Jun Qingng shot Jiang Liu a reproachful look and personally fed Tongtong the congee.
’Dads really aren’t suited for taking care of daughters.’
"Thanks, Mommy, you’re the best! My mouth is all greasy." Tongtong pouted, wanting Jun Qingng to wipe her little, greasy mouth.
Jiang Liu gave a helpless smile.
He was indeed forgetful and careless at tis, but thankfully, his daughter had never held it against him.
「A short while later.」
The three of them were stuffed.
Jun Qingng clutched her stomach, a blissful look on her face. "Jiang Liu, do you think I’ll get fat in the future?"
Her boyfriend’s cooking was just too good; she had to eat until she was stuffed every ti.
Tongtong grew worried too.
"I don’t want to get fat! Daddy, you should make less food from now on. We can eat more ice cream instead."
BONK.
A crisp thwack echoed off a little head.
Jiang Liu had flicked Tongtong on the forehead.
"Waaah!"
Tongtong clutched her head, looking utterly aggrieved.
"Daddy, I was wrong! I won’t do it again!"
She was a pro at backing down.
Jiang Liu said seriously, "What did I tell you? Three ice creams a week. You want to eat it for every al? Are you trying to get a stomachache?"
"Waaah!"
’Daddy’s being an.’
The little cutie cried.
"Tongtong, co on, let’s play. Don’t mind him."
"Waaah, Mommy, I feel so wronged."
"There, there, don’t feel wronged. He’s just a big anie."
Jun Qingng hugged Tongtong, and the two of them secretly muttered bad things about Jiang Liu.
Before long, Tongtong was all smiles again.
Jiang Liu took the kitchen trash from the shop out to the dumpster.
If he forgot to throw it out, the shop would stink by the next day.
「8:30 PM.」
The sky had darkened, and the evening wind whistled by.
Jiang Liu habitually stuffed a few bundles of small bills into Tongtong’s backpack, locked up the shop, and headed ho.
Because Jiang Liu’s shop offered more and more delicious food, and also because of the freebies he had given out that morning,
the neighbors in the area had beco even more enthusiastic.
When they saw Jiang Liu coming out, they all pretended to run into him by chance.
"Getting off work, Boss Jiang? You’d better get so good rest when you get ho; we’re all counting on you from now on. Oh, I almost forgot! These are Asian pears, a specialty from my hotown. We grew too many, and they’re about to go bad. Take them back for Tongtong to make soup with."
"Brother Jiang, the Mid-Autumn Festival is almost here. My company gave out a box of pogranates early—the soft-seed kind. Take them ho and eat them. Don’t refuse, or I’ll be upset!"
"Hey, what a coincidence, Xiao Jiang! Out for a walk? No? I know, just hold this for . We dug up too many purple sweet potatoes at ho. Help get rid of so."
More and more people started "feeding" Jiang Liu.
The things they gave him were all sorts of strange and wonderful.
Everyone had co to see Jiang Liu as Yangzhai Street’s treasure.
And they were all happy to spoil him.
As long as Boss Jiang was around, Yangzhai Street would be lively.
Jiang Liu didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. It was hard to keep refusing when they were all so incredibly enthusiastic.
By the ti the three of them reached their parking spot, they were laden with bags.
Jiang Liu was hauling a large sack of purple sweet potatoes on his shoulder and balancing a box of pogranates in his right hand.
On top of the box was a bag of figs.
Tongtong had a lollipop hanging around her neck and a pile of little snacks cradled in her arms.
Tongtong giggled happily.
’My little stash is getting pretty full.’
When it was Daddy’s birthday, she would take it all out to celebrate!
Jun Qingng wasn’t having an easy ti either, her hands completely full with bags.
Jiang Liu opened the trunk, pushed the small cart further inside, and stuffed the various bags in.
Tongtong hugged the purple sweet potatoes, unwilling to let go.
She had never eaten a purple sweet potato before!
"Daddy! I want to eat it!"
"Honey, I want to eat purple sweet potatoes too," Jun Qingng deliberately chid in.
Jiang Liu expressionlessly forced the purple sweet potatoes into the trunk.
Tongtong pouted, aggrieved.
Jiang Liu explained helplessly,
"Be good. Purple sweet potatoes don’t taste good raw. I’ll roast them for you when we get ho."
"But I want to eat it now! I want it now!"
Tongtong started throwing a tantrum, pounding on Jiang Liu’s leg.
"Alright, alright, I’ll let you eat it."
He couldn’t resist his daughter’s wheedling.
Jiang Liu tore open the sh bag, pulled out a dirt-covered purple sweet potato, and placed it in Tongtong’s small hands.
"Go on, eat. It’s all yours. I’ll watch you."
"Yuck, how am I supposed to eat it with all this dirt?"
"Waaah, Daddy, you’re bullying ."
Tongtong wiped her eyes and started to cry.
’Stupid Daddy!’
Jun Qingng picked up Tongtong in exasperation and said, "Jiang Liu, how could you bully your own daughter again? You’re so an."
"Yeah, Daddy’s a anie!"
Tongtong provided backup from Jun Qingng’s arms.
Jiang Liu’s head was starting to hurt.
He hadn’t even done anything! His daughter wanted to eat a purple sweet potato, it was covered in dirt, and he told her she couldn’t eat it. What was wrong with that?
"Fine, let’s just go ho first."
"Hmph!" Tongtong turned her head away, refusing to look at him. Her little eyes darted about as she hatched a little sche.
Jiang Liu understood instantly. He rolled his eyes at Tongtong and said,
"You want ice cream, don’t you? We’ll pass by a convenience store in a bit. I’ll buy you so."
Tongtong imdiately whipped her head back around, her eyes sparkling.
"Really?"
"I’ll buy it for you!"
Jiang Liu said, exasperated.
’Ice cream every day.’
’It’s like she can’t live without it.’
"Hee hee, Daddy, give a hug! I forgive you!"
He started the car.
Jun Qingng asked, "Roasted or stead purple sweet potatoes are both good. Should we roast so corn too? I was thinking of inviting Guo Jia over to eat with us, is that okay?"
"Whatever you want is fine. No problem."
Jiang Liu nodded.
When his girlfriend made a small request, he had to satisfy it.
"Mhm, love you, Jiang Liu."
Jun Qingng happily ruffled Jiang Liu’s hair.
「Back at the apartnt complex.」
Having gotten the ssage, an excited Guo Jia was already waiting in the parking lot.
As soon as she saw Jiang Liu’s car, she rushed over.
"You guys are finally back! I’ve been waiting all day... uh!"
As Guo Jia spoke, she saw Jiang Liu open the trunk, and a huge pile of things ca into view.
She was dumbfounded.
"ngng, you’ve got so nerve! I see right through you now. So you invited over just to make do manual labor for your boyfriend, is that it?"
"You sure know how to dote on your boyfriend!"
Guo Jia clutched her heart in mock pain.
Jun Qingng raised an eyebrow and lifted the bag in her hand. "My boyfriend made stir-fried pork, and there’s juice. And later, Jiang Liu is going to make roasted corn and roasted purple sweet potatoes. You don’t want any?"
"If you don’t want any, that’s fine."
Guo Jia said with a completely straight face, "Whether I eat or not is unimportant. It must be tiring for you to carry all this stuff. I should be helping you."
Jiang Liu waved his hand.
"It’s not that much trouble. I’ll use the cart to pull the heavy things up. You guys can just carry the rest."
"No way, Jiang Liu! You’ve had a long day. Let do it."
At that mont, Guo Jia turned into a sycophantic puppy. Without another word, she excitedly piled the goods onto the cart and took the initiative to pull it for Jiang Liu.
Jiang Liu was left completely empty-handed.
The three of them had taken everything from him.
The four of them returned to Jiang Liu’s ho together.
Guo Jia opened the container and sniffed the aroma.
"It’s still warm! This pork is so fragrant and peppery."
She popped a piece of glistening stir-fried pork and a green pepper into her mouth.
"Delicious, delicious! It would be even better if Jiang Liu made so stead buns!"
The stir-fried pork was rich but not greasy. The outside was seared dry, making it more fragrant the more you chewed!
In no ti at all, Guo Jia had devoured the entire half-pound of stir-fried pork, not even sparing the small chili peppers.
’Spicy and fragrant, this is the best!’
She drank all the rice soup too.
"Jiang Liu, this stir-fried pork is the most fragrant I’ve ever had. How much do you sell a portion for at your shop?"
Jiang Liu was in the kitchen washing the purple sweet potatoes.
Jun Qingng answered for Jiang Liu with a smile, "Jiang Liu said this stir-fried pork isn’t up to snuff. It doesn’t et the standards for his restaurant, so he’s not planning to sell it."
"Holy shit, no way?!"
Guo Jia’s eyes went wide with astonishnt.
"Stir-fried pork this delicious doesn’t qualify? Your boyfriend’s standards are way too high."
But then she thought about it and understood.
"I get it. The four items Jiang Liu is selling now are indeed a cut above this stir-fried pork. They’re classics."
"But this stir-fried pork is amazing too! I think it’s good enough for a state banquet. Even if you sold it for a thousand a plate, people would still buy it."
Hearing her best friend’s praise and admiration, Jun Qingng let out a proud "ahem."
She was proud on Jiang Liu’s behalf.
At that mont, Jiang Liu had already placed the purple sweet potatoes into the air fryer.
He set it for thirty-five minutes, and soon they would be crispy on the outside and tender on the inside.
As for the corn, he would put it in later after slathering it with barbecue sauce; otherwise, it would dry out.
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