"Director Liang, everyone else has finished eating; we're just waiting for you..."
Seeing Liang Yinqiu coming over, Aunt Lin immediately fetched the reserved meal and placed it on the table outside.
Looking at the meal, Liang Yinqiu's first reaction was...
Too much, way too much, way too much.
The dishes on the plate were piled high, and even the soup was served in a large bowl.
They were obviously worried she wouldn't have enough to eat...
Seeing this.
She couldn't help but exclaim lightly, "Aunt Lin, why did you save so much food for me? Even the soup is so much."
Aunt Lin replied with a smile, "The dishes Chef Huang made are delicious, and the soup he stewed is also very tasty. Teacher Jiang and the others even went for seconds and thirds, so I made sure to set aside a little extra for you."
Aunt Li added, "Director Liang, you have no idea, the dishes Chef Huang made at lunchtime were a big hit. The teachers all ate very well, and there wasn't any leftover dishes or soup. If Aunt Lin hadn't been foresighted and saved some for you, we'd have to trouble Chef Huang to make a special batch just for you!"
"Is that so? That's great."
Hearing this, Liang Yinqiu felt very pleased.
After all, Huang Jun's culinary skills being a hit with the teachers further proved her good judgment.
Looking at the eight glistening golden braised prawns, the six pieces of golden scallion tofu, the mushroom stir-fried meat almost spilling over the plate, along with a large serving of soft glutinous rice and the refreshing-looking corn rib winter melon soup...
The aroma was enticing, and the presentation was excellent.
Liang Yinqiu's appetite was immediately piqued.
She picked up a soup spoon and first tasted the soup.
The softness of the winter melon, the sweetness of the corn, and the richness of the ribs intertwined in the soup, making it taste not greasy at all, but fresh and slightly refreshing, enticing her to sip continuously.
After drinking a few sips of soup, she ate a piece of soft, refreshing winter melon, had a few more sips of soup, ate a piece of sweet and juicy corn, and finally a piece of tender bone-in ribs, feeling completely soothed.
Every semester at the start, the kindergarten was always extremely busy, leaving her feeling both physically and mentally exhausted.
Now, unknowingly, she had drunk half the bowl of soup and felt at ease in both body and mind, and her stomach was fully awakened.
Putting down the soup spoon, Liang Yinqiu began to immerse herself in other delicacies.
She had already tasted the braised prawns during a previous tasting, and now savoring them again, the taste was just as familiar and wonderful.
Next, she picked up a chopstick full of mushroom stir-fried meat and sent it into her mouth.
The lean meat, expertly cooked, retained its tender and smooth texture, perfectly intertwined with the richness of the mushrooms and various seasonings, offering a particularly delightful savor.
With great anticipation, she tasted a piece of scallion tofu.
The tofu was of moderate size, with a crispy exterior yet maintaining a tender interior.
The addition of scallions added a special freshness to the dish.
Finally.
She tasted the most ordinary white rice.
The rice had just the right texture, soft without being mushy, easy to bite into yet still offering a grainy sensation.
Evidently, the water-to-rice ratio was mastered perfectly.
Previously, she had been a little worried, fearing that the braised prawns were one of Huang Jun's specialty dishes.
And that's why they were particularly delicious.
Now, having tasted the soup, the mushroom stir-fried meat, and the scallion tofu, and realizing that even the plain white rice was so fragrant and sticky, she was completely relieved, feeling she had indeed found a treasure.
Just as Liang Yinqiu grew more satisfied with each bite, Aunt Li appeared at the guard-room doorway with a tray of food and called out to Uncle Li inside.
"Old Li, open the door, I brought you some food..."
"Oh, it's Aunt Li..."
Uncle Li hurriedly got up, opened the door, and seeing it was Aunt Li, he greeted her with a smile, "Would you like to come in and sit for a bit..."
"I won't come in, there's still a ton of work waiting for me in the kitchen!"
Aunt Li shook her head, politely declining his invitation, and couldn't help but share, "Let me tell you, the dishes Chef Huang cooked today were so delicious, the teachers were all scrambling for seconds. If Aunt Lin hadn't been thoughtful and set some aside for you, you'd be going hungry this noon."
Oh, is it that exaggerated?
Hearing this, Uncle Li couldn't help but show a hint of disbelief in his eyes.
"Old Li, what are you standing there for? Take it already..."
Aunt Li handed him the tray.
Just as Uncle Li was about to take it, he was hit by a sudden waft of fragrance.
"Gulp..."
Uncle Li couldn't resist swallowing a big gulp of saliva.
"Smells good, doesn't it!"
Seeing him salivate, Aunt Li felt pleased and satisfied.
Who told Uncle Li not to believe her a few days ago, and now he's questioning her again!
See, now he's all tempted...
Uncle Li awkwardly smiled, "Indeed, it smells so good, it makes my mouth water."
When he looked down at the dishes on the plate, his eyes lit up, and he thought these dishes looked fantastic, so the taste must be pretty good too.
At this moment, the balance in his heart tilted a bit, and he started to believe Aunt Li's words.
"Alright, enjoy your meal, I'll head back now."
"Okay, take care, thanks..."
Uncle Li watched Aunt Li leave, sat down at the table with the plate, picked up a large prawn, and quickly began to eat.
Hmm, delicious!
Much tastier than the shrimp at home, the shell is crispy, the meat is tender, and the flavor is exquisite. Oh no, even better than the oil-braised prawns at the New Year's Eve dinner in a hotel.
Uncle Li slowly savored mouthfuls of the dishes, rice, and soup.
How to say, every dish is delicious!
If a chef can only make one delicious dish, it's merely occasional success. But if he can make every dish so flavorful, that is true skill!
This meal gave Uncle Li a whole new appreciation for Huang Jun's culinary skills, and he deeply realized that Aunt Li was right, feeling a bit embarrassed for his previous doubts.
...
In the classroom of the Little (Four) Class.
Qingqing and Weiwei played for a while and then leaned against Huang Jun, starting to feel sleepy.
That's how kids are.
Maybe they were full of energy a moment ago, but the next moment they might just crash.
Especially since Qingqing and Weiwei have a nap habit at home.
It's quite normal that they want to sleep now.
"Qingqing's dad, I see that Qingqing and Weiwei are getting sleepy, why don't you take them to the nap room inside? I've already laid out their quilts."
The classroom was divided into two parts, and the inside was where the children took their naps, filled with bunk beds, and Qingqing and Weiwei's beds already had quilts laid out.
Huang Jun picked up the two little ones, one in each arm, and they snuggled into his arms immediately, closing their eyes.
They were exhausted.
Yang Yuxi intended to help hold one of them, but Huang Jun was afraid it might wake the kids, so he politely declined her offer and asked her to lead the way instead.
Following Yang Yuxi's guidance, he placed Qingqing and Weiwei on their little beds.
Their small beds were right next to each other.
Even though lying on the bed would be more comfortable, as soon as they left his arms, the two little ones frowned and whimpered, obviously reluctant.
Huang Jun squatted by the bedside, gently patting them until the little ones fell soundly asleep, then lightly covered their bellies with a small quilt to prevent them from catching a cold.
"Qingqing's dad, did you prepare Qingqing and Weiwei for school in advance at home? Kids like them, who can eat by themselves and have a good nap habit, really make things easier for us."
Upon hearing Yang Yuxi's words, Huang Jun felt a bit bashful.
He did teach the two kids to eat by themselves, but as for napping, it was mainly because after lunch he needed to write, and didn't have time to play with them. The two little ones were very considerate, knowing that if they wanted to stay around dad, they shouldn't make a fuss, so they quietly lay on the bed to play, and while playing, they would fall asleep, gradually developing a good nap habit.
"Actually, I didn't really prepare them for school; it's mainly because the kids are well-behaved." Huang Jun touched the little faces of the two kids.
He felt that maybe he hadn't been a good enough stay-at-home dad before.
But there's nothing he could do; it was all for life's sake!
Time quietly passed, and it was soon past two o'clock.
Qingqing and Weiwei woke up, and seeing that the sun outside wasn't too strong, Huang Jun planned to take the two daughters home. After saying goodbye to Yang Yuxi, the three of them headed for the school gate.
"Chef Huang, are you heading back?"
From afar, Uncle Li waved at the father and daughters and said.
Huang Jun politely replied, "Yes, I don't have to cook this afternoon, so I'm heading back first."
"You must be tired from working all morning, so go home and rest early."
In the end, he didn't forget to give a compliment: "The food you made was really fragrant and delicious; it's the best meal I've had since I came to this school."
"As long as you liked it."
Hearing the compliment, Huang Jun was very happy.
Qingqing and Weiwei were also happy, even happier than when praised themselves.
"See you tomorrow, Uncle Policeman..."
"Yes, see you tomorrow..."
Uncle Li found the little ones very cute.
But thinking that he wouldn't get to eat Huang Jun's cooking tonight made him feel a bit empty inside.