Fang Zichen, afraid of being hit, hid in the room holding Guaizai, and even bolted the door, acting just like an abused fulang, hiding in the room trembling with his child.
It wasn't until Zhao Ger called them for dinner that he slowly emerged from the room.
He had to come out, one couldn't skip a meal when hungry. If the stomach was empty, one had to eat.
Zhao Ger was about to serve the rice. Fang Zichen was very eager, went over and snatched the rice ladle: "Let me do it, let me do it. You worked hard cooking, go sit down."
Zhao Ger saw right through his scheme, but didn't say anything. He sat down at the table. Guaizai snuggled up to him again: "Daddy, Guaizai knows he was wrong!"
Whenever he said this, Zhao Ger mentally prepared himself. He no longer held any hope for Fang Zichen.
Sure enough, Guaizai said: "Father said, peeing on someone's grave is also wrong. That is disrespectful. If Ma Laosan dies, he will become a ghost. He will grab Guaizai's birdie and cut Guaizai's birdie off. Spitting also won't do. He will cut out Guaizai's tongue. Guaizai will be a good child from now on."
Zhao Ger: "......"
Feeling a bit weary, Zhao Ger sighed and touched Guaizai's face: "Be good, let's eat first!"
Tonight, there was only a plate of stir-fried cabbage and a plate of braised pork ribs. At the dinner table, Zhao Ger didn't press the matter further. Fang Zichen quickly took out the written recipe, acting obsequiously, and handed it over with both hands, wanting to divert Zhao Ger's attention.
"What is this?" Zhao Ger only recognized a few characters before, but after studying with Fang Zichen these past few months, he could now read some simple characters.
Fang Zichen put a piece of meat in Guaizai's bowl: "The shop I rented is a bit big. If we only sell chili sauce, it seems a bit wasteful. And we can't just sell chili sauce. You can't put all your eggs in one basket. I was thinking, we need to make some other things too. I've written a few types of food on this, which ones do you think are good?"
Zhao Ger really liked cooking, he immediately forgot to eat and began reading first. His skills were also excellent, even when Fang Zichen only gave a rough idea, he could manage to grope his way through and figure it out.
Just like the chili sauce, Fang Zichen only knew what ingredients were needed to make chili sauce, but how much to put in, what amount would make the best taste, he didn't understand.
But this time he wrote in detail, with steps and quantities all marked, making it easier to make.
"I want to make roast duck and rolled noodles." Zhao Ger said: "I'm more interested in these two."
Having done business in town for several months, he had a pretty clear understanding of the situation in town.
Those with shop fronts mostly stir-fried small dishes, or sold things like offal soup, mutton noodles, etc. As for street vendors, they sold pancakes, wontons, steamed buns... there were many types of food sold, but he hadn't seen roast duck or rolled noodles before.
The other few food items were more troublesome to make, required more ingredients, and all needed to be fresh ingredients. Right now, it was just him alone. Just buying these things every day would take a lot of time.
"You decide." Fang Zichen pulled his stool closer: "Behind every successful man, there is a fulang who silently supports and gives. Zhao Ger, I love you!"
Zhao Ger's hand holding the chopsticks trembled, his heart skipped a beat, and he threw a rib into Fang Zichen's bowl: "What nonsense are you talking? We're eating!"
"Can't I say it while eating?" Fang Zichen said ingratiatingly: "I love you, then do you love me?"
He knew perfectly well what Zhao Ger felt for him. Zhao Ger's face flushed red with shyness, not knowing why he was suddenly asking so inappropriately again. He had already said it before. He glanced at the opposite side, Guaizai was grabbing a rib to gnaw on. He ate very cleanly, finished all the meat, and would even lick off the sauce on it. After this, the leftover bone wasn't even fit to feed a dog.
The table was big, the dishes were placed in the middle. He stood on a small stool, the table edge just reached his chin, so it was a bit difficult for him to pick up food.
Zhao Ger put another rib in his bowl.
Guaizai smiled, showing his teeth but not his eyes, his mouth greasy: "Thank you, Daddy."
"Be good!"
As soon as the words fell, the soft flesh on his side waist was pinched.
"Say it!" Fang Zichen frowned: "Do you love me or not? Love me or not?"
Zhao Ger felt helpless, almost coquettishly, said: "...Love, love, love."
"Then since you love me, does that mean you won't hit or pinch me today?" Fang Zichen blinked. When Zhao Ger struck someone, the force wasn't particularly strong, but his pinches—that sharp, biting pain—were more than most people could bear.
Fang Zichen recalled watching "My Fair Princess" long ago; when Rong Momo pinched Ziwei, Ziwei's face would contort, and she'd let out the most exaggerated screams. Back then, he'd complained to his adoptive mother about the overacting. Now, having experienced Zhao Ger's pinches firsthand, he wondered if that actress had actually been drawing from real, painful experience.
Fang Zichen really didn't understand why Zhao Ger liked pinching people so much when he got angry.
"Look at your husband—so delicate and fragile, like a willow in the wind. Every time you strike me, it truly hurts, it's deeply painful for me. But I'm too proud to show it, so I just endure in silence."
Zhao Ger stared at him, feeling this person was utterly shameless, but couldn't bring himself to scold him, only asked lightly: "Then why aren't you enduring it this time?"
"I've reached the limit of my endurance." Fang Zichen said pitifully: "I beg you, my dear Brother Zhao!"
Zhao Ger: "......"
He wanted to laugh, pursed his lips to hold it back, and said quite cheerfully: "Fine, I won't hit you today."
This was exactly what Fang Zichen was waiting for.
He immediately beamed: "You promised! Whoever goes back on their word is a puppy."
Zhao Ger smiled even sweeter than him: "Mhmm! I won't hit you. After you finish eating, take our son to the yard."
Fang Zichen had a bad feeling: "Wh... what for?"
Zhao Ger's tone instantly became cold and ruthless: "Kneel as punishment. You can get up when I tell you to."
Fang Zichen: "......"
He couldn't eat the ribs anymore. All his sweet talk was wasted.
However, misfortune often paved the way for fortune, just as fortune could conceal misfortune. The very next day, when Fang Zichen reported for work, Shopkeeper Yang greeted him with a most welcome piece of news.
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