Chapter 33

Meng Yao chopped up the chicken to make Kung Pao Chicken. She turned the breasts into steaks with sauce and stewed the ribs with potatoes. Then she used its skin and giblets in a stir fry.

Meng Yao also steamed some buns in advance with pork belly and skin stuffed into it. It tasted just right after soaking for a night. There were also custard buns because Zhao Xiaohua liked them.

The bones used for the pork bone soup were a gift from the butcher, Zhan. Meng Yao mixed shredded radish, mashed garlic, and sliced cabbage into the soup. The soup was delicious with a mix of meat and vegetables.

Although everything looked very ordinary, the alluring fragrance told Qin Zheng that every dish on the table was far from it.

Meng Yao told everyone to sit at the table after plating the dishes.

Song Xiu’er insisted on not eating, but Meng Yao scolded her, “If you don’t eat, no one can.” Still, Song Xiu’er only nibbled on some cabbage with garlic paste.

Meng Yao glared at Zhao Dajiang. Zhao Dajiang immediately understood and spooned some of each dish for Song Xiu’er.

Qin Zheng maintained his elegance initially, but after taking a bite, he noticed that Zhao Dahe had dropped the elegance he possessed while eating at school. So, Qin Zheng followed suit.

It was not like Qin Zheng had a choice. Everything was too delicious. If he did not eat quickly, all the food would end up in Zhao Dahe’s stomach.

Meng Yao happily watched as they ate. She was just an amateur at cooking and was happy to see that her cooking was a hit.

“Mother, your cooking is even more delicious than the restaurants.” Zhao Dahe put down his chopsticks, scooped himself a bowl of soup, and sipped it slowly.

Qin Zheng also put down his chopsticks and mirrored Zhao Dahe, slowly drinking his soup.

“Madam, this is a pork belly bun, but why is it called so?” Qin Zheng asked a question that anyone who ate a pork belly bun for the first time would ask.

“When you eat it, do you think the meat is the main component or the sauce?” Meng Yao asked.

“The texture of the meat is richer and more delicious. However, the sauce is also delicious,” Qin Zheng replied after giving it some thought, “Is it called pork belly bun because the meat is more delicious?”

Meng Yao nodded. ‘That’s one way to put it,’ she thought.

“Pork belly buns will be my favorite food from now on,” Qin Zheng said solemnly. “Madam, can I come to your house for a meal during my monthly breaks? Don’t worry. I won’t eat for free.”

“Of course, you can,” Meng Yao said.

“Restrain yourself, Chubby Qin. Don’t you have even a shred of self-control? We agreed to do this once. Why are you asking to come again?” Zhao Dahe was unhappy.

“I’ve lost all my self-control in front of Madam Zhao’s cooking.” Qin Zheng looked helpless. “I’m worried about whether I can continue to stomach the food cooked by the school’s chef when I return to school.”

“It’s a good thing if you can’t eat. Aren’t you always talking about how fat you are? You can slim down if you eat less. I noticed just how Xiaohua is eating,” Zhao Dahe promptly said. “She used to eat a lot. Sometimes, even I couldn’t eat as much as her.”

Zhao Xiaohua couldn’t take it anymore. “Mother, you have to discipline Dahe. Why is he so annoying? He only knows how to expose people’s shortcomings.”

Meng Yao glared at Zhao Dahe. “You can’t seem to shut your mouth even if it’s full of food, huh? Xiaohua has put in a lot of effort to make all this food delicious.”

If it weren’t for Xiaohua’s guidance, although the food wasn’t bad, it wouldn’t have reached this taste level.

Zhao Dahe was curious. “Mother, you don’t have to side with Xiaohua, do you?” What can she do? You can’t possibly praise her in such an unrealistic way, right?”

“Mother, just listen to Dahe! How could he say that?!” Zhao Xiaohua pouted unhappily.

“Dajiang, tell Dahe what Xiaohua did,” Meng Yao said.

Zhao Dajiang was honest and would not lie.

“Mother’s cooking wasn’t that good. It was Xiaohua who told Mother which taste was too overpowering and which was lacking. Mother followed Xiaohua’s instructions and made it even better,” Zhao Dajiang said seriously.

Zhao Dahe was shocked. “Not bad, Xiaohua. I didn’t expect you to have such a skill.”

“Mother said I was born with an old woman’s tongue. I know what tastes good and what doesn’t.” Zhao Xiaohua was pleased.

“Xiaohua, can you tell me what it means when a dish lacks taste? I like eating too,” Qin Zheng asked with an embarrassed look.

“What do you mean? I just know when I eat it,” Zhao Xiaohua said.

“Is there no trick to it?” Qin Zheng was not giving up.

Zhao Xiaohua shook her head. “No.”

Qin Zhen sighed. “God is biased.”

“If you want your tongue to be more sensitive, you must use it more often,” Meng Yao said.

Qin Zheng’s eyes lit up. “W-What do you mean, Madam Zhao?”

“If I’m not wrong, you eat fish and meat daily, right? Also, you have a robust palate. The first time you eat something, it tastes good, but upon eating it a second time, you feel it was not as good as before, correct? So, the more you eat, the blander it becomes, right?”

“Yes, yes.” Qin Zheng nodded, making the flesh on his face quiver. “What’s wrong with my tongue, Madam Zhao?”

Zhao Xiaohua felt like she was looking at her past self when she looked at Qin Zheng. As expected, her face was chubby and did not look good.

“The greasiness and rich taste have exhausted your taste buds. Eat some light food to rest your tastebuds. Then you can enjoy some more delicious food. But remember. You have to eat a mix of meat and vegetables, not just meat,” Meng Yao said.

Meng Yao had noticed that Qin Zheng hadn’t eaten a single bite of radish or cabbage.

But I don’t like vegetables.” Qin Feng said, vexed.

“If you continue to eat only meat, your tongue will slowly lose its ability to taste. Everything you eat will start tasting like wax,” Meng Yao chided.

Although it was an exaggeration, it was not a lie. In the long run, when one’s taste buds become desensitized, one would feel less happy even though they tasted good food.

Qin Feng’s face turned pale with fear. “Madam Zhao, you’re not trying to scare me, are you?” Qin Zheng’s voice trembled. He was petrified.

“I’m not trying to scare you,” Meng Yao said. “I heard from Dahe’s father that he has seen people who couldn’t taste anything.”

Meg Yao did this because Qin Zheng was too fat. He could eat a whole meal and then some. Meng Yao guessed that if Qin Zheng went for a physical examination in this condition, Qin Zheng would discover many health problems even though he was so young.

Xiaohua Zhao was smart. How could she not see that her mother was exaggerating the situation because she saw Qin Zheng was too fat?

“Qin Zheng, Dahe wasn’t lying. I was just as fat as you before,” Zhao Xiaohua said. “I love eating meat, and I always eat very quickly. I would also eat a lot of snacks. After that, I felt that my food was tasteless, and I got tired after walking a little. Others even laughed at me and called me a fat pig. I thought I shouldn’t get any fatter and had to slim down.”

What Zhao Xiaohua said was spot on about Qin Feng’s daily life. He had thought about losing weight before but couldn’t control himself with the temptation of food.

Qin Zheng had tried forcing himself to go hungry a few times, but he became even more greedy instead of losing weight.