Chapter 9_5

Moreover, the flames rising from the large stove were not the usual color, they were a ghostly green.

"Little brat, go play outside, don't get in the way here!" The chef urged impatiently.

Li Zhiyuan spoke up: "Wow, you're so amazing, the dishes you make are so delicious, I want to be a chef when I grow up, I want to learn from you!"

"Hehe." The chubby chef put away his impatience, and chuckled, "Just focus on your studies, forget about becoming a damn chef, it's so tough in this hot summer."

"No, I want to be a chef, it's great being a chef, you get to eat lots of delicious food, also, I'm not smart, I have poor academic performance, I can't learn well."

"Poor at studies, huh? Then you must learn a skill quickly, otherwise, you'll starve in the future."

"You really are amazing, wow, so this is how it's done, you're too impressive, I'll just watch from the side and won't bother you."

The chubby chef didn't agree, but he didn't chase him away either.

Li Zhiyuan stood by, occasionally offering more praise and occasionally helping to pass a plate or add some ingredients.

Actually, this kind of praise was really against his will, since whatever dish the chef made was just a mess of paste and color.

But watching dish after dish being completed like this... it felt quite strange.

Having stood there for a long time, someone outside announced: "First batch is done, second batch is taking their seats!"

Following this, more dirty dishes were brought over, after being scrubbed with sand by the old nannies, they were placed on the chef's side to be reloaded.

The first to be served were the cold dishes, there was a chef specializing in cold dishes, so the chubby chef could take a break. He first wiped the sweat on his neck with the towel hanging around it, then picked up two pieces of tiger skin pork, ate one himself, and handed the other to Li Zhiyuan.

"Here, eat."

"No thanks."

"Don't be shy, eat."

"I just ate my fill already."

Li Zhiyuan felt it might be because he had over-praised earlier, leading to the chubby chef's excessive enthusiasm.

However, right after his second refusal, the chubby chef's expression suddenly turned cold.

Li Zhiyuan noticed, a shadow started forming under his feet, spreading slowly.

The cold dish chef and the old nannies washing dishes also turned their heads to look at him.

Clearly... where would a child refuse a big piece of meat these days?

Reluctantly, Li Zhiyuan could only take the piece of meat from the chubby chef's hand, put it into his mouth, chewing while showing an awkward smile as if his earlier refusal was just due to shyness:

"It's delicious, truly fragrant."

The chubby chef's face brightened up with a smile, the shadow beneath started retracting, while everyone else continued their work.

"Ah, sister, how did your shoe get damaged, how careless are you, they are your new shoes, I haven't even worn new ones yet, mom is going to scold you when we go back!"

Saying this, Li Zhiyuan squatted down, pretending to fix Qin Li's shoe but actually secretly spit the meat from his mouth onto the ground, then gently placing her left foot on the meat.

He had thought about just swallowing the meat, considering it just like eating a bit of paper, not a big deal, but as soon as the meat entered his mouth, a specific indescribable disgust hit him, shooting straight to his forehead, and his stomach started cramping.

It was as if he was eating food that absolutely didn't belong to him.

After standing up, Li Zhiyuan started to breathe deeply, attempting to rid himself of that intense discomfort sooner.

Qin Li lowered her head, looking at her feet, her body began trembling.

Li Zhiyuan guessed she must be upset about her shoes getting dirty.

Holding her hand, Li Zhiyuan leaned closer to her, softly said in an exhausted tone, "Please, just endure it for a bit, be good."

Qin Li raised her head, gradually stopped trembling, and didn't move her shoes away from the dirty object.

Seeing her like this, Li Zhiyuan felt a slight touch of emotion in his heart.

But the emotion didn't last long, as the chubby chef, probably really pumped up by the praise, actually brought out a big chicken leg and handed it over:

"Here, kiddo, have a chicken leg!"

Li Zhiyuan: "..."

Without hesitation, Li Zhiyuan took it, bit off a big mouthful, and chuckled, "This chicken leg is really delicious, so fragrant."

The chubby chef: "Hahahaha!"

"Ah, sister, there's a grease stain on your dress, honestly, you don't know how to take care of new clothes at all. No wonder mom says you're a loss!"

Li Zhiyuan quickly squatted down again, pretending to help his sister clean the stain on her dress, grabbed Qin Li's right ankle, lifted it up, and spat out the remaining chicken leg in his mouth onto her shoe.

"Ah..."

The bitter taste in his mouth, dizziness, stomach cramps, and a wholehearted feeling of revulsion almost kept Li Zhiyuan from standing up. If he hadn't braced himself with his hand quickly, he might have actually ended up lying on the ground.

But he eventually managed to stand up with great effort.

This food, he really can't even touch it, it's not meant for living people.

Fortunately, the chubby chef didn't keep offering more food and started busy preparing the second batch of hot dishes for the guests.

After the second batch ended, the meal also dispersed, and Li Zhiyuan felt that he and Qin Li could finally escape from there once it ended.

Finally, he saw the chubby chef pour out the sweet dumpling soup.

This was the dessert dish here, the closing dish. The dish being served meant the meal was ending.

Li Zhiyuan's heart lifted, he squeezed Qin Li's hand: it's about to end.

Just then, the old lady's voice came from the kitchen entrance:

"It's really been hard on you chefs, I feel so bad for the trouble you've gone through."

Li Zhiyuan tensed up, immediately pulling Qin Li behind a stove and squatted down, using the stove and the chubby chef's body to block the view from the kitchen entrance.

Chubby Chef: "Old nanny, may you live a hundred years, long life beyond the southern mountains, hahaha!"

"Hehe, I don't really want to live that long, living too long would just annoy the younger generations."

"What are you talking about, having an elder in the family is like having a treasure, I'd love it if my own mother could live to be a hundred."

"Your mother is lucky to have a son like you. Those of mine think that my living longer will suck away the grandchildren's fortune and bring calamity to the family."

"What nonsense, who talks about their own mother like that, really unacceptable."

"Ah, let's not talk about them; they aren't necessarily wrong, I'm old and not of much use, staying home just consumes food and makes them uncomfortable."

"No wonder I didn't see your two sons today. Your daughter didn't come either?"

"Mm, she didn't come either."

"Really, not even coming for their mother's birthday, that's not right."

"It's fine, it's fine. In a few days, I'll go find them, hehe... hehe... hehehe."

The old lady's laughter gradually shifted from normal to sharp, and the sound, previously from outside the stove, floated uncertainly, getting closer and clearer until it seemed to freeze right above him.

Crouching on the ground, Li Zhiyuan slowly lifted his head.

Just a few centimeters from his face was the face of an old nanny with a cat-like appearance.

He could clearly see the dense fur on her face and count the whiskers on her face, her teeth so sharp they could hardly be contained by her lips, and in those green eyes, there was full of ridicule.

"Little kid, you're here, huh?"