spring bite mark

Chapter 199 Disdain from the Father-in-Law

Huo Yungui swiftly returned to his workstation.

Yan Changye remained silent for a moment, pretending not to have heard.

Over there, Huo Mingcai waited a few seconds, and seeing that Yan Changye didn't move, he waved to him again:

"Go help Grandpa wash the garlic sprouts."

Yan Changye could no longer pretend to be deaf and dumb. He got up, walked to his grandfather's side, hesitated, picked up a muddy scallion, and rinsed it under the tap.

Grandpa glanced at him: "Grandson-in-law, that's scallion. Haven't you ever seen garlic sprouts?"

After saying that, she handed him the garlic sprouts next to her and demonstrated: "You can't just rinse these directly. You have to peel off the outermost layer that's dirty and wilted."

Yan Changye elegantly rolled up his sleeves, thought for a moment, then slowly removed his ring, watch, and cufflinks, putting them into his pocket. Only then did he pick up a garlic sprout, and his hands, which handled countless financial data every day, began to clean it from the root with extreme clumsiness...

five minutes later.

He placed the first tender, green garlic sprout on the cutting board like a work of art.

Grandpa said with a hint of disdain, "Forget it, go help your older cousin. I've been waiting for you to grow a few garlic sprouts until the dishes are all plated, and they're still not used. How can a grown man be so slow and indecisive?"

After saying that, he grabbed the remaining garlic sprouts and cleaned them up in just over ten seconds.

Yan Changye looked in the direction of Vice President Zhang, who was making a mixed dish with many ingredients, spicy and fragrant. At that moment, he needed to slice ginger.

Yan Changye felt that washing garlic sprouts was more suitable for him than slicing ginger, and he lingered there, unwilling to move.

Grandpa glanced at him again: "Don't get in my way. Look at your fingers, they're whiter and more delicate than the roots of my garlic sprouts. You don't look like someone who's ever cooked!"

Yan Changye said "Oh": "I'm not usually this fair-skinned. I did a hand mask this morning. Grandpa, don't worry, I'm not good at washing garlic sprouts, but I think I can still help you pass the plates."

Grandpa looked bewildered: "Hand mask? You little vain one. Alright, alright, you stay here and help me cut two potato shreds."

Yan Changye: "...Grandpa, I don't know how to cut vegetables."

Grandpa's patience wore thin, and he turned to Huo Mingcai: "Huo Mingcai, take your son-in-law over there."

Huo Mingcai, still holding a spatula, walked over and asked what was going on. He looked at Yan Changye with a sly expression and said, "You can't wash vegetables, you can't chop vegetables, but you can peel garlic, right?"

Yan Changye met his gaze: "Dad, I've never been to the kitchen in my life, this is the first time I'm making an exception."

Huo Mingcai stared at him for a few moments: "Come with me first."

Yan Changye followed Huo Mingcai to the other end of the kitchen. Huo Mingcai took out a clove of garlic and handed it to him: "You'll be in charge of peeling the garlic for me, okay?"

"Dad," Yan Changye said earnestly, "could you demonstrate once?"

"..." Huo Mingcai's filter for his son-in-law's exquisite appearance shattered at this moment. "A four-year-old child doesn't need to be taught how to peel garlic."

As she spoke, she casually broke off a piece and demonstrated for him, probing as she did so: "In the capital, if you don't cook, are we the ones who have to cook for you? Let me tell you, girls are pampered. The kitchen is full of grease and smoke. In Chongqing, boys have to learn to cook from a young age, otherwise they won't be able to find a wife in the future."

Yan Changye took a clove of garlic, peeled it like his father-in-law, and casually retorted, "Dad, Manman doesn't need to cook. I have a chef at home. I do have some experience in spoiling my wife."

Huo Mingcai's expression softened considerably: "I earn hundreds of thousands a month and I still can't afford a home chef, and you want to hire one..."

"With your father-in-law's income, hiring a chef would be a piece of cake, wouldn't it? I think it's just that you're making a fuss over nothing by cooking for yourself."

Huo Mingcai tossed the garlic to him, glanced at the living room, and lowered his voice: "Every penny I earn goes to Manman's mother."

Yan Changye was surprised and raised an eyebrow to ask, "Then what should Dad do if he needs money?" "For large sums, I'll ask my wife to apply for it. For small sums..." Huo Mingcai said softly, "Every month, my wife will give me three hundred yuan for pocket money, which I can spend as I please."

Yan Changye: "...Three hundred? I can't even imagine it."

"And you?" Huo Mingcai couldn't help but ask, "You hand over all your money too, right? How much pocket money does Manman give you each month?"

“My financial situation is quite complicated, so I can’t hand it over,” Yan Changye said seriously. “Manman has never restricted my spending. I have never experienced the hardship of being penniless like you. I am completely financially independent.”

Huo Mingcai suddenly found himself disliking Yan Changye: "You can't cook, you're good-looking and attract women, and you don't hand over your salary. You're not popular in Chongqing. After the guests leave tonight, I'm going to talk to Manman. You can't spoil men like this. At least you have to keep an eye on their salaries."

Yan Changye clicked his tongue lightly; "Dad, you can't tear my umbrella just because you got wet in the rain."

Huo Mingcai was annoyed for a while, frantically stirring the vegetables in the pan with a spatula, then changed the subject: "I don't care about your salary, but while we're in Chongqing these few days, it's not too much to ask that you learn a dish that Manman loves to eat from me, right?"

Yan Changye shook his head: "I think it's going too far."

"Too much?" Huo Mingcai couldn't help but slap his hand hard. "Girls all like men to cook for them. Can't you even come up with a dish to express your love for Manman? Even an egg drop soup would be fine!"

Yan Changye looked at the back of his hand.

Huo Mingcai didn't hit hard, but this was the first time in his life that he had been taught a lesson by an elder with force. Even his own father had never laid a hand on him since he was a child.

But Yan Changye didn't dislike him at all; on the contrary, he felt that his father-in-law, whom he had just met, was a man of genuine character.

He said slowly, "Dad, even if I learn a dish, without years of immersion, I can't possibly cook it better than a professional chef. Why should I bother making a bad dish and feeling disgusted? Shouldn't loving her mean letting her taste the best?"

Huo Mingcai slammed the spatula down: "How can someone so upright have so many fallacies! Just because you call me Dad doesn't mean I can't order you around?"

Yan Changye remained silent for a few seconds. He could change his adopted parents-in-law if he wanted to, but he couldn't change his biological parents-in-law...

He sighed softly and gently placed two peeled cloves of garlic on his cutting board: "Alright, it's just egg drop soup, what's the big deal? I'll learn."

Vice President Zhang's kitchen is right next door.

He cooked in silence, but his mind was already focused on Yan Changye. He overheard every word of the conversation between the father-in-law and son-in-law, and spilled a bowl of spicy blood curd three times in his hands.

The restaurant at Hanyueting is quite large, with round stone slab tables that can seat twenty people, and dishes began to be served one after another.

When the conversation in the living room was almost over, more than thirty dishes were neatly served on the table.

Among them was a large bowl of egg drop soup that didn't look particularly appealing.

"Come here, come here, dinner's ready!" Huo Yungui called out, then hooked his arm around Yan Changye's shoulder. "Brother-in-law, come here, come here, I'll sit with you."

On the other side of the banquet night, Jiang Manman was specially reserved.

As soon as Jiang Manman sat down, Yan Changye attentively served her a bowl of egg drop soup:

"Madam, this is something I made for you myself under Dad's guidance. Please try it."

On the other side of the round table, Wang Ying gave Huo Mingcai a reproachful look: "He came all this way, how can we let him cook? Besides, the capital is not like Chongqing, what man knows how to do these things?"

Huo Mingcai's voice was very low, only Wang Ying could hear: "You don't know, this son-in-law has nothing to look at except his face. His cooking skills are terrible, he has a sharp tongue, and he doesn't even hand over his salary..."

Wang Ying looked at him and said seriously, "If you could grow up to be like him, I would be willing to support you even if I didn't know how to cook or hand over my salary."

Huo Mingcai suddenly shut his mouth.

(End of this chapter)