A domineering country girl flirts with her son, and Commander Huo can't resist.

In contrast to the complaints about the police station's canteen, Tian Yongfu's family in Lianchi Village was much happier.

There was no one to cook lunch at home. Tian Yongfu had originally planned to have Li Dongmei cook some sweet potatoes and potatoes to make porridge for the three children of the Huo family.

Before the fire could even be lit, Aunt Liu entered the house singing a little tune, carrying a large bag on her back.

Once she put it down and opened it, she found it was full of packed meals and white rice, completely full.

At lunchtime, Aunt Liu told them how much she had learned during her day at the machine tool factory.

When Tian Yongfu heard Qiao An scolding the eighth-grade worker like a grandson, he was so shocked that he almost dropped his chopsticks.

On the contrary, Huo Chen and Huo Ning held their heads high, thinking that their mother was really amazing!

In the afternoon, Qiao An did not go to the black market. She originally planned to ride her bike home, but she saw Chief Engineer Zhao as soon as she left the police station.

"I rushed to pick you up last night because I was worried it would be inconvenient for you to go back to the village today, so Guoqiang and I drove you back together."

Qiao Angang said no need, but Zhao Zhengang pointed to the car and said, "There's a woman in the car, just in case people gossip."

Putting everything else aside, her efforts were truly thoughtful; refusing her now would make her seem insensible.

"Okay, then I'll leave it to Chief Engineer Zhao."

Qiao An sat in the back. The woman in the car was named Jiang Xiaoyan, Qi Guoqiang's cousin. She was originally on her way home, but Qi Guoqiang ran into her on the road and pulled her into the car.

Jiang Xiaoyan was about the same age as Qiao An and had a very outgoing personality. She quickly started chatting with Qiao An.

The little jeep once again drove into Lianchi Village in a ostentatious manner.

Most of them are working at the north end of the village at this time, and only a few elderly people see them.

"Is this the little jeep that picked up Joan yesterday? Did you bring her back?"

"You said you didn't come back all night... did you go off to do something?"

"Don't talk nonsense, Aunt Liu went with them yesterday."

"Aunt Liu came back this morning by carriage, while Qiao An came by car."

"I'm not kidding, but could it be that some big boss has taken a liking to that girl? She works in town now, but her heart is already wandering."

"That's right, once a woman goes out and sees more of the world, her mind is no longer on home."

Qiao An didn't hear these sounds, but if she had, she would have gone down and given them a good scolding.

Before Aunt Liu could even tell anyone about her time at the machine tool factory, these old women started gossiping.

The jeep was parked in front of Qiao An's house.

Just as they were about to drive away, Qiao An remembered the matter of supplying steamed buns to the machine tool factory in the future and felt it was necessary to inform Zhao Zhengang in advance.

Since the children were all at Tian Yongfu's house today, and it was quiet, we invited them to stay for dinner.

Zhao Zhengang knew that Qiao An was rich and wouldn't be short of food, so he agreed.

Qiao An went into the kitchen and took out ingredients and seasonings from the space.

Once the fire is lit, preparations begin.

Less than an hour.

Braised chicken with shiitake mushrooms, braised pork ribs, stewed potatoes and green beans, braised eggplant, cucumber and scrambled eggs, and four scallion pancakes were served.

Looking at the dishes on the table, Zhao Zhengang couldn't help but pick up his chopsticks.

Qi Guoqiang pressed the plate against his nose and inhaled the aroma intensely.

"Wow! Comrade Qiao, do you usually eat really well at home?"

"We can't eat like this every day." Joan put down her chopsticks and sat down. "Try my cooking."

Zhao Zhengang was a man who had seen a lot of the world; he used to eat at state-run restaurants every day in the capital.

But even the food at state-run restaurants in the capital isn't as good as what Qiao An makes.

The dishes she makes have an indescribable flavor; in short, they're simply delicious!

Zhao Zhengang always adheres to the principle of eating less in the evening, but today he threw that principle to the back of his mind.

He held a scallion pancake in his left hand and a spare rib in his right, gnawing on it like someone who hadn't eaten for months. He was nowhere near the image of a chief engineer.

Qi Guoqiang and Jiang Xiaoyan weren't much better off; the two of them kept piling food onto their plates, as if they didn't know where their next meal would come from.

While they were eating, the Huo family started making a scene again.

"Mom and Dad, let's go and bring Huo Chen and the others back while Qiao An is still away."

"It's only natural for grandchildren to come to their grandparents' house. Even if my second brother comes back, he wouldn't dare say anything."

"If Joanne wants her child back, she has to give me the job at the machine tool factory."

Huo Jiyu was so obsessed with work that he couldn't concentrate on anything all day.

"Let's go together. Your dad and I will go with you. Those two little brats are hard to appease." Liu Huying looked at Huo Shoutian.

"Okay, let's go now."

Before leaving, Liu Huying instructed Wang Shuyun, "Go and cook dinner tonight, and make dinner for Huo Chen and Huo Ning as well."

"Am I the only one cooking for so many people?" Wang Shuyun complained.

"If you don't do it, who will? The eldest son's wife is getting old, and it wasn't easy for her to get pregnant with our Huo family's grandson. We can't afford any mistakes."

Liu Huying glanced at her sideways, "When you were pregnant, didn't you rest every day too? Stop talking nonsense and go cook!"

Hearing Liu Huying's scolding, Wang Shuyun subconsciously looked at Huo Jiyu, but he was preoccupied with the matter of the machine tool factory workers and had no time to care about who was cooking.

"Just do whatever Mom tells you to do. You're not some pampered city girl, what are you being so dramatic about?"

After scolding her, Huo Jiyu left with Huo Shoutian and Liu Huying.

Shen Xiufang sat at the door of the side room, cracking melon seeds. After watching the show, she said sarcastically, "Sigh, I say, Shuyun, if the third brother really goes to work in the machine tool factory, he'll be a factory worker."

"Do you think he'll still be interested in you by then?"

Wang Shuyun spat on the ground, "Whether you like it or not, I've already given the Huo family two grandsons. Don't be too happy yet. If this baby is another girl, my eldest brother definitely won't like you."

Shen Xiufang's expression changed, and she turned and went back into the house.

After Zhao Zhengang and his two companions had eaten and drunk their fill, they learned that Qiao An would start delivering food to the machine tool factory next week, and they wholeheartedly agreed.

If it weren't for the difficulty of poaching people from the police station, Zhao Zhengang would have wanted Qiao An to be the head chef at the machine tool canteen.

With her cooking skills, even chefs in the capital would have a hard time matching her.

In fact, Qiao An's skill level is average; she relies entirely on the ingredients and modern seasonings in her space.

"We're so lucky to be able to eat Xiao Qiao's cooking at the factory from now on."

Through these two days of interaction, Qi Guoqiang realized that Qiao An was a straightforward person.

If you respect her, she will respect you. But if you look down on her, she can insult you so badly you won't know what to do.

Sun Xiwang is a case in point.

Of the three, only Jiang Xiaoyan pouted, "Sister Qiao An, I'm not a worker at the machine tool factory, so I'm afraid I won't get any."

Qi Guoqiang patted his stomach and laughed, "If you want to eat this in the future, I can just bring it back to you from the cafeteria."

Just before leaving, Jiang Xiaoyan suddenly felt the urge to use the restroom.

Qi Guoqiang and Zhao Zhengang were waiting outside the courtyard.

I ate way too much today, and my stomach hurts a little from the tightness.

The two men, with Qiao An on their backs, exchanged a glance and then almost simultaneously reached for their belts.

They moved the buttonholes forward by two.

With their stomachs relieved, the two opened their mouths one after the other, letting out a relaxed and satisfied "ah".

The sound wasn't loud, simply because they were comfortable after eating.

However, the three members of the Huo family who came to snatch the child took a different view.