Gourmet Kindergarten

"Click".

As the key was turned, half a head peeked through the crack in the door, its eyes scanning left and right.

The living room was empty.

The restaurant was empty.

Aunt Xu glanced up at the clock—11:50.

I immediately felt reassured.

The old man's biological clock is more accurate than an alarm clock; he sleeps until 2:30 pm without fail, at which point he's definitely "lying dead" in the house.

Safety.

She let out a long breath, squeezed through the door, and gently closed the security door behind her.

The moment I slipped on my slippers, I instantly transformed into a cat—stepping as lightly as possible, I slid into the kitchen, hugging the wall.

As soon as the door closed, he quickly pulled a plastic lunchbox out of his bag.

The lid was lifted—

A strong, sweet and sour flavor mixed with garlic aroma hits you right in the face!

"Well……"

Aunt Xu swallowed hard.

Inside the box, golden-brown sweet and sour pork is coated with amber-colored sweet and sour sauce; next to it lies a small mound of steamed shrimp with garlic and vermicelli, the vermicelli glistening with the sauce.

The most amazing thing was those six big red shrimp—the shrimp meat was rolled into the shape of a heart, with its bright red tail sticking up, it was so exquisite.

"Principal Pei really puts a lot of thought into this, even the shrimp looks amazing..." Aunt Xu picked up her chopsticks and muttered, "It looks really good, but there's not enough of it. Adding some more would make it perfect."

Little did she know that the so-called "small portion" was because her granddaughter Yuanyuan felt sorry for her and took a little extra from her own plate after Pei Qian served her food.

This is not a small quantity.

This is a profound expression of filial piety!

"Try one first—"

The chopsticks shot out like lightning!

The tip of the chopsticks had just touched a piece of crispy meat—

Click.

The bedroom door opened.

"My dear, is that you?"

Aunt Xu froze, her hand holding the chopsticks instantly becoming a statue.

The piece of sweet and sour pork "thudded" off the chopsticks, fell back into the box, and splashed a drop of sweet and sour sauce.

Didn't I say I always sleep until 2:30?!

Why aren't you following the script today?!

Aunt Xu cursed the old man's biological clock in her mind, but replied in a stiff voice, "Um... I'm back."

"Slip-flops, slip-flops, slip-flops..."

The footsteps approached at a leisurely pace.

That's too late!

Alarm bells rang in Aunt Xu's mind. She slammed the lid shut, hurriedly stuffed the box into a corner of the cupboard, threw the chopsticks into the trash can, grabbed a rag, and frantically wiped the stove.

Xu Youfu stopped at the kitchen doorway, rubbing his eyes. "I think I heard the door open. Let me check... Wait, something's not right—"

As he spoke, he sniffed sharply.

Aunt Xu quickly interrupted, "Old man, why don't you sleep a little longer? It's not time yet."

"It wasn't time yet, but you woke me up by opening the door, and then I smelled this smell again..." Xu Youfu recovered, his nostrils flaring wildly. "What's that smell? It's so sweet and sour... and there's garlic in it..."

"Where does it smell? Are you still asleep?" Aunt Xu stubbornly denied it, her back already soaked with sweat.

"Bullshit! My nose is sharper than a dog's, how could I be wrong?"

Xu Youfu didn't believe it at all and followed the smell, scanning back and forth in the kitchen.

My gaze shifted and instantly locked onto the cabinet that wasn't properly tucked in, with a plastic corner sticking out.

He strode over and flung open the cabinet door!

The transparent lunchbox reflected a glint of light in the dimly lit cabinet.

It can't be hidden anymore.

Aunt Xu reluctantly confessed, "Alright, alright, I did hide some food!"

"You old hag!" Xu Youfu's eyes widened. "You've been cheating on me! What happened to sharing joys and sorrows?"

Aunt Xu: "..."

"Tell me! Where did this come from?" Xu Youfu picked up the lunchbox. "Didn't you say you were delivering lunch to the kindergarten? Why are you bringing food home instead?"

"It's... something I brought back from Yuanyuan's kindergarten."

"???"

Xu Youfu thought he had misheard: "Tell me again, where did you bring it back from?"

"Yuanyuan Kindergarten."

"ah?!"

Xu Youfu's expression changed, and he narrowed his eyes: "Come on, tell me, what exactly are you hiding from me? You were supposed to be delivering food, so why did it turn into you rummaging through the garden to bring vegetables home?"

He pointed a finger at Aunt Xu: "Ever since you changed Yuanyuan's kindergarten last night, I've felt something's wrong with you. Confess!"

Aunt Xu couldn't withstand the old man's persistent questioning, and she confessed everything in just a few words.

"Ouch—!"

Upon hearing this, Xu Youfu was so angry that he spun around on the spot and began to berate her: "Listen to what you've done! Using the guise of delivering meals, you're actually exchanging them for food from Yuanyuan Garden?! Did you get your brain squeezed by a door or kicked by a donkey? What kind of grandmother are you?!"

The barrage of words was swift and sharp, leaving Aunt Xu cowering in a corner, too afraid to utter a single word.

This is indeed unethical, and she has no face to argue.

"snort!"

Xu Youfu glared at her. "You actually know how to blush?"

As she spoke, she picked up the lunchbox and slammed the lid open: "I want to see just how divine this sweet and sour pork and steamed shrimp with garlic and vermicelli is that it would make you do something so disrespectful to your elders!"

The moment the lid was opened—

A rich, sweet and sour aroma, mixed with a strong garlic flavor, wafted out and silently entered Xu Youfu's nasal cavity, instantly conquering his taste buds.

He had eaten sweet and sour pork his whole life, and he had also eaten plenty of steamed shrimp with garlic and vermicelli, but he had never seen anyone make these two dishes so fragrant and pleasing to the eye.

"My God..."

Xu Youfu took a deep breath, his anger instantly vanishing, replaced by a look of pure bliss: "This...this smells so good!"

"Of course!"

Aunt Xu's expression changed instantly; her cravings were fully awakened, and she turned to reach for the chopstick holder—

"Smack."

Xu Youfu slapped her hand.

What are you doing with those chopsticks?

Aunt Xu glared at him: "Eat together! How can you eat without chopsticks?"

"Who told you we were going to eat together?"

Xu Youfu pushed the chopstick holder inside, picked up a pair of chopsticks, picked up the lunchbox, and turned to leave, saying, "Go away, this is none of your business."

Aunt Xu: "???"

"Xu Youfu, what do you mean by this?"

"You'd even cheat your own granddaughter out of her food just to get a decent meal! You're heartless, old woman—I don't need a husband like you!" Xu Youfu said righteously, without turning his head. "I'm confiscating this as punishment! You're not allowed to fight with Yuanyuan for food anymore. You'd better reflect on your actions here!"

Before the words were even finished, the person had already dashed into the bedroom and slammed the door shut behind them.

Aunt Xu stood there, stunned.

One second, two seconds, three seconds...

I realized it belatedly.

Good heavens—so all that righteous cursing was just a pretext to take it all for himself?!

"Xu Youfu! You old bastard! You're not human..."

Aunt Xu rushed to the bedroom door, turned the handle—and locked it.

"Bang bang bang!"

Knock on the door.

"Xu Youfu, if you're so capable of taking it all for yourself, then open the door!"

……

Meanwhile, not far from Aunt Xu's house was Li Shufen's house.

"Dad, where's Mom? I just heard the door open."

Liu Yueru pushed open her bedroom door, leaned half her body out, and shouted into the living room.

Liu Weimin sat on the sofa flipping through the newspaper without even looking up: "I'm going back to my room. I said I'm tired and want to sleep for a while."

"Tired? Sleeping? When did my mom develop the habit of taking afternoon naps?" Liu Yueru frowned. "Did the sun rise in the west today?"

"Well……"

Liu Weimin paused, his newspaper holding him stuck in his throat.

His daughter's mention of it only made things more suspicious.

My wife went out to deliver lunch, and came back with a sullen face.

He casually asked a question, but the man, without even changing his shoes properly, coldly said, "I'm tired, I'm going to sleep, don't bother me," and went straight into the bedroom and closed the door.

My wife isn't usually like this.

"Should I...go check on him?" Liu Yueru's expression changed slightly. "It's the middle of the day, what if he got heatstroke outside?"

Now.

Liu Weimin was worried.

I immediately put down the newspaper in my hand and decided that I needed to take a look.

"Me too..."