Is It Too Late to Leave the Chat Group?

“What are you planning to cook?”

“Three earthly treasures, oil-braised prawns, cola chicken, braised lion’s head, sweet and sour pork ribs, and water-poached meat slices.”

[TL Note: Lion’s head is a large meatball, not the actual head of a lion. Here is the Wikipedia entry on it: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lion%27s_Head_(food).]

[TL Note: Water-poached meat slices are a style of cooking originating from Sichuan. Despite its name, it is not a bland dish, and the meat slices, along with other ingredients, would be in a pot of oil. Here is the Wikipedia entry on it: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shuizhu.]

“You’ve learned quite a few dishes.”

“Not really. These are the ones that I’m good at. They should be quite delicious.”

“Alright. I’ll help you pick out the ingredients.”

Soon, Chen Heng and Raven carried a pile of ingredients out of the basement and walked toward the kitchen.

“It looks like our tongues will be blessed, Father.” The sight of Chen Heng and Raven carrying so many ingredients into the kitchen excited Mo Qingtong.

“Of course! Why would I lie to you? Why did you get Chen Heng to come over and cook if you don’t believe me?”

“Cough! Cough!” Mo Yun checked his surroundings. He only spoke after verifying that Liu Yunxian was not around. “Isn’t it all because I don’t want to eat your mother’s cooking? Isn’t it the same for you?”

“That is just one reason. More importantly, Little Heng’s cooking is very delicious. Just wait.”

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In the kitchen:

“Do you really not need my help?”

“I really don’t. I can cook myself. You have been driving the entire day, so you should go and rest.” Chen Heng pushed Raven out of the kitchen as he spoke.

“Alright, alright, alright. Even Little Heng shuns me now.”

“How could I shun you? I already said you have been driving the entire day. Just go and rest. At the same time, you can help me keep an eye on the workers from the electronics market coming to deliver the computer. They should be arriving soon. In any case, you have the key to my house.” Raven would occasionally help Chen Heng clean up his house or cook for him, so she had a key to his villa.

“Alright. I shall accept it as your concern. I’ll go to your place, then.”

Raven went out, leaving Chen Heng alone to prepare supper.

“Six dishes. It looks like I have to get busy.”

------

Chen Heng finished cooking after an hour.

“Qingtong, let them know it’s time to eat. Elder Sister Raven, help me bring the dishes out.”

“Got it!”

“Got it!”

Soon, Raven walked into the kitchen.

“It smells good! Little Heng, your cooking skills are truly excellent. You have great talent in this area!”

“It’s still alright. Let’s bring all these out. By the way, has Aunty Liu woken up yet?”

“She woke up 30 minutes ago. However, she did not enter since she saw you had already started. Oh, right, the computer has been delivered.”

“Ok.”

After Chen Heng and Raven brought all the dishes out, everyone else took their seats.

“Hmm. No matter how they taste, they score full marks in fragrance and looks.” No sooner had the dishes been served than Liu Yunxian started judging.

“Darling, let’s eat first. Try Little Heng’s handiwork. Little Heng, Raven, come and sit too.”

As Mo Qingtong’s personal maid, Raven should not join the family at the table during mealtimes. However, there were no outsiders here. Of course, at the Mo Family’s mansion, she would have to follow the usual convention.

Raven and Chen Heng sat down. Chen Heng sat beside Sirin, and Raven sat beside Mo Qingtong. This was what the seating arrangement was like:

Mo Yun (Host’s seat)

Liu Yunxian

Table

Chen Heng

Mo Qingtong

Table

Sirin

Raven

“Let’s eat,” said Mo Yun at the host’s seat, starting the meal.

“The taste is alright. Looks and smell get full marks. As for the taste…let’s say 80. However, Little Heng is quite talented to manage this level after practicing for a few days.”

My wife’s (my mother’s, the madam’s, Aunty’s) sense of taste is indeed strange. Mo Yun, Mo Qingtong, Raven, and Chen Heng all thought the same thing. As for Sirin, she did not have much exposure to Chinese food. Furthermore, her first Chinese meal was cooked by Chen Heng using mid-tier cooking. How could she know how well Chen Heng cooked?

“Is Aunty’s cooking better than Elder Brother’s?” Sirin asked.

“Little Sirin just arrived in China, right? Aunty will cook for you another day, and you will know.”

“Oh! Thank you, Aunty!” Poor Sirin, you still do not know what is in store for you. Well, let this be a lesson for you. You shall learn that the mouth is the source of trouble.

As for the others, they did not dare to say anything even though they knew that Chen Heng’s cooking tasted better than Liu Yunxian’s.

“Alright. Let’s dig in. Let’s not waste Little Heng’s efforts.”

“How about Little Heng come over and cook again tomorrow? Then, Mother can give him some pointers.” This time, Mo Qingtong spoke, saying something Mo Yun did not dare to.

“How can this do? How could we make the guest cook every day?” Before Chen Heng could reply, Liu Yunxian rejected this suggestion. Then, he saw Mo Qingtong and Mo Yun winking frantically at him.

“…It’s fine. Aunty Liu, don’t I still have to trouble you to give me pointers? How else do I improve my cooking skills?” What else could Chen Heng do? He could only take the hints the father-daughter pair were giving.

“That’s fine, then. Your cooking talent is excellent. Not giving you some pointers would be a waste of your talent.”

“…”

“…”

“…”

“…”

“Alright, let’s stop talking already. We should be eating, given we are at the dining table. Come on, eat up.”

How to describe this meal…Mo Yun and Mo Qingtong ate quickly and eagerly, looking like they had not eaten for three days. However, Chen Heng understood. After all, mid-tier cooking could already be considered the pinnacle of mortal chefs. Even if he tried to make it terrible, consider what his cooking was compared with.

During the meal, Chen Heng kept serving Sirin food. After all, she was still young, and her arms were not long enough. Mo Qingtong clearly saw this action. As she devoured her food, she stared at Chen Heng with envy in her eyes.

[TL Note: The Chinese meal typically involves dishes in the center of the table. Everyone would have a bowl of rice and serve themselves food from the shared dishes in the center to eat with their rice. Serving another person food is seen as care and concern for that person, especially when the better parts like a chicken leg, for example, are picked.]

“I’ll be going back with Sirin, then. Sorry to leave the dishes to Elder Sister Raven.” After eating, it was time to go. Chen Heng did not plan on staying too long lest Sirin grow too attached.

“Got it, Young Master Heng.”

“Little Heng, remember to come over and cook tomorrow.”

“Got it!”

Chen Heng did not need Raven to send him off. He held Sirin’s hand as they saw themselves out.

After reaching home, Sirin rushed to check out the new computer, leaving Chen Heng sitting on the sofa alone.

In reality, Chen Heng was leisurely chatting in the chat group.

Blank Never Loses: That’s why I say Gabriel is truly, truly lousy! I can’t carry her much longer.

Faillen Angel Gabriel: Boss, don’t say that. Let’s play a few more rounds. It’s not even seven yet.

Umaru-chan: Go on without me. My elder brother is back. I have to tidy up the room before he gets angry.

Iron Fist Teacher: Youth is great.

Magus of Flowers: Wake up. You are just 30. Look at Skadi and Yakumo Yukari. Which of them is not a granny thousands of years old?

17-Year-Old Beautiful Young Lady: Merlin, it’s over for you.

Queen of Ice and Snow: Merlin, it’s over for you.

Magus of Flowers: The incapable can only rage.

17-Year-Old Beautiful Young Lady: …

Queen of Ice and Snow: …

He Who Knows Fate: I feel Merlin will eventually die because of his mouth.

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