On the plate were two dark Wuchang fish, covered with various kinds of vegetable leaves. The bright colors of the vegetables contrasted with the dark fish. Although the dish looked strange, the aroma of the fish was absolutely delicious.
"Brother Li, what is this dish... Wuchang fish?" Zhou Xiaoyu asked uncertainly, looking at the dark fish.
"That's right, this is the authentic Wuchang fish. The color is a little off, but the taste is absolutely fantastic! Come and try it! I'll go bring the other dishes up." After Li Jia finished speaking, she walked out of the restaurant. A short while later, she brought up three dishes and a soup. Including the Wuchang fish, there were a total of four dishes and a soup, which was indeed very sumptuous.
Li Jia poured a drink for Zhou Xiaoyu and Meng Yao, while opening a can of beer for herself. "At home, let's just have something simple to eat. Why aren't you eating? Don't you have confidence in my cooking?" Li Jia said, raising her beer and taking a sip.
Zhou Xiaoyu nodded vigorously, then picked up her chopsticks and took a bite of the bright green cauliflower. After eating it, she looked at Li Jia with an incredulous expression, tilting her head and staring at her expectant face. "I didn't realize you were such a good cook, Brother Li! It's delicious! Sister Meng, you should try some too."
Meng Yao also picked up her chopsticks and began to taste the food. However, after the two of them had tried all the dishes on the table, the two dark Wuchang fish were still the same. Zhou Xiaoyu and Meng Yao still didn't dare to take a bite. After all, Wuchang fish are usually white, and the two in front of them didn't look very appealing.
Seeing the two people's reactions, Li Jia felt a little annoyed. Although she had cooked the two fish a little awfully, they were definitely delicious. She picked up her chopsticks, took a piece of fish from below the gills, and put it in her mouth, savoring the fish's delicate flavor. Meng Yao, who was next to her, looked at Li Jia's expression and also wanted to try it, because Li Jia's expression seemed to indicate that it was really delicious.
"How is it, Brother Li? Is this fish edible?" Zhou Xiaoyu stared at Li Jia's face with a questioning expression, occasionally mimicking Li Jia's eating habits with an expression of difficulty swallowing.
"Hmm, the color isn't very appealing, but the taste is definitely alright!" Li Jia swallowed the fish that he thought tasted pretty good and then said confidently.
Meng Yao had already picked up a piece of black and white fish and put it in her mouth. Her elegant movements puzzled Zhou Xiaoyu. "It's just a meal, does it have to be so fancy?"
When Meng Yao put the fish in her mouth, her expression was slightly stiff, but she still ate it. "It tastes pretty good, eat up!" After saying that, she took a sip of her drink, smiled, and continued to eat with her head down, but she didn't touch the two fish again.
The meal was eaten quietly. Zhou Xiaoyu didn't react much after taking a bite of the fish. She just felt that the fish Brother Li cooked was not bad, but it wasn't particularly delicious either. She only knew that this was Brother Li's first time cooking, and she didn't want to discourage him.
So the meal was spent in silence. After the meal, Li Jia went into the study, while Meng Yao and Zhou Xiaoyu sat on the sofa watching TV and chatting.
"Xiaoyu, has your Brother Li never cooked before?" Meng Yao asked Zhou Xiaoyu seemingly casually while watching a boring entertainment program on TV.
“Yes! This is the first time Brother Li has ever cooked since I met him. Hehe, although what he made is very ordinary, it’s already quite good for his first time. What do you think, Sister Meng?” Zhou Xiaoyu hugged a large white cushion and swayed her little head to the music on TV.
"Oh, is that so?" Meng Yao added the second half of the sentence in her mind, "Hmm... you're right, only the first time cooking would someone use a gas stove to grill fish. Li Jia really has some creativity."
Li Jia sat in the study, lost in thought. Clearly, her first attempt at cooking had failed! Thinking about how Meng Yao ate the fish, Li Jia clearly noticed a series of changes in Meng Yao's expression, from furrowing her brows to smoothing them out. She also noticed Zhou Xiaoyu's behavior, who seemed happy even though the food was either too salty or too bland. Were these all attempts to boost her confidence?
Li Jia walked out of the study and came to the sofa in the living room. Seeing the two people watching TV intently, Li Jia coughed softly and said, "Thank you!"
"Huh? What are you saying, Brother Li? Come sit down and watch TV with me!" Zhou Xiaoyu quickly moved to the side when she heard Li Jia's words, leaving the middle seat for Li Jia.
Meng Yao nodded slightly and moved over, saying, "You have a real talent for this. The first time I cooked, I managed to turn instant noodles into soup. Compared to that, you're really amazing. Sit down and let's watch some TV together." Meng Yao's words always made people feel very comfortable.
"Hehe, hearing you say that makes me feel a lot better. Do you want to know why I suddenly wanted to cook?" Li Jia sat between the two of them and deliberately started chatting with Meng Yao.
"For what?" Meng Yao asked, looking into Li Jia's eyes, before turning back to watch TV.
"Because I had a dream a long time ago, which was to become a great chef. Unfortunately, that dream never came true. But now, one of my dreams has become to be able to cook delicious meals, so that one day I can cook them for my family and friends!" As Li Jia spoke, the faces of Li Xiaoqing, Li Xiaotong, and Li Yan appeared in her mind again. "After being separated for more than ten years, we finally have the opportunity to reunite. However, the current situation does not allow me to acknowledge you as my elder brother. Fortunately, being able to silently protect you is also a great happiness."
"Huh? Aren't your family members here?" Meng Yao's spirits lifted a little by Li Jia's words. Meng Yao also had her own painful memories of her family that she didn't want to talk about.
"I don't know. I've been abroad for over ten years. I was separated from my family when I was very young." Li Jia said, glancing at Meng Yao, whose face was already flushed.
“Oh, then let me give you a suggestion: sign up for a cooking class. Once you've learned, you can cook for Xiaoyu and me first. When you find your family, you can cook for them yourself.” After Meng Yao finished speaking, an unnatural smile appeared on her slightly tired face. Mentioning her family once again caused her heart to ache.
"Yes, you must be tired after a long day. Go and get some rest." Li Jia noticed the unease on Meng Yao's face and smiled, telling Meng Yao to go and rest early, while she herself was lost in memories of her childhood with her family.
"Okay, I am a little tired, I'm going to rest now, goodnight!" After saying that, Meng Yao got up and went back to her bedroom. Zhou Xiaoyu, who was next to her, jumped in front of Li Jia as soon as Meng Yao went back to her room. "Brother Li! You really haven't been separated from your family for more than ten years?"
Zhou Xiaoyu suddenly grabbed Li Jia's arm, pressing her ample breasts against it, and stared wide-eyed at Li Jia, who was still lost in thought.
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