her father.
A table full of dishes with a strong festive atmosphere made Meng Zhi's mouth water. Her gaze subtly fell on the pair of hands opposite her, which were well-defined and delicate like cold jade.
Her gaze froze slightly. There were a few small white spots on the back of his hand. Were they burns from being splashed with oil?
Pei Yiyan poured a cup of yogurt and placed it next to Xixi, then turned to ask her, "What would you like to drink? Yogurt, juice, Sprite, or water?"
Meng Zhi shook her head: "I'll pour the water myself, thank you."
She had barely lifted her buttocks halfway when Pei Yiyan had already walked to the water dispenser, and in the blink of an eye, a glass of warm water appeared on her table.
"Thank you, I appreciate your help."
"Need not."
Pei Yiyan lowered his eyelids and served two bowls of chicken soup to her and Xixi respectively. He skimmed off the oil on the surface, revealing that the chicken soup was clear and milky white.
Then, without saying a word, Pei Yiyan picked up the small bib draped over the baby chair and tied it on with a snap. Xixi tilted her head back on her own.
Finally, I placed a pack of baby wipes beside me before I had time to serve myself some soup.
The father and daughter's perfectly synchronized interaction amplified Meng Zhiyao's guilt and strengthened her resolve to stay.
Meng Zhi held the bowl and took a small sip. The taste was fresh, fragrant, and sweet, truly deserving of the word "delicious".
"Ouch, it's so hot!"
The little girl, too lazy to even pick up a spoon, pitifully begged, "Daddy, blow on it."
Pei Yiyan didn't even raise an eyebrow: "If it's hot, put it aside and let it cool down. Eat something else first."
Xi Xi glanced at her father with a look of disappointment and pouted unhappily.
Seeing this, Meng Zhiyao quickly said, "Xixi, shall Mommy blow on it for you?"
The little girl couldn't be happier. Mom is a limited edition, Dad is a regular, and of course, Mom smells better.
"Mom drinks too."
"There's still some in Mom's bowl, baby can drink it."
"Mom, drink more and eat more to gain weight."
"Okay, I'll listen to you, baby."
The mother and daughter were feeding each other affectionately, and Pei Yiyan felt uncomfortable all over, as if she had thorns growing on her body, listening to the little one's deliberately coquettish voice.
He gave Xixi a light glare, implying that she should know when to stop, eat properly, and stop messing around.
To everyone's surprise, the little girl clicked her tongue twice very loudly and complained in her childish voice: "Some dads are really something, you can't even be a good candidate when given a chance."
Now it's too late to regret it.
Pei Yiyan: ?
Xi Xi: "Oh, right, Mom, Xi Xi has something to give you."
"Here, fresh ginseng roots." The little girl opened her palm and stuffed the freshly picked ginseng roots into Meng Zhiyao's hand.
Pei Yiyan frowned deeply.
Meng Zhi shook her head, her mouth slightly open: "Xi Xi, the ginseng rootlets you gave Mom are still here. Mom didn't lose them."
The little girl nodded like a chick pecking at rice: "Xixi knows."
"Mom, when you get home, stew the old ginseng root into soup and drink it. Then wear the new ginseng root on your body. Your illness will get much better."
Starting in the afternoon, Xixi felt her strength steadily increasing, and the ginseng rootlets on her body grew larger. So she plucked a thicker, more potent ginseng rootlet and shook it at Mengzhi.
When her strength increases again, she will give her mother a stronger ginseng root, and her mother's illness will improve significantly.
"Mom, once you finish three courses of ginseng root treatment, you will be cured! You can eat whatever you want and go wherever you want to play."
After this period of nourishment, Meng Zhiyao's Tree of Life has become much healthier. The previously withered yellow leaves have turned back to tender green, and new buds have sprouted on the branches. The situation is much better than Xixi had expected.
Pei Yiyan's heart skipped a beat. Three courses of treatment meant stewing three ginseng roots.
He looked at his silly, happy daughter; the little girl must be in so much pain.
"Xi Xi"
Meng Zhiyao felt a burning sensation in her palms; she felt like she was profiting from someone else's misfortune.
The ginseng root is part of Xixi's body, a piece of her flesh, and she can't help feeling guilty about it.
"Mommy, the tassels that were removed will grow back." Xixi hooked her little hand around Meng Zhi's shaking finger, grinning carefree, "Xixi doesn't feel pain."
As the three were talking, the doorbell suddenly rang twice.
The heavy atmosphere came to an abrupt halt. Pei Yiyan got up to open the door, where Lu Peipei was standing.
"Xiao Pei, thank you so much for what happened this afternoon. If it weren't for you, I'm afraid Zhao Ming would have bullied me to death." Lu Peipei said sincerely, carrying a large pile of gifts. "This is a small token of my gratitude. I hope you won't find it offensive."
After Pei Yiyan left, the other parents of the children came to help. Some called the police, and others helped restrain the man. In the end, the police arrived and took the two away. The man was sentenced to seven days in jail for extortion.
"You're welcome." Pei Yiyan wasn't used to dealing with social obligations. "Take your things back."
"Sister Peipei!" Xixi, with her sharp ears, jumped down from her high chair. "Is your injury healed? Come in and eat with us."
During the argument between the two in the afternoon, Lu Peipei was pushed to the ground by the man, resulting in minor abrasions on her elbows and palms that were barely noticeable.
The wound hadn't been treated yet, but the little girl was so observant that she noticed it at a glance.
Lu Peipei smiled and said, "Thank you for your concern, Xixi, but it's not a serious wound, it's nothing."
"Xixi, these are thank-you gifts from your sister to you and your father. Would you like to take them inside?" She pushed the gifts forward.
With her sharp eyes, Xixi immediately spotted a beautifully packaged doll among the gifts: "Hey, Mom also gave Xixi a little bear doll."
Just then, Meng Zhiyao also came out.
Xi Xi turned her head and waved, saying, "Mom, look, isn't this little bear exactly the same as the one you gave me last time?"
Meng Zhiyao also saw it; it should be from the same brand, except that the one she gave her was a large size, while this one should be a small size.
"This could be a baby bear."
"Did Mom give you a teddy bear?"
"right."
Xi Xi immediately shook Pei Yiyan's hand: "Daddy, can you bring Little Bear Daddy home so that the little bear family can be reunited?"
Pei Yiyan snorted, "That's not enough. Let's just find its ancestors for eighteen generations."
Xi Xi's eyes lit up, and she seized the opportunity to say, "Dad, you're such a good person."
When Pei Yiyan gave him a "friend zone" card, he sneered, "Dream on."
Lu Peipei's pupils dilated in shock as her gaze fixed on Meng Zhiyao. This was Xixi's mother.
Good heavens, she's so young! She looks even younger than Xiao Pei. I wonder if she's even an adult yet.
Lu Peipei is four years older than Pei Yiyan. She works like a slave at the company during the day and has no time to date men, while he, a high school student, already has a wife, children, and a warm bed.
Lu Peipei was like a badger that had just eaten a big melon, with a surge of powerful energy coursing through her body.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com