The customers didn’t think much of it; they grabbed a few bags and scrambled to divide the chili oil.
"Alright, thanks, Boss Jiang. I’m heading out."
"Remember to open tomorrow! Don’t oversleep. I’ll be here to line up in the morning."
"Bye, Tongtong! Bye, Teacher Jun! Bye, Uncle Jiang!"
Among the remaining customers, there happened to be one of Tongtong’s classmates.
She said goodbye to Tongtong before leaving.
"Bye, Lanlan."
The customers left.
Jiang Liu pulled down the rolling shutter door. Outside, the cold wind howled, and the icy rain fell with a PITTER-PATTER that grew steadily louder.
Autumn had arrived, and with it came the frequent rains.
Inside, the soft lights glowed, creating a warm atmosphere.
Jun Qingmeng was sitting in the main room. Whether intentionally or not, she stretched lazily in front of Jiang Liu.
Her stunning, alluring curves were accentuated.
Her ample chest was thrust forward.
"Hubby!"
Jun Qingmeng’s voice was soft and coquettish.
"Yeah, I’m here."
"Daddy? Hehehe."
The two of them sat at the table, propping their chins in their hands and smiling sweetly at Jiang Liu.
Even if they weren’t doing anything.
Just looking at Jiang Liu made them super happy.
They loved being with him.
"Hubby, I really, really like you, you know that?"
"Daddy, Tongtong super-duper likes you! Even lots and lots of ice cream can’t compare to one day with Daddy!"
Jiang Liu walked over and ruffled both of their heads.
Tongtong and Jun Qingmeng closed their eyes in contentment.
"Be good. You two go play for a bit while I get our dinner ready."
"Okay~"
"Okay, Hubby. Thank you for your hard work."
Jiang Liu smiled, then headed to the kitchen to reheat the remaining Sichuan boiled fish, tossing in some broccoli as well.
He had also saved thirty shrimp, and there were steamed buns warming in the pot.
This was more than enough for the three of them.
Standing by the stove, the purple flames reflected in Jiang Liu’s deep eyes.
Jiang Liu thought quietly. He realized that ever since his Physical Enhancement reached ten points, his appetite had also increased.
When it was at five points, he ate an extra bowl and a half of rice more than usual. He hadn’t paid it any mind back then, just assuming he had a better appetite.
Until today.
He had eaten twenty buns for lunch, plus about a pound of meat and other proteins, before he finally noticed something was off.
’The law of conservation of energy?’
Jiang Liu clenched his fist, producing a creaking sound mixed with the sharp CRACK of shifting bones.
His fist tightened.
"One punch from this... would probably be enough to make Tongtong cry for a long, long time, huh?"
Jiang Liu muttered to himself.
A certain little cutie suddenly shivered. She sniffled and said, "Mommy, it’s a little cold."
"I’ll turn the heat up a degree. It rained today, so the temperature might drop tomorrow."
BEEP.
Jun Qingmeng pressed a button on the air conditioner remote.
The Sichuan boiled fish and braised prawns were heated up.
Jiang Liu served the two meat dishes in a porcelain basin and a white ceramic plate, respectively. He ladled the dough drop soup into a large bowl and placed three metal spoons inside.
He brought them out along with the steamed buns.
Out in the dining area, Tongtong had already placed three pairs of disposable chopsticks and three small white ceramic saucers on the table.
"You must be hungry. Sichuan boiled fish, do you like it?"
"Wow! Fluffy white fish meat! Tongtong loves it!" Tongtong leaned over the dish and sniffed with her little nose. Her eyes widened in shock. "Oh my gosh!!! It smells so, so good!"
Jun Qingmeng was getting hungry just watching. The lunch at the kindergarten had been awful; compared to her hubby’s cooking, it was a world of difference.
The two of them fed Jiang Liu a bite first.
Then they grabbed their own plates and started to eat.
They were starving!
Jiang Liu smiled, eating as he opened his phone.
Seeing Jun Xinghe’s message, Jiang Liu felt a warmth spread through his chest.
Uncle Jun really was quite good to him.
Jiang Liu replied, "Thank you, Uncle Jun, but isn’t this conversion rate a bit too generous?"
The biased Jun Xinghe saw it was a message from his son-in-law and replied instantly:
"Not at all! Too generous? You have no idea how precious your food is! This one meal alone saved our company over ten million!"
He changed the subject, "Let me tell you something. They’re installing the plumbing and electrical at the villa today. You can go take a look when you have time. If there’s anything you’re not satisfied with, let me know right away."
Jiang Liu was currently being fed a shrimp by Jun Qingmeng.
He didn’t see the message.
Jun Xinghe hesitated for a moment, then sent Jiang Liu another message:
"Xiao Jiang, how was work today? Are you tired? If you are, you can take a break. I have money, so you don’t need to worry about living expenses."
Although Jun Xinghe was decisive and efficient at work, he had zero experience when it came to showing concern for others.
He was willing to change today because he felt guilty, believing that an outstanding young man like Jiang Liu was truly getting the short end of the stick by being with his daughter.
Besides, he was very satisfied with and fond of this son-in-law.
Thus, for the first time ever, he made an effort to show his concern.
Seeing Jun Xinghe’s message, Jiang Liu felt his heart warm.
He replied, "It was fine. I don’t feel tired, actually. It was quite fulfilling."
"Uncle Jun, you’re getting older, so you should pay more attention to exercise and rest. Don’t overwork yourself. By the way, Qingmeng, Tongtong, and I eat breakfast around 6:30 every morning. Would you like some? If you do, I can set some aside for you."
Jun Xinghe immediately typed into the chat box: Not necessary.
On one hand, he didn’t want to trouble his son-in-law to cook for him for every single meal.
On the other hand, he felt it would be a bit embarrassing.
His son-in-law wasn’t even married to his daughter yet, and here he was, having him serve him three meals a day.
How improper.
Jun Xinghe hesitated...
...but in the end, his craving won out over his reason. He deleted the two words "Not necessary" and retyped a new message: "Would it be convenient?"
Jiang Liu: "It’s no trouble at all. It’s just a matter of making a little extra. For example, it’s the same effort to cook one bowl of congee as it is to cook two. The only thing is it would trouble Secretary Wang to make a trip so early in the morning."
Jun Xinghe: "Alright then, I’ll leave it to you. And don’t worry about the trip being a hassle. Secretary Wang has a hobby—he likes to just drive around aimlessly for fun. Consider it an outing for him. Oh, and you don’t need to make any for Secretary Wang. It doesn’t matter if he eats or not. Don’t tire yourself out."
Secretary Wang, who was currently working hard overtime, frowned.
He felt vaguely uneasy all over but couldn’t pinpoint why.
’Weird... Looks like I’ll have to eat more of Boss Jiang’s food tomorrow. I’m so exhausted every day, I need to replenish my energy!’
He rubbed his lower back and lowered his head to type on the keyboard again.
Jiang Liu: "Okay, Uncle Jun. I’ll make some buns for you guys tomorrow, with some vegetable congee and boiled corn."
Jun Xinghe: "Sounds good. I’ll leave it up to you!"
"Hubby, open your mouth. Ahh~"
Jun Qingmeng held a peeled red shrimp, dipped in the broth of the Sichuan boiled fish, to Jiang Liu’s lips.
Jiang Liu swallowed it in one bite, along with Jun Qingmeng’s fingers.
Jun Qingmeng pursed her lips and smiled.
Not minding the saliva at all, she peeled another shrimp for herself.
Like a curious little baby, Jiang Tongtong climbed onto Jiang Liu’s lap and skillfully snuggled into his warm embrace. "Daddy, are you talking to Grandpa?"
"Mhm, you’re so smart."
"Hehe, Daddy?"
"Hmm?"
"Can Tongtong say a few words to Grandpa?"
"Of course you can. Here."
Jiang Liu pressed the voice message button and held the phone to Tongtong’s mouth.
Tongtong held the phone with her small hands and shouted in her high-pitched, childish voice, "Grandpa! It’s Tongtong! You have to be good and go to sleep! Be good and eat your meals! Eat lots of fruits and vegetables! And lots of broccoli!"
After shouting, Tongtong shyly hid in Jiang Liu’s arms.
Jiang Liu and Jun Qingmeng laughed at the same time.
Their daughter sure had a loud voice!
.....