Gourmet Kindergarten

The two squeezed into the kitchen one after the other, their steps pausing simultaneously.

On the work surface, two dishes have been cooked.

A thick cloud of hot air, carrying an extremely strong fragrance, hit them head-on, instantly captivating them and making them unable to move.

The most eye-catching dish is steamed shrimp with garlic and vermicelli.

The shrimp were prepared perfectly; the shells were completely removed from the bodies, leaving only a bright little red shell at the tip of the tail.

The shrimp meat was shaped into a plump heart shape, with its tail proudly sticking up in the air.

The glass noodles underneath are soaked in the sweet and savory broth, glistening with oil, and garnished with golden minced garlic and bright green scallions.

This isn't food.

It's practically a miniature work of art.

There was a large bucket of tomato and egg soup next to it.

The tomatoes were stewed until they were completely soft and tender, resulting in a rich, red soup. The golden egg flowers were beaten large and fluffy, floating in a mix of red and yellow, making it look appetizing.

Looking into the pot again—

Sweet and sour pork.

Each piece is coated with an amber-colored sweet and sour sauce, the sweet and sour flavor mixed with the aroma of fried garlic, hitting you right in the head.

The slices of meat sizzled with tiny oil bubbles, making an irresistible sound.

Aunt Zhao's mouth was half open as she swallowed hard.

Grandpa Li's eyes were practically glued to the sweet and sour pork, and the frequency of his smacking lips increased dramatically.

"These shrimp... they're even shaped into hearts?" Aunt Zhao exclaimed, pointing at the plate with her finger. "The young headmaster is so thoughtful! The knife skills and the plating are so good, you could believe it was just served at a five-star hotel! One bite and you'd be on cloud nine!"

It was rare for Grandpa Li to be on Aunt Zhao's side, so he nodded in agreement.

Pei Qian didn't respond. Holding the spatula, he glanced at the two of them expressionlessly.

"Uncle Li, Aunt Zhao, what brings you two here? What's wrong? You've stopped arguing?"

Aunt Zhao forced an awkward yet polite smile: "Hehe, arguing is nothing compared to the aroma of a good meal."

Grandpa Li shamelessly chimed in, "That's right, one has to be pragmatic. I can tell from the smell that the headmaster's side is more important."

As she spoke, Aunt Zhao rubbed her hands together: "Little director, let me help you deliver the meals. I've just finished my work—"

"No need, we have enough manpower."

Aunt Zhao's hand froze in mid-air. She exchanged a glance with Grandpa Li and stood there awkwardly, unsure whether to leave or stay.

But the aroma was just too overpowering.

Aunt Zhao's gaze quietly drifted back to the sweet and sour pork, while Grandpa Li subtly moved half a step towards the stove.

Pei Qian looked at the two old children—one staring longingly, the other swallowing hard.

What can you do with your own employees?

Just spoil them.

He turned around, took out two plates, and started eating.

The rice was piled high, the sweet and sour pork was stacked almost halfway up the plate, six heart-shaped shrimp were arranged, glass noodles were drizzled with a spoonful of garlic sauce, and finally a large spoonful of tomato and egg drop soup was ladled out, the soup seeping down through the gaps in the rice.

Two portions.

The same.

It was slammed onto the control panel.

"Uncle Li, Aunt Zhao, please take this and eat it."

"Oh dear, young director, we can't accept this!" Aunt Zhao declined verbally, but her eyes remained glued to the plate. "You've been busy all day, and you haven't even eaten yet. How can we possibly start eating first—"

Grandpa Li waved his hand in agreement, saying, "That's right, that's right. The children haven't even started eating yet, it's really inappropriate. We just came to take a look..."

Pei Qian knew perfectly well what was going on, and slowly reached out his hand, as if to take the plate back.

"Alright, I take it back—"

Grandpa Li: "..."

Aunt Zhao: "..."

No, we were just going through the motions and being polite, and you actually took it seriously?!

"Whoosh—"

Aunt Zhao was the first to act, pressing down on the plate: "It's a waste to serve it and not eat it!"

"Exactly! Wasting food is shameful!" Grandpa Li was quick as well, taking the whole plate away.

Pei Qian smiled and shook his head. Seeing Aunt Zhang's expression, he said, "Aunt Zhang, why don't you come eat with me in the classroom later?"

"It's okay, I'm not hungry yet!"

But then his stomach rumbled loudly and clearly in front of everyone.

Anyone else would have blushed by now, but Aunt Zhang didn't flinch for a second. With her dark, muscular arms outstretched, she deftly picked up the stainless steel bowl, placed it on the cart, and strode out.

"Little principal, stop dawdling and deliver the food!"

Pei Qian: "..."

Okay, these employees are all incredibly hardcore.

……

As soon as Grandpa Li sat down, before his bottom had even warmed the stool, his iron ladle was already aimed straight at the tomato and egg soup.

For gourmets, the first rule of eating is to drink the soup first.

"Slurp—"

I swallowed a big mouthful of boiling soup.

Grandpa Li was completely stunned.

Holy crap!

This soup... is amazing!

Having eaten for over sixty years, I've drunk at least a thousand bowls of tomato and egg soup.

He's tried everything: the dishes his wife made, the ones from roadside eateries, the ones cooked in big iron pots at rural banquets, and even the fancy versions with cream from five-star hotels.

I thought that cooking in an iron pot in the countryside was the ultimate solution, but after just one sip of this soup, all those previous methods seemed like mere compromises.

It's not that others did a bad job, it's that this soup is so unethical!

Looking down, I saw a piece of tomato and a clump of egg at the bottom of the spoon.

I casually put it in my mouth.

The tomatoes were stewed until they were very soft and melted in your mouth, with no trace of rawness or fishiness, and the sweet and sour flavor was ridiculously rich.

The egg drop soup was large and tender, coated in broth and sliding down the tongue—its tenderness defied all common sense in cooking.

Grandpa Li squinted his eyes in comfort, savoring the divine feeling.

"Cuihua, honestly, the soup the little headmaster made is absolutely delicious, it really touches my heart..."

Grandpa Li looked delighted, waiting for his old friend to chime in.

one second.

two seconds.

three seconds.

No one responded.

Not right.

Aunt Zhao's usual "hmm" is louder than a mosquito's buzz, so why is she so quiet today?

Grandpa Li opened his eyes suspiciously.

This was a serious matter; as soon as I looked, my blood pressure spiked to the top of my head.

Holy crap!

The plate, which had originally been piled high with sweet and sour pork, now only had five pieces left.

The garlic vermicelli shrimp were huge; out of six, only one remained.

The fans below were completely scattered and disorganized.

Who else could have done this?

It's obvious even to a fool!

Mr. Li's composure completely collapsed on the spot.

"Zhao Cuihua! You old hag! Are you a reincarnated starving ghost?"

"Give me back my sweet and sour pork! Give me back my shrimp!"

Before the words were even finished, I caught a glimpse of Aunt Zhao's chopsticks, which were subtly and slowly reaching for the last shrimp on the plate.

"Snapped!"

Grandpa Li reacted quickly, slapping Aunt Zhao's hand away and snatching the last shrimp back onto his plate with his other hand.

"Ouch!" Aunt Zhao exclaimed in dissatisfaction.

"My meat, my shrimp..."

Grandpa Li clutched the plate tightly, his heart filled with unshed tears.

What terrible thing have I done to deserve this?

Every time we eat, they have to go through a lot of rituals, tasting this and that, and making endless comments.

By the time I remembered to pick up my chopsticks, there was only the bottom left.

never mind!

Even if there's only one left, it's better than nothing.

Grandpa Li consoled himself as he picked up a shrimp and put it in his mouth.

The next second, his eyes widened suddenly.

Immediately afterwards, tears streamed down my face uncontrollably.

"Waaaah...it's so delicious!"

The shrimp meat was steamed until plump and firm. As soon as you closed your teeth, an extremely sweet and fresh flavor mixed with garlic instantly spread in your mouth.

It's so delicious it makes your tongue tingle.

Grandpa Li chewed his food while tears streamed down his face, a mixture of sorrow and joy.

It was really delicious, but it was also a real rip-off.

"Damn it! Zhao Cuihua, you really deserve to die!"

"Did I dig up your ancestral grave in my past life, or did I owe you eight hundred strings of cash? How dare you steal five of my shrimp! A whole five!"

Faced with this tearful accusation, Aunt Zhao guiltily touched her nose and gave an awkward smile:

"Uh... Old Li, it's really not my fault. The garlic shrimp was just too fresh. I could resist, but my chopsticks had a mind of their own!"

"You're still making excuses—"

"If you want to blame someone, blame the headmistress for being too skilled. This is beyond our control, understand?"

"..."

Grandpa Li was so choked up that his eyes rolled back, his lips trembled for a long time, and he finally managed to utter a broken roar:

"Force majeure my ass! Sticking your chopsticks into my plate is blatant robbery!"